Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Fairy Tail.

Chapter 27: Closure (X784)

"Odd."

Naruto's eyes darted around the homely apartment he stood in, the dark wood panels on the walls and polished parquet floors offering an old-fashioned warmth to the abode. A fire crackled in the hearth cheerfully, shadows dancing across the paintings of gorgeous vistas hung on the walls. Bookshelves lined the room, and two plush crimson armchairs were placed facing the fireplace, a small wooden table between them. A bottle of alcohol and a simple whiskey glass sat upon the table, patiently awaiting consumption.

"Would you like to join me?" a voice echoed in Naruto's head. "The whiskey is good, and the company is better."

Squashing his concerns, the blond man strode over to the armchairs, finding a handsome man seated in one of them. He had an inky black mane of hair that reached his shoulders, wine red eyes that almost seemed iridescent, and a vertical scar on his forehead. He wore a maroon silk sleeping robe that conveyed the very essence of wealth and nobility. Glancing down, Naruto noted that the man was also wearing fluffy bunny slippers, the pink footwear even adorned with floppy ears.

Taking the empty armchair, the blond ninja thanked his host quietly as he filled the whiskey glass, and sat back into the cushioned seat with quiet relish. The two men sat in their chairs for a long moment, a comfortable silence spent just watching the fire dance its hypnotic tune.

"Aren't you going to ask who I am, and why you are here?" the mysterious individual finally piped up, his voice appearing in Naruto's head once more.

Naruto turned his head to look at his present companion, meeting the curious gaze of the pale man. "I could, but you are an entity that managed to disrupt Reverse Anima somehow. Either that, or I'm dead and speaking with the god of death of this world. In both scenarios, there isn't much I can do, and I doubt you invited me to sit here and drink whiskey just for the hell of it. So you'll eventually tell me the answers to both those questions anyway."

"Astute," the man complimented, leaning back into his chair. "I could do with a subordinate like you."

"Sorry, but I'm a little preoccupied with other things right now," Naruto declined the offer.

"So it seems. It must have been difficult to see your loved ones injured so badly, and to have to part ways with a young man you think of as family," the black-haired man remarked, watching as Naruto merely lifted the glass to his lips. "You are awfully composed. You are quite the remarkable human."

"Spare me the theatrics. If my assumptions are right and you are a god of some sort, it's not far-fetched to believe you may be omniscient," Naruto deadpanned. "I've learnt patience in the past decade, but only out of necessity. If you don't mind, I do have places to go. Unless I'm dead, then you may inform me thusly so I can enjoy this glass of whiskey at a slower pace."

"Your attitude makes me nostalgic," the man smiled. "Grandeeney was always short on patience when dealing with me."

"Unsurprisingly," the blond snorted.

"I suppose you'd like to know why I've interrupted your little jaunt back to Earthland," the black-haired man sighed loudly. "The truth is, I am not omniscient. If I was, I could have forestalled the situation that unravelled in Edolas over the past few decades."

"If it was a slow burner as you've described, then there must have been plenty of opportunities to interfere."

The man nodded slowly. "You are right. But just because I am omnipotent does not mean I should use my powers recklessly. They are, after all, still my subjects. Smiting them will set a terrible precedent."

"And yet, the situation deteriorated to the point where an entire race of creatures has to leave your world," Naruto retorted. "You can't even say that you've saved more lives, because my mission has killed plenty, many whom were innocent other than being loyal citizens and employees."

"Unfortunately, you are correct. I couldn't bring myself to nip the problem in the bud before it spiralled out of control," the dark-haired man agreed melancholically. He stared at his beverage unseeingly, swirling the drink. "But it was my mistake that led to this. How could I blame the humans for their emotions? It is their imperfections that make them such delightful creatures, so diverse and interesting to watch."

"Are we your creations?" the shinobi queried.

"To my regret, no. I am merely one of many gods. One might even say I am a lesser being, omnipotent to the terrestrial races, but only a tiny speck in the eyes of the true gods," the man replied honestly.

"And your mistake?"

"Tactful."

"I don't see the need to be polite. I'm not the one invested in this conversation."

"Very well," the black-haired divinity conceded dryly. "Little Shagotte, bless her compassionate heart, had predicted a course of events that would lead to much heartache for your home. As my liaison to the other races, Grandeeney delivered the message to me. I then sent her to Earthland to pass the word. How is she doing by the way?"

"Don't know anyone by the name," Naruto shrugged. "She might be using an alias."

"Hmm. Pink hair, red eyes, a healer?"

"Porlyusica? She did say she's from Edolas…" Naruto mused aloud. "If that's who she is…she's doing fine. Terribly grumpy and reclusive though."

The god chuckled lowly. "Give her my blessings and my thanks for her years of service."

"Noted."

"Ah, where was I? Yes, the catastrophe. It was the spell you know as Anima ripping people from their homes, turning them into nothing more than fuel. There was no doubt it was the greed of humanity, a race of extremes, that culminated in the events to come," the being recalled, shaking his head. "So I cut off my power to my believers, in the belief that without the energy you know as Ethernano, they would be unable to cast that spell."

"But it turns out that sparked their creation of Anima?" Naruto inferred wryly.

"Indeed. Suddenly deprived of Ethernano, they were desperate to obtain it by any means, to sustain their normal lifestyle," the black-haired god shook his head. "How could I justly deliver divine punishment if the perpetrator is not them, but me?"

