Super sorry for the late update. I rewrote this chapter four times, and though I'm on summer vacation, I'm doing an internship in a research lab, so most of my time is occupied with work and reading research papers. I will still do my best to update!
Façade
Chapter 23: Wish Upon Magnolia
The night fated to bring Edolas everlasting magic came at the expense of another person's life. For every citizen who prayed upon the lacrima only fuelled the king's ambition for power.
On that fated night, stood both the king and his royal advisor, planning for the liberation of their people, but the execution of others.
"Are the components of the Dragon Chain Cannon prepared?" Byro asked, hands clasped behind his back while sporting a maniacal grin.
King Faust nodded. "The drug was quite effective on him. I have a feeling Jellal will be out for quite a while. To think someone so powerful couldn't detect anything. It's just like she predicted."
"Queen Shagotte's predictions never cease to impress me. Let's hope his magic energy will suffice. But it remains a mystery...how did your son become a mage? He was born in Edolas as a regular civilian, correct?"
"Come to think of it, you're right." Faust contemplated, second-guessing the Prince of Edolas' identity. "I suppose that doesn't matter. He is the final component required for the Dragon Chain Cannon. Then all of Extalia will perish."
"It's only a matter of time. The explosion will bring about everlasting magic energy."
Byro mused, "You won't regret sacrificing your son for this cause?"
"All these years, he worked against me to stop my goals for the kingdom. His sacrifice is for the greater good."
Byro nodded in agreement. "Yes, it most certainly is. Should anyone find the Dragon Slayers, they will not be executed immediately. I want to make sure Jellal's power will suffice. From what I was told, only a Dragon Slayer could activate this device."
"Queen Shagotte can look into the future. She must have known Jellal was the chosen one."
"We must seize such power for ourselves, Your Majesty. We must eliminate Extalia."
"See that all goes well for tomorrow's harvest."
Faust whirled on his heel upon hearing footsteps sprint across the room.
Someone had overheard them. He was sure of it.
The thought, however, was discarded upon Erza Knightwalker and Sugarboy pacing towards the king. Perhaps it was them all along. In that case, there was no harm done with their eavesdropping.
"Your Majesty, Prince Jellal is unconscious, and he is unable to wake up." Knightwalker reported, desperately concerned for the supposed heir to the throne.
Faust smiled, "Well, my dear, I'm responsible for that."
"The king speaks the truth! I have witnessed his plans!" a voice resounded. Quick feet moved around the group as young Coco saluted to the king. "I've double-checked for intruders. Captain Hughes reported two prisoners, the ones who escaped the recent execution."
"Excellent work, Coco."
The girl beamed at the praise. "Thank you, King Faust."
The shock on Knightwalker's face mirrored Sugarboy's. "But why, Highness? He's important to our plan."
"Exactly why I drugged him, Knightwalker. Prince Jellal is to be used as the source of the Dragon Chain Cannon."
"You're sacrificing your own son?" Coco confirmed curiously.
Faust eyed her warily, "A traitor is a traitor. I never considered the boy as my son. As someone who gave life to him, I shall also decide when he dies."
Just like the Queen of Extalia, who ultimately decided the Wizard Saint's fate.
Coco's face dropped slightly, her high spirits now rock-bottom. "I understand."
No, she did not. Sacrificing one's own child for such a cause was not right. It should have been someone else, not him.
Sugarboy sighed, "Well, I suppose we'll have to restrain him before he wakes up."
"It's only a matter of time before he regains consciousness. Tie him up and prepare the key."
"Right away," the two commanders bowed, dismissing themselves ceremoniously. Searching the dining table where Jellal was found unconscious, they were met by Hughes.
"Where is Prince Jellal?" Knightwalker demanded, to which the other commander shrugged.
"I was going to ask you, Erza. He wasn't here when I came upstairs."
Another thought plagued her mind in retaliation, "So, what became of the prisoners?"
"I executed one. The girl is still alive, for now. Oh, how traumatizing it must be to watch your friend die." He claimed with faux sympathy.
"You're very creative in the matters of killing," Sugarboy commented.
"Taking lives becomes so boring. I need to entertain myself somehow."
"Agreed," Erza Knightwalker grinned, startling Coco, who had followed them into the dining table.
Hughes surveyed their surroundings, returning his attention to Jellal's disappearance. "If he's not here...then it means someone took him."
"We must find him. King Faust gave us orders to keep him in the control room."
"In due time, Knightwalker. However, I discovered some interesting news about the Prince of Edolas." The others stared at him quizzically. "I fished out information from the prisoners, and apparently the person who had saved them from the execution was none other than Prince Jellal."
The other commanders scoffed at Hughes' supposed naivete. "You would believe that?"
Hughes toyed with the wand in his hand. "She knew he came from a parallel world. I doubt anyone could make a guess so bizarre."
Knightwalker locked eyes with Sugarboy. "I suppose the king was right about him being a traitor. Let's split up and search for him, it's only a matter of time before he's gone for good."
"No," Hughes said, stopping them in their tracks. "Let's figure out who took the prince. They either have intentions to kill him or protect him. The latter seems reasonable."
"Meaning someone who did it is betraying the kingdom."
Sugarboy leaned against the wall, exasperated. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves, now. It would only make sense that the others protect the heir to the throne. We can figure out who helped him later. For now, we have to find him."
"Right."
Coco had an inkling of who took Jellal's body, but decided against making accusations.
After all, Panther Lily was her good friend.
"So this is the equivalent of Crocus..." Lucy mumbled wondrously, surveying the somewhat happy-go-lucky town. For the most part, it screamed magic energy, and unlike the other towns, they had it in abundant amounts.
Erza stopped, placing a hand on her hip. "Something's not right."
"About what?" asked Wendy.
The S-Class mage stared across the city and into the palace grounds. "Jellal. I can't sense my telepathic connection with him anymore. It was intact when we first came here..."
Carla offered her two cents, being the most knowledgeable about Edolas' ways. "It's likely because he's asleep right now. We did stumble upon here at three in the morning, after all."
"Wendy, can you sniff him?"
She inhaled sharply. "Maybe it's because his scent is mingled with other people, but I can't sense him."
Lucy clasped a hand over her mouth, "You don't think he..."
"Don't get ahead of yourself," Erza interrupted, preventing anyone from concluding Jellal's death. "He must be asleep, like Carla said."
I never really tested if my telepathic connection could work with someone asleep. Perhaps she is right.
"We need rest," Carla said, exasperated. "We still have tomorrow, there's no need to panic."
"That isn't an option," Erza said, eyeing the castle. "If what the fortune teller said was true, he's in danger right now."
"You're seriously going to believe a fortune teller, Erza? That's rich, even for you," Lucy exclaimed.
"She predicted everything correctly so far. It will come to pass."
"She's right," Mirajane nodded. She couldn't help but find the situation so hauntingly familiar, as though it mirrored her sister's death.
Carla stood in front of them, crossing her arms. "I know you want to save everyone, but would you please slow down? We are in no condition to fight, least of all, you, Erza. Using that teleportation machine exhausted all your magic energy. There's no telling what can happen to you if you were to get caught."
"Jellal is in trouble," Erza reaffirmed.
"I understand you would jump to irrational decisions because he's gone, but he can take care of himself."
"Something's not right with him, and I need to know."
Mirajane placed a hand on Erza's shoulder, "You of all people need rest. We should get some sleep and have a solid plan for the morning."
Erza sighed heavily, allowing her primal instinct of rest to overtake her ambition to save Jellal.
"Alright, the ceremony is tomorrow. I'm sure we'll have something figured out," she conceded, dragging herself with the group to an unknown hotel.
Lucy asked, "Does anyone actually have convertible currency?"
Everyone shook their head, to which the blonde grinned, "I just happened to trade jewels for the currency here. The black markets are full of idiots."
Happy giggled, "You just blew your rent money."
