Façade

Chapter 21: Fortune Tells

The entire creation of Nirvana had been crumbled into the nothingness it once was as Jellal searched for Erza's crystallized arm.

As he scoured the area, he found Zero's body underneath the pile of rubble, and finding that Brain was nowhere to be found, his alter-ego must have become unresponsive after his defeat, returning to his original body.

It also meant that Erza's arm was nearby since the fight had occurred here earlier. If what she claimed was true, then south of Zero would be the tunnel she remained in during the fight.

And with luck, he found it beneath a rock, unharmed thanks to the layers created by the Ice Mage. There was some physical denting of the ice, but that wouldn't be a problem so long as they returned with it to Porlyusica.

He had not expected Zero to dematerialize right before his eyes before noticing there was something wrong with the area. Everything had been untouched, yet the stillness of the air gave off an unfamiliar wave of magic energy. He looked up and found a hole forming in the sky, absorbing the ethernano.

As quickly as it came, the hole disappeared with a power of a staff dispelling the hole.

It was the work of an all too familiar mage.

"Mystogan," Jellal mouthed, finding the said mage to approach him hastily, concerned about the effects of Anima.

The S-Class wizard did not waste a minute in speaking to him. "Jellal, Magnolia is in trouble and I need your help to stop it." Mystogan quickly rushed out, removing his mask to reveal an identical face to the Wizard Saint.

"You have left me with a lot of questions since our last unexpected encounter. First, I want to know who you really are."

Level-headed, Mystogan responded in kind, "I apologize for not offering an explanation before. But I suppose now is the right time to do so, since we are in the midst of Anima."

"Anima?" Jellal repeated.

"Yes, that hole in the sky is a creation made by the King of Edolas, Faust. He is also, I'm ashamed to say, my father. Edolas is a world parallel to Earth Land. I was able to come here through his creation, working against his goal to obtain magic energy."

"Judging by what I saw, he uses this spell to absorb ethernano and transfer it back to Edolas. But how would magic energy appear in this parallel world?"

Mystogan shook his head, "He doesn't necessarily use the ethernano, since it acts as a catalyst for Anima due to its potent attraction towards magic energy. Faust gains magic in the form of mages. And since Magnolia houses our guildhall, it's likely he will target the town next."

Knowing that Mystogan had been a loyal member of Fairy Tail and granted S-Class by Makarov, Jellal had no reason to doubt him. Nor did he think being prince of another world had been farfetched. "I'm assuming because of the recent battle with the Seis, there were massive traces of magic energy here, which is why he was after Worth Woodsea."

"That's correct," Mystogan said. "I ask that you buy some time in Edolas while I try to dispel the remaining traces of Anima in Earth Land. Would you be able to do that?"

Jellal gave Erza's arm a long stare before conceding. "I will. You've been saving countless lives since you've come here. For that, I owe you a great deal of credit. But first, I need to hand this back to Erza."

Mystogan promptly held his arm out, "I can do that for you."

Trusting his words, Jellal handed the arm over. "Appreciated. I think the best way to hold off Faust's plans is to interrupt the kingdom's reign with the unexpected return of the Prince of Edolas."

They both smiled, "That's exactly what I was thinking. It will hold off Faust's project. But be wary, the monarchy in Edolas is a threat. Faust is a tyrannical ruler, so it would be in your best interest to not draw suspicion."

"Duly noted," Jellal said, looking up in the sky.

"One more thing," Mystogan held out a bottle containing red pills. "Take them with you. In Edolas, magic energy is finite, even if produced from one's body."

Jellal took the small bottle and tucked it into his coat, thanking the S-Class wizard.

"Good luck, I'll join you shortly."

And with that, Jellal raced up to the hole in the sky with Meteor, disappearing without a word to the others. His biggest regret lied in being unable to restore Erza's arm.

Because they both knew she accepted her fate, and made no effort to change it.

Lucy led Erza by her wrist into one of the huts, where Sherry was trying on outfits the Nirvits wore. Judging by the unique way of dressing, the guild was also responsible for creating the traditional styles of clothing.

Wendy clasped her hands behind her back whilst talking to Sherry. "This entire settlement is our guild. We produce a lot of fabrics here."

Lucy leaned against a beam supporting the structure. "Is this style passed down from the Nirvits?"

"Now that I think about it, I believe that's the case."

Erza remained silent as they all spoke, taking a seat in the corner with her legs crossed. She didn't take part in dressing up, thinking about the possible situations which happened to Jellal.

Lucy held an outfit out to her. "Come try this on, Erza. I know how you love a good outfit."

Contrary to what Lucy thought, Erza politely declined it, requipping into her Heart Kreuz. Her inability to console the S-Class mage disheartened the blonde. Erza had never been concerned when Jellal left the guildhall unannounced, or when he took on a mission without her.

Sherry studied the fabric in mild interest. "So everyone else is a descendant of the Nirvits except you?"

"I was the only one to join afterwards, along with Carla."

"Interesting...do you have any idea when Cait Shelter joined the guild leagues?"

Wendy shook her head, undiplomatic in such matters. The only person on the mission that had such knowledge was Jellal, who was not present at the moment.

Sherry put a hand to her face in deep thought. "Not to be rude, but I've never even heard of your guild before the alliance. I know not every guild can be as famous as Lamia Scale, but still."

"Come to think of it, neither have I," concurred Lucy.

Wendy smiled sheepishly. "Oh, really? Heh, I never knew our guild was so obscure."

Carla interrupted everyone with a pointed look. "That's nice and all, but the others are outside waiting for us."

As they filed outside the hut, they found the mages of Blue Pegasus dancing as they told the tale of the journey through their monologues. Everyone deadpanned at the trio, commending Ichiya for his hard work.

Gray cringed at the sight. "Look at him stealing all the credit."

