Titania and The Hunter

Chapter 71: Time's Run Out x ʇnO unꓤ s'ǝɯᴉꓕ

########Hunter########

It was…surreal to be back in his world after so much time.

The landscape still looked as beautiful as ever, even if the islands were floating just a tad bit lower than they had been when he was last here.

He allowed himself to feel that sense of nostalgia for only a few moments before he focused on his task once more.

This might have been his home…his kingdom…but his guild was in danger. And he had to make his move now.

########Hunter########

Hallway after hallway was waterlogged to oblivion and back. Soldiers lay unconscious and drenched to the bone along the floor. They didn't seem conscious enough to suddenly wake up but they did walk with caution from the worry that the drowned masses might suddenly sprout up and attack them.

"Man, I know this wasn't planned, but this couldn't have worked out better for us." Gildarts noted as he and the girls made their way around the unconscious soldiers, "If your friend hadn't had that tantrum and flooded this place we might have had to push through these ranks ourselves."

Lucy shivered in fear, "P-Please don't word Aquarius' actions like that. If she hears you say it like that then she'll take it out on me."

Coco looked up at the blonde Mage curiously as she trembled at the thought of her Spirit's retribution, "But I thought she was one of your servants. Couldn't you order her not to do something like that again?"

"There is no way Aquarius would listen to an order from me. And they're not my servants - they're my friends." Lucy clarified to the young Edolas girl, "I make contracts with all of them when I gain ownership of their keys, and we work out a schedule of when they can help me out and how often. Although recently those schedules have gotten kind of lax and I can call on them a lot more frequently." Lucy smiled warmly and held a hand to her heart, "I can always rely on them. They're my friends through and through."

Coco was surprised by the Earthland Mage's sincerity and earnest feelings. The way she talked about even the Spirits was so warm and welcoming. And the degree she was willing to go to help her friends and her guild.

Somewhere deep inside Coco felt a longing and jealousy for feelings just like that. She thought she and the members of the Royal Army were much closer than they truly were. They had compromised many times and done many terrible things over the years, but she felt there was an understanding and camaraderie that they were at least doing it together. But now…it was clear those feelings were wrong.

"But wait," Juvia spoke up, "If you feel that way, then why is Aquarius-San so quick to anger and attack you?"

That warm and bubbly feeling in Lucy's chest and her expression was quickly traded for dull eyes and a broken smile. The color left her face as she looked aside, "Oh, yeah, I-I think I got on Aquarius' bad side once and she's never quite forgiven me for that."

"When was that?"

"From the moment I was born." Lucy dreamily admitted, "Or even before that. Maybe before I was born?"

Juvia and Coco felt sweatdrops run down their cheeks at the blonde's depression, and even Gildarts felt like staying quiet instead of igniting her trauma. Instead, he pulled his goggles down over his eyes and tried to locate some Lacrima signatures instead.

He found one registered by his Lacrima that he recognized. The older man turned and started making his way over, "I think I found Laxus! C'mon!" He lead the way as the girls followed him further down the hallway. As the steps they took started splashing in larger puddles, they found fewer and fewer soldiers knocked out by the rush of water along the way. Finally, among all the washed-away masses, they found-

"Laxus!" Gildarts called out to his comrade as the blond man was picking himself up in groggy exhaustion. He along with Jura, Naruto, and Erza were trying to dry themselves out after getting swept away in the tidal wave, "I'm glad to see you all together! Wait, is that-"

"Erza!" Lucy and Juvia rushed forward to meet their friends. The blonde woman embraced her friend again and smiled, "I'm so glad you're here, and you're okay! I was so worried!" The Celestial Spirit Mage stepped back and looked over her friend, "Why are you wearing the other Erza's clothes?"

"I appropriated them." Erza said as she pulled on the metal bikini plate, "I thought it would be useful to pose as Knightwalker and make my way around here without question."

Juvia raised her hand, "But how did Erza-San procure that outfit-"

Naruto quickly stepped in and shook his head, "Don't ask." His eyes wandered, "Seriously. I-I can't keep thinking about it. Don't bring it up. For all our sakes."

Lucy and Juvia shared a look of unamused derision. Coco just looked bewildered by his insistence. But strangely enough both Laxus and Jura nodded in agreement.

Erza shrugged, "Well, it looks like we're all back together. All we're missing are Wendy, Carla, Happy, Gajeel, Natsu, and Gray. Where could-"

"Wait!" They all went silent as Juvia snapped forward with a focused, deranged look on her face. Her head snapped back and forth before she pointed in one direction, "Juvia's love radar is going off! Gray-sama must be this way!"

The Water Mage rushed down the hallway in a hurry as the others shared looks of surprise before following after her. The blue-haired Fairy led the group by a wide margin as she pushed on frantically, "Juvia's 'Gray-sama proximity' is tingling! He must be close!"

"…"

No one said anything.

"Pfft," Jura giggled, "Bet that's not the only tingle-"

"Jura shut up."

"There! Gray-sama~! Juvia is so happy to see you!"

Somehow Juvia was able to find Gray in the expansive castle layout. And the others all looked on in shock as they entered a giant stretch of space filled with water, people, a giant octopus monster, and an amusement park.

Naruto sweated at the strange sight, "This is such a weird sight to see so deep in a castle. We've got puddles and a freakin' octopus and an amusement park of all things. How the hell…" He caught the sight of excitement in the corner of his eyes and shook his head, "No, we don't have the time."

"I didn't say anything," Erza deflected as she quickly looked away from the attractions and rides, "We have a job to do and that's the only thing we should focus on."

"Uh-huh."

"Gray-sama! He's over there!" They followed Juvia as she cheered in joy, "Gray-sama, Juvia is so happy to see you again! And that you're safe!"

No one felt the need to point out that both he, Natsu, and several Oración Seis as well as two Commanders were currently pinned underneath Boro's gigantic mass and unconscious. As Juvia fell to her knees and tried to pull him out, Gildarts stepped up and created several pillars of rock that lifted the giant octopus off the people he had pinned beneath him.

"These two fought off Hughes, Sugarboy, and McBeth?" Coco remarked in amazement as she looked down at the icy and fiery Fairies being recovered, "That's amazing."

"Of course," Coco looked up at Erza as she walked over to the unconscious men as Lucy and Juvia tried to wake them up, "These are two of the strongest and bravest Mages in our guild. You can expect nothing less from them." She stood over them and firmly nudged them with her boot, "Wake up you two, we have work to do."

Natsu and Gray shuffled as they started to stir awake. Their eyes slowly peeled open and looked up at the redhead standing over them-

"AHHHH! EVIL ERZA!"

"WE'RE ALL GONNA DIEEEEEEEE!"

"No, it's me. I'm just wearing her outfit."

"AHHHHH! NORMAL ERZA!"

"SHE'LL KILL US!"

That caused a vein to bulge over her eye. And after a thorough beating at her hands, they had both woken up enough to join the rest of them in a team meeting.

It was time to figure out what to do next.

########Hunter########

Extalia was a massive landmark atop an even bigger floating island. The city was surprisingly large for a race about the same size as Carla and Happy. There must have been so many of the feline race living above the rest of the world.

"Um, Carla?"

If this country was attacked or destroyed by the efforts of the Royal Army the casualties would be devastating. And even if they did escape, as long as the soldiers were hunting Exceed with that Lacrima ray then they were in danger.

"C-Carla?"

They had to evacuate everyone as quickly as possible. But Carla and Happy had made themselves criminals while escaping this place to come and recuse themselves. So any goodwill they had with the rulers and government of this place was probably totally squandered at this point. So the only way they could properly warn everyone was to get the queen and goddess, Queen Shagotte, to decree that they all had to escape. Which was why-

"Carla! Carla! Carla! Oh no-"

Carla took a sharp turn up before they could slam into the rock carrying Extalia and whizzed towards its central palace. At the speeds they were going through the streets, the Exceed they passed along the way looked like a blur of different shapes and sizes. They rushed further and further along before finally coming to the door of the central point of Extalia-

"Wendy! Knock it down!"

"H-Huh?" The little Dragon Slayer panicked in the frantic rush forward before her friend's order finally crossed her mind. Remembering her training with Naruto and the practices she had gone through, Wendy extended her hand and focused her magic forward. Guiding it with her palm and sharply twisting it forward, she sent a rush of wind into the giant doors blocking the entrance and tore into them before they broke apart completely.