"Talk about being stupid," Natsu laughed.
Lucy glared at him, "You'd better make up my rent somehow. I'm doing this for you guys."
Everyone turned to Erza, "Actually, we're all doing this for Jellal."
"Aw yeah, rent money from the rich man!" Lucy exclaimed, skipping along the path despite her injuries.
"I'd say we're doing this for Mystogan," Erza corrected.
"Same face, same guy." Natsu said cheerfully.
Erza seemed downer than usual, surprising the other mages. Natsu would at least expect her to scowl at their ruckus during an untimely hour, but she said nothing.
Concerned, Mirajane slowed her pace so Erza could catch up, whispering to her, "You seem sick."
"I don't feel too well..." she confessed, albeit embarrassed. "I need rest."
"Jellal will be fine," Mirajane reassuringly smiled.
"It would be selfish of me to jeopardize the mission because of him. I suppose Jellal can take care of himself."
The group paused at a three-story hotel, where they were greeted by an old hag. Lucy did all the interacting and flashed a key to the exhausted mages. She pocketed the item and ushered for everyone to follow her.
Erza eyed the blonde's jean pocket, "You still have spare cash?"
"Either I got paid a good amount in the black market, or the hotel is cheap." Lucy predicted the former to be more reasonable. Once they unlocked the door, Erza crossed her arms and sighed knowingly.
"The latter," she concluded, stepping into the cramped hotel room and pacing towards the bathroom.
Wendy patiently waited to use the facilities next, hearing the water run. She panicked upon realizing Erza's supposed difficulty. "Hey, shouldn't we go and help Erza wash up? Her arm."
The lock came undone and Erza emerged from the bathroom, running a hand through her hair. "I'm fine, thanks for the concern."
Carla wondered aloud, "I still can't believe she's grown accustomed to such a troubling lifestyle."
"That's the Great Erza," Happy chimed, irritating Lucy.
Lucy clenched her jaw. "I get it, Happy. No need to rub it in my face."
Erza took one of the four single beds, pulling the covers over her pyjamas she requipped into. The knight eased herself into the mattress and closed her eyes faster than anyone else tried.
"Wow, she's exhausted," Lucy commented, to which Natsu observed the warrior keenly.
"Happy, do you think I can win Erza in a fight now?"
Everyone else yelled at him synchronously, "Don't even try it!"
Mirajane settled into the bed next to Erza, giving a knowing look, "It's different to see her tired."
Wendy sighed in contempt, "If only I had my magic...I could heal her."
"I think she's fine. Erza recovers quickly," Lucy commented, securing her arms around Wendy's petite frame.
Erza blocked out all sounds and drifted into a state of semblance, which only lasted for so long.
"The circle of love you all revolve in will result in a mournful loss, in both worlds."
Circle of love...
Of love...
Circle.
Jellal's grip tightened on Simon, who was about to fall off from the edge of the island.
Erza watched, paralyzed. Simon would willingly fall into the abyss below, dying.
With every agonizing second, Jellal's grip on his friend loosened, much to Erza's appall. "Simon, what are you thinking? You can't die!"
A dragon above threatened to kill them both from above, preparing for their absolute annihilation. Erza shouted for them both to escape the clutches of the dragon.
Simon offered them a weak smile. "I was destined to die, anyway."
Wide-eyed, Jellal shouted, "What are you saying, Simon? This was never your destiny. We would've died a long time ago if this was our fate."
"Aren't we dead men, anyway?" his neutral expression among the chaos drove Jellal mad. How could he disregard his life so causally? They all knew he referred to their enslavement eight long years ago.
Erza attempted to pull them both onto the island with whatever strength she mustered, but to no avail. The dragon continued attacking the trio with powerful breath attacks.
Simon pleaded, hanging from the edge as the hostile creature didn't relent in their power, "Jellal, release me."
"I would never forgive myself if I did such a thing! I'm not leaving without you."
Jellal would swear on his life to keep Simon alive.
Simon raised an eyebrow, "My life was forfeit long ago. If you don't leave me, we'll all die."
Jellal despised it when Simon would use such words to reassure everyone, even when it came to his death. "We worked so hard to live, Simon. We sought freedom. Your life isn't supposed to end so early."
"There's no point in keeping me alive."
"Stop talking, Simon. I'll get you out of here. Just hang on..."
"You'll understand someday."
Jellal's grip only tightened with an intensity only Simon could describe as excruciating.
Simon loosened his grip from Jellal. "You may be able to save the world, Jellal, but some losses are inevitable."
"Please, I'll find a way to save you."
Simon completely snatched his hand away from Jellal, mumbling something incoherent to the two mages before falling into the abyss of death below them.
Jellal froze, uncaring if the dragon persisted in their attack. He would stay still and die with Simon.
Die...
Erza woke up with a horrified gasp, with sweat breaking across her face. She studied Mirajane's peaceful countenance while asleep.
Erza requipped into her armour and decided against stalling around. If what the fortune teller said was true, one of their Edolas counterparts would die.
But was it Simon?
She swiped the sweat off her forehead and breathed deeply. Erza ran out of the hotel hastily, aimlessly towards Jellal.
Panther Lily panicked at Jellal's lack of response once he fled the castle. They were just outside of it, and guards could be heard surveying the area.
"Prince Jellal, please wake up!" he called out, shaking the Wizard Saint.
There was no response. It was likely he was induced with a poison used for the most ruthless of prisoners.
What troubled him more was Faust's plan to sacrifice his own son. Panther Lily held no sympathy for the exceeds of Extalia. If they were to annihilate the exceed race, then so be it.
But using a family member as a scapegoat was taking insanity to another level. It was clear that if Faust did not value the child he had; he paid no mind to his subjects.
Absorbed in his thoughts, he did not notice Knightwalker's presence when she neared him around the corner of the castle parameters.
"Panther Lily..." she said, stunned that of all people, he would defy the king's plan. "Why are you running away with Prince Jellal?"
He stood up, holding the unconscious Wizard Saint in his arms. "I saw him passed out. Thought the fresh air might help him regain consciousness. It's only right that I protect the Prince of Edolas."
She smiled, "That is not our job anymore. We received new orders. Prince Jellal is to be used for the Dragon Chain Cannon... It's ironic to think our prince would be price of this kingdom, but here we are, sacrificing him."
The sharp witted commander noticed his horror. She bared her teeth, "What's wrong? You don't seem quite onboard with the plan. Our pledge is to our king, not the prince, lest you forget."
Panther Lily gulped, "I understand, Captain Knightwalker."
"Good, let's get back, now, shall we?"
He reluctantly followed her with Jellal, afraid of the fate becoming of their prince.
"One more thing," her armour clinked as she stopped, confusing the exceed. He raised an eyebrow.
"I know you overheard the king in his plans. I'll pretend you didn't attempt an escape with him. Know where your loyalty lies, Panther Lily."
He wordlessly nodded, wondering how she had him found out. Perhaps it was his overwhelming emotions upon finally meeting someone who held value to him.
Is this how family members felt when they would see their loved ones executed? The feeling of their hearts sinking, it felt...nauseating.
The palace was dull, as if knowing what was to become of their prince.
Faust was in the dining hall, tentatively eyeing the two commanders that entered. Both bowed down upon Faust's presence, albeit for Panther Lily, it proved to be difficult with a grown man in his arms.
"Ah, I see. So Panther Lily was the one that took him?"
"No, Your Majesty," Knightwalker answered, still kneeling, "he found Prince Jellal outside on the ground."
Questions ran through Panther Lily's mind.
Why? Why did she save him? What would she gain from lying about the situation? It was unlike her sadistic nature.
"I trust your words, Knightwalker. Come, we have to prepare. Panther Lily will accompany me to the chambers. We shall begin preparations tonight."
"Tonight?" the exceed asked breathlessly.
"Why, what better than to have him wake up to his destiny?"