Lucy put a hand to her chin, scrunching her nose up in disbelief. "I'm pretty sure he didn't even fight anyone!"

The unexpected contact from Jura left Sherry and Lyon staring at the Wizard Saint in awe. He pulled them in for a formal embrace, lightening up the mood between the Lamia Scale mages. "You both did really well."

Lyon felt proud at the praise from his elder. He always looked up to Jura as a teacher. Sherry felt just as thrilled to be complimented by Iron Rock Jura.

Natsu raised his arms in the air. "This calls for a celebration!"

"Aye, sir!" chimed Happy.

Ichiya and the trio started shuffling their feet, dancing in a synchronized rhythm. Gray wiped the sweat from his forehead with an arm, shirtless. "A party sounds amazing!"

Lucy gawked at him, stepping away from the Ice Mage. "Keep your clothes on!"

Lyon appeared beside his former classmate, shirtless as well. "You too, buddy!"

As Blue Pegasus continuously chanted their intentions to party, Ichiya held a hand out to them. "Why don't you members of Cait Shelter come join us? Become a part of Blue Pegasus!"

All of them seemed offended by the offer, watching in agitation as they continued dancing. Erza's face didn't light up as the Allied Forces enjoyed themselves, going unnoticed by many people.

The Fairy Tail mages and Wendy had joined the dance, chanting with the Blue Pegasus guild. "Party! Party! Party!"

The jovial atmosphere and dances ceased when they perceived the serious nature of all the Nirvits. Roubaul was fed up with his guilt, blankly staring at the ground as his expression caught everyone's attention.

"...I'm sorry for misinforming you about the details of this mission. It would have eased your trip if I had consulted you all."

Natsu laughed half-heartedly. "You're killing the mood because of that? It doesn't bother me one bit! We got the job done, anyway!"

"Aye!"

Wendy reached out to her guild master. "It doesn't bother me either, Master."

He grumbled at her naivety. "No, that's not it. I've been hiding much more than I let on initially."

The Allied Forces huddled closer, cueing him to go on. Erza's throat constricted. A part of her hoped Jellal's speculations about Cait Shelter were not true.

But it was exactly what he led her on about. "I lied to you folks about being descendants of the Nirvits. We are not their descendants...but rather, we are the Nirvits. Indeed, I am the one who created Nirvana."

Faces creased at the revelation, and Wendy felt her stomach drop from the news. "What?"

Erza didn't seem surprised by the news at all, remembering back to when Jellal joined her after staying back to speak with Midnight. She sighed quietly, wondering how Jellal managed to piece all the hints together.

"Did Midnight say something to you?" asked Erza. She'd been on edge at his silence for quite some time, as their walk to the Royal Throne continued in awkwardness.

"It's nothing noteworthy," he replied in deep thought. "But ever since he told us about Nirvana, it still makes me wonder why they're targeting Cait Shelter."

"Isn't it obvious? They're descendants of the Nirvits."

"Hypothetically, even if they were the descendants of the Nirvits, they don't have access to the mechanisms of Nirvana. I was able to unseal Nirvana without their assistance, which means they have no connection to it. If anything, their goal should've been to kill the person who unsealed it, which was me."

"I'm sure they were planning something during the fight. But if they weren't after you..." she gave his theory a second thought. "Are you implying that they are the Nirvits?"

At Jellal's nod, the theory initially seemed surreal to Erza. "Think about it. Cait Shelter never registered themselves as a guild for quite some time. According to Wendy, she and Carla are the only outsiders. The Nirvits probably became a guild because Wendy found them. It avoided drawing suspicion to anyone."

"But Nirvana was made four hundred years ago. I doubt the descendants were able to live that long!"

Jellal shrugged at the suggestion. "I know that doesn't add up, but there are curses of immortality. For creating such a taboo creation, it likely came with a price. Magic has a greedy nature of taking and giving. Nirvana must have been able to preserve the lives of the Nirvits in order to function today."

Erza had been no stranger to Worth Woodsea and had come across Cait Shelter many times while taking on missions. Studying the structure of the town, she came to the same realization as Jellal. "The structure of Cait Shelter is reminiscent of this civilization..."

"That's correct. And since Nirvana's been sealed for all these centuries, the only explanation for the similar structures would be if the Nirvits themselves lived in that guild. Nobody has seen this civilization since then."

Erza marvelled at his intelligence, coming to realize his time on the Magic Council was never wasted. It was worth the knowledge. "Do the Oración Seis know?"

"I doubt it. They're still under the impression that Cait Shelter houses the descendants of the Nirvits. They fail to see that the descendants of the Nirvits are irrelevant to this cause."

"And there you have it," Roubaul finished, "I've been kept alive to watch over this until someone would destroy my creation. No. Alive wouldn't be an accurate way to put it. My body stopped functioning years ago. I'm simply a spirit now, meant to watch over this. But thanks to you all, I can finally be set free."

Wendy, having the sharp ears since childhood, had heard Jellal and Erza's conversation from a distance. She dropped to her knees shakily. "Jellal knew all this time! I can't believe he knew that you were the Nirvits! I tried to not let it unnerve me, but he was right all along...you betrayed me, Master!"

She continued sobbing loudly as Natsu confronted Erza on the matter. The S-Class mage gave Wendy a pat on the shoulder as acknowledgement. "It's true. Jellal had a feeling Cait Shelter's people were the Nirvits when he tried putting the pieces together. He assumed Nirvana wouldn't let the Nirvits perish. This, became the price to pay..."

Roubaul looked at Wendy with a failed attempt to smile. "I figured one of you guild members would come to that conclusion. As for you, Wendy, I'm sorry."

"You lied to me, Master! I-I had no friends to begin with!"