Once the doors were knocked down, Wendy was placed down before Carla retracted her wings and landed at her side. She rushed forward with the blue-haired Mage following up behind her, "Come on! We have to reach the queen as soon as possible! If these idiots will listen to anyone, it's her!"

"Carla, I-I know you're still upset, but maybe not calling them idiots will be a good first step to convincing them we're here to help."

"Tch."

"Over there!" The girls looked over as several large cats as big as Wendy rushed over to intercept them, "You will not approach Shagotte-sama, Fallen!"

"No humans may step upon the holy land of Extalia!"

"Sky Dragon's Wings!"

Pushing down her reservations about fighting the felines they were trying to save, Wendy conjured wind around her arms and swiped the incoming platoon of soldiers away. Any that avoided the Fairy Mage's path, Carla flew by and kicked across the face to put them down for good.

The best of what Extalia's soldiers had to offer had gone down with Nichiya's vanguard squad.

"S-Sorry!" Wendy apologized as she knocked some Exceed aside, "I'm so sorry about this!" She whimpered, "I swear we're here to help! W-We're not bad people! Y-You have a lovely castle!"

"Wendy! Grow some thicker skin and knock all of these useless lumps aside!"

"Carla, please! I'm conflicted enough!"

The former Cait duo continued to plow through the Extalia forces they came across, but quickly realized that their numbers weren't dwindling in the slightest. With their teammates fighting in the world below, and such a short period before things inevitably hit the fan, neither Fairy Mage felt the desire to waste time plowing through the endless army when they still had something so important to do.

"Carla, come on!"

"Right!"

Wendy and Carla ran through the hallways to get some distance away from the soldiers as they picked themselves up. However the duo quickly realized no matter what direction they ran, they would be cut off by a swarm of armed cats.

"They went this way!"

"Quickly! Cut them off!"

Get them in a dead-end!"

"C-Carla! Where do we go?"

"I don't know! I'm unfamiliar with this castle!" The white cat announced, looking around frantically as she started to panic that they had bitten off more than they could chew. She believed in Wendy's power, but the girl couldn't go on like this. Not after being locked up and drained by the Royal Army. She had to find them a way out-

"Psst!" The girls' ears perked up when they heard the quiet hiss of someone trying to stay hidden. They looked around before finally noticing the small head of an old, wizened cat peeking out from between a set of large doors. He waved them over with a paw, "Over here. Quickly."

Carla was immediately distrustful and wanted to run in the opposite direction of the stranger. But Wendy noticed the sounds of the incoming soldiers and grabbed her paw before jumping into the room with the old cat. The two Fairy Mages quickly caught their breath and hid in a corner of the room as the old cat looked back outside. As the sound of footsteps drew closer, he stepped out and closed the door behind him.

"Sir! Be careful! A Fallen has infiltrated the castle with their human tagalong! We're trying to locate them but advise that you and the higher council remain in the throne room with Shagotte-sama until they are dealt with!"

"Oh, how dreadful. Then you must capture them and evict them at once. May Shagotte-sama watch over you!"

"Thank you, sir!"

The girls waited with bated breath as the footfalls drew further and further away. And after a moment of silence, the door opened back up and the old cat walked back in. As he closed the door Wendy asked, "Who-"

"Look you!" Carla abandoned any fear and reserve as she marched up to the old cat and frowned at him, "Who are you and why did you cover for us? You understand we're the Fallen and human duo they warned you about, right? So why pull us away from your guards?" The old cat just seemed to stare at her in silence before rubbing his eyes, "What?"

"Nothing, dear, just a small bit of nostalgia is all."

"What?" Carla looked befuddled before she grew angry, "Look, my name is Carla! I was one of the 100 children-"

"I know who you are. We all know. We were expecting to meet you today." He walked past her and towards a wall, "Granted we didn't know you'd run away before charging back in with a friend, but I suppose there's no predicting how the rest of this day will go from now on."

"W-What are you-"

"You both came here to talk with Shagotte-sama, correct?" The old cat inquired of both of them before pressing his paw to the wall as it slid aside and opened a secret path for them, "Then follow me. This is a path to the throne room."

"What?!" Carla reeled back in shock and scowled at the cat, "There's no way we're following you anywhere! This is a trap to ensnare - Wendy?!"

"Carla, this seems like a very elaborate trick if he went so far as to hide us just to capture us himself." Wendy ducked into the special passage, "We've come this far, and even if he isn't bringing us to the queen, this is closer than we were just running around aimlessly looking for her. Let's just take a chance, okay?"

Carla looked displeased and uncertain…but still followed her best friend and the stranger into the wall before it closed behind them.

########Hunter########

"Prepare yourselves!"

Pantherlily brought his giant sword done on the Fairy duo, forcing Gajeel to block it on the cross of his arms as sparks flew. The Dragon Slayer resisted the force and Happy tried to push back against Lily's powerful swing but felt his wings falter. It was only a matter of time before Happy's wings folded under the pressure and the two Fairies were sent careening into the island holding the giant Lacrima.

Happy groaned and lifted himself, feeling a dull pain through his whole body before he saw the glint of sunlight bouncing off something massive. He looked up and craned his neck back to see the full scale of the giant Lacrima that they had come to dissolve. He picked himself up and turned back to the crater, "Gajeel, we're here! We need to-"

The shadow of Lily's giant blade spread over them and Happy looked up in shock as it dropped down toward them-

Only to get caught between the hands of the Iron Dragon Slayer as he popped up below the blade. The giant sword struggled to slip through Gajeel's hands as he and the huge Exceed were suddenly an immovable object stopping an unstoppable force.

"This Lacrima will be the future of this world! I will not let any of you risk that future!" Pantherlily growled as he pushed the handle of the sword down and caused the rock to crack under Gajeel's feet, "Submit and I will give you a swift and painless end!"

"You're supposed to be one of the cat folk the army's gonna take out, right?" Gajeel looked up at Lily past the sword pushing down on him, "And you're comfortable with that?"

Lily clicked his teeth and pressed on-

Only to be shocked as Gajeel suddenly raised his head and bit into his sword. With a sharp yank of his head, he tore out a portion of the sword and ate it. And as Lily and Happy looked at him in shock, his hands fell on the chunk he ripped out with his teeth and pressed in.

Lily's sword suddenly shattered into dozens of pieces and Gajeel leaped up through the debris. He linked his hands together and brought them down on the 1st Commander in a heavy hammer blow that sent him careening into the ground.

As Gajeel landed by the beaten Lily, Happy gasped in shock, "Holy cow. You're still super scary even after all this time, Gajeel."

The Dragon Slayer scoffed as he stood over the large Exceed resting in a crater unconscious. He reached down and yanked the dented helmet off Lily's head before taking a bite out of it like an apple, "If you're going to be my cat, then you're going to need to get your priorities straight, bud. If you can't even figure out who you should be fighting for-"

Lily's foot immediately lashed out and struck Gajeel's crotch. He grunted and doubled over before the large Exceed's head swung in and crashed into his face. And as Gajeel was stunned the cat raised his leg and slammed it into the Fairy's chest to send him flying.

"Gajeel!" Happy called out as he watched the Dragon Slayer fly out of the crater and bounce off the ground a few times. The little blue cat looked over in shock, "B-But I thought he-"

"I have no idea what this 'my cat' drivel is you are spewing, but I know where my loyalties lie. And I know what I'm willing to compromise." Lily tore off his mangled cloak and shed the broken and dented pieces of armor off his body. As the jacked and muscular Exceed stepped out of the hole, he glared Gajeel down, "The Exceed do nothing to help this world. They lounge and grow fat on their perch at the top, and leave it, its problems, and all who suffer and fear below them to their devices. Even just helping humans - a dying, injured human child - is deemed an act against the Exceed and punishable by ex-communication."

Lily snarled, "I'm not sure what loyalty you think I owe my race, but I promise you my sympathy has dried out."

Happy looked at the massive Exceed in shock. He…he sounded like Carla did. Someone who was disillusioned by the actions of Extalia and had washed their paws of them completely. He lowered his head sadly-

"Hehe."

Happy and Lily both looked over as Gajeel picked himself up and wiped his face before spitting out a loogie of blood. He smirked, "That almost sounds convincing. But if you want me to believe you, your punches shouldn't lose some impact before they hit."

Pantherlily only growled and raised his fists in a combat stance as Gajeel rolled his shoulders and did the same.