Upon seeing Knightwalker's smirk, Panther Lily knew exactly why she hadn't told King Faust.
She would make him endure the pain of being involved with the sacrificing of the prince.
"What a twisted sense of humour you have," he mumbled to her as he passed by the woman, following Faust's footsteps.
The urge to knock the king out had grown within him. He could knock him down in one hit while he was unguarded...it was possible.
But not when there were so many people who feigned loyalty to this man. Either way, saving Jellal was not an option.
He would sacrifice the boy he helped raised. An unsettling feeling settled in his abdomen.
The beginning of the end, as he would call it.
It wasn't an hour into the mages' sleep when Carla woke up sweating. She could feel her heart racing faintly as her vision replayed.
Delaying Jellal's rescue would inevitably lead to Magnolia's demise. She had woken everyone up in a hurry, claiming that they had to act now, regardless of injuries or grogginess. They had also found Erza gone by the time the group had been awoken.
Here they were, outside a cave leading to an underground path within the palace. Dawn came, and as quickly as they booked a hotel room with a great deal of trouble, they left. Mirajane winced at Lucy's money wasted, but found it a small price to pay for the mission they were to embark.
Mirajane watched silently as Natsu and Lucy tried conjuring a fire. The position strained their bodies as the two focused intently on twisting the sticks into the rocks.
Natsu chortled, waving his torch in the air simultaneously.
"Cheater!" Lucy shouted, chucking her torch at him.
"Listen, it was hard to do your old-fashioned way. Why not just use my fire instead?"
Wendy sighed, staring at her hand. She flexed it experimentally. "Once again, I'm useless on a mission. My magic won't come back."
"It's not your fault, Wendy," Carla defended, leading her towards the cave. Natsu retrieved both torches and handed one back to Lucy. The bruises marring her skin went noticed by everyone, but nobody dared speak up about it. Wendy would only further blame herself for not having magic energy to heal her.
Mirajane studied the healer for a long moment before asking, "Wendy, didn't you encounter Mystogan before you came to Edolas?"
"Oh, yes..."
"Then why weren't you given an X-Ball beforehand?"
Unable to recall anything regarding the pills, Wendy shook her head. Carla eyed her momentarily before answering for her. "I believe Mystogan informed us that someone in Edolas had taken the bottle of pills."
"It must be Jellal," Lucy concluded. "I wasn't given anything either. And the worst news is that he's trapped in the kingdom."
The sun had barely risen, and Mirajane felt that heeding Erza's advice on saving Jellal early had been the way to go. She informed the others, "With Carla's help, we'll get Jellal back. Erza barely stands a chance against the people within these walls."
Carla huffed, "I hate to say it, but you're right."
Happy raised his paw, "Carla, how do you know of this underground passage?"
The exceed huffed, "It's buried with information on our original mission. The layout of the palace is clear in my mind—it's as if I was programmed to work my way around Edolas."
"I still can't remember anything," Happy complained, plopping to the ground.
Natsu lifted his friend onto his shoulder, grinning at him. "You're awesome as you are, Happy. I'm sure it'll all come back to you."
"A talking cat is unique enough," Lucy commented, remembering Plue's incoherent mush of words.
"I guess so."
Carla turned to Mirajane, "As per our plan, we'll need you staying behind. You're one of our strongest wizards, so in case we run into trouble, we'll page you with this device."
She handed the Strauss sibling a handheld transceiver. "Where did you get this from?"
"Natsu attacked some guards along the way. We searched their vests for any important items."
"I find it hard to believe you would go with his plan to knock out soldiers. Now anyone will recognize Natsu as the enemy."
Natsu clapped his hand on Mirajane's shoulder, "Aw come on, Mira. We'll just rescue Jellal and be back in a jiffy. Oh man, I can't wait to see the look on his face when I rescue him."
Wendy mused quietly, "He really wants to show up Jellal, doesn't he?"
Lucy groaned, "He can keep dreaming. Fat chance he'll ever win against a Wizard Saint."
"Just watch me, I bet Jellal will beg for mercy once I help him." Natsu exhaled, running into the cave alongside Happy. Lucy rolled her eyes and followed behind with Wendy, leaving Mirajane alone at the entrance of the cave. If anything went wrong, Mirajane would have to call for backup.
When they reached the dead end, Lucy placed a hand on the blocked path. "It's hollow from behind."
"Dead end?" Natsu inquired, banging his head against the wall. He angrily challenged the wall's strength upon feeling a bump grow on the back of his head.
"Doubtful," Carla said. "We need to get across this. The map doesn't end here."
Lucy shrugged, "If she says so, I should summon Taurus."
The Celestial Wizard waved her zodiac key in the air, waiting for the Celestial Spirit to appear.
Said spirit did not make an appearance.
Carla coughed, "I believe you didn't receive the X-Balls either, Lucy."
"Oh, right." Lucy dreadfully announced, gracefully moving away from the wall. Natsu grumbled and punched the obstacle before going all out with a magic attack.
The entire wall crumbled in front of them. Carla nodded her head expectantly.
Satisfied, the group ventured further into the cave. Uncertain thoughts plagued their minds.
"I still can't believe Erza might be doing this alone," the Celestial Wizard voiced.
Natsu yawned, "This is Erza we're talking about. She's never fought a losing battle, I'm sure she's fine."
Carla had different thoughts on her course of action. "I think Mirajane went to find her. It's unlike her to leave anyone to their own devices. I'm only doing this for Wendy, so I don't really care where she went. One thing's for certain; she fancies Jellal as a saviour for reasons I cannot understand."
"He kinda is the ace of Fairy Tail," Wendy spoke, judging by how everyone treated him. "And being a Wizard Saint, I don't blame people if they worship him."
Lucy grinned, "Erza's also in a league of her own. They definitely like each other if you ask me."
"I don't recall you ever saying that," Happy said, eyeing her conspicuously.
"True. You really couldn't imagine someone like Erza being compatible with one of the most eligible bachelors in Fiore. You'd think she's a devil based on the rumours. But Erza's very sweet, especially around him."
Natsu gawked at her, "Jellal and Erza? Never."
Happy nodded arms crossed, "Yup, never."
"Oh, why not?" Lucy leaned towards the exceed, watching as they stared at each other horrifically.
"Natsu, remember Mirajane told us that Erza would have devils for babies."
The Dragon Slayer vigorously nodded, "And having Jellal double the magic power for the babies is no good. I would destroy their eggs before they would even hatch."
Wendy heaved a breath, "B-babies? I don't think Erza can have devil babies."
"Devil babies, Wendy!"
"You said it Wendy," Lucy addressed, ignoring Happy's last comment. "If anything, Mirajane would have devils. That's kind of her magic."
"I'm telling Mira you said that!" Happy yelled.
"Oh, no you don't! I'll tell her everything you say about her if you even peep about this to Mira. Got it?" she huffed, gripping Happy by the ear.
"Ow ow ow!"
Lucy bent down to Happy's level with a smirk. "I thought so."
"What would Happy even say about her? If anything, you're the one who makes the insensitive comments," Natsu interjected.
"Mira has cried twice because of Gray's comments. Clearly I'm not the heartless one."
"Then blame him!"
"We can't tell Mira something that Gray has said to her face!"
Happy shook his head, staring at Carla. "Once again, Lucy knows nothing about the wild ways of women."
"Happy, I am a woman. And that was so random! Since when we're we ever talking about—"
"Would you all be quiet!?"
Everyone stopped in their tracks, watching as Carla furiously crushed her palms together. "Stay focused! We've been in the same spot for quite a while."
Lucy whipped her head in every direction of the cave. "Woah, there are a lot of paths."
"This place was designed as an emergency exit. In the event any group would venture down here, they would stall time by trying to infiltrate the kingdom, giving the monarchy enough time to capture them."
"That means we're on a time crunch!" Wendy screeched.