"That's not true," he gestured to the people crowding Wendy. "Look around you. You have real friends, who will continue to take care of you. Go back to Jellal and continue your journey with him. This world is a big place. Cait Shelter was only the beginning."

Carla shivered, "No, come back!"

With those last words, Roubaul perished before her, a miserable soul finally set free after spending four hundred years paying the price for his hideous creation. Wendy dropped to her knees and started crying. Everyone stayed in their spots, hesitant to reach out for her. "MASTER!"

She placed her hands on the floor, shaking in fear for the future. A future she had to come to terms with.

Erza bent down to her level, keeping her hand on her shoulder from behind. The guild master was a spitting image of Rob, who sacrificed his life for her. She found the situation similar. In the end, they were all trapped within a hell, praying to escape it.

Even if they did so through death.

"I know how it feels..." Erza started, trying not to let the memories of the Tower of Heaven resurface. "The pain of losing a loved one. But you'll heal...we'll help you."

Wendy wiped her eyes and turned her head to Erza.

"Come join us, be a part of Fairy Tail."

Everything about her was kind and everything she wanted from Grandeeney.

When Erza held out her left hand, Wendy took it. For all the sacrifices they made were not in vain, and Wendy knew. Erza lost her arm, Richard lost his freedom, and she, her family.

And now, Jellal was nowhere to be seen. Wendy vowed to search for him the moment she would join Fairy Tail. She felt that her questions deserved their respective answers.

The journey back to Magnolia was an anxious one. Gray and Lucy thought it'd be best if Erza didn't make an appearance until they fixed her arm. That wouldn't happen until they found Jellal, because only he had a plan.

Natsu was an entirely different story. He was insistent on storming the Magic Council and demanding Jellal back. Erza disagreed with all the proposals, wanting to introduce Wendy to Makarov first.

When they were streets away from the Fairy Tail guildhall, Natsu frowned. "I can't sense Jellal's presence here, either."

"No kidding," Lucy added, "you can feel his presence cities away. Jellal screams magic energy wherever he goes."

Erza's face fell until Wendy tangled their fingers together. "We're going to find him, Erza."

"Right," she replied quietly. His disappearance was too random. It wasn't a selfish whim of Natsu's.

This was the unexpected, which made the mages even more nervous.

Natsu clenched his fists. "That's it!" he raged. "I know the Magic Council has him! I'm going to get him out of there!"

"Natsu, wait!" Gray hollered. It was not out of concern; Gray had also wanted in on the search.

Erza balked the Ice Mage from going with Natsu, keeping her tight grip on the collar of his coat. "We can't have the Magic Council pressing more charges against Fairy Tail in the event of trouble. Natsu will return in a matter of time."

"How is he going to get there, Erza? Era can only be reached by a train. He's going to get motion sickness."

Wendy nervously bit her lip. "Troia doesn't even last that long! I'm sorry for not recasting it!"

"Don't worry about it," Lucy reassured with a pat on Wendy's head. "He's going to face the consequences for his actions."

Upon coming to an agreement and heeding Erza's suggestion, they turned to the guildhall and stepped foot into it simultaneously, finding the group had garnered numerous reactions upon their arrival for two reasons; the additions to Fairy Tail and Erza's arm.

While they were on the mission, Mirajane and Makarov kept a watchful eye on any news about the Oración Seis. Since the battle occurred in a remote place, the only word they received about the mission was the arrest of the members from a congratulatory letter sent out to Fairy Tail.

"Welcome back!" Mirajane greeted, swiping a cloth on the bar counter.

The cheerful spirit in the guildhall quieted down into wordless condolences as they caught sight of Erza's arm. Unbothered by the attention, she confidently strolled into the guildhall with young Wendy by her side.

"It's good to be back." She announced with a relieved sigh.

Erza approached Makarov hand in hand, seeking permission to take the girl into the guild.

Along with the sacrifice, she had brought along two new members. To Erza, that alone outweighed any losses during the mission. Lucy could not comprehend her selflessness and strived to become a mage like her. Not once had she complained about her arm, despite the inconveniences that came at the cost of losing an arm.

Bisca, in particular, was hesitant about approaching Erza. It had been the S-Class wizard who gave her advice on how to confess to Alzack. Because of that, they both had asked each other out, and it was all thanks to Erza.

"I see your journey has been worthwhile," Makarov mused. "However, your arm tells a different story."

"It's nothing that can't be fixed," Erza reassured him. The guild master did not trust the words. His eyes remained fixated on her injury.

"What did Jellal have to say about it?"

Knowing the Wizard Saint, Makarov guessed easily that she did not consolidate with Jellal on the matter. Either that, or he was not there entirely.

Lucy immediately butted in on the conversation. "He was shocked, to say the very least."

"I wish this mission did not come with such a price. It pains me to know you sacrificed something important for this quest. What drove you to such extremes?"

If Erza would not answer, Lucy would gladly tell the story. Before she opened her mouth, the S-Class mage raised her arm in front of Lucy, shaking her head. "It's in the past. However, I will say that it resulted from my own actions."

"Ever the secretive one, aren't you?"

"Jellal is no different in that regard, either."

"I suppose you're right," Makarov paused with a toothy grin. "Speaking of which, I haven't seen him since you lot returned. Where is he?"

Wendy remained silent as the girls frowned, causing Makarov to gulp. "Don't tell me you lost him during..."

"I'm not sure," Erza spoke quickly, as if shunting out the possibility of any catastrophic fate befalling him. "He went to retrieve my arm and returned it to me. But after that, there was no sign of him. Even Natsu can't sniff him anymore."

"We're going to search for him after Natsu raids the Magic Council." Added Lucy.

"Your hunch was that he returned to the Magic Council?" Makarov asked with an eyebrow shot up in curiosity.

"That's right. I don't see where else he could be if Natsu can't sniff him."

"Jellal would never disappear without a word."