"Why tell me all this?" the blond exhaled softly, meeting the crimson eyes of the god.

"Because I wish to thank you for saving my world, my Exceed, and my humans from themselves," the divinity smiled gratefully.

"I didn't do any of this for you," the whiskered man remarked stiffly.

"No. But you accomplished what I could not bring myself to do. It is why I enjoy watching humans," the god replied gently. "So fragile, so ephemeral, yet so much stronger in heart than those for whom the sands of time remain static."

"Must be nice to see humanity from a third person perspective," Naruto muttered. "It's a less pleasant sight down below."

"So it is," the god acquiesced. "It's been a pleasure speaking with you, Uzumaki Naruto."

The cerulean-eyed man snorted. "I'm a terrible conversationalist, and you don't have to be omniscient to know that."

"Perhaps," he grinned, as the blond's form started to fade into transparency. "Any last requests?"

"Do you have a name?"

"I am referred to as Galigdrys by earth-bound races," the divine being murmured. "But surely you could ask for more?"

"A name is something more powerful than you might think," Naruto replied with a hint of nostalgia, placing his whiskey glass on the table. "Besides, despite all the many things I want, I prefer to fix my mistakes myself."

"Touché."

As the ninja finally faded into nothing, Galigdrys leaned back into his armchair slowly, the slit on his forehead opening to reveal a third eye. Black tomoe circled his pupil lazily.

Good luck, Uzumaki Naruto. May your gods have mercy on your soul.

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The rain was a welcome relief for his murderous headache and his aching body. Blinking precipitation from his eyes, Naruto tried to move his limbs, but to no avail. Groaning, he let his head sink into the soft loamy ground he was lying on, his tattered clothes progressively drenched.

Didn't even heal me. So much for gratitude, Naruto grumbled in his head, his head feeling like it was about to burst as he tried to channel some chakra. Orange markings appeared briefly around his eyes before they faded. The spell he tried to cast took all of his attention, and it was only after he was done when he realised there was something standing on his chest, a tiny but exceedingly sharp blade tickling the underside of his jaw.

"It'll only take a single stroke to kill you right now," the creature threatened, his voice almost lost in the pitter-patter of rain. "So I hope you'll cooperate and answer my questions, for your own sake."

"Ask…away…" the blond rasped, his vision going in and out of focus.

"Where are we? Who are you? And what did you do?" the diminutive individual growled, frustration leaking into his tone.

"Earth…land," Naruto slurred, a crooked smile on his lips. "Uzu…maki…Naru…to. I…took…all the…magic from….Edolas. In…stalled Jellal…as…king."

"Prince Jellal?" the small figure gasped, prodding the vulnerable flesh with his sword. "What insanity prompted you to do that…any of that?!"

The blond man chuckled hoarsely. "Exceed…are doomed. Saved them…and stopped…Anima. Rescued…friend."

A tiny paw smacked Naruto's jaw with a lot more force than he expected, snapping his head to the side. "You imbecile! You didn't save the Exceed, you've killed them! The Queen is a god to the humans! An entire race taken from their homes…you might as well have committed genocide!"

"Alive…adapt," Naruto coughed, blood dribbling from his nose.

"You-!"

"That's enough, Pantherlily," a soft voice spoke, filled with authority.

Pantherlily spun his head to face the speaker, quickly getting onto one knee as he placed his fist over his chest. "My Queen! I…"

"I was made aware of his plans, and I agreed with them," Shagotte declared, her Elders leading all the Exceed behind her. "If we hadn't come to Earthland, we would have been killed by the humans eventually. But here, we can make a new, peaceful life without the threat of extermination."

"But your powers!" Pantherlily argued.

"Never existed," Elder Martam interjected. "It was a ploy to keep us safe. Unfortunately, familiarity breeds contempt. The humans began to plot our demise which we would have been helpless to overcome. Here, we have access to abundant magic, are relatively unknown and thus free from the threat of genocide."

"I…I understand," the black-furred Exceed backed down, slipping off Naruto's chest. "But where do we go from here?"

"I had hoped our human friend could help us with that query, but it seems he's in need of our help instead," Mejeer noted with irony.

Naruto turned his head slowly to face the blue-furred Elder, a wry grin on his bloody lips. "Sent…for help…already. Will arrive…soon."

As if on cue, a young teenage girl with bird wings burst through the sheets of rain, landing roughly before the blond man and his Exceed company. The girl tumbled in the wet grass, an undignified squawk bursting from her mouth as she crashed into Naruto's prone body. "Owowow…"

"Li…sanna," Naruto groaned.

"Ah, Ráfaga-niichan!" she squeaked, her wings replaced in a burst of feathers and light by normal, scrawny human arms. She threw them around the immobile man, hugging him tightly. "It's great to see…oh god, are you okay?!"

"Scroll…in pouch…links to…Porlyu…sica," the ninja gasped, eyes fluttering shut. "Send…all…through. Cana…Mira…coor…dinates…"

"Yea, I got them," Lisanna beamed, her hand digging beneath Naruto's body to get at his weapons pouch. "Never knew you knew Telepathy, but I'm starting to think there's a lot more than just Telepathy that you've been hiding."

"Good."

His world faded to darkness.

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Porlyusica stepped out of her humble home, immediately accosted by Cana and Lisanna, Mirajane just a step behind. She glared at the trio of women, but they stubbornly stood their ground, eyes spelling out their worry for the wayward former member of Fairy Tail currently lying on her bed. Repressing a sigh, she not too subtly gestured for them to give her back her personal space.