The two bloodthirsty fighters charged at each other with a manic roar as they punched.

########Hunter########

"Would someone be willing to explain why to me how a tsunami seemed to localize itself solely within the walls of my castle?!" Faust roared irritably after watching his halls flood so suddenly without warning. As the scientists and most brilliant minds of Edolas could only shake their heads and step away to avoid his ire, he grumbled, "This is ridiculous. I did not imagine there would be so many obstacles in our way so close to the completion of our goal." He looked over to the smartest man in the room when Boro was away, "Were there any damages to the cannon?"

"No sir," Brain quickly responded, looking down as his feet splashed in the thin spread of water over the floor, "We were able to close the doors before too much water got in. Enough that the janitorial staff may need a call, but not enough to stall or halt the process of the cannon." He looked back towards the door, "The fact Coco ran off with the key however is still a difficult development. With the urgency in creating this cannon, we only had the time to forge the one key to its system. We are already working on a backup, but in the window of time we want to use and the intruders threatening our experiment-"

"Boro needs to capture that little traitor! Now!"

Naruto looked at Faust's fury with a conflicted expression before looking to Brain, "What stirred this reaction from Coco? I didn't think there was anything that could have swayed her desire to see our goal for magic through to the end."

Brain groaned and pressed a button as a magnified image of the giant Lacrima and the island it was floating on was shown. On it, the figures of Pantherlily and Gajeel could be seen as they ferociously traded blows in the span of seconds. Naruto's eyes widened, "Is that Pantherlily? And is that one of the Earthland intruders?"

"Commander Pantherlily is holding off what we believe to be another Dragon Slayer from rendering the Lacrima inert and freeing the people inside. He is attempting to hold him back but it appears they are evenly matched."

"Oh shit." Naruto stepped back, "I'll get up there and help him. When that intruder is down we can-"

"Namikaze," He paused and looked back at Faust as the old king stared ahead with grim determination, "You're not going to go up there. Pantherlily has been a loyal soldier and friend for years, but what we are about to do is wipe his race from the face of the map. Even if he understood, and agreed to the plan; what's to say he wouldn't want to exact revenge on his people sometime in the future? The Exceed have always been a threat to the rule and safety of our people. Every last one of them. It may be best to snuff out that issue right now before any risks start to build."

Naruto stared at the ruler in disbelief. That kind of thought process was baffling. He understood that sacrifice had to be made…as well as compromises they were all willing to make.

He and Lily knew that better than anyone in the Royal Army.

But to so blatantly turn their backs on a comrade that turned from his people and stood with them? It just…just wasn't right.

Naruto's fist tightened at his side and an argument rose to his tongue-

"Your Grace!" A soldier at the doorway called out and garnered the attention of everyone in the room, "I-It's Commander Knightwalker! She has returned!"

Naruto's unease at the discussion quickly fell to the side as his focus switched, "She's back?"

"Yes sir! And she has brought prisoners! A-And Coco as well!"

Faust nodded and the guards pulled the doors open as wide as they could. As they opened, everyone in the room looked at the red-haired Commander standing proudly despite the injuries that still marked her body. In one hand she held the ropes tying an unconscious pink-haired and black-haired man together. On the other hand, she tightly gripped the hands of the blonde prisoner that had escaped earlier behind her back until it hurt. And standing in front of her was Coco, browbeaten and clutching the key to her chest.

"Knightwalker." Faust addressed the capable redhead as she stepped in, pushing the blonde prisoner and Coco forward as she dragged the two unconscious men behind her, "I'm glad to see you here. And also relieved to see we could put our faith in you stopping this little uprising."

"Of course, Your Grace." She answered respectfully before tossing Natsu and Gray forward and kicking Lucy to the floor, "These intruders have been nothing but a thorn in our side. I know we should be using their magic but I thought it might be cathartic to let them see all their work crumble to pieces along with their home."

"Stop it!" Lucy cried out, "You don't have to do this! Coco, don't give the key back!"

"That's enough out of you." Erza said as she pinned the Fairy Mage to the ground with her foot. She glared at Coco and made the girl flinch in fright as she clutched the key to her chest. She then looked up from her and stared at the magical cannon that lay at the center of these plans.

She faintly smiled, "Finally…we can end this."

While the room basked in their victory and sealed the doors shut, no one seemed to notice the figure slipping in along the ceiling and hiding in the shadows for his moment to act.

########Hunter########

Coco looked back anxiously, "A-Are you sure it was a good idea for them to go back with the key?"

"They said they had an idea so we should just trust them." Gildarts answered as he and the other members of their alliance ran through the halls of the castle. If any soldiers who were still about after the tsunami were skulking around and tried to stop them then Laxus, Gildarts, Jura, or Juvia would quickly put them down as Coco led the way at the front of the pack, "The best we can do is secure a safe way out of this castle and prepare to help them retreat when we need to."

"Right, but I do have some grievances about that plan of theirs." Laxus chimed in while knocking aside a soldier's spear with his Lightning Splinter, "It seems like it was worked up very suddenly and could quickly fall apart if they aren't careful."

Erza was going to guide them all in as prisoners, with Lucy's Spirit Gemini appearing as Coco while holding the key. They would return it to the king, only for Gemini to copy Faust's appearance and memories to confuse the soldiers. They would then take both kings hostage, leaving the soldiers unsure of who to attack and not willing to risk harming their monarch. And with that opportunity, they would use the cannon loaded with Dragon Slayer magic to launch at the Lacrima entirely and free the town trapped within. It was a plan made on the fly with the bones from Lucy's original plan to copy Faust and order the release of the Earthland Lacrima.

"Indeed it may seem like that, and that could very well be true," Juvia nodded with resolve in her eyes, "But you don't need to worry! Gray-sama and the others are handling it, with even Erza-San and Naruto-San backing them up! When that group gets together and works as a team, there is nothing they can't do! That's why they're known as the greatest team in Fairy Tail; Fairy Titans!"

…

As the silence after her declaration was almost stifling, Jura groaned, "Fucking hell, if I knew that was their name I never would have thrown my lot in with you guys."

"Was that the best choice?"

"Well, it was a vote among the entire guild for what their name would be." The blue-haired Mage clutched her fist with fiery fury, "And Juvia was not going to allow them to name the team after Gray-sama's stinky poopoo drawers!" The Edolas natives were stunned silent by the strange tangent she seemed to go off on. They shared a hesitant look before deciding it would be for the best not to bring it up.

"Over there!" Coco yelled as they turned the corner and rushed to the large doors leading out to the stables. In this designated area were all the Legions gathered and used by the Royal Army for their military purposes and Dark Guild hunting. The gargantuan beasts seemed docile and well-behaved in their cots, "This way!"

As Juvia marveled at the strange beasts she was seeing, the Edolas Mages followed the little runner as she rounded some stables to find her personal Legion. Once she spotted her Legion she nearly cheered in delight, "There it is! We've got - oh no!"

"There she is!" Some soldiers posted up by her Legion's stable quickly pointed their way. As they drew their shields and weapons, the soldiers charged in and the Mages were about to attack, "If she has the key then grab - GAH!"

A masked figure popped up from behind the leading soldier and slammed a rock to the back of their helmet. As the soldiers stumbled forward and the others looked back at what was happening, the Fairies of both worlds charged in. Laxus swung his weapon and Juvia knocked them back with her Water magic.

Once all the soldiers were laid out over the ground, Coco looked up at the masked person as they dropped the rock, "Mask? What are you doing here?"

Mask pointed at themself and then to one of the Legion before pantomiming flying away.

"You were going to escape on a Legion as well?" Coco tilted her head, "Why? And haven't you heard what I did? Why aren't you reporting us?"

Juvia stepped up, "Coco-San, who is this?"

"This is Mask. They're a member of the Royal Army that always helped us in the lab. They can't talk though. They were helping us prepare the cannon before you all showed up. I thought they went missing-"

"She did because she was helping us." Laxus said, "She brought us our weapons after we were finally released from our cells."

"She did?" Coco blinked, "Wait…she?" She looked back at Mask, "Are you a woman?" Mask nodded as Coco paled, "O-Oh…I-I was kinda interested in you. I-I thought the quiet helper role was cool for you."

Mask covered the mouthpiece of her mask in shock as Juvia gasped.

"Oh my god! This is really fucking adorable but can we move along!" Jura marched past them to the Legion, "I've been stuck here long enough and I wanna leave already!"