Gray's lips curved upwards in slight amusement at the assumption. "I wouldn't be so sure, Gramps. Jellal has a knack of disappearing on us randomly."

Just as his voice resounded the guildhall, Juvia sharply got off her seat and abandoned her game of cards against Cana and Gajeel to embrace Gray in an unforgiving grasp. Her hair was shorter, and she donned a white and blue dress.

"Gray, my love! I missed you!" she wailed dramatically, sinking into him as he tried backing away from her.

"Get her off me!" he hysterically shouted, gesturing to Max and Elfman to help him out. Max apologetically ignored him, knowing better than to get on Juvia's bad side.

Elfman, however, claimed Gray was being a big sissy which called for a recipe for disaster.

"I hate to say it, but you're right." Erza agreed with Gray's previous statement, eyes flickering to the guild master. "So, what's the plan? Jellal's likely not at the Magic Council either. My telepathic connection with him dissipated. It's always intact."

Being technical in the matters of magic, Lucy asked, "How do you both have that sort of connection? From what I heard, it's a rare possibility for two people to be linked telepathically."

Erza shrugged it off, "I'm sure he can establish one with any person."

"The user has to be conscious," Makarov corrected. "However, assuming you both communicate in such a way often, it may be possible your minds have unconsciously become accustomed to the telepathic connection."

"Perhaps," Lucy noted, studying Erza's behaviour as if the S-Class mage concluded Jellal's whereabouts.

"He probably went to Porlyusica," Erza mumbled, leaving the guild hastily as Gray and Lucy tried stopping her.

"Wait, Erza! You're in no condition to go outside!" Lucy called out helplessly.

"Let her be." Makarov asserted through the boisterous crowds. "I think it would be best if she went to find him alone. She needs time to reflect on everything that occurred."

"I've never seen her so upset," Lucy countered.

"Of course you haven't, she's not the type to get emotional easily. Erza's always been like that." The guild master grumbled, contemplating if leaving Erza alone really was the right thing to do? Her actions were nothing short of preposterous. "And although it may not be a good time for a celebration, let's welcome the new members with open arms!"

Everyone returned to their conversations except for a certain group Makarov kept tabs on. He could see the mages visibly tense at the mention of Jellal. The former Tower of Heaven victims resumed their game of cards, before Millianna went to go check up on Simon's condition with a bowl of soup in her hands. She carefully made her way up the stairs, not before flashing a smile in Makarov's direction to reassure him.

Lately, nobody seemed happy by the lack of time spent together. Millianna just wished things would go back to the distant nostalgic memories rather than being in a life-and-death situation regularly.

Carla stood in front of Wendy with her arms crossed as she examined each guild member irksomely.

"They're adorable!" Cana grinned, picking Wendy up with ease and squishing her into an embrace. Wendy's nose wrinkled amid their union, since all she could sniff were Cana's clothes reeking of alcohol.

"A rather noisy guild compared to Cait Shelter." Carla commented cautiously.

The barmaid swung the doors to the back rooms open and held out a glass of apple juice to Wendy. "Hello, my name is Mirajane. Pleased to meet you."

Wendy placed a hand over her mouth. "Wow, Miss Mirajane! First I meet Erza, and now you!"

"Welcome to the guild!" she congratulated as Wendy took the glass from her grip. Her gaze towards the front doors where Erza left. Despite the rain angrily pelting on the concrete, Mirajane noticed Erza hadn't bothered with a change of clothes. Wendy gingerly held her drink and straw, puffing her cheeks at the proximity of the platinum-haired mage. She never knew meeting all these famous mages would be so thrilling.

Millianna, upon making eye contact with Carla, started beaming with delight. She jumped off the second floor's infirmary and scooped the cat-like creature in her arms. "Kitty!"

"What is the meaning of this?" Carla barked, to which Wendy giggled. She felt nothing short of loved by the members of Fairy Tail.

The barmaid left with a smile and slid the tray on the counter, nearing Makarov. "Something is definitely wrong with Erza."

Makarov wolfishly grinned, brushing off her odd behaviour. "She's probably feeling lonely because Jellal's not around."

Mirajane's pointed look cued him to stop spouting nonsense. "Master, this has nothing to do with his absence. She knows something the others don't about his disappearance. Erza's never like this when he's gone for missions. It could be possible he's in danger-"

"Then she wouldn't be here. Neither would the others." Makarov finished, taking a long sip from his coffee mug. "Whatever he's doing, is likely temporary. You shouldn't ponder it too much."

She sighed loudly, "I suppose you're right."

Without listening to a word Makarov uttered, Mirajane pulled her jacket off a rack, chasing after Erza.

"He didn't stop by at all. And since when did my place become a hotel?" Porlyusica exclaimed dramatically with a broom in her hand. It seemed to be her favourite weapon.

"My apologies, I thought he would be here." Erza mumbled, about to take off until Porlyusica caught her arm, staring at her lost limb horrifically.

"Are you out of your mind?" she yelled. "You have no sense between you. Why are you walking around armless and without a coat in this dreadful rain!?"

Porlyusica had expected a long list of potions and foods which could cause such an atrocity to befall her, but all it became clear when Erza said, "I severed it off."

Indecision.

"I guess I won't ask much about it. I could try to reattach it, provided I gather all the ingredients after this rain."

The description of her arm sent chills down her spine. "No, I only came to see if Jellal stopped by. Thank you for the offer, though."

The old woman studied the crystallized arm, "I'll store this for safekeeping. You probably won't return with it the next time I see you, now that I know how reckless you can get. I wish you luck on finding Jellal."

The door shut on Erza, and all that was left was the hut in front of her and her messy appearance. Silky hair was now tangled because of the rain, and droplets of rain thundered upon her face.