"Well, he was in a rough shape," the pink-haired healer grumbled without heat. "Wouldn't have died without my help, but was in danger of slipping into a coma. That, or becoming a vegetable."

"When will he be up?" Cana asked loudly, Porlyusica's sensitive ears ringing.

Shooting a venomous stare at the brunette who backed away sheepishly, the elderly woman continued. "Don't know. He's got a constitution I'm tempted to consider a separate species from humans, so I can't make any solid predictions. He heals fast though, and I'm fully expecting that brat to be up and annoying me within a day or two."

"What exactly happened to him?" Mira queried quietly, occasionally giving Porlyusica's door a glance. "He looked fine when he helped me, but now…could it be because of the Anima?"

"It's definitely not the Anima. His own energy somehow oversaturated his brain and caused heavy haemorrhaging and plenty of nerve damage to boot," the older woman replied, clucking her tongue. "Must've been some stupid spell that inflicts as much damage on himself as his enemies. The kid is far too reckless with his own life. Speaking of, anyone want to explain to me why I found a Dragon Slayer lacrima inside of him?"

"That's news to me," the oldest Strauss sibling pursed her lips. She shared a look with Cana, who could only shrug.

Porlyusica grumbled under her breath. "Well, it was pretty badly integrated into his body. Idiot probably did the awful job himself. The fix is a bit crude for my tastes, since I can't make head or tails of his alien energy network. When he wakes up, tell him he owes me a dozen favours for that."

"We will," Cana grinned. "Is there anything else?"

"His spine has signs of being healed over. Not as bad a job as the lacrima, but whoever did it didn't account for his weird body," Porlyusica answered matter-of-factly. "He probably can't channel any of his internal energy to his legs now."

"Can you fix it?" Lisanna piped up.

"The vessels from hip down have atrophied beyond saving. Besides, his energy network has more than three hundred nodes, and eight of the biggest ones are within his central nervous system and his heart," the pink-haired woman shook her head. "Without knowing anything about it, I'm not going to fiddle with something that complex and cause even more damage. Who knows, maybe this will stop the brat from being so gung-ho."

"Thank you, Porlyusica-san," Mira bowed deeply, Lisanna and Cana following suit.

Porlyusica waved the thanks aside. "Just get out of my hair once he's up. You two aren't feeling any pain right? Sure you don't want that ear fixed?"

Cana's hand brushed the shiny scar tissue with a small grin. "Naw, thanks for the offer. But I think I'll keep it like that. It'll be a good reminder for me to keep growing stronger, and I can also use it to guilt trip Naruto-nii!"

"That's right, I haven't had an explanation about any of that yet!" Lisanna whined, facing Cana with a pout. "What's up with calling Ráfaga-niichan, Naruto? Why did he even go to Edolas with you two? Isn't he just a B-class Hair and Chain Magic bondage expert? What gives?"

"Bondage! HAHAHAHAHA! Haven't heard that one in a while!" the brunette guffawed, as Mira blushed lightly. "C'mon Mira, let's get Lisanna updated on everything. I think someone else wants to talk to the old hag."

"Old hag?!" Porlyusica screeched, a broom appearing in her hand as she chased a cackling Cana away, the Strauss sisters dragged along by the brunette. "No good brats…mooching off my hospitality and insulting me…"

The pink-haired healer huffed, turning around to march back into her home. But a white-furred Exceed stood between her and her abode, the one-winged queen looking longingly at her old friend. Discarding her anger, Porlyusica knelt and allowed Shagotte to run into her arms, the sovereign ruler of Extalia sobbing freely into her chest. Porlyusica stroked the soft downy fur of the Exceed, soothing words flowing from her lips as they had a long overdue reunion.

"I thought monarchs weren't allowed to cry?" Porlyusica teased gently, as the crying ebbed.

Shagotte wiped her tears with dainty paws, a small smile on her features. "I'm not much of a queen."

"Not according to your people."

"Then they have chosen the wrong person to lead this diaspora," the white-furred Exceed remarked. She held Porlyusica's wrinkled hand in her paws, tracing the palm lines absentmindedly. "I've missed you, Grandeeney."

"So have I, little one, so have I," Porlyusica replied tenderly. "It must have been a difficult few decades for you."

"Nothing compared to many others. All the numerous Exceed I've had to exile to maintain an appalling veneer…" Shagotte sighed, her ears drooping. "It was a stroke of luck that we managed to find Pantherlily and the human when we did. He was…is our only hope at finding the people I've exiled. They must be in complete disarray…"

"That human…is someone you can rely on," Porlyusica admitted, glancing at her home and its current occupant. "But from the stories I hear…he scares even a dragon like me."

The monarch nodded in acquiescence. "He does not possess my powers of prediction, yet he seems to be blessed with foresight beyond any individual I've seen. To think he even had temporary accommodations prepared for everyone, kept within a piece of parchment…"

"You've only seen certain facets of him then, to be struck by his forethought of all things," the pink-haired healer patted Shagotte on the head. "Surely he has demonstrated his ability at combat at some point?"

"He did manage to sneak into my chambers without anyone the wiser," Shagotte pondered, a rueful smile on her lips. "But it seems I forgot about it in the chaos that preceded our arrival here."

"Then perhaps we should keep it that way. No need to lose faith in the human best positioned to help," Porlyusica commented. "But enough about that brat. We simply must catch up. How have you been?"