"Y-Yes, Jura-San is right!" Juvia quickly composed herself after the momentary shock of romantic feelings she was sensing, "Mask-San, we are hoping to save my friends from the Lacrima. Would you like to help us?"

Mask nodded and joined her and Coco on the rush to the Legion.

Laxus and Gildarts stayed behind. They shared a look and the older man whispered, "What do you think?"

The blond Dark Mage took a breath, "I have an idea…and it clears a few things up that always confused me…" He hesitated, "But I don't want to get my hopes up."

Gildarts understood and patted his back before they followed the winged beast.

########Hunter########

As they made their way through the secret passage, Carla tried to focus solely on her fury and distrust, so she wasn't bombarded by the feelings of panic and anxiousness she was feeling. Following this strange elder Exceed to the throne chamber with their queen and goddess just screamed a trap and they should beware. Carla fully expected there to be a squadron of soldiers to jump them the moment they entered.

If that was so then Carla had to act quickly. She had to grab Wendy and clear Extalia as quickly as possible. If that meant that the Exceed had to be left to their fate then…then so be it. The thoughts of the kind elderly couple on the outskirts of the nation that took them in and helped them lingered in her mind and heart…but compared to her desire to help Wendy escape…

"Carla?" Wendy looked back at her feline friend as she got as compact as she could to crawl through the secret tunnels of Extalia's castle, "Are you okay? You look focused on something."

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me." She quickly deflected before looking up at her young charge and the awkward position she took to crawl through the pathway, "How about you, Wendy? You look like you're having a hard time."

"Y-Yeah," The polite girl didn't try to raise a fuss as the further she followed through this passage the more times she ended up hitting her head. In the end, she had to resort to crawling along the ground so that she could avoid hurting herself, "This crawlspace is a little more cramped than I imagined."

"Apologies, young lady." The elderly Exceed said over his shoulder as he led them around a corner. The old feline groaned and knocked on his back a few times to work out a knot forming back there, "This space was made for Exceed to make their way through. I don't think we ever anticipated letting a human through here when they were formed."

"I-It's alright. I'm small so it's no big deal." She said with a cheery giggle, "If it was Naruto-San, Natsu-San, or Gray-San I imagine they would be having a lot more trouble getting through here. Hehe, and I'm sure Erza-San and Lucy-San too because they are so much more-"

She paused and hesitated before she finished. The two Exceed stopped walking and looked at the young Dragon Slayer curiously. The older male tilted his head, "Are you alright, dear?"

Wendy hung her head, "Y-Yes, it's a good thing I'm so much smaller. So small. So…small."

"You only have yourself to blame for letting your thoughts go there." Carla coldly replied as Wendy could only sigh sadly as she hung her head deeper. Carla decided to take this chance to ask some questions that were on her mind. She looked past the grieving and inconsolable Wendy to stare at the older cat, "How much longer will it be until we get there?"

"Not much longer." He pointed in the direction they were going and the small glimpses of light seeping through the darkness, "It's right up there."

"How did you know we were going to be in that room? In that hall?" The older cat stopped walking and slowly turned back to regard her. The lack of an answer only seemed to set Carla more on edge as she glared at him, "It seems convenient that you showed up and offered us asylum just when we needed it. How did you know where to be to help us when we needed it most?"

The elder cat did not respond immediately. He simply stared at her deeply for a moment, a wistful lingering in his eyes before he turned away with a groan, "Shagotte-sama told me where you would be. I simply followed her guide."

Carla frowned, "The God Queen, Shagotte. Is that kind of premonition one of her godly powers?"

"I suppose." His odd answer did not slip past either of the girls before he stepped up and pushed the pathway open. As light flooded in and nearly blinded them, after a moment they realized there was no one to attack them or rush them. The two Fairies slipped up out of the secret pathway and stepped out into a large open room adorned with fancy tapestries and artworks along the wall.

"Welcome, you two."

Carla and Wendy immediately turned to see a figure on the far side of the room. They were flanked on both sides by many elderly Exceed, of which the old male cat that had led them here was quickly joining their side. And at the center of them, sitting upon a gallant throne, was a white cat with piercings along the right side of her face and sharp eyes. The royal attire she wore covered her completely with feathers along the collar to stick out.

Shagotte, God Queen of the Exceed and ruler of all Edolas.

As Carla looked at her she was surprised to see someone who wasn't haughty or arrogant or looked at them like they were simply bugs. Instead, the older white cat seemed…tired…almost melancholic as she looked at them both. And something about her seemed so…she didn't know how to put it. It was just odd to look at her.

Shagotte slowly stood out of her throne and walked down the steps to come to their level. Her closest advisors followed behind her as she spoke, "Your names are Wendy and…Carla, correct?"

Her momentary surprise subsided as Carla nodded, "That's right. I am one of the 100 Exceed you sent to Earthland to collect the Dragon Slayers. And this is Wendy, the Sky Dragon Slayer."

"Shagotte-sama," Wendy respectfully addressed the queen as she bowed her head before speaking, "We've come to give you a dire warning. I know we invaded your castle and attacked your guards, but if we did not warn you directly then there may not have been enough time."

"The humans are going to attack Extalia! They're planning to crash the giant Lacrima into your city and convert all of you into an eternal magic source!"

The Exceed looked surprised by their warning before solemnly looking at each other. Shagotte closed her eyes, "I see…so that is how it is going to happen."

"They have already started their attack! They attacked your vanguard squad and reduced them to a giant cat Lacrima!" Carla announced, "They have been preparing this attack against the Exceed for some time! Probably years! And if you don't hurry up then all the Exceed will be wiped out!"

The elderly cats nodded, "We know, dear."

"Y-You know?" Wendy repeated in confusion.

"Then why aren't you doing anything?!" Carla swiped her paw out while yelling, "Do you still consider the humans so far beneath you that you won't even consider their attack a threat? This is very much a concern for all of you-"

"No, my child." One of the elders shook his head, "It's not that we don't understand the threat at hand. It's simply that…there is nothing we can do about it." The elders sadly hung their heads, "We are not strong enough to fight the Royal Army or stop the humans from attacking."

Carla's eyes widened in shock, "W-What?"

She looked around at all the Exceed in front of her - all the villains she believed controlled the world and left humanity to their own devices after abandoning them to live above the rest of existence. The monsters behind the mission to capture the Dragon Slayers and bring them to this world to be used as a resource.

They all looked so sad. Ashamed and guilty of something they didn't let anyone else know. And no one looked more miserable than the queen, who stared at her with a sense of deep sadness and longing that Carla couldn't describe. It made other instances of pain - even the one she and Wendy felt when they lost Cait Shelter - look so much simpler in comparison.

"B-But," Carla quickly composed herself, "But you're the God Queen, aren't you?! You're the Exceed that sits on high and decides the fate of the world, aren't you?!" She waved out towards the rest of Extalia that load behind the walls, "Every Exceed in this place extols your name and your abilities! W-What about that?!"

Shagotte stared at the irate young cat in silence before her paw slipped out of her gown. She undid her holy garments and allowed them to drop to the ground.

All that was left was a small and thin white Exceed, her body language telling them she was reserved and ashamed. And from her back spread only a single beautiful wing.

Carla's shock and disbelief were plastered all over her face. Shagotte shook her head, "I'm no queen or God. And we Exceed are not divine beings or angels. I am just…what you see before you."

Wendy looked between the bare queen and her shocked best friend. With a nervous gulp, she spoke up, "What is this?" She looked up to the elderly Exceed in front of her, "How is this possible?"

"The truth is that Exceed are not the illustrious beings of power others believe we are. Exceed are naturally much weaker than most other species in Edolas. All we are gifted with are magic power, our wings, a long lifespan, and intelligence that make us a match for humans."

"Many, many years ago we were hunted by humans. Some believed they could take our internal magic power for themselves if they killed us. Others were simply envious that such a weak species had what they never could. Whatever their motives, their methods and results were the same. If we did not do something soon, we would be extinct."

"So we hid away. Fled from the human public for several years before our attackers' numbers thinned and vanished. And we started spreading tales of the Exceed, guardian angels of Edolas that never interacted with the humans. And of our ruler, that stood above all of creation."

Wendy's eyes widened, "You convinced the world you were divine, so you could protect yourselves?"