"Calm down, Wendy. They shouldn't know we're here. A small group like us should make it into the castle undetected. I'm not exactly sure where Jellal is located. That's where we leave the rest up to Natsu and Wendy."
"Can't sniff him yet," Natsu said.
"Then let's keep going. Left."
The group watched for any signs of people or civilization. The place seemed ideal for a game of chase, that was certain.
Carla stopped at another set of paths. "Left."
Lucy surveyed the area, "I get that this is your homeland, but how would you have knowledge of an underground tunnel in the palace?"
"I'm just as clueless, Lucy. All I know is that by going against the kingdom, I will abandon my mission."
"I've heard you mention mission quite a few times. Do you recall it?"
Happy gulped as Carla answered, "Vaguely. I still don't know what I'm supposed to do."
Natsu put a hand to his chin, "We might not draw attention, but who knows what Erza might be doing. She may as well be storming the castle."
Lucy's eye twitched, "This is Erza we're talking about. There's no way she'll resort to your tactics."
"Agreed," Carla added, "we know your plan on the airship didn't get us very far. In fact, we almost died because of it."
"Yeah, I'm sorry about that. But...something tells me this isn't right. I can't sniff anything."
"Unusual, we should be nearing Jellal. Can you not sense him by now?"
"He could be dead!" Lucy declared, clenching her hand against her chest. "I don't want it to be true, but we haven't found him yet. Then again, he is a Wizard Saint. How could he let the kingdom capture him so easily?"
Carla shook her head, "You're overestimating his control of the situation. He's hiding from an entire kingdom supporting the eradication of Magnolia. Every action taken against them would have to be done subtly."
They continued straight, and Carla was surprised at the simplicity of the path. For a way inside the kingdom, everything was running smoothly.
Almost too perfectly.
Wendy and Natsu hollered as a white liquid encased them both, stretching them uncomfortably.
"Wendy!" Carla screeched, reaching out to her imprisoned friend.
"What's going on?" Happy asked, shaking in fear of the unknown. "Carla, was this even the way to the castle?"
"I was so sure it was..."
The blonde tried reaching out for the device that Natsu dropped, "The pager!"
Knightwalker crushed it beneath her feet, petrifying Lucy as she came face-to-face with her assaulter.
Lucy was weaved within the trap subsequently, horrifying Carla.
Her predictions, the premonitions, all led to this.
"I can't use my magic!" Natsu hollered, wrestling against the material encasing him.
Suddenly, Hughes appeared forth with a grin, startling the group of wizards. "This trap was especially designed for mages. Nobody can use magic around here."
"Was that why I couldn't sniff Jellal?"
The commander raised an eyebrow at the news. "Hm...so you're friends with our impostor prince? Do you all come from Earth Land as well?"
"What did you do with Jellal?" Natsu growled, wrestling with the liquid engulfing him, dodging the question entirely. Nonetheless, Hughes got his answer with the retort.
"He's about to be sacrificed in mere hours. We're so glad you could join us to watch the ceremony. You Dragon Slayers have a very important role should our primary source's magic energy be depleted."
"Let him go!" Wendy cried, all the while staring at Carla.
The exceeds watched in shock as the commanders all kneeled down for Happy and Carla. Erza Knightwalker said, "Exceeds, we are most pleased to have you here. Welcome home."
Lucy shook uncontrollably at Knightwalker's words, "...home? You were working with them all this time?"
Carla protested, "Nonsense! I don't know what they speak of."
Knightwalker ordered for the mages to be taken away, leaving the exceeds surrounded by the kingdom's guards. "You finally completed your mission."
Wendy gulped, trying not to believe anything. The baleful duty towards exceeds sprouted questions for the young girl. "Who are you? I thought you were our friends, Happy and Carla."
Hearing her say that stung more than the betrayal. "I'm so sorry..." Carla sobbed, ignoring Happy's shrills.
He still claimed with a strong face, "We'll still save them, Carla!"
She clawed at the ground, crumbling before the army surrounding her. "It's too late, tomcat. This was our last chance to save Magnolia."
"Don't be silly! None of this was your fault."
"The future is certainly near. Fairy Tail will perish."
Guards were still on the lookout for the culprit that destroyed the lacrima last evening.
Gajeel heaved a breath as he awoke to the harmonious morning of birds chirping. With an abandoned shack as the only place to seek refuge, Gajeel and Gray spent the night slumped against the cramped walls.
He still couldn't believe that only one person made up such a huge portion of the lacrima. Jellal was right. There was a much bigger piece somewhere, and now the kingdom was going to use that as their alternative magic power.
"Hey, we gotta raid the kingdom," Gajeel muttered gingerly. He scratched his slicked hair, finding the silence between the mages uncomfortable. It hadn't been long since he joined Fairy Tail, anyway.
Gray staggered to his feet, shirtless. "Yeah, you said Jellal was in there, right?"
The Dragon Slayer grunted in response, pulling a cloak over his head. Neither were able to get sleep because of the nightmarish shack. Above all, the floorboards creaked at every movement made by either mage.
They both emerged from their hiding spot and scoured the area for any people. The time read seven thirty on a lacrima for a cake shop. It hadn't opened yet, so nobody was in sight.
Except one.
Gray squinted, placing a hand over his eyes. "I think I see Erza."
"You can't be for real! The chick you're staring at doesn't have an arm."
The memory resurfaced, and Gray shuddered in horror. "...it's because she did lose her arm in the Oración Seis battle."
Gajeel neither scorned him nor apologized. He hesitantly strode towards Erza, mildly afraid that she would beat him up, or worse.
"Hey Erza!" Gray shouted, reaching out for her armour. Erza cautiously confronted her comrades before sighing in relief.
"At least I knew beforehand that Edolas Gray doesn't walk around shirtless."
"That explains your...reserved behaviour," Gray responded for lack of a better term. Her statement would appear hilarious had she not been so physically and mentally drained.
"Were you both always in Edolas?"
Gajeel coughed dramatically, "I saved him from being turned into magic energy."
"Ah, I see. You Dragon Slayers were able to remain in Magnolia despite the others being converted into a lacrima. How did you find out about the lacrima?"
"I met Jellal yesterday," he casually informed, surprising Erza.
She sighed in relief, "So he is alive."
"I can't sniff him right now. That castle has too many people and there's so much magic energy. My nose can't keep up with it."
"That's what Natsu said as well."
"I can faintly sniff Salamander and the little girl. So they came along too?"
"Carla and Happy, as well as Lucy and Mirajane. Mira and I were hiding in the East Forest when Anima appeared."
Gray tucked his hands into the pockets of his pants. "Gajeel said there was talk among the guards about Jellal being used for the Dragon Chain Cannon."
"We still don't know what this cannon can do with Magnolia."
"From what Mystogan told me, the lacrimas can be destroyed with a great deal of magic. If we apply the same concept, then it should be able to free our friends."
Gray clenched his teeth, "That sounds counterproductive to their goal."
"Agreed," Erza hummed, "but that may not necessarily be the case. We'll have to get information on it right after we save the others."
"I can sniff 'em in the castle. They're below."
Gray spoke, "Either underground means they found a path or they're in prison."
"My guess is the prison. They're not moving around."
Erza put a hand to her chin. "That's problematic. Then we'll split up. Gray and Gajeel, you both work on a plan to rescue them. I'll need to find Jellal's whereabouts."
"Shouldn't we go after Jellal?" Gray proposed, stopping Erza in her tracks. "If he's so important to the plan, then security will be tighter for him."
"Out of the question," Erza contended. "I need to see for myself if he's alive."
The men shrugged, not arguing with Erza's statement. "And our rendezvous point?"
"Jellal can use Telepathy. We'll communicate once I find him."
Based on Erza's previous statement, Gray slowly said, "But what if he's not alive...?"