The door creaked open again, slowly and deliberately. It took a moment for Erza to register that Porlyusica had thrown a green jacket to her face. "And wear a coat, for goodness' sake!"

Erza could hear the loud slamming, and she smiled to herself. It was typical of the physician to get agitated by stupid behaviours. Erza considered herself a hypocrite regarding discipline. She buttoned the jacket up and took off, not long before someone caught up to her and tugged her by her scarlet strands.

"I found you, Erza." The voice declared smugly, reminiscent to the old times in the guildhall when she had a rivalry with a certain She-Devil.

"What made you go to such lengths, Mirajane? Does Master need me?"

Mirajane smiled, "Not at all, but it is a bit rude leaving Wendy behind just when you brought her into the guildhall. Carla found it unacceptable."

"I know, it was wrong of me to do. But I have to search for Jellal."

She crossed her arms, knowing there was much more to Jellal's disappearance than a whimsical thought. "It's unlike you to be worried over his absence. There must be something different this time that's causing you to worry."

Erza continued sauntering throughout the forest, taking a deep breath. "I lost my telepathic connection with him. It's never happened before."

"Strange, isn't it? And I overheard Lucy saying to Gray that if Natsu can't sniff him, then something is wrong."

"I'm going to search all across Ishgar to find him, Mira. What if we waited only for him to never come back?"

Mirajane quietly spoke, "It would be an ironic time if we were to find him dead."

Erza looked her way for an explanation, but was met with a humourless laugh. Mustering up the courage, Mirajane said, "It's Lisanna's death anniversary tomorrow, remember? It always rains on her anniversary. Even when she died...that day, on that mission—it rained upon her as her life was taken away." She was now on her knees, quietly sniffling, and continued in a small voice, "I know Jellal is not around, and we should find him as soon as possible. Losing him would be the greatest price to pay in Fairy Tail."

By the looks of it, Erza contemplating his fate as death would have brought her to tears had she not closed her eyes tightly. She reopened them anew with hope, helping Mirajane to her feet again and comforting the mage. "Mira, the sacrifices of those in our guild were never worthless. I want you to remember that. Even if it means associating them with painful memories, honour and cherish the hardships we have endured."

"I miss my little sister, Erza." It was barely a whisper.

"I know. We all do." The scarlet-haired mage replied, reluctantly placing a reassuring hand on Mirajane's shoulder. "I won't let any harm come to Jellal. I promise."

Her eyes lit up, and they continued navigating their way out of the East Forest before coming across Magnolia again. "Where do we begin? There's sixty thousand people living here. If we do ten thousand houses a day-"

"Mira, we are not being technical about this. Let's put ourselves in Jellal's shoes. Where would he go so urgently without informing us?"

The barmaid gave Erza a knowing look, unable to contain her smile after recovering from the memories that resurfaced. "I know the perfect place where we can get answers."

"Answers? No, we need places."

Her friend rolled her eyes, "Oh Erza, you're clueless at times." She dragged the mage throughout the town into a cramped store where fabrics of purple, gold, and red decorated the interior of the building. There were multiple tents within the place, and by the looks of it, the woman sitting on her plush chair did not have business for weeks.

"A...fortune teller?" Erza glared at Mirajane's ludicrous idea, who simply guided Erza into the seat in front of the woman who picked at her long painted nails.

She was a good number of decades older than Erza. The woman asked with little interest, "Come to ask about your financial prospects in the future? Or wanting to know when your romance will blossom? Or perhaps you're past all that and want to know your childbearing prospects?"

Erza's face colour rivalled her hair at the last implication. Had people really come to ask such an unusual thing? "Childbearing what? No, no! I did not come here to do this for myself. I'm looking for someone."

"You're looking at a good amount of jewels to get that information, darling girl."

The S-Class mage narrowed her eyes, "How much?"

"A good twenty thousand should do it."

Her eyes rounded at the price, grasping why this woman barely had business. "This is all for Jellal," She reminded herself, requipping her wallet and handing two ten thousand bills to the woman. And to test Mirajane's hypothesis.

"Ah, you're a mage? I haven't seen one in years."

Mirajane found space beside Erza, swinging her legs over the chair and barely leaving any room for the two of them to breathe. "Ma'am, she's only here on business to find the answer to her question. But if you could be so kind, I am interested in knowing her childbearing prospects, specifically with a man by the name-"

Erza covered the barmaid's mouth with her hand before she could finish the sentence. "No, I only want to know where Jellal is." And maybe Erza wanted to know her future with Jellal. Properly annoyed, Erza scoffed at Mirajane's sly insinuation.

"I see," the woman pulled out a crystal ball from under the table, taking Erza's wrist and placing her fingers on the ball. "Concentrate your magic energy into the ball."

"I have never heard of this practice. Are you sure this even works?" Erza asked skeptically.

"Affirmative. My services are expensive for a reason. Now, I want you think about the person you are looking for."

Sighing in defeat, Erza did as she was told and waited for the woman to finish analyzing the crystal ball, which was still purple and glowing to Erza. She had not seen a single event occur in it that left the fortune teller speechless and mouth gaping open.

"...is something wrong?"

"The truth is indeed bizarre, be wary, for your adventures are just about to begin."

Erza and Mirajane shot each other quizzical looks before turning back to confront the woman about the matter. "First, you will travel universes until you land in the parallel one—the two worlds contrasting each other. Limited on magic it is, your ethernano will not be finite."

"Universe? Is this a metaphor for another country? And a country that...contrasts Fiore?"

"Universes." She emphasized, "I told you nothing about this is exaggerated. Heed my words, Erza Scarlet."

Startled by how she identified the S-Class mage's name, the woman smiled and took it as a signal to continue. "Good-natured your guild may be here, over there you are to hide. You are the dark guild. And the young lady next to you will find her long-lost sister, who has found a home in this parallel universe."