"We did." Shagotte nodded, "And I played my part too. To hide the Exceed away and keep them safe from danger."

"Shagotte-sama, please. Don't take the blame for our actions. We've been keeping this lie going for so many years-"

"But I still did what I did." Shagotte confessed, "My name and my actions stirred the distrust and contempt in the humans against the Exceed. Because we built a wall of fear between us and the humans, their resentment has hit a boiling point and they now wish to annihilate us."

"IMPOSSIBLE!"

Wendy and the others looked at Carla in surprise after her feverish yell. The little Exceed was breathing heavily with furious tears pricking the edges of her eyes, "You expect me to believe you haven't planned this?! That you're just some figurehead?! Then why slaughter so many humans?!" Carla's voice hitched as a sob slipped out, "W-Why would you send 100 children to Earthland to bring back Dragon Slayers?!" Carla caught her breath, "Tell me!"

Shagotte lowered her head, "I don't have the powers of a god, but I do have one ability that almost no one else has in Edolas. The ability to see pieces of the future." The Exceed queen closed her eyes, "I see flashes of fate and things to come, and I tell the humans like it's gospel. I see their deaths in accidents or coincidences, and we tell the humans so they believe it is divine intervention." She looked at Carla, "Even the order to go execute your friend…it went out because I saw you and that other boy fly down to rescue her in time."

Wendy asked, "But why send Carla and the others to capture us?"

"Years ago, Shagotte-sama saw glimpses of a far future. A vision that unsettled us to our core. Now her visions mostly come in bits and pieces, but what she does see has always come to fruition."

"I saw the humans attacking." Shagotte whispered, "I saw Extalia falling. I saw Exceed disappear from the face of Edolas. And when I saw that I knew we had to save the children at least." Tears filled her eyes, "So under the pretense of a mission and said we would help the Royal Army discover the Dragon Slayers they had heard legends about, we sent our children to Earthland before the attack on the Exceed could follow through. We waited years in bated breath…and now it seems today is the day."

"B-But-"

"Carla, it's okay." Wendy knelt and hugged her feline friend as her breathing spiked and she started having a panic attack. She looked up at the Exceed leaders, "W-Whatever the reason, you have to tell your people the truth. You have to tell them they're in danger and they need to escape while they can."

"We know dear…"

One of the elderly Exceed pointed to the side where Nadi was standing, holding onto a Lacrima as tears streamed down his face sadly, "We've been broadcasting this meeting to all of Extalia. All of the Exceed know the truth now."

########Hunter########

"Coco," Faust seethed out her name, his hand tightening around his staff until his knuckles were white as he glared at the cowering girl, "You absconded with the key to our future, and betrayed us in our finest hour. You are a traitor to Edolas, and the punishment for treason is-"

"Your Majesty," Namikaze stepped forward before the king could act, "May I suggest we hold off on punishment for now?" As Faust's focused and furious expression regarded him, he looked between the elderly king and the frightened young girl still holding the key, "We have more pressing matters than retribution to attend to at the moment. Let's worry about what to do with Coco when we're on the other side of a world with eternal magic. Is that acceptable to you?"

Faust seemed to consider the proposal with deep, harrowing eyes. The Fairy team silently waited to see his response and how they would have to act. Erza kept her stone-faced expression while a cold sweat dripped down Lucy's face. And from above on his spot on the ceiling, Uzumaki carefully prepared to jump in and assist if things took a turn.

Faust seemed to let out a sharp breath through his nose before his grip eased. He held out his hand and glared at Coco, "Give me the key."

Gemini played the part of a frightened child complying with the vicious monarch spectacularly. They stepped forward, holding out the key and raising it towards his bony hand. Lucy gulped and they all waited with bated breath-

"Hold on," Namikaze interjected again, stepping in between them and holding out his hand. The scarred blond looked over Coco's head and at Erza, "Erza, while you were out there, did you locate any other intruders or escapees? And was Coco around them when you found her?"

Erza spoke with a sharp edge, "I only found this lot while I was making my way back here. And I found Coco holding that key and frightened when she saw me so I grabbed her too." She narrowed her eye at Namikaze, "If you're worried, why not hire more effective people to work under you? Seems your current batch is lacking."

He sighed and shook his head, "Geez, you never miss a chance to break my balls, do you?" He scratched his neck-

"Then again I don't remember the last time you responded to me using your name."

Her eyes widened in shock, her hair shifting over her blue eye as she realized her mistake.

A mistake that quickly followed with Namikaze drawing out his pistol and firing straight toward the ceiling.

Uzumaki leaned aside, surprised as the bullet narrowly missed him and marked the ceiling by his feet-

Before an extraordinarily powerful gravitational pull drew him in and kept him painfully stuck to the ceiling.

Namikaze's foot slammed into Coco's chest and kicked her away before hooking around the key to drag it back in. As Coco burst into a cloud and revealed a flying Gemini, Erza released her friends and dashed in with a sword already drawn. Namikaze's gun shifted into a blade and clashed against her sword as he tossed the key back into the hands of a stunned Faust.

"Soldiers! At arms!"

As every soldier in the room quickly raised their weapons, Natsu and Gray immediately slipped out of their restraints and prepared for battle. Lucy struggled to get out of her ropes completely as she yelled out, "Gemini! Go back!"

"Sorry!"

"Wish we could've done more!"

As Erza and Namikaze struggled for supremacy, he growled out, "What did you do to her?"

"Please," She pleaded as her hair slipped aside and she looked up at him with mismatched eyes, "We just want our people back. Let us take them back."

"Get away from her!" Namikaze looked up and saw Uzumaki had escaped from his gravity attack to drop down on them. He jumped away from Erza as the two identical blonds faced each other down.

Faust forced the key into its slot, "Activate the cannon!"

"Fire at the Lacrima!"

"Stop them!"

"We have to save everyone!"

As the pandemonium reached a chaotic tipping point-

The doors burst open violently.

########Hunter########

Anger. Fury. Humiliation. Retribution. Determination.

All of these feelings burned inside of her and pushed her forward. Despite the breeze, she felt her makeshift cloak flutter behind her. Despite the ache and injuries she still suffered after her battle. Despite her grip on her spear being so tight, her palm was nearly bruised.

She rushed towards the doors and kicked them open, ignoring the startled guards that stood in her way as she burst in and roared-

"SCARLET!"

"Knightwalker?!" Scarlet reacted in shock as her doppelgänger rushed at her with her spear at the ready, the Second Commander hiding her naked shame with a cloak made of some curtains she tore off along the way back here. Knightwalker didn't even seem to comprehend that the cannon was functional, there were multiple people from Earthland present, or that Namikaze was facing off with his counterpart.

The only thing directly on her mind right now was the indignation that this bitch had beaten her and nearly disgraced her by using her name and face to ruin everything.

Knightwalker's spear vanished into a blinding flash of silver that Scarlet had to counter and parry amidst such a dangerous situation. The blades of their weapons crossed as Knightwalker seethed, "You nearly ruined everything!"

"You're going to take everything from us!" Scarlet yelled back as her anger started to boil over, "Do you not understand what you're doing?!"

"Erza!" Uzumaki called out to his partner and was about to join her side before he felt the intense killing intent aimed at him. He channeled his Armor and blocked the incoming blade with the back of his arm. Namikaze pushed against his arm harder, and the S-Class Mage resisted with a scowl, "We won't let you get away with this."

Namikaze's glare deepened, "You won't stop us."

"Fire the cannon!"

The whole room trembled as the Dragon Chain Cannon fired a concentrated blast of Dragon Slayer magic up at the Lacrima. The Fairy Mages looked up in shock, "Shit!"

"Magnolia!"

A blast of wind rushed through the lab's open roof as a Legion came flying into view. From atop its back, Juvia leaned over and called out to the people below, "Everyone! Come on! We have to get up there and help before it's too late!"

"Hurry!" Uzumaki kicked Namikaze back and channeled his wind before releasing a sharp gust in every direction. The Fairies took this chance to retreat, Gray creating a staircase for them to run up and get closer to the Legion their friends were piloting.

"Get back here!" Knightwalker shattered the staircase with a single swing and watched the icy particles scatter from above. But the Earthland invaders had already made their way up, jumping off the collapsing staircase and grabbing hold of the Legion as it started to take off. Knightwalker gnashed her teeth together, "Cowards!"

Scarlet looked down at her with a conflicted expression before they started flying off to the Lacrima.