Erza paused, taking a moment to stare at the castle. The possibility of it almost made her shed tears. The reality so horrifying, and so real. Her vision turned red, and she wanted nothing more than to die if the possibility existed.
She still found herself saying, "I'll figure something out."
Erza paced away from them with an animalistic urge. She seemed ready to find Jellal dead, just as the fortune teller predicted.
Gajeel hummed lowly, "Something tells me she knows more than she lets on. I mean, why predict he might be dead?"
"I'm just as confused. I doubt the kingdom holds a candle to him."
"He ain't that strong."
"For someone his age, he packs a lot of power." Gray asserted, starting off in the direction of the castle. "Do you know how to get to Natsu?"
"Not tryna be rude, but there's only so much I can do." Gajeel grumbled low, taking the lead. They followed along the ringed wall surrounding the palace, until Gajeel placed his hand on the metal surface, east to where they started.
"This is as close as we get. We're gonna have to fight."
"Right," Gray breathed, preparing for the worst. Gajeel climbed the wall using his iron fists to dent the material, then landed swiftly in the palace's parameters. Gray followed suit, anchoring his ice creation to the other side before reeling himself over.
"There's nobody here, weird." Gray noted, gingerly taking a step forward to see if it would trigger anything.
"Well, makes our job easier." Gajeel exclaimed, running towards the palace.
"But Erza's going to have a hard time against the guards."
The Dragon Slayer rolled his shoulder with a grin. "You're right, it kinda ruins our fun. Then why don't we invite them here?"
The sound of the pillars exploding resounded the area as Gajeel destroyed the architecture of the castle.
Gray held his arms out as guards approached them, "I'll take care of them, you save the others."
Gajeel wordlessly followed his orders and ventured deeper into the castle, noting the lack of security.
He was met by a tiny girl with moving feet. She circled around him, announcing, "Intruder alert, intruder alert!"
Gajeel scoffed and picked her off the floor, "Is this some kind of joke? I'm left to battle a little girl?"
"Put me down! I am the royal advisor!" Coco shrieked, flailing her arms and legs to escape his grasp.
"Tell me where the dungeon is," Gajeel demanded, making an educated guess of where Natsu would be kept. There was no sign of movement, which meant that the kingdom incapacitated him in some form.
"No way!"
"Don't get on my bad side, little girl."
"I'll never tell you. I'd rather die than betray my kingdom!"
"Oh, your king is benevolent enough to let you die in my hands? Sounds like a jerk if you ask me."
"You're wrong; he took Panther Lily in. He accepted a Fallen despite being reprimanded by Extalia."
Gajeel scratched his head with his free hand, "I don't have time for your nonsense. Now lead me to your dungeon."
Coco defied him with her silence, but her eyes had told otherwise. Gajeel followed her gaze until he reached a staircase spiralling underground. Deciding to use her as a pawn, he trekked the staircase along with the young girl and observed the shock on her face when she peeked at the prisoners behind the bars.
"Why are they...down here?" Coco questioned as the words barely formed against her lips.
"This kingdom ain't as black and white as you think."
Finally deeming her safe, he released her and attacked the guards around the cells.
"Intruder!" one announced, pointing a spear at him.
"Well, things have got a whole more interesting," he mused, using his iron club to sweep everyone off their feet. The result was disastrous. It left many soldiers unmoving, and finally Gajeel went back to completing his task. He kicked down the dungeon's bars to reveal Natsu and Wendy, staring at the cell walls.
Gajeel raised a brow, "What's up with you? And the new girl's here too..."
Natsu's eyes flickered to his guild mate's appearance, causing him to strain his arms. Gajeel got rid of the white material around their arms, allowing the mages to use magic again.
Recalling Makarov's brief discussion of two new members, he recognized Wendy. She stared at the ground, unwilling to raise her head.
From her position, she mumbled, "Thank you."
Natsu placed a hand on her shoulder, "Come on, let's go free Luce, then we'll save Happy and Carla."
Gajeel recalled them being the Dragon Slayers' exceeds, and inconveniently contemplated the thought of having one for himself.
"What happened?" Gajeel asked rather seamlessly, despite finding the answer obvious.
"Long story," Natsu said, kicking down Lucy's cell.
The Celestial Mage opened her mouth against Natsu's idea of burning the wood that cuffed her hands and face. "Are you trying to kill me!?"
"You should be grateful. It must hurt to be in that position because you're so heavy."
Lucy growled, "I'm not in the mood for jokes. Besides, we have to get Happy and Carla back. Who knows what they've done to them."
"I really hope they didn't betray us," Wendy said.
Natsu patted her head, "I know Happy would never do that, so have faith in them."
Gajeel offered his thoughts, "From what I hear, these cats are royalty, and they're superior to humans. I wouldn't worry too much about their safety."
"I hope you're right," Wendy said meekly. "I can't use my magic at all. What use am I?"
Lucy offered, "I'm sure Jellal will give you the pills once we find him."
"You mean these?" Gajeel's hand disappeared beneath his cloak to reveal a capsule with X-Balls. Wendy offered her hand out as Gajeel tipped a pill into her palm, followed by Lucy, who unapologetically extended her palm.
"I find it surprising that Jellal entrusted pills to you," Natsu blurted, agitating the other Dragon Slayer.
"Look who's talking. At least I'm not stupid enough to challenge him."
"You're just jealous I'm stronger than you."
Gajeel fought the urge to retaliate, ignoring his statement. "Anyway, your ice buddy is here. He might need some help against the guards. You can find him with your nose, right Salamander?"
"Yeah, I'll probably sniff him." Natsu claimed. "Wait, what are you going to be doing?"
Gajeel's gaze trailed to Coco, who remained fixated on one spot. "I'm gonna free the remaining prisoners."
The Fire Dragon Slayer shrugged, gesturing for Wendy and Lucy to follow him. Gajeel watched them depart before making his way to Coco. She was in tears by the time he was by her side.
"Millianna and...Simon?" Gajeel held a breath, hastily breaking down the bars and kneeling to Edolas Millianna's level. "Wait, Simon came to Edolas too?"
"He's gone," the girl sobbed, pointing at the head in the corner of the cell. "Simon died."
Despite not being the most just person, Gajeel could feel his quenching thirst for revenge against the people who killed Simon.
"Who did this to you?"
Millianna heaved a sob, "The Queen of Extalia...she decides who lives and dies. The kingdom was ordered to execute Simon either way."
Coco shivered, "My people...did this?"
To Millianna's nod, Gajeel froze in terror at the idea of another race deciding who was worthy to live.
His priority would have been shattering the lacrima had he not heard Millianna's plea.
Now, he was going to pay a visit to Extalia.
For the first time in a while, Jellal had wished he wouldn't wake up to witness another day. When he did, Byro's grin had told him everything. He couldn't believe he casually had dinner the night before, not knowing that he was to be the sacrifice.
The old man circled around Jellal's incapacitated state, and was surprised to see him unafraid. Jellal's face had a deadly passiveness to it, and Byro loved the challenge all the more.
"I'm surprised to see you so calm, especially when you're about to die. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you've been in a similar situation before."
Jellal didn't speak, not knowing if in doing so he would dig a deeper hole for himself. From his current condition and without proper recovery from his previous battle, he was at a major disadvantage.
"I do love challenges though, and you're as tough as one gets."
Jellal asked, "What happened to my magic energy?"
Byro's eyes narrowed maliciously. "What's wrong, prince? Are you done playing pretend?"
"Only a mage can provide magic energy to the Dragon Chain Cannon. If you brought me here, then inevitably you must have known that I am not the prince."
Byro clapped, "My, what an intelligent man you are. Unfortunately, you didn't expect us to carry out the plan sooner than we did. Is that why you kept demanding to delay plans at the dinner table while we fed you poison?"
Jellal knew better than to argue back, because he felt foolish for being caught so easily. He would never fall for such a trick. It was simply too easy to detect.