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"Hhrrnngghhh."

Porlyusica spun on her heels at the sound, sighing in exasperation as she found her patient already trying to climb out of bed despite his convalescent state. Striding over to the obstinate blond, she hooked her arms beneath his armpits and lifted him into a sitting position. Grabbing a teacup, she filled it with water from a pitcher and brought it to his lips, allowing him to sip it slowly to wet his throat.

"You really know how to abuse yourself, brat," the pink-haired woman remarked. "And cause trouble for me to boot."

"S-Sorry."

"Well, you helped little Shagotte, so I suppose I can forgive you this once," she sighed, before glaring at him sternly. "But you owe me a lot of favours, and you probably owe a lot of other people some explanations."

Naruto quirked his lips. "G-Got it."

"Now, stay still while I go inform your entourage," Porlyusica ordered, putting down the cup and heading for the door.

The blond nodded, closing his eyes as he soaked in the warmth of the sunlight streaming through the windows. The silence was quickly interrupted by the door slamming open, an indignant squawk from the homeowner, and two sets of arms wrapping around his body tightly. Azure eyes opened to meet aquamarine, the blond smiling as he strained his arms to pat Cana and Lisanna on their heads as Mira stood behind them. The latter pouted cutely at the affectionate gesture, while Cana seemed to revel in it.

"Naruto-niichan! I'm not a kid anymore!" Lisanna complained, removing his hand carefully. "Why didn't you ever tell us about all the cool things you did? And did you know how long it took for me to practice saying your actual name?"

"S-Sorry Lisanna," the shinobi replied with a morose smile. "For that, and everything else. I should have told the guild so we could rescue you earlier."

"Heh, it's okay. Mira-nee and Cana told me about your crazy mission in Edolas. Natsu will only make a big mess of it," Lisanna grinned, forgiving him immediately. "It wasn't bad for me there anyway. I was even in the Edolas Fairy Tail! It was so weird, with everyone the complete opposite of themselves. But the Mira-nee there is just like Mira-nee now…"

The youngest Strauss stared inquisitively at Naruto. "You're not turned off by that, are you? But if you are, I'm sure Mira-nee will wear her goth outfit for you again…"

Naruto choked on air as Cana burst into peals of laughter, falling ungracefully to the ground. Sighing, he patted the girl on the head once more, cracking a happier smile as the girl pouted. "It's good to see you again, Lisanna."

Mirajane coughed politely, eyes flicking over to the door. "I think we should let him rest for now."

"We'll chat later!" Lisanna chirped as Mira dragged Cana out the door, the brunette still laughing uproariously.

Shaking his head, he watched as the trio of young women left the cramped cabin, only to be replaced by Shagotte and her Elders. The former looked troubled, but there was a steely determination in her eyes. Porlyusica offered Naruto a quick nod before she shut the door, leaving him with the Exceed. As Shagotte prepared to speak, Naruto raised a hand to stop her.

"If you wish to thank me, don't bother. It was a happy coincidence that my plan allowed your departure from Edolas," Naruto said slowly. "If you wish to ask for the things I promised, I will deliver once I'm recovered enough."

"Nevertheless…you have given us an opportunity to rebuild, to reunite the people, to see our children…" Shagotte bowed deeply, the Elders doing their best to follow despite their age. "For that, you have the gratitude of all Exceed."

"I wouldn't be sure of that," Naruto muttered. "I hope the living accommodations haven't been too bad?"

"It took a while for us to set up the tents and assign them given their large size, but it's more than adequate for now," Martam spoke up, the bespectacled Elder shuffling forwards. "As is the provisions. They won't last very long, but we have troops scouring the land for a place to settle. It should last until then."

"If you wish, there's a former human settlement towards the north. It's a fair distance to travel for your soldiers though," Naruto offered. "I can bring you there to see it personally when I'm in better shape. The forest is plentiful and the land is mostly uninhabited by humans."

"We'll keep that in mind," Mejeer nodded. "There is another favour we wish to seek of you."

"Finding the eggs you sent here?"

Shagotte wrung her hands. "That is something we will do, but it is not an urgent matter. They might be perfectly happy in the homes they have here. No, we need to find the Exceed who came with us from Edolas, but had been outside of Extalia when it happened. They were clueless about the situation, and are surely in need of help now."

"I might be able to help, but it'll take me some time, especially since I'm not fully recovered," Naruto confessed to crestfallen looks. "It's not a foolproof method either. But I'll give it a shot. Do you have the map of Fiore I provided?"

Exchanging glances, Muganto produced a parchment detailing the kingdom's geography. Naruto took the sheet gingerly, laying it across his lap. Gathering Ethernano from the air, he entered Sennin Mōdo and began to search.

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A blonde burst through the doors of Fairy Tail, startling the guild members as she stumbled into the guild hall. Several shrieks were heard as she plastered a weak grin on her face. "I'm back!"

"LUCY!"

Natsu bawled as he tackled the de facto leader of Fairy Tail, who looked worse for wear after her capture. She was dressed in ill-fitting clothes that looked like they belonged to a man, and her left eyelid drooped over an empty socket. But she was alive, and that was all everyone cared for as they crowded around Lucy.

"Shit, girl, what happened to you?"

"You look terrible!"

"Damn, you smell like ass!"