Knightwalker's spear blurred up, slicing off most of her long hair and letting it fall to her feet. The looks of shock she got went ignored as she turned and marched away, "All soldiers! Prepare to follow after them and secure the safety of the Lacrima!"

"U-Understood, Commander!"

"Go catch them, Erza." Faust grumbled as he turned and stalked away, "I'm grabbing our ultimate weapon and assuring we don't lose our prize!"

As the soldiers and king went off to prepare for battle, Erza kept striding forward to recharge her Ten Commandments. As she locked it into place so it could regain the power it had lost in her previous bout, Naruto made his way over, "Knightwalker, are you alright? What-"

She ignored him and walked towards her quarters. Naruto followed her as she marched ahead with grim focus, "Knightwalker? Knightwalker, dammit, listen to me!" She pushed the door to her quarters open before swinging it back shut. Naruto caught it before it closed and pushed in, "Knightwalker!"

She discarded her makeshift cloak aside and stood naked as she grabbed her clothes-

"Erza!"

"Don't!" She finally regarded him and snapped back in anger, "You should be getting ready to follow them! Not talking with me or consoling or whatever you think you're doing!"

"You're hurt! You're injured! You just came back from fighting your counterpart and cut off most of your hair! You need to take a moment to settle!"

"No," She refused as she started checking her wardrobe for a fighter suit, "What I need to do is follow them and make sure they don't reach the Lacrima!"

"The chain has already locked in! There's nothing left for them to do but-"

"Stop!" She turned and swung her arm out to silence him. She stomped over to him, unbothered by her current state of undress as she walked up close and looked into his eyes, "We can't just wave them off or underestimate them! If they're here then they've taken out the rest of your Oración Seis! Scarlet is much more of a threat than I anticipated! And I'm sure your other self is only going to make things worse!"

She dug her finger into his chest, "We can't let this opportunity slip away. We can't lose the chance to have eternal magic – even if the methods make us monsters! It's for the good of Edolas! For all its people! And for you as well!" She glared at him and reduced him to silence, "I don't know what it is that made you lose your nerve after all this time, but for all our sakes then it's time to make a compromise and accept that we're going to hurt people." She pushed him back before turning to get dressed, "Get ready for a fight, soldier. That's an order."

Naruto stared at her in silence before turning away and walking out, closing the door behind him before he made his way to the stables.

########Hunter########

"Whoa!" Gajeel toppled over as the island beneath him shook like crazy. He saw a bright light over the edge of the island and ran over to see a dragon-like spike in the side connected to a chain going to the castle, "What the fuck?! They didn't stop it?!"

Suddenly the island shifted through the air as the Dragon Slayer and Exceed atop it braced themselves. The island was quickly being dragged from its natural spot in the sky so fast that it nearly blew them off. And in their path was the floating island Extalia rested on. Happy looked on in horror, "W-We didn't make it."

Pantherlily watched as Extalia drew closer and closer. With a melancholy sigh, he closed his eyes and prepared for what happened next.

"It's time…for this to end."

########Hunter########

"Your Majesty, something is coming!"

"T-There's an attack from the humans!"

"Y-You can stop it, can't you?! Please!"

Carla could only stare on in disbelief as she saw the citizens of Extalia cry out and beg their queen for protection. All the panicked and frightened Exceed looked at them as they exited the castle and walked out into the street. The peaceful creatures that had lived their lives completely separated from humans and believing themselves divine…now reduced to sobbing and quivering messes.

And with a look over she saw Shagotte and the elderly lowering their heads. Apologizing to the whimpering masses, "We're sorry everyone. We're sorry for the lies we told."

"We thought we could prepare, but in the end, we stood no chance against the humans and their development."

"But-"

"I-I don't want to die."

So many voices. So many of them are scared to die. So many things happening all at once that Carla could barely think straight.

"Everyone, p-please listen!" Wendy tried to speak up and was drowned out by the overwhelming noise of the Exceed. She tried to speak louder and get their attention-

"ENOUGH!"

Carla screeched as loud as she could, her cry echoing out through the street and passing over the Exceed horde like a wave. The youngest white cat looked at everyone with watering eyes and yelled, "What is wrong with all of you?! You're scared?! You want your queen to fight for you when you know she can't?! You don't want to die?!"

"Then get up and fight! Run away! Do something!" Carla cried out, "You can't just hope for someone else to save you and salvation at a time like this! Unless you do something, you'll die! You don't want that, right?!" Her wings popped out of her back and she lifted off with tears running down her face, "In my guild, no one just lies back and accepts defeat! We struggle and persevere and fight as long as we can! And I'm going to do just that, even if it's alone!"

"Carla!" Wendy called out as she started running down the street towards the incoming island, "Let's go!"

"Right!" She swooped in and picked the young girl up before flying away.

########Hunter########

"It's getting closer to the other island!"

"We have to get ahead of it!" Lucy called out, "Coco, can you get us in front of that island!"

"I can try!"

"Me and Gildarts work with rock and earth," Jura yelled through the rushing wind, "But we can't handle something that big!"

"Well, we have to try!" Naruto yelled back, "Not doing anything is not an option!"

"Here we go!" Erza called out as they got closer to the moving island. Once the Legion floated up by its side, they all reached out and pushed against the massive land mass of the island and felt a tremendous force being pushed back, "PUSH!"

They all put as much of their body weight as they could behind pushing the island back. Erza summoned one of her largest armors to push back as Naruto channeled his magic to bolster his strength. Fire burst off of Natsu's body with a furious roar as Gray's ice spread and cracked the rock. Lucy summoned Taurus to assist her in pushing back and Juvia screamed while releasing a pulse of water. Laxus, Gildarts, Coco, Jura, Mask, and even the Legion they road on were all pushing back as well.

"Hey!" Gajeel called from above as he and Happy looked over the edge, "What the hell are you doing?!"

"What does it look like?! We're stopping the island from crashing!"

"Gajeel-kun, come down and assist us!"

"Well, that sounds fun!" The pierced Mage grinned as he dropped down to join them.

"Happy," Natsu called to his best friend, "Could use some help here, buddy!"

"Aye sir!"

As the Dragon Slayer and blue Exceed went down to join their friends, Lily ran up and looked over the side. When he spotted his little brunette friend and their masked helper amongst them he called out, "C-Coco?! Mask?! What are you doing?!"

"Hey Lily," Coco smiled, "I realized that if getting eternal magic means hurting so many innocent people and abandoning my friends, then I think I'd rather not have it!"

"Get away from there, you foolish girl!" Lily called out urgently, "You can't stop this island from hitting Extalia! There's nothing more you can-"

He stopped as he looked up and saw a swarm rising from Extalia and heading their way.

Exceed of all colors and sizes rushed towards them as quickly as they could.

"Everyone!" Wendy and Carla called out from the front of the pack, "We've brought help! Just hold on!"

"Stop the Lacrima!"

"I don't want it to end like this!"

"We can't keep relying on Shagotte-sama to solve our problems!"

Lily could only stare in disbelief as the population of Extalia rushed in and pushed against the side of the island to try and stop it. His race so readily abandoned humanity and sequestered themselves away from the rest of Edolas to live in solidarity. That turned him away and branded him as Fallen simply for saving a dying human child before it was too late. Now they were here…fighting to keep themselves alive alongside the humans of this world and another.

"Your Majesty!"

Lily looked up in time to see Shagotte making her way over, trailing behind and failing to fly straight with only her single wing. The white cat gritted her teeth and continued to press on in hopes of reaching the island and assisting as well. But the struggle finally became too much and she started to fall through the sky.

Lily leaped forward with his wings stretching out and rushed through the air to catch her, "L-Lily?"

"Hello again, Your Majesty." He solemnly greeted the tired royal resting in his arms. He watched the combined forces of the humans and Exceed struggle against the Lacrima, "It seems your people have finally realized the truth. And even after that, they were willing to follow you out here and help?"

Shagotte sadly looked over and shook her head, "No, I couldn't lead them here. One of the children that came from Earthland convinced them that if they didn't want to fall this day, then they had to struggle and push on. They realized I can't be their leader anymore."

"Your Majesty," Lily muttered, "I was so angry with you and all of Extalia. So upset with my nation and people when they decided they were too good for the rest of the world. That even helping a dying child was something punishable because I brought a human to Extalia. After so long…so long among the humans and their strife…I couldn't help but feel animosity toward you all again. But right now…I-I," Tears filled his eyes, "I regret it. I-I shouldn't have let this happen. I should have spoken up before it was too late and now-"

"Lily."