Yet here he was, tied up at the king's expense.
"But we didn't know you were an impostor. A commoner had informed Hughes about your noble deed during the execution. She thought they could set her free if she gave such information. A foolish girl, wouldn't you agree?"
Jellal could understand the desperation for freedom and shook his head in response.
"I must admit, for you to deceive us for that long, right beneath our nose is impressive. Your manners truly rival a prince." Byro gestured to the bindings, "Anyhow, I won't have to worry about your escape. These bindings dispel magic."
As to be expected, this was much stronger than Millianna's bindings, which easily nullified magic energy. The drug consumed within his meal also impacted his strength. Jellal tried pulling at his bindings for the first time, but only found them tightening around his wrists.
Byro pointed his staff towards Jellal and struck him with overwhelming force. The Wizard Saint felt himself drowning within the magic energy striking him. He tried finding the purpose of the device and opened an eye to find his ethernano being extracted from his body.
His nails sank into his palms as he clamped his hand, trying to focus on any other sensation.
It couldn't have been too long until Byro stopped upon being interrupted by a blade to his neck. Jellal instantly registered the Heart Kreuz armour.
She glared at Byro, kicking the staff out of his grip. She seemed tired in her movements, and her wound remained untended to. Jellal had to wonder if she even found it after he came to Edolas.
With barely any magic energy left, she stumbled across the chambers to confront Jellal. She gently placed a hand on his fragile countenance, feeling his pain rumble from his defined face.
"Jellal," she exhaled sharply upon finding Byro cackling.
She sliced the bindings, shifting his weight onto her right side. Erza growled at their foe, pointing her blade at him as he retrieved his staff.
She felt Jellal stray from her and hold himself up hastily. "I'm fine, let's get out of here."
Erza wordlessly concurred and ran towards the exit, charging at the numerous guards stationed again. She sliced her way through the crowds and expertly maneuvered through the halls. Jellal followed suit after disposing of Byro temporarily, only to be ambushed by a wave of legion platoons.
Erza backed away once Jellal joined her. The group closed in. "What do we do?"
Jellal only stared at her armless side with many questions. "You're injured, Erza. Find help and get out of here."
"I'm not leaving you here," she protested, holding her blade out. "We should both retreat while we can."
Before they could come to an agreement, they saw Sugarboy jump over the crowds of guards, gripping a large key.
Surprisingly enough, Gray followed suit in a motorcycle, confusing the Wizard Saint all the more. The Ice Wizard glanced at him, sighing in relief and quietly thanking Erza for being the reckless person she was.
"That key must be for the cannon," Erza mumbled. Having been uninformed on the matter, Jellal had no answer for her.
A guard from behind shouted at the guards confronting Jellal and Erza, "Code ETD has been activated, and we must now gather at the Dragon Chain Cannon!"
Confused, everyone shifted their attention to the news. Jellal recalled the plan clearly, "Exceeds' Total Destruction..."
"You mean, they've been converted to magic energy? But I thought the humans here worshipped the exceeds." Erza turned to the Wizard Saint for answers as he tried piecing the information together.
"They were planning a war all along. That's why they harnessed magic energy from Magnolia," he explained, before turning to Erza. "You need to regroup with the others. It's too dangerous to be involved in the war."
Erza glared at him, "And run away from saving Magnolia? No."
"Your arm...it's not restored."
She lifted a brow, "And?"
"You're not replenishing your ethernano. Haven't you noticed your magic energy weakening over time? As long as it's not bandaged properly, you will only lose magic energy."
His eyes widened at the incoming attack towards Erza, and he pushed them out of the way. The explosion resounded barely above them.
Erza smiled as they dropped to the ground. "You always know, don't you...? Jellal, I don't feel so well."
Her eyes slowly closed and Jellal only gulped at her now unconscious state. "Erza...? Erza! Please, stay with me!"
Her body remained against his chest, limp. Jellal slowly confronted the source of the attack, only to find Byro and Hughes expectantly waiting. Angered, Jellal stood up and slowly made his way towards the men, attacking anyone in his way.
"What a tragic end, and who better to get that honour than Captain Knightwalker's counterpart?" Hughes stated, clapping his hands in the tense atmosphere.
"You're going to pay for everyone's suffering," Jellal stated, raising his arm out, determined in annihilating everything and anyone. "If you plan on activating the Dragon Chain Cannon, then I will destroy everything within it."
"You can't be serious!" Hughes gaped at the size of the circle expanding from Jellal's hand, "You intend to kill everyone within it?"
"Including her?" another voice chimed behind Jellal. The Wizard Saint came face-to-face with Faust, who held a blade at Erza's neck. "If you proceed with the attack, she will die. My men have you surrounded. Your death is inevitable, imposter."
Jellal stalled a bit before undoing the spell, and with a swipe of his hand, the Square of Self-Destruction dissipated into nothingness.
Faust maniacally cackled, wondering if any situation was better than this. He could see Jellal calculating a way to get back Erza, but found nothing.
The king was swept off the floor and the blade slipped through Erza's skin before it clattered beside him.
"Jellal!" Mirajane shouted, heaving Erza in her arms. He didn't waste a moment in taking out the people in his surroundings, using his Telekinesis to compress the guards under the weight of the rubble. Faust used the moment to escape, evading the attack. Jellal assumed he was going to the Dragon Chain Cannon. Though that didn't add up, since Gray was chasing Sugarboy because of the key.
Gray was buying them time. And since many Fairy Tail mages roamed these halls, he couldn't exactly destroy the palace.
The freed prisoners along with Carla followed suit, staring at Jellal wondrously. Then their gaze shifted to Erza, who was in Mirajane's arms.
"Thank goodness you're alright. Erza was looking for you!" Lucy exclaimed, before shrieking when Byro struck magic out of his staff towards her.
"I know she was looking for me. I'm sorry for dragging everyone into this." Jellal spoke as everyone gathered.
Natsu smirked, "You owe me a meal when we get back to Earth Land, got it?"
Lucy rolled her eyes, "Of course he wants food."
Jellal slightly nodded, before Natsu smiled in content.
"Great, now I got a criminal to catch." He declared, pointing at Hughes.
"Oh really? I do love a good challenge." Hughes grinned, racing through the corridor to the left. Natsu ran after him with a holler.
"Natsu always leaves me with the creepy men," Lucy commented.
Byro's attention trailed to Coco, who appeared in front of the group.
She clenched her teeth and cried aloud, "Please stop this! We need to save Panther Lily!"
"Oh Coco, you never listen, do you? We must sacrifice for the greater good, and you sabotaged our plan!" Byro announced, striking her already aching feet. Lucy jumped in to protect her, growling at the old man.
Lucy looked back and forth between the Edolas citizens before grabbing Coco and running. Byro shouted after her and ran.
"Lucy's distracting him," Mirajane informed Jellal, who was going to intercept him had he not been told. "We now know they're waging a war against the exceeds. Our first step is to stop the Dragon Chain Cannon. Gray's going to destroy the key to it, rendering it useless."
Jellal treaded carefully towards her. "Something tells me the key isn't the entire component to this project. Faust isn't too keen on using the harvested lacrima for magic energy. If his war against Extalia is the priority, then the Dragon Chain Cannon is unrelated to Magnolia."
Carla gulped, "You're right. Happy and I overheard the guards, and Magnolia is only one part of this scheme. They plan on firing at the island of the lacrima to Extalia, which will create an explosion, bringing everlasting magic energy to Edolas."
Wendy placed a hand over her mouth, "We have to warn the exceeds."
"They chased us out hours ago, Wendy. You won't be welcome to Extalia."
"I don't care! We have to save them! I'm going up there myself!"
Jellal grabbed her arm, "If you go up there in get caught in the explosion, then you'll die as well, Wendy. Please, don't risk it until we have a solid plan."