"Lisanna is dead!" Erza explained through gritted teeth. "How can you suggest she's alive?"

The woman calmly continued, "From then on, you are to reconvene with familiar faces, and raid the capital with a dark guild. Your folks will spark a rebellion against the kingdom."

Erza was utterly confused on why she would ever want to overthrow Toma E. Fiore. He had never wronged her, nor was his rule comparable to a tyrant. "This is the most absurd thing I've heard."

"If you want to find this man you are looking for, you will sneak into the capital. Everything about him will speak death and tears."

This was perhaps the only part Erza heeded and wondered aloud, "How can I save him? Where is he now?"

The woman examined the crystal ball further. "I see dragons and cannons, and a key made of ice. That is how you will succeed. But fret not, your journey will be worthwhile, for after the battle, you will receive a blessing like none other."

"What kind of blessing?"

"A child."

The two words had Erza's mind brimming with incomprehensible words. Mirajane jumped up in excitement, "The childbearing prospects! You're going to have babies once we find Jellal!"

"Mirajane, are you listening to yourself?" Erza countered harshly.

The woman took Erza's wrist in a tight grip. "Heed every word of mine. You are the only one who will be able to save him."

Despite how surreal every speculation sounded, Erza nodded, because she made the mistake of letting Jellal confront trouble by himself.

And he was helpless. In Phantom Lord. At the hands of a brutal guild master.

"I promise I will," she vowed quietly.

Mirajane jumped out of her seat enthusiastically, "Well, I can only wonder how the childbearing part comes into play so near in the future."

"Excuse me?" Erza said in disbelief.

"Nothing at all. Just talking to myself."

Overhearing the young mages discuss Jellal, the fortune-teller added, "The circle of love you all revolve in will result in a mournful loss, in both worlds."

"Circle of love?" they both reiterated simultaneously. "Who?"

"That I cannot see, but if you would like, I can investigate further provided I'm paid a handsome sum of money."

"Forget it. I've had enough fortune-telling for a lifetime." Erza claimed, dragging the mage engrossed with the fortune-teller out of the building. They paced away from the building until they reached the centre of Magnolia, where the streets were empty because of the heavy rain.

Paranoid, Erza said, "Mira, if that fortune-teller is correct, it means Jellal is in grave danger, and we have to find this...parallel universe from Fiore."

"If the worlds were parallel, then don't we need to go beyond it to find the counterpart world of Earth Land?"

"The woman was exaggerating, most likely. She described the journey very symbolically, I doubt she was being serious."

Mirajane shook her head in disagreement, "But she said to heed every word, for everything she says is not farfetched."

"I know, but I'm not sure if such a thing even exists."

"Maybe Master knows something about it. We could ask him or try to get the source of information..."

"Jellal gets all his knowledge from books. Perhaps we could find one about the parallel world. Let's head to the bookstore in Magnolia. Perhaps we'll find answers."

Covering their heads, the two mages ran across the streets near Lucy's apartment, knowing the bookstore was around her area. The blonde found the place convenient because she often visited the store.

They found the store still open, with nobody inside. They dried themselves off before entering the place, noticing the owner greeting them with open arms. "Hello ladies, is there something I can help you with?"

Erza trotted towards the counter and said, "We're looking for a book about parallel worlds. Particularly, one that contrasts...Earth Land. Do you have any information about it?"

"Maybe it's because I'm not a mage, but I have never heard of such a place. I'm sorry, but none of the books here would help you with that."

"Ah, I see," Erza reluctantly passed by him to browse around. "Do you know where we could acquire such information?"

"The Magic Council archives for sure. Hm, there is one library located a good distance from here that could give you such information. It is north of Fiore, in a country called Seven. I have information on that archive, if you would like to borrow the book."

Mirajane glanced at Erza for confirmation, who agreed to take the information, despite being a bit unclear on how to discern the information. "Thank you, sir."

"Two weeks' time. Come back and renew it if you'd like it a little longer," the man waved, copying down the title of the book and description of the borrowers.

Mirajane waved at him before stepping into the rain, "Erza, perhaps we need an umbrella."

"You're right, leave it to me." She requipped a cerulean umbrella and held it over their heads. She held the book in front of them, trying to deduce where they could find the Magic Library.

"According to what the man told us, Seven is precisely northeast of where we are. Which means we should take the next train to get to the outskirts of Fiore." Mirajane concluded.

Erza skimmed through the pages, trying to find any directions to the Magic Library. To her luck, a map fell out of the pages and plopped on the ground, soaking up the water.

"It's smudged, but it will do. Let's catch the next train."

Mirajane became apprehensive of the old woman's words upon discovering their lengthy journey. "What if she is sending us on a goose chase? What if this counterpart universe doesn't exist?"

"My thoughts exactly," Erza hummed in agreement. "However, it would be the most viable explanation as to why I can't sense a telepathic connection with Jellal."

"I suppose you're right," the two continued their journey to the station platform, finding many places empty. Erza had not asked the purpose of Mirajane tagging along, but found the company to be pleasant.

She felt guilty for leaving Wendy and Carla when they just joined the guild, but the formalities could wait, so long as their search for Jellal continued.

They passed the Twilight Ogre guild on their way to the train station platform, indicating that their destination was near. They passed through the glass doors and noticed many people had been waiting in line due to a delay.

Oh, the odds, both of the mages thought. That delay had been none other than Natsu, who had spewed his guts out on one of the seats of the train. The conductors carried him the scarf and dragged him off the train and onto a bench.

One conductor spoke, "We're going to have to carry him back to the Fairy Tail guildhall and get that mess cleaned up."

Upon recognizing the Dragon Slayer, Erza approached the conductors and held her hand out. "I'll take him back to the guildhall. I apologize for the inconvenience he has caused."