"I'm sorry." He sobbed and apologized, "I'm so sorry."

"Lily," Shagotte's eyes watered as she looked up at the giant Exceed, "I'm so sorry for banishing you all those years ago. It was wrong that we had to do it just to keep appearances. That we should punish just an act of kindness." She then looked to everyone yelling as they held the Lacrima back, "But it wasn't all for nothing."

"What?"

"That day when you brought that boy you saved…and were banished because of it…I saw a flash of the future. A pillar of light to liberate us." She looked up at the burly Exceed, "Your act of selfless kindness that day caused a ripple effect. A kind act paid onto another again and again. Something good and kind that affected the lives of others…and I believe-"

"PUSH!"

"COME ON!"

"THIS CAN'T BE THE END!"

"FOR FAIRY TAIL!"

"FOR EXTALIA!"

"FOR EVERYONE!"

"PUSH!"

They struggled and persisted against the island's drift but were being pushed back inch by inch. They grew closer to the island of Extalia, and when they impacted they would all be destroyed in the resulting collision. But still, they pushed. Still, they fought. They had to-

"HOLD ON!"

Erza, Naruto, Wendy, and Lily all looked up in shock when they heard the familiar voice call out.

Suddenly several staves flew down and embedded around the circumference of the Lacrima. A magic formation formed around the island and the Lacrima before it started to glow brightly. A wild cloud formation started forming over it and glowed as well before the two glows started to meld together-

And create a blinding light across the sky.

Shagotte whispered, "From that act of kindness, a pillar of light will save us."

########Hunter########

The recovering Oración Seis looked up at the shining light.

########Hunter########

The Commanders that had finally woken up saw the spectacle.

########Hunter########

Faust saw the light before the darkness of the cockpit settled around him.

########Hunter########

Edo-Gajeel saw the shine along with the rest of the people of the capital. His journalist instinct told him something amazing had happened.

########Hunter########

The light finally disappeared and all the forces pushing on the island looked up in surprise.

To see the island empty with the Lacrima suddenly gone.

Natsu broke the silence, "Um, what happened to the Lacrima?"

"I-It's gone?" Lucy panicked, "Why is it gone?!"

"Because I sent it back. Sorry, it took so long to act. Finding a large enough Anima to open to push it back through was quite difficult."

All eyes turned to see a blue-haired man standing atop a large bird as it flew into place beside them. He smiled in relief, "Magnolia has returned, as have everyone inside the Lacrima. They're safe and back home."

"Mystogan!" Naruto smiled in joy.

"I thought I heard you." Erza sighed in relief.

"O-Oh my god." Coco gasped, covering her mouth as tears of joy came to her eyes, "You're alive?"

"I don't believe it." Jura scoffed, "I thought he died or something!"

"What, you know him?"

"Of course we do," Laxus said to the Earthland Mages, "He's the missing crown prince of Edolas."

"HE'S WHAT?!"

Lily looked up in disbelief at the man. The boy he saved years ago that he believed had gone missing. He smiled, "Prince Jellal."

"Hello Lily," He smiled warmly at his old friend, "I'm sorry I've been gone for so long. But I'm glad…I'm glad I could pay you back by saving your land."

The Exceed started to laugh and cheer as they saved their land. Jura looped an arm around Laxus and Mask and drew them in for a tight hug. Coco jumped into Lucy's arms in delight as Juvia took the chance to jump Gray. Natsu and Wendy hugged Happy and Carla as they celebrated their victory by the skin of their teeth.

Naruto and Erza looked up at Mystogan as he watched all of them. A content smile spread on his face as he knew he'd stopped the worst of it.

Just not all of it.

"GAH!" Lily cried as a blast exploded on his back and sent him falling out of the air. Shagotte immediately grabbed his hand and tried to slow his descent but couldn't carry his weight atop her own.

"LILY!"

"YOUR MAJESTY!"

Several Exceed flew down to chase after them as everyone looked in the direction of the attack.

"THIS! ISN'T! OVER!" Knightwalker yelled as her spear shifted form as she, Namikaze, and a squadron of soldiers on Legions flew up to catch them, "NOT EVEN CLOSE!"

"Oh shit!" Natsu freaked out, "The other Erza is coming to kill us!"

"Wait!" Mystogan jumped off of his smaller bird and onto their Legion before running over to its edge, "Erza! Naruto! Stop this! Please!"

Knightwalker's eyes widened in shock, "Prince Jellal?!"

"N-No way," Namikaze muttered, "But we thought you-"

"I'm alive! And I'm here!" Mystogan announced to the approaching army, "The Lacrima has been sent back through the Anima and returned to Earthland. It's gone and this is over with." He announced, "There is no reason left for us to fight. Please lay your weapons down, and we can discuss this without resorting to violence!"

The army seemed to hesitate, the redhead and blond leaders at the front sharing a look before looking back up at the blue-haired royal-

("You foolish boy!")

"Watch out!" Someone cried out as a laser sliced through the air and caused a series of explosions to pop off around them. All the humans on the Legion tried to keep their balance as the fiery heat of the explosion washed over them. Coco toppled over and groaned before she looked to the ground below, "D-Down there!"

A giant shadow broke through the trees to make its way closer to them. It shattered bark in every direction and toppled the forest in its path before finally emerging into their line of sight. A large mechanical beast stepped out into the open, its mechanical jaw snapping as it whipped its metal tail around before slamming it onto the ground. Faust's voice blared out from the mechanism, ("I should have known you were behind this! All this time you've been gone, you were sabotaging our chances to take the magic from Earthland, weren't you?!")

"Father! This is madness! We can't keep devolving like this just to keep the magic!"

("Shut your mouth, my traitorous son!") The mechanical beast roared, ("If it means finally obtaining eternal magic, we should all be willing to become monsters! To sacrifice those that are necessary! To bring down those that mock us from on high! And to eradicate traitors that stand in the way – even if they are blood!") The mecha opened its mouth as it gathered magical power, ("And the Dragon Anim will pave the way through!")

"I-It is a dragon!"

"Coco-San!" Juvia called out, "We have to move!"

"O-On it!" The brunette quickly took the reins and swerved the Legion aside to fly away as the Dragon Anim fired and cut a path through the sky where they once were.

("All soldiers! Attack the Exceed and eradicate the traitors! We will not let these fools stand in the way of our dreams again!")

"YES, YOUR MAJESTY!"

########Hunter########

"Wow," Natsu remarked as he looked over the back of the Legion at the rampaging metal dragon, "They made a robot dragon! That's so cool!"

"That's the forbidden weapon of the Edolas royal family." Mystogan stated as they tried to fly away from their pursuers, "A dangerous weapon that monopolizes magical power and is listed as a war crime just to use. Our family sealed it away to never use it again. But to think he was so power hungry he would resort to piloting it like this."

"Yeah," Jura nodded as his hair wildly whipped about, "Not sure if this was clear dude, but you're dad's kind of a colossal dick."

"Yep."

"Uh-huh."

"Barely know the guy but I could tell that much."

Lasers started to shoot from the pursuing soldiers and strike the fleeing Exceed, covering them in light before they turned into Lacrima as well. As the turned Exceed started to fall and the retreating ones cried in fright, Mystogan watched in anger as his people continued to press on. Until he felt an arm on his shoulder as he was pulled back to face Erza, "Mystogan, what do we do? What can we do to stop that thing?"

"We can't." He shook his head as he looked back at the Dragon Anim, "It's coated in Magic Canceller and can withstand any kind of attack we throw at it. And with the Exceed also being attacked-"

"That's not good enough!" Naruto yelled, stomping over and grabbing his collar, "You figured we could come here to save the guild! Now we have to stop these guys from attacking again!" He flicked his forehead, "You've got a big brain! Use it, you idiot!"

Mystogan stood in silence as he heard screams of panic and explosions all around him. His eyes narrowed before he stepped to the side of the Legion, "Everyone!" He called out to his allies, "Keep the Exceed safe and hold off the Royal Army as long as you can! I'll see what I can do to settle this once and for all!"

"Hey," Jura called out, "Wanna give us any more or-"

He jumped off and landed on his bird before it swerved down and disappeared into the forest.

"Never mind. What an enigmatic douche."

The Earthland Mages could only nod and agree.