She wrenched her arm away from him, "I just found home in Magnolia, Jellal. If they die, then I want to die with them."
To think a child could have such a mentality, Jellal thought, as she ran away with Carla. Her exceed likely shared the sentiment, especially after returning home to Extalia.
Jellal asked Mirajane, "Where is Happy?"
"Carla told us they encountered Gajeel earlier, and he urgently needed to visit Extalia. So Happy took him up there."
"They're only stalling time," he said. "It's too dangerous for Wendy to go up there. I'll have to intercept that lacrima somehow…"
"Do you have a plan in mind?" Mirajane countered. "You seemed torn after finding Erza unconscious."
"I am," he confessed. "Erza and the others haven't had time to rest after the mission. It makes sense I'm worried."
"I don't want to continue like this," Mirajane breathed. "After what Wendy said, can any of us really live knowing our friends have died because of this kingdom?"
He thought about the reality for a moment. "No. I couldn't bear facing anyone after failing the guild, which is why we have to prepare for the worst. Would you be able to go after Gray? We can't allow the kingdom to get their hands on the key."
"Where do we leave Erza?"
Jellal gently pulled Erza into his arms. "I'll find someone in town," he managed, preparing to fly out of the castle.
Mirajane chucked a pair of keys to him. "We stayed at the hotel on King Street in Royal City. She can rest there."
"Thank you."
"Don't thank me, Jellal. Erza looked for you in the rain helplessly, despite being injured. She deserves the praise."
"I owe her my life," he breathed. "And once this is over, I will make it up to her. I leave the rest up to you."
Mirajane waved at him and took her leave in the opposite direction, where Gray chased after Sugarboy on the motorcycle.
She caught a spear in sight and jumped back from an attack that could've severely injured her.
Knightwalker's boots clinked as she approached Mirajane with a smirk. "It seems we have more pests to dispose of."
Happy frowned as he slowly flew up to Extalia with Gajeel in his arms. "Why do you have to be heavy like Lucy?"
"Quit your babbling, cat. We need to get up there fast," Gajeel exclaimed with a grunt.
"Aye, sir. But...do you think everyone else is fine?"
The Dragon Slayer crossed his arms, "To be honest, I don't really care about many people in the guild. Master Makarov saved me, though, and Juvia was kind enough to bring me to this guild. I can't...turn my back on them."
Happy wondered how Makarov could talk miracles to someone like Gajeel. He smiled internally at the reality of this man now a fully pledged member of Fairy Tail. "Say...what made you come to Extalia?"
"Ever heard their queen decide who lives and dies?"
"I did, when they tried chasing Carla and myself out."
"Well, the Edolas Simon was executed when I found him in the dungeons by this queen's orders. I suppose you could say Simon helped familiarize myself with Fairy Tail when Jellal was absent. He has a big heart."
"Simon is really selfless," Happy concurred.
"Despite his illness, he still helped me. I respect him for that."
Happy remembered that Simon and Jellal had taken on the mission long ago until he got injured. Happy never imagined that it was still affecting him. "Is his condition that bad?"
"Afraid so. I don't have all the details."
His fierce and stuck-up attitude had become one of pity as he reminisced about Simon.
Happy could barely hear another set of wings soaring towards them. He turned his head to find Carla and Wendy racing towards Extalia.
They passed Happy and Gajeel when the blue exceed shouted, "Carla!"
"We need to warn them. Hurry!" Carla said from above before continuing onward with Wendy.
Happy sped up and found himself on the outskirts of the island. Gajeel jumped off to the edge of Extalia. He was met with hostile exceeds and the leftover guards which were not caught up in Code ETD.
A little one hissed at Wendy, "So you're the lowly humans? Imagine having the audacity to step foot on our island."
"We came to warn you!" Wendy explained, "The royal army is a huge lacrima because of King Faust. You have to escape this island before they hurt you as well!"
The exceeds blinked twice and remained in silence for a moment before laughing at Wendy's affirmation. The laughter roared across the town as the exceeds never fathomed the possibility.
Gajeel gritted his teeth. "Where is your queen? She's answerable to the deaths of innocent civilians."
"Our queen doesn't need to answer you. She'll just send you flying out of this island once she sees you!" the children chanted in response, oblivious to the true nature of Extalia's council.
Wendy felt a pebble chucked at her abdomen, followed by many more. She grabbed Carla, who suffered the same fate, and shielded her from the attacks.
Gajeel clenched his fist and extended his iron blade out, scaring the children to their wits. He threatened every single citizen with his movements, growling at the ones bold enough to still throw rocks in his direction.
He considered finding himself a cat of his own to bring back to Earth Land, but assessing them again, he thought of none worthy enough. Their false sense of justice angered Gajeel.
"You will bring out the queen, right now." Gajeel said.
Nobody responded or appeased to his request in their stubborn attempt to protect their benevolent queen.
Wendy shook her head, "Gajeel, we have to save them, or there won't be any Extalia."
"If they're this selfish, then the world is better off without an Extalia." Gajeel proclaimed, staring at Wendy. She didn't back away from his menacing gaze.
"You don't understand! The humans want to exterminate Extalia and Magnolia together. Please, everyone's life depends on it. If we don't get off this island, we're going to die too!"
The mention of Magnolia had him concerned. "Settle down, shrimp. How is this going to happen?"
Everyone descended into silence as Wendy said, "They want to aim the cannon at the floating island, where Magnolia is. If they do that, then the island will race into Extalia's, and everyone on it will become magic energy."
The exceeds laughed yet again before starting their assault with rocks again. Gajeel surveyed the island with the lacrima, adjacent to him, now moving closer. "Don't take this the wrong way, girl, but I think you jinxed us."
Wendy turned her head towards the lacrima and found the head of the cannon digging through the floating island, racing towards Extalia. On the Magnolia island was one of the commanders of Edolas, Panther Lily.
"What do we do?" Wendy shrieked, ignoring the onset of rocks hitting her.
"I'm going to try breaking that lacrima before it reaches Extalia!"
"You can't! That exceed is guarding the lacrima!" Wendy called out. Gajeel ignored her plea and got Happy to carry him to the floating island where Magnolia was doomed.
"You need to die trying, little girl. This is all we have left."
Wendy could only hope she could convince the exceeds in time, and ran into the city towards the queen's castle. Seeing Carla's tears only motivated her to protect her home.
Jellal found the hotel Mirajane had pointed him towards and proceeded up the stairs with Erza in his arms. The owner of the hotel had stopped him along the way.
"Is she asleep?" the woman asked with a warm smile.
"Yes," Jellal answered quietly.
"My, that's quite romantic of you. Men should be more considerate of their partners' sleep. It's good to see a change in this generation of children."
Jellal graciously smiled at her before proceeding up the stairs. He studied the key's floor and room number as he raced up the staircases with Meteor.
He opened the door quietly the find all the beds made, and laid Erza down on the nearest one. He lit up the lamp beside the bed and searched the hotel room for any bandages.
Finding them in the bathroom's cabinet, he grabbed the roll and a damp towel.
Erza did not once stir. She seemed peaceful, though the pain of a severed arm only contributed to her weak state.
He gently applied the damp towel to her arm, where the remnants of blood stuck to her skin.
Despite her being unable to hear him, he still found himself saying, "I'm sorry, Erza."
All your pain is from the consequences of my actions. I'm afraid that if anyone else finds out that I love you, you'll only hurt. That isn't a life I want for you.
He discarded the cloth in a hamper by the bathroom once her wound was clean and bandaged the remains of her right arm.
His hand lingered around hers, reluctant to leave her alone, in fear that she may act irrationally because of him. The thought of her losing any more of herself haunted him.
I won't be the cause of your pain anymore, I promise.
With no other choice but to leave her in the hotel, Jellal took off. His sense of justice was twisted, and unlike anything Erza described to others. He was reminded of her kind words about him.