Lucy laughed, returning Natsu's crushing embrace as she soaked in the quirky atmosphere of Fairy Tail. Her lone eye met Levy's, and her blue-haired rival gave her a sharp nod which she returned with a smile. Gently shoving the wailing Natsu off her body, Lucy walked slowly to Levy. "Anything happened while I was gone?"

"Yea," the younger girl replied gruffly. "All the magic was just sucked up by the sky to the other world. Nothing that runs on magic works now. Lisanna was taken too, but apparently she's the Lisanna from the other world, so she basically just went home."

The blonde chanced a glance at Mirajane and Elfman, but they didn't look too upset. "Any trouble from the capital?"

"Not after your capture," she shrugged. "I sent Natsu out on a scouting run. Apparently the Royal City is in chaos after all their magic got taken. I doubt they'll care about us now that there's no more magic in Edolas anyway."

"Yea, I figured," the blonde sighed, stumbling over to a chair and collapsing into it with a groan.

"So how did you escape?" Wendy murmured, taking a seat beside her.

Lucy scratched the back of her head. "Got lucky I guess. Some guy rescued me. Disappeared into smoke once he brought me within sight of here. He looked oddly familiar, but I can't remember where I've seen his face before."

"What does he look like?"

"Blond hair, blue eyes, weird lines on his cheeks," Lucy described.

"Isn't that the guy in the wanted poster Natsu found?" Wendy arched an eyebrow.

Lucy punched her palm. "Yea, that's it! Well, if he helped me and is wanted by the Edolas Army, then he can't be all bad. He's not going to be a problem anyway. Told me he was from the other world, so I bet he got sucked up too."

"Well, it's a good thing you managed to get back," Wendy smiled, patting the blonde on her shoulder. "Levy was about to mount a crazy rescue mission for you in two days if you didn't make it back."

"What, no way! I was going to help the Fairy Hunter finish her off!" Levy protested.

"Hah, like you can handle me even with the Fairy Hunter's help!"

"At least my face doesn't look like ass! I never thought you could be any uglier, but you proved me wrong!"

"Well, at least I got boobs, you flat-chested bitch!"

"You whore! Come here and I'll take out your other eye for you, free of charge!"

"Scared to come to me instead? Bitch like you is all bark no bite! Woof, woof!"

Normality ensued.

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A thunderous roar erupted from the packed streets as he stepped out of the palace gates and into view. With Byro dead, Pantherlily gone and Erza out of commission for the time being, there was no one to tell him to dress for the occasion. Hence, he was dressed in his usual outfit sans headgear. It was a look of modesty, one that seemed to appeal to the people…his people.

Raising his hands in a futile attempt to quieten the crowd, Mystogan was forced to smile and wave for over a minute before his voice could be heard. Taking a deep breath, he donned his most serious face. "My fellow citizens of Edolas! This has been a tumultuous time for all of us."

"I cannot pretend to know your difficulties and your pains, to have your lives disrupted by recent events. The palace was invaded and thrashed, with many important officials and your king…my father…murdered before your very eyes," the blue-haired man spoke emotively. "The Exceed have taken away our magic and left nothing but ruins, and that is unforgivable!"

The people bellowed their approval. Mystogan raised his hand once more, requesting for silence. "Yet…yet, we cannot foolishly seek revenge against them. They have a god in their midst who can kill us with ease. I will not sacrifice a single man to satiate our anger against the Exceed. No, we must be better than them. Let us not stoop to their level and conduct violence against them as they have done us. They are gone now, and they won't be back. We can live in peace, without fear that their god will strike one of us down at any moment."

"Many people have petitioned for the re-activation of Anima. It is unfortunate, but the Exceed had been thorough in their destruction," Mystogan shook his head. "We have the expertise to rebuild it, but it will take years of effort that can be put into better use. Let us not be backward thinking, to look upon what we had and refuse to adapt, to change, to grow. Anima was a tool of the Exceed to control us. Let us throw off the shackles of magic dependency! Let us write a new chapter in our story, one where we are not defined by what the Exceed demanded from us! Let us move on into a new age, an age where we no longer need to fear the lack of magic because we no longer rely on it!"

Rapturous applause and cheering greeted his words. Once the adulation faded, the blue-haired monarch continued. "Make no mistake, the times ahead of us will be difficult. So walk with me, as you did with my father. Walk with me, and together we can triumph over adversity. Together, we can forge a better world for us and for the generations to come. Together, we can create a brighter future!"

He nodded and waved as the people roared their approval, their chants echoing as he turned to return to the palace. Two men stood before him as the palace gates closed, Mystogan acknowledging their presence with a curt greeting before walking past them.

Sugarboy and Hughes fell into step with him. "That was a good speech, my king."

"I did what I must," Mystogan replied softly.

"So, what's next?" Hughes asked dully.

"We lied to the people to soothe their unease. Now we need to perpetuate the lie," the blue-haired man answered cryptically. "Where is Erza recovering?"

"She's in her own quarters. The infirmary was too full," Sugarboy responded. "Shall I lead you there?"

"No, that's fine. I'm sure the two of you have plenty of other things to do than show me around," he remarked, peering at his two Royal Army Captains. "Can I trust the both of you to do what's necessary?"

"We live to serve the king," Sugarboy placed a fist over his chest.

Mystogan snorted. "Don't. Serve the people instead."

As the blue-haired man disappeared around a corner, Hughes sighed and put his hands behind his head. "Man, that guy is amazingly fishy!"