("Jellal! You treacherous little bastard!") Faust cried out as he started to check the monitors to locate his son, ("Don't think I'm going to let you run off so-")

"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"

("WHAT?!") Faust cried out as a powerful fire strike barreled into the mechanical dragon and caused it to double over, ("H-HOW-")

"Iron Dragon's Club!"

A metal club slammed into the dragon's head and sent the king bouncing inside of the cockpit of the mecha, ("But the Dragon Anim is immune to magic-")

"Sky Dragon's Roar!"

Finally, it was overwhelmed by a small vortex swallowing the mechanical beast entirely.

"Maybe it's immune to other magic." Faust stared at the screen as Natsu, Gajeel, and Wendy stood to face him down, "But we were made to slay dragons."

########Hunter########

"They're standing up to the Dragon Anim?" Namikaze marveled at the sight of the three warriors facing down their strongest weapon as they flew overhead, "I can't believe it."

"Don't get distracted!" Knightwalker announced as she waved her spear forward, "Target the Exceed and cut off the Legion's path! Block them in! Don't give them an inch!"

"Knightwalker," Namikaze whispered to his comrade, "That…that was Jellal. He's here. He's alive. And he asked us to stop fighting." He paused for a moment, "Shouldn't we-"

"Namikaze," She bit into his name with a furrowed brow, "Focus. Just focus right now. I need your help here and now. Can you do that?"

…

He drew out his gravity gun and fired at the Legion trying to escape from them. Several rapid shots slammed roughly into the beast's flank and caused it to nearly topple out of the air. The escapees on its back stumbled and braced themselves before they could fall off. With one more well-placed shot it would topple out of the sky-

He heard a booming echo out before he could fire the shot.

And in an instant, a reflection of him with blue and brown eyes was in his face with a blade at the ready.

Namikaze shifted his gun into a sword and blocked Uzumaki's strike before it could land. The identical duo struggled against each other on the back of the Legion.

Knightwalker immediately spun her spear around and prepared to slash through Uzumaki.

But his foot lashed out and kicked against the spear's shaft, grabbing Namikaze by the collar in the process as he jumped off the side of the Legion and they both went flying down towards the forest.

"Dammit!" Knightwalker cursed as she looked over the edge as they disappeared. She was about to order her Legion to turn back and get him-

But her beast was choking as a long chain was tied around its neck and growing tighter.

A shadow rushed over her and Knightwalker looked up in time to see the flash of a sword.

Scarlet dropped from above, her blade clashing against the Ten Commandments as Knightwalker glared up at her. The Fairy Queen narrowed her eyes, "Do you have time to lose focus?"

"No," The Fairy Hunter relented, "Namikaze can take care of himself. Now?" She pushed back and knocked Scarlet into the air before jumping after her. As they fell towards another floating island she roared, "We have matters to settle between us!"

"I suppose we do!"

The moment they landed - the instant their feet touched the ground-

Both versions of Erza rushed at each other and attacked.

########Hunter########

"Come on buddy! Come on!" Coco begged her Legion as it started to fall out of the air and towards the ground, "Just hold out a little longer!"

"No time to waste!" Gray yelled as he grabbed Lucy and Coco and leaped off the Legion before it could crash into the ground. Juvia looked heartbroken by his choices of assistance but quickly followed after him as he and the others landed on the ground.

Lucy looked up at the sheer number of soldiers coming to swarm them and gulped, "O-Oh man, that's a lot of guys!"

"H-Hey!" Some Exceed flew down to check on them, "A-Are you okay?! Do you need us to help you?!"

"Just get as far away from the army as you can!" Gray slammed his hands together and prepared for battle, "Everyone! Get ready for the worst of it!" Juvia changed her arms to water and Lucy drew out her whip, "Here they-"

"Gildarts! Block their way!"

"On it!" The older Fairy slammed his tool on the ground and created a giant slanted wall of rock between them and the soldiers drawing near them.

"Hey!" Gray looked back and saw Laxus and Mask huddled by the injured Legion's side with a Lacrima between them, "Do you guys have a plan because we can only hold them off for so long!"

"We're working on it!" The blond man barked back, "Coordinates are as follows! Can you pick up the pace?!"

"W-Who are you calling?!"

"Help!"

"Laxus! Get your ass ready!" Jura yelled as he raised his fists while the rock wall started to crack, "Here they come!"

"Carla!" Happy called out to his friend while grabbing a stick, "Stay behind me!"

"Happy!"

The rock wall tumbled over and the soldiers started to rush in with weapons at the ready.

Before the ground suddenly burst open with vines and tree roots shooting out to ensnare anyone who got close.

The Earthland Mages looked on in shock and quickly stepped back as more of the ground started to shift before a giant tree jutted out of the ground.

A tree with a Fairy insignia on it.

Lucy gasped, "Oh my god."

"Alright, assholes! Here we are!" A familiar voice called out as a horde of people rushed out of the tree, "Show these pricks who they're messing with!"

"For Fairy Tail!"

Earth-Lucy's eyes watered, "Edo-Lucy!"

The short-haired blonde smirked back at her, "Hey Earth-Lucy. Sorry, it took so long to get reinforcements. Hey Laxus! Gildarts! You two still kicking?" The older blond chuckled and fell on his butt in relief as Gildarts smiled, "Good to see you two still alive!"

"Is that your other self, Lucy?" Gray asked in shock at the confident, assertive version of Lucy taking command against the soldiers, "Wow. Things are different here."

"What does that mean?!"

Juvia fumed, "Another rival? Or…the same one?"

########Hunter########

Sparks flew between the trees of the forest as two speedy fighters exchanged strikes in an instant.

Clash after clash rang out through the silence as neither blond stayed still for even a second.

Each punch was blocked.

Each kick was evaded.

Sword clashed against sword in an even exchange of blows.

Namikaze shifted his blade back into a gun and fired a volley of gravity blasts at Uzumaki. The whiskered Fairy leaped and dodged the projectiles as they destroyed any tree that was unfortunate enough to be in the way, "Is running all you can do, Mismatch?!"

"Maybe you need to learn to aim better, Scarface!" Uzumaki lashed out before stopping and chambering his fist. With a swell of magic in his fists and a roar, he sent a barrage of magical projectiles flying at the Royal Army soldier. Namikaze slid and avoided the barrage as they cratered the ground with each blow.

Namikaze extended his blade and cut down a tree before affecting its gravity and sending it at the Fairy, "As long as my people need magic, I won't stop trying to get it for them!"

Uzumaki stood his ground and shattered the tree with a punch when it came close, "And as long as you keep messing with my guild, I'll never let you get away with it!"

As the tree shattered to splinters, Namikaze dropped from above with his leg in an ax kick. Uzumaki slid aside to avoid and ducked back before the gravity blade could scratch him. He flipped back and summoned his black blade, dropping down on the joint where Namikaze's weapon extended out. The identical blonds struggled and tried to vie for supremacy with their blades-

Until the blond Fairy roared and pushed down harder, causing a crack to form in Namikaze's weapon before it shattered and released an explosive force of power that toppled the trees around them.

Uzumaki bounced off the ground for a moment before quickly righting himself and skidding to a stop. He stood ready for a follow-up attack but didn't sense one coming. As the dust started to settle he saw broken pieces of the blade littering the ground and Namikaze nowhere in sight.

Uzumaki slowly stalked forward while keeping on his guard, "If you've lost your weapon, you should stand down now before you get hurt. No reason to throw your life away being stubborn."

All he heard was the speedy shifting of something by the trees before it all went silent."

"You know, there's something that I thought was strange but haven't had the time to think about with everything going on." Uzumaki spoke up, "Before we came here, Mystogan warned us that magic would be limited and we couldn't use it. Even so, he sent us here with confidence. He said that I should be able to manage even without my magic. Now I realize why he thought that…but something came to mind…"

"I never told Mystogan that I have another ability other than magic. So how could he know about it well enough to trust it would work in a world we couldn't use magic? And no answer I could come up with was good enough to make sense…except-"

"HA!"

Uzumaki twisted around and blocked the weak thrust Namikaze made with the broken hilt of his sword in his left hand. The attack was thwarted and his ambush was wasted…

Except for the glow that emanated from his right hand.

Uzumaki looked down…and was transfixed by the sight of the spiraling blue orb over his doppelgänger's palm.

"RASENGAN!"

########Hunter########

Done

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