"Wally, you choose the next two people." Makarov said as the children of the Fairy Tail guild sat in a circle. Makarov always made them play the compliment game.
The boy grinned. "This is easy! I choose Erza and Jellal!"
"Why is everyone picking on me today? And especially with Jellal." Erza huffed.
Mirajane smirked, "It's because you have nothing kind to say to anyone else. Natsu's obedience to you isn't a compliment. I think you traumatized the kid." She gestured to the pink-haired boy, who rocked back and forth while hugging his knees. "See, he's still sulking in the corner at your comment."
"Shut up, Mira!" Natsu sniffled, "I'm not crying."
Gray rolled his eyes, "Come on, let's just move on."
"I'll go first," Jellal offered, to which Erza happily obliged. "What I like most about Erza is her ability to be fair to everyone. She doesn't mistreat people, and she easily trusts them. Those are rare qualities to find in a person."
"None of those are true!" Natsu protested with his occasional sniffles and sharp intakes of breath. "She's a demon, I tell you!"
Makarov's cheerful glee frightened Natsu all the more, "Now young boy, try to see Erza in a different light. You may find that one day you'll see Erza in Jellal's perspective."
"Over my dead body."
Jellal's comment to Erza rendered her the most cheerful girl in Earth Land. "Well, I really like Jellal's sense of justice. He always gives everyone a chance, and he is very forgiving."
"I can agree with that." Gray nodded.
"That's kind of you, Erza." Jellal commented, to which she smiled.
"You're my best friend, expect nothing less!"
Makarov took a sip of his coffee before saying, "I'd like to differ on Jellal's sense of justice. He isn't the ideal hero everyone pictures him to be."
"What do ya mean, Gramps? He's much nicer than Erza!" Natsu exclaimed. "In fact, Jellal's too nice to everyone. He's kinda like a pushover."
"Be nice!" Lisanna reprimanded.
Makarov's eyes met Jellal's. "You'll all understand when you're a bit older. In the magical world, reading too much can be bad for you."
Simon stared at the book in Jellal's lap, and said nothing, yet fully understanding the meaning behind Makarov's comment on Jellal.
Jellal's lips curved at the memory.
You had me figured out from the start, Master Makarov.
Stepping outside, he found something wrong with the situation. Everyone had been gathered in the streets wondrously, staring at the sky and clasping their hands together in a prayer. A red light flashed every so often, marking the Dragon Chain Cannon's arrival.
Jellal's eyes darted at the lacrimas and found one moving incredibly fast towards Extalia. On the Magnolia lacrima, he could make out Gajeel battling against Panther Lily. In Extalia, Wendy and Carla ran closer to the castle, with other exceeds chasing after them.
With the rate of the Dragon Chain Cannon's speed, Magnolia and Extalia would collide in under an hour.
Jellal went inside the castle and used Meteor to navigate the halls to find the Dragon Chain Cannon. The location of the cannon's chambers likely had to be in the centre of the castle since the cannon launched from the centre.
The layout of the castle made it difficult to navigate the halls, but after getting an idea where the chamber might be located, Jellal stumbled across large doors open for everyone to see the ravings of the mad king.
"This marks the beginning of the new era! Everlasting magic energy in Edolas is here!" Faust's voice resounded the halls. All the soldiers cheered, and Gray was left cornered by the guards.
Jellal rushed into the chambers and attacked Faust from behind, holding him down. He stared at the other guards. "Release my comrade or I will kill your king."
Faust grunted from below, "Foolish boy...haven't you learned? Soon, that lacrima will become everlasting magic energy. You're only wasting time here."
"That may be...but you're forgetting that our magic energy is infinite in this world." He used his hand to guide Gray into the air and away from the guards. "Bind Snake."
Faust found himself unable to move and twisted back and forth. "Curse you, impostor!" he cussed a the Wizard Saint, then shouted orders to his men. "I want the Dorma Anim to be prepared right now!"
The guards stared at each other in confusion. "Your Majesty, that's strictly forbidden. Article 23 of the Imperial Constitution prohibits the use of it under any circumstance."
"I don't care!" the immobilized king shouted, trying to move around in the spell. "I want it activated right now. It's time to annihilate these Earth Land pests."
Jellal brought Gray to the ground, and the two started heading towards the exit. Gray heaved a sigh, "Our priority is to stop the lacrima. But it's going to crash soon. And now the king is planning an attack of his own."
"We need to get everyone off the island, but that's impossible with the time we have left."
As they headed away from the platoons, a large flying species blocked their way. Gray was ready to take it on until Jellal stopped him. Lucy jumped off it. "Hey guys! I found a way to reach Extalia, and it's all thanks to Coco." She presented the young girl who waved at the two on the ground.
"We could get the others off the island with these animals," Gray suggested.
"No," Jellal answered, "if we can't stop the lacrima in time, everyone within the range will die."
Lucy furrowed her brows together. "What other choice do we have? They'll all die either way, Jellal. We need to try."
"We only have ten minutes based on how fast the lacrima is approaching Extalia. We need a more tactical approach. I want you both to help Natsu and Mirajane. I'll save the others."
"Can you even save them?" Gray asked suspiciously, not having any faith in Jellal's words.
"If I can't, I'll die trying. With such a short timeframe, we have little control over the situation."
Lucy nodded at Gray, "Trust him. Please."
Gray turned around, leaving without another word, to help Natsu, if Jellal had to guess.
Lucy remained behind, "I know you'll do your best to save them. Even if...we don't get them back."
"Thank you," he took off into the many corridors until he found a way out.
It wasn't what he expected to come across, but it helped him greatly. Guards surrounded the walls in what was supposed to be the courtyard. In the middle stood a lacrima carved into an exceed's figure. The size of it was similar to Magnolia's. He knew the guards had been alerted of his presence in the courtyard as they started firing at him. Jellal dodged the attacks with precision and floated out of range with Meteor. While evading them, he used his Telekinesis and focused all magic energy into lifting the lacrima into the air.
Jellal knew exactly how to put it into use. But by doing so, he couldn't guarantee that he would save Magnolia.
With the lacrima still a good distance away from Extalia, Jellal moved the exceed lacrima in front of the Dragon Chain Cannon's set course.
If Magnolia was going to collide into the exceed lacrima, Extalia would be saved. He didn't know what would result from two lacrimas colliding, but it probably was...
The same outcome. An explosion followed by magic energy descending onto Edolas.
Jellal's throat constricted at the undeniable fate of Magnolia.
He immediately rushed towards Panther Lily and Gajeel, who stared at the lacrima ahead of them. When the Dragon Slayer caught Jellal in sight, he yelled, "Hey, are ya tryin' to kill us sooner than later?"
"It's the only way we can prevent a larger explosion. Now get off the island before it explodes."
Happy's eyes were full of unshed tears. His mouth quivered, "We can't save them?"
Jellal slowly shook his head, "I'm sorry. This is the only way to prevent further damage. We can't push the lacrima away; it's too powerful and there's too few of us."
Happy reluctantly grabbed Gajeel and flew away from the floating island that was about to crash into the exceed lacrima.
Panther Lily, having been overjoyed to see the prince, flew to his side and bowed to Jellal.
The Wizard Saint whispered, "I'm not your prince, Panther Lily."
Panther Lily's shock mirrored Gajeel's expression as Magnolia collided into the exceed lacrima.
The explosion sent them all flying away, and just as the king predicted, ethernano rained down upon the kingdom.
The prayers of those in Edolas came to fruition, at the expense of many people's lives.
Some of you might be wondering why the end result is Magnolia's annihilation since that didn't happen in canon and a powerhouse like Jellal is in this version. The timeline for the Edolas arc in this fic is super condensed, spanning two days vs. over a week in canon. Even a genius like Jellal can't anticipate what's going to happen in such a short period of time. He saved Extalia, but Magnolia was going to be wiped out either way.
Reviews are much appreciated!