"He's our king now. We don't have a choice, not with the people asking him to take the throne," Sugarboy reminded harshly, before stroking his cleft chin. "But…he certainly has charisma. And he has a vision for Edolas that I can buy into."

"Where's the amazing fun in life without amazing magic?!" Hughes whined.

"Magic was our ambrosia, but he thinks otherwise. And maybe he's right. There's no guarantee Code ETD would have worked," Sugarboy murmured. "All our attempts to create more magic by colliding particles together failed. So why would smashing a lacrima into Extalia make infinite magic? We've grown so reliant on magic we would commit genocide for it. Maybe this is for the best."

"I still think magic is too amazing to give up on!"

"Then we'll just have to agree to disagree."

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She stared at the ceiling with unfocused eyes, red hair spilled over a plain white pillow. There were few personal touches that marked the place as her own room, and it nearly matched the sterility of a hospital. She cared little for such frivolities, but it seemed even her obsessive focus on combat wasn't enough to prevent her defeat. Mired in depressing thoughts, she didn't react as she heard the sound of a chair scrapping across the floor to her bedside, or the sound of a person sitting down.

"Why are you here?" Erza asked sourly.

"I'm here to ensure Jellal's ascension is as smooth as possible," the man replied. "Sugarboy is level-headed and intelligent enough to accept Jellal. Hughes is too self-absorbed and flighty to care much. You're just the last person of the former hierarchy left to persuade."

The army captain twisted her head slowly to glare at the blond man. "If you think I am a woman of loose principles, then you are as foolish as your plan is. I'm not going to follow an imposter you installed on the throne. If you want your little coup to succeed, then you better kill me now…Naruto."

"I don't want to kill you. Your support will be immeasurable to Jellal," Naruto sighed.

"Then you can hope fruitlessly for the impossible," she snarled.

"You are getting quite agitated. Shall I tell you a story I heard from a friend?" the blond offered.

"Do what you will."

"Very well," the azure-eyed man smiled. "You see, once upon a time there was a girl with crimson hair. She lived happily with her parents in the city. But one day, a fire broke out, and both her parents were killed, leaving her orphaned. The fire was attributed to rowdy mages, recklessly using magic while drunk. Yet they were only sentenced to jail. She became hateful, obsessed with mages, desiring their lives in recompense for her parents'."

"But one day, stewing in her own hate in a ramshackle orphanage filled with forgotten children, a blue-haired boy came to visit," Naruto murmured. "He was the prince of their kingdom, yet he arrived without fanfare, just a boy looking to make friends and help the orphans. She, so sympathetic of her fellow wards of state, stood up to him bravely and demanded for more money, money to support discarded lives."

"He was so impressed, he told her she could have all the money he could give, and if she gave him her hand in marriage, she would have access to even more money when he took the throne. She turned him down immediately," the blond chuckled lowly. "He took it in stride, and played with fellow children the whole day. He was the prince, yet was a kind-hearted soul who endeared himself to every child in that orphanage with his sincerity and his humility. Little by little, they opened up to him, telling him their hopes, their fears, their dreams. When the day was done and he was about to leave, the red-haired girl grabbed the boy by his sleeve and kissed him on the cheek, telling him to visit again."

"But he never went back, and the girl felt disappointed, even a little hateful of the boy who promised her the world but gave her nothing," Naruto finished. "For a fleeting moment, she had let her dark ambitions go. But the prince's betrayal only taught her that life wasn't a fairy tale. She was reminded of her parents taken away from her, and her resolve strengthened once more. Her happiness didn't lay with marrying a prince, but revenge for her family."

"Cute story," Erza spat out sarcastically. "How does it end?"

"Well, the girl is now a grown woman, who has accomplished much yet gained little," Naruto commented softly. "She believed killing mages would make her happy, but it only gave her grim satisfaction that faded quickly. Her pride grew enormous as her reputation ballooned, yet she willingly worked for the monarchy that forgot about the orphans in order to fulfil her ambitions. It's a pretty dire ending."

"Lovely," she snorted.

"It can be, if she'd let it," the blond said quietly. "There are no more mages now that all the magic has left her world. The boy prince is now the king, willing to enact sweeping changes to help others if the woman pointed him in the right direction. She can easily lead a fulfilling life from now on, and only her pride stands in the way. It's all within her grasp."

"You make life sound so simple," the crimson-haired lancer scoffed. "Maybe you should take that silver spoon out of your mouth before you speak."

"Life is what you make of it. What is the point of holding a grudge against mages, against Jellal or against me, when you can hold happiness instead? Is your hate, your pride more important than just being happy?" Naruto retorted. "But it seems I can't persuade you to support Jellal, or even that he's the real article. So be it."

Erza turned her eyes to the ceiling once more, her view soon blocked by Naruto holding a spare pillow. She laughed bitterly. "You certainly don't waste any time."

"No. Unless you wish to change your mind? You sound a little reluctant."

The spearwoman shut her eyes. "Who wouldn't be reluctant to die? Just get it over and done with."

"I'm not that merciful, unfortunately," Naruto whispered. "But he is. I'll leave you to his tender mercies instead. Forgive his bumbling attempts to talk to you. He never really learnt how to talk to women."

Erza's eyes flew open as the pillow fell on her chest harmlessly, wafting white smoke the only sign that Naruto had once been there. A contemplative silence pervaded her room until there was a sharp knock on the door. She didn't respond, but the door swung open anyway.

A blue-haired man shuffled into the room, seating himself in the chair beside her bed. "Erm, so, how are you feeling?"