They reluctantly handed Natsu over to the S-Class mage, who began dragging him away. Many people pitied the sight. Mirajane followed suit, knowing they had to sidetrack from their mission to return Natsu to the guildhall.

"Trains," they heard him groan as he continued his less than pleasant journey back. Once he recovered his footing, Natsu tore himself away from Erza and gawked at her. "How did you find me?"

"We were going to take the train until you caused a commotion at the station," Mirajane answered, since Erza was too deep in thought about what to do with him. Deciding he would only hinder the mission, she continued back to the guildhall.

"Did you get a chance to search for Jellal in Era?" Erza interrogated.

"Those council jerks said Jellal wasn't around since yesterday, even when I threatened to beat them up!"

"Why would you try to go up against them? And why on Earth Land would they lie about him?"

Natsu crossed his arms, annoyed to return to the guildhall. "I still can't sniff him," he mumbled.

As expected, Erza and Mirajane had no choice but to believe the fortune-teller.

Mirajane observed the blank space which was supposed to house the Fairy Tail guildhall. Anyone could see it from miles away. "Why aren't we near the guildhall?"

Erza surveyed the area before noticing a powerful magical presence above them. "Something's not right around here...we should get out of Magnolia."

"Wa—it!" Natsu hollered as Erza dragged him while the two S-Class mages ran away from the town, taking shelter in the East Forest.

"Mira, do you see that? Magnolia's disappearing! We have to help the townspeople!"

Mirajane gripped Erza's jacket, "If you go there, you'll only be caught up in that magic hole in the sky. We have to wait."

Erza conceded, understanding that she would be just as vulnerable as the others if she tried assisting them. The discovery of the hole left many unanswered questions.

The situation escalated further when they stepped out into the blank void which once was brimming with busy streets and buildings.

"Everyone is gone..." Mirajane announced with her mouth hung open.

Another voice behind them interrupted their wandering thoughts. The trio turned around to confront the mysterious figure. "I'm glad you all escaped Anima before it took you as well."

Natsu beamed at the presence, "Mystogan!"

The mage took off his mask to reveal himself as none other than Jellal's counterpart.

At this, the three mages were at a loss for words. Erza had been wondering over and over again why someone could have the same appearance as Jellal.

The parallel world explanation made Erza silently thank the fortune-teller. She felt foolish for doubting the woman's words to begin with.

"We definitely need an explanation," Erza huffed.

Jellal had seen the world's resemblance to Earth Land and believed this was the counterpart world he had been studying about for many years. Many people thought the theory had been made with a magic fanatic, but it turned out people who authored books about parallel worlds had been right all along.

The capital city had been reminiscent of Crocus, but this version of the kingdom seemed much more tyrannical and restricted, as if the people here were being suppressed by the monarchy.

He studied the X-Balls Mystogan handed over to him on his journey to Edolas. If what he said was correct, there would be other people coming from Earth Land to serve as a magic energy carrier for the King of Edolas to use.

Ironically, Jellal was sickened that he had to impersonate as King Faust's son.

Jellal had been careful to avoid using magic while navigating the city. It would draw suspicion since people here did not use magic.

He didn't grasp the concept of why people avoided magic. Perhaps in this world, magic was a taboo.

Whatever the case, he had to comply with Mystogan's request and buy time in order to inhibit Anima's usage. He was not sure how, but with everyone occupied with the return of the Prince of Edolas, the news would impede the progression of stealing magic energy from Earth Land.

But taking off without informing Erza became another issue. She was likely worried sick about his abrupt disappearance and knew she would go to impossible lengths to find him.

He wondered if Mystogan went on his word and immediately went to block Anima from befalling Magnolia.

One could only hope.

An unfamiliar presence behind Jellal had invoked a grimace from the Wizard Saint, wanting to confront the person but not wanting to start a commotion within the Royal City.

After noting that the figure had not stopped following him, Jellal came to a complete stop and found the man blinking at him oddly while fixing his glasses.

"Pardon me for the intrusion," the man cleared his throat and handed Jellal his business card.

Dumbfounded, Jellal blinked multiple times as numerous thoughts raced through his mind.

Many ideas. How on Earth Land had he met the same Iron Dragon Slayer—clad in a white tuxedo, without piercings, and hair fluffed beneath his hat? He expected to meet the other counterparts from Earth Land perchance, but had not expected them to be complete opposites—since that was not the case with him and Mystogan. Then again, since everything about Edolas was different in comparison to Earth Land, the personality difference also made sense.

"My name is Gajeel, pleased to make your acquaintance, sir."

And so formal, Jellal thought.

"I'm a freelance writer and was hoping if I could get a word or two from you in town. I haven't seen a man such as yourself walk around the capital. Are you perhaps, a foreigner?"

"What makes you think so?" Jellal asked.

"Everyone who knows about me avoids falling victim to my interrogations—though I'd hardly call it such a brutal term. Let's just say your tattoo caught my attention. I heard rumours about the Prince of Edolas having a similar appearance to yours."

A smile crept on Jellal's face. He knew exactly how to get into capital without making such an abrupt appearance. "Do you perhaps have connections with people within the kingdom? I am indeed the Prince of Edolas, and would like that message to be reiterated loud and clear."

Edolas Gajeel snorted, "Now that is a story I do not hear every day. However, you do realize such an illegitimate claim can land you in jail, right?"

The Wizard Saint simply nodded. "Let it be known I have returned. This piece of journalism will be the least of your regrets. That, I can promise."

Gajeel approvingly nodded, "I have never seen anyone stand up against the kingdom. Many who have ended up dead. Know the risks, Prince of Edolas."

"I have thought this through very clearly. This will also be the only way King Faust will recognize me as his son. I'll thank you greatly for disclosing this information."

"As per your request, I will publicize your arrival, and I await appreciable changes in Edolas."

Enthusiastically, Edolas Gajeel took notes about Jellal's appearance and made his way through the crowds in a rush. Jellal knew reporters lived for scandalous information, and the return of Prince Jellal would be nothing short of it.

Now all he had to do was wait for the king to respond to the horrid-to-be crisis. Commotion was sure to arise from such scandalous news. He had already been great at attracting attention in Earth Land. How would this place be any different?

Strolling around town to find a hotel to stay for the night, Jellal noticed a crowd had been hesitantly mumbling to each other as they witnessed a man chained to the neck with authoritative figures surrounding him.

Passing through the crowd with difficulty, he overheard civilians speaking about the execution being related to a magic crime. Piecing it together, he now understood why people had chosen not to acquire magic in Edolas.

It wasn't a choice, rather; the law required that no person possess magic. The kingdom used whatever magic energy they harnessed to maintain power throughout their lands. It would give them the upper hand in rebellions.

A messenger had read a long list of protocols for what becomes of a person who uses magic. Judging by the bottle attained by the authorities, magic in Edolas was finite and not generated from the user. Instead, people implanted lacrimas to act as magic.

Jellal heard a girl wail in the front of the crowds, on her knees and begging to spare the man. "Please, please, please. He didn't mean to use any magic, I swear! Release him, please!"

The messenger continued without interruptions even as one guard approached the girl and kicked her further away into the crowd of terrorized citizens. They began whispering their prayers that the boy being executed was granted a painless death.

Everything about it was wrong. Jellal felt sick to his very core about the unjustifiable punishment and finally understood Edolas Gajeel's warnings in relation to the monarchy.

What made the feeling worse was when the messenger concluded, "Hence why we are gathered here today to witness the execution of this traitor, Simon."

Jellal perceived the woman pleading on the floor was no ordinary person, but was the Edolas Millianna.

"Jellal's gone to Edolas and is impersonating the prince—which, in fact, is you?" Erza spoke, connecting the dots in disbelief. Everything the woman told Mirajane and Erza had been true. Both of them understood the severity of Jellal's situation. If the royal family discovered he was not the real prince, they would try him for treachery, or worse.

It came as a relief to the others that Jellal was still alive, but distantly so. Mystogan confirmed her suspicions with a nod, "That's a way to sum it up, yes. Unfortunately, I had been occupied with Worth Woodsea, I did not think Faust would act so soon. Which is why you need to travel to Edolas and stop him. I will obstruct the remains of Anima in Earth Land."

Mirajane surveyed the remains of Magnolia. "This parallel world...it controls the entirety of Edolas, so under no circumstance are we allowed to use magic."

"That's correct. But you must keep your magic energy intact while in Edolas. Here," he handed Erza the bottle of X-Balls.

Erza and Mirajane both took one and popped them into their mouths, finding it to be tasteless. Erza prompted Natsu to take it. He observed it for a long minute, and thoroughly done with Natsu's antics, Erza forced it down his throat.

"We have to get going. Hurry up."

Mystogan raised an eyebrow expectantly, "Do you know how to get up there?"

Mirajane tentatively answered, "We have a way."

"Thank you for helping me, and I'm sorry for being unable to answer your questions, Erza."

The S-Class mage offered him a smile, "Not at all, I could understand why you were unable to offer an explanation. I should be thanking you, now I know my friends are safe thanks to you."

"You're very kind, I can see why Jellal holds you in high regards."

Her Jellal. Erza sighed, he always had a kind word to offer for her.

Carrying Natsu, Erza and Mirajane transformed into their respective outfits and flew into the abyss of Anima. The intensity of the gravity field caused them to fly into the void until they caught the sun in their eyes.

The trio had been rolling from tree to tree. Mirajane and Erza successfully evaded the obstacles through a series of attacks. Natsu, however, fell victim to the rocky terrain.

"Why is the world spinning?" Natsu shouted as he continued his less than pleasant journey down the mountains until he caught himself hanging off a floating island. The Dragon Slayer heaved himself up and shrieked at the distance between the ground and island.

"Edolas is quite a unique place," Erza pleasantly commented.

"I agree, it certainly is different." Mirajane added. "Now that's settled, we need to find our friends. They should be in the capital, since King Faust is to utilize the magic energy."

"How do we get down without drawing suspicion? Magic is forbidden here, so we have to reach down without magic."

Dematerializing their outfits, Mirajane and Erza walked around the edges of the floating island until the scarlet-haired mage found a way down. "Mirajane, Natsu, I've got it!"

Confused, the two mages approached Erza and followed her finger, which pointed to a body of water. "There, that's where we'll land."

"Looks more complicated than a simple jump," Mirajane hesitated.

"Nonsense. We'll be just fine, Mira."

Natsu had other thoughts about the idea of jumping down. For someone who was more daring than Erza, the idea had not enlightened him in the slightest. Erza thought he would be the first to be on board with the idea. "Are you sure we're going to survive this? Can't we just wait for Happy or Carla?"

"They're the ones stuck in that crystal. It's up to us to save the others, so quit being a child and let's go." Erza grabbed the Dragon Slayer by the scarf, dragging him alongside her. "On three, we jump. One."

"This is a horrible idea!" Natsu blurted.

Erza clearly seemed unbothered by his concerns, but she did say, "Since when are your ideas anything short of crazy?"

Mirajane looked Erza in the eye before nodding, to which Natsu shook his head with great fervour. "Two."

"Mira, not you too!"

"Three!" Erza took off with Natsu, diving headfirst into the sky while targeting their destination. The chance of landing in it was minimal, since it was a narrow stream running along the town.

All they could hear was Natsu screaming his lungs bloody while the group travelled down. Erza wondered if this was how Jellal felt travelling by Meteor, feeling the wind rush through their veins.

It was the feeling of freedom.