"Numb," she replied tersely.

"Oh, erm, okay," he scratched the back of his head. "Look, Sugarboy told me about how you expressed…dislike of Naruto-sensei. I'm not sure how much of that extends to me, and whether you even condone his actions. I won't ask you to acknowledge me as your king, but the kingdom is in turmoil and we need every scrap of competent leadership right now. I only ask that you serve your current role until there is stability. Past that, if you disagree with my rule, you may leave the Royal City unharmed. Exile isn't much of a choice, but-"

"I accept," Erza stated without inflection.

"What?" Mystogan blinked.

"I accept your terms on one condition," the crimson-haired woman said, staring inscrutably at the monarch. "Fulfil the promise you made to us. I can only do so much with the pay I get."

"Promise?" he echoed.

"The orphans, seven years ago," she whispered.

"The orphans…oh. Oh!" Mystogan snapped his fingers. "Of course! It's probably too late for the people I met back then, but I'll arrange for proper funding of the orphanage. But how would you…wait. You…you're that Erza?"

"Now I see why you need all the help you can get," she snarked.

"Sorry, but I thought it was just a coincidence. Your reputation doesn't really match with what I remembered of you…" the blue-haired king apologised sheepishly, before muttering under his breath. "Gods, I hope she forgot that…"

"I'm not interested in marriage," she said flatly.

His face flushed red. "Uhh…"

"Just get out of here before you embarrass yourself further."

"…Right."

8888888888888888

Naruto was reasonably sure Porlyusica was on the cusp of getting a stroke, given her increasingly testy attitude and numerous facial tics during his convalescence. Cana, Mirajane and Lisanna had all refused to return to Magnolia Town despite frosty glares from the healer, and had camped out right beside her cabin. And if that wasn't enough, an entire refugee city of Exceed had made their temporary home in East Forest, which contributed to more noise than even Fairy Tail could manage on a particularly rowdy day.

If Shagotte hadn't been there to soothe the prickly woman and appeal to her altruistic side, the blond reckoned they would have been chased away long ago. As it was, they managed to stay until Naruto had recovered enough to use the Hiraishin. The former Cait Shelter and Worth Woodsea was just too far away, and Hiraishin was just quicker in spite of the wait for Naruto to heal. Shagotte and the Elders even got to see the land without having to rely on verbal reports.

Moving all the Exceed there would be much like how Naruto got all of them to the East Forest in the first place. It was a modified Hiraishin seal boasting greater stability at the expense of size and complexity, with two of those seals inscribed on scrolls, connected like ends of a tunnel. He was glad to have hidden one in Porlyusica's house before he left for Edolas. She definitely wasn't too pleased to have so many people disturbing her peace without any warning, but meeting Shagotte again after so many decades helped mitigate her annoyance.

Personally, Naruto was glad everything was coming to an end. He had been quite worried about resettlement, and rightly so, but things had fallen into place as he planned. He didn't even have to worry about the food and water running out, with the forest filled with plenty of edible flora and fauna. The demands of so many people took its toll, but it wasn't decimated beyond the point of recovery. The question of sanitation went unasked. Naruto didn't want to know how a city's worth of Exceed dealt with their waste, and the leaders were not in a telling mood either.

The shinobi watched passively as Shagotte bade an emotional farewell with Porlyusica, the pink-haired woman desperately trying to maintain her composure. Pantherlily stood a short distance behind the queen of Exceed, the former exile now serving as Shagotte's bodyguard. The Elders and the troops were busy organising the people for their relocation, which gave the white-furred Exceed the opportunity to say goodbye to her friend privately.

Leaving the Edolas natives to themselves, Naruto turned to the women of Fairy Tail, who had stayed there for him despite their homes a mere stone's throw away. Before Naruto could say a word, Cana and Lisanna manhandled Mirajane, shoving the unresisting woman towards the blond. Offering him synchronised winks, they retreated a fair distance; far enough to be courteous, close enough to be within earshot.

The ivory-haired woman stood before Naruto quietly, her fidgety hands clasped behind her back. He maintained that silence, his expression neutral as he gazed into her large aquamarine orbs.

"I still haven't forgiven you yet," she finally stated, without much conviction.

"I know," he replied, quoting her own words back at her. "Time, right?"

She hesitated, pursing her lips at his frustrating laconism. "Aren't you going to ask me how you can mitigate this?"

"Should I?" the ninja asked, a smile quirking the corners of his lips.

A hot rush of anger surged up her torso, as the Mira of old surfaced. But just as quickly, that anger dissipated as the ivory-haired woman peered into the former Wizard Saint's eyes. His melancholy was clear at second glance, the slump of his shoulders a far cry from his usual confident stance. The smile that triggered her ire was not mirthful, only poignant. She bit her bottom lip, her understanding of the man dissecting his words and arriving at an inescapable conclusion.

"I would have followed you anywhere," Mira murmured, her words almost lost in the rising breeze.

"I know," Naruto answered.

The weariness in his azure orbs and the resigned smile on his lips, made Mira want to step forward and embrace the man. But she couldn't. Shouldn't. Not now. Not without reviewing and evaluating the relationship in his absence, without his influence on her emotions.

Pushing her ambivalent feelings aside, she sighed. "Do you even want my forgiveness?"

The blond opened his mouth to speak, before pausing to think on the matter. He swallowed visibly, before casting his gaze away from her earnest eyes. "…Yes."

Satisfied with his honest response, a smile reached Mira's lips before she knew it. "Good. I don't want to give anything to a man who doesn't want what I have to offer."

"That sounds like a foregone conclusion," Naruto pointed out.

"It isn't. In any case, there's another person for you to earn forgiveness from, isn't there?" the Satan Soul mage noted. The blond man only smiled morosely, as she continued. "Maybe you should work on regaining favour with him then."

"I will," the shinobi acquiesced.

A silence descended on the couple, punctuated only by the rustle of dried leaves in the wind. Mirajane wondered if all farewells were supposed to be this difficult. Naruto was first to break the silence, his voice rough as he spoke. "If you want to talk, use the necklace and I'll be there."

"Understood," Mira nodded, before eventually turning her back on him. "Take care."

"You too," Naruto whispered.

With the most fleeting of smiles, Mira turned around to join Cana and Lisanna, the former restraining and muffling the latter as she flailed about, no doubt trying to protest her sister's decisions. The Take Over mage didn't look back as she took the lead, eyes firmly on the road back to Magnolia Town. Cana waved goodbye even as she dragged Lisanna away, the younger Strauss digging her heels in, quite literally.

He didn't move until they were out of sight.

Omake: Lucy's New Eye

Lucy stood in at the edge of a prairie, blinking slowly as she adjusted to her new eye. It was a tiny technological marvel, made even more amazing by the fact that they no longer had any magic. Levy had presented the eye to her after one of their usual quarrels, claiming she didn't want to be accused of bullying a cripple. The blonde accepted the gift with gratitude, although she made sure to throw in a few profanities with her thanks. The operation was long due to the complexity, but Elfman was quite accomplished.

As far as I'm concerned, this might as well BE magic, Lucy mused, as she tried to activate the various functions of the fake eye with several blinks. It had plenty of nifty features, such as telescopic vision, night vision, infrared, ultraviolet, and so on. She marvelled at how she could see practically everything now, and resolved to properly thank Levy in private later.

"Hmm, Levy said there was some mode that can see through walls…" Lucy muttered to herself. "Would've been more useful when the Royal Edolas Army was still trying to kill us. What was the activation code again? One long blink, two short blinks, then one long blink?"

As she tried to get the mode working, a voice floated from the forest behind her, where Fairy Tail had sequestered itself. "Lucy? Where are you?"

"What is it, Natsu?" she shouted exasperatedly.

The blonde turned around just as Natsu stumbled out from behind a tree, elated to find her. Her mechanical eye roved over the pink-haired man's torso, and a healthy blush sprung up on her cheeks. The eye continued to wander lower, lower, lower…

Natsu cried out in horror as twin streams of blood erupted from Lucy's nostrils, propelling her backwards with a perverted grin on her face.

"LUCY!"

Author's Notes: All credit to minitune for that omake idea! I'm not good with humour, so this isn't going to be a regular thing. If you do have funny ideas though, feel free to PM me!

Anyway, this chapter tidies up the loose ends from the Edolas arc. It's a little boring, but I didn't want to leave anything hanging or I'll go crazy with frustration. Knightwalker's 'character development' was sloppy and cliché, but I'd like to think it's better than a mass murderer suddenly gaining a heart after battling her parallel dimension counterpart.

And yea, I kinda shipped Mystogan/Knightwalker there. Who said being an Icha Icha-reading recluse precludes you from getting a girlfriend?

As for how Naruto's clone stayed in Edolas…here goes.

*deep breath*

What allowed Reverse Anima to take Naruto back to Earthland is the Dragon Slayer lacrima. I initially planned a touching goodbye scene where Mystogan told Naruto he secretly hoped the blond wouldn't be sucked back because he doesn't have magic. Chakra is not magic/Ethernano.

(I wonder if anyone noticed that Dragon Slayers were not sucked up by Anima, but could return to Earthland via Reverse Anima, which are theoretically identical but for direction. Given Naruto got sucked up by Reverse Anima, my story is obviously going down the 'sucks up ALL magic' route. Really, Mashima-sensei needs a bloody fact-checker. This particular inconsistency straight-up breaks the plot.)

Anyway, Naruto can't replicate the lacrima with Kage Bunshin. Sure, Kage Bunshin can make facsimiles of objects with chakra, but it can't duplicate Ethernano. You can't turn chakra into magic. As for splitting it (which is what Kage Bunshin actually does to chakra), Naruto will need to mix his own chakra with all the magic to form sage chakra before he can do so. Naruto can't use Ethernano directly; he has to mix it with his own chakra, even if the lacrima is inside of him. So he just didn't bother.

That, and the author's prerogative to write whatever the hell he wants :P

Before eagle-eyed readers ask, the way Naruto uses poisons does involve making bits of 'poison sage chakra'. As does all his other 'magic' spells like Telepathy or Sleep. Everyone thinks he's using magic because the net result is the same, but he's not.

*exhales*

Anyway, I'm guessing more people should know who Galigdrys is by now, and what that means for La Tormenta. If you can then figure out how I created his name, internet cookies for you!

I'm still considering how to deal with the Gajeel/Pantherlily thing. It's not really integral to anything though, so I might just ignore it altogether.

Finally, it's been a while since I've thanked you guys for your wonderful support. So thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! You guys are amazing :)

P.S. For those who are concerned I'm actually going to work Zeref's backstory from chapter 436 into La Tormenta, I should clarify that I can work it in, but I probably won't.