Reviews are much appreciated, thank you!
Also, not me creating new spells and theories that are diverting from the canon plot (hehe).
Façade
Chapter 24: Etherion
Natsu growled as he finished Hughes with a final attack in the amusement park. His twisted sense of humour only fuelled the Dragon Slayer's determination to defeat him as Hughes recalled all the civilians he executed in his lifetime. The Dragon Slayer's arm stung with blood seeping the large cut made by his enemy.
By the time Gray found Natsu while navigating the palace, an explosion had resounded from outside the castle. Yet, the impact had been so near—as though it affected them. Gray clenched his fist as Natsu waved at him.
"Did I show you up this time?" Natsu grinned tiredly as he proudly gestured to the defeat of Hughes.
"I need to show you something," was all Gray said as he walked away from the amusement park. His cold eyes trailed to Hughes' body.
All that awaited was the suspenseful anticipation of finding Magnolia gone.
No, that wasn't the right word. They would merely be particles of ethernano, raining upon Royal City. Natsu remained a good distance behind him, now frowning at the lack of Gray's response.
"Hey, what's gotten into you?"
Gray's eyes narrowed, "You might be celebrating your victory a little too early, or rather, a false victory."
Natsu gulped, "Did the islands..?"
"I'm not sure. We were both in this castle, so perhaps it was the Dragon Chain Cannon that caused all that commotion. Although, I hate to say it, but King Faust retrieved the key from me. He was able to land the target on the floating island of Magnolia."
"What about Jellal? Now that he's free, there shouldn't be any problem saving the town. He could have shattered the lacrima like Gajeel had done to you."
"If Jellal did that, and the island was colliding with Extalia, they would all die. There wasn't enough time to devise a plan to save them. If only we directly aimed the cannon at the lacrima. We wouldn't have to contemplate the outcome."
Natsu sighed, "You may be tempted to blame yourself, but it's not your fault. We should've listened to Erza and invaded the castle."
"Yeah, we all should've heeded Erza's concerns. She knew we were on a time crunch. So if the outcome of this battle is Magnolia's annihilation, then we can't blame anyone."
Natsu interjected the statement immediately, "No. Although Erza said little about it...this is all my fault. Jellal's rescue was delayed because I picked a fight on an airship, which caused it to self-destruct."
If there were emotions felt among the group, guilt rarely surfaced. Natsu's sense of obliviousness and cheerfulness never dissipated, even in the worst of times. Today, though, he felt as though his heart carried a heavy burden.
Nobody listened to Erza, and at some point everyone had thought that she acted upon her own agenda, as though she valued no one but Jellal.
Gray huffed a breath, "Stop blaming yourself. This was bound to happen. If someone like Jellal couldn't save Magnolia, then I don't think anyone could have done it."
They passed the courtyard hastily as people cheered among the crowds in town as Gray witnessed it. Tears pricked his eyes as he witnessed magic energy gravitate towards the desperate civilians. Somewhere in the sky, they could see four beings fly away from the explosion like shooting stars.
Gray was certain one of them was Jellal.
Natsu's throat constricted, and he desperately shook his head. "Gramps...everyone..."
"We failed them," Gray whispered, dropping to his knees.
They turned to the frantic clicking of heels against the floor as Mirajane ran towards them. She breathed heavily, sported with a few injuries. She, too, had swollen eyes. "Did you defeat the other commanders?"
"What difference does it make? They won," Natsu's lips quivered as he faced Mirajane. "We're never going to see them again, don't you realize?"
Mirajane shook at the realization. "First Lisanna, and now Elfman...I really am cursed, aren't I? Why can't anyone take me with them?"
Natsu's heart constricted when he thought about the losses Mirajane endured, "Don't you dare say that, Mira! I will not lose another friend!" Natsu cried, tears cascading his cheeks. "I swear I'll do everything to get them back, I promise."
"They're not coming back," Mirajane whispered.
"Then...then I'm going to kill that king!" Natsu hollered madly, blood rushing through his eyes furiously. "I'll avenge all of them, every single one of them! You hear me?"
Natsu ran down the halls to leave the castle grounds, in search of Faust.
A man he was desperate to end.
Mirajane wiped her eyes, "It wouldn't be fair if we didn't try protecting everyone else. We have to try helping Jellal and Natsu."
Gray closed his eyes for a long moment, "Is there any point?"
They heard the steps of a lone woman wandering around the corridors, uncertain about what just happened. Mirajane embraced Erza's fragile figure and sank her face into her shoulders.
"Mira...why are you crying?" she gently inquired, feeling her blouse stained with droplets of tears.
Allowing Erza to find out for herself, Mirajane led her to the ledge and forced her left arm out into the sky, where she felt the magic fall onto her palm.
"They're...this?"
"We tried saving them, but..." Mirajane bit her lip, "it wasn't possible."
They stared at each other in silence as Erza contemplated the horrific reality.
"Well, we can't let Edolas use that magic energy. There's still some way to save them." Erza urged, running outside the castle. "I know they're gone, but I would never forgive myself if I gave up."
"None of this was your fault, Erza." Gray acknowledged.
Erza stopped and said, "None of us are to blame, Gray. We only had a couple of days, and with so many setbacks, I'm surprised we're still alive. Let's save whatever is left of Magnolia."
Erza's smile radiated across the palace. She concealed her pain in her armour, which she now requipped, and tried finding some semblance of hope.
The saddest people smile the brightest, is what Jellal told her once. She would live with his words to appear stronger in front of everyone else.
Happy shivered in the spot he lay in, recovering from the booming sound of the lacrimas exploding. Both the exceed militia and Magnolia were reduced to ethernano as crowds celebrated their victory.
Panther Lily scrambled away upon coming face to face with Jellal, searching for an explanation from anyone but him. Gajeel watched and said nothing as he ran away.
Jellal only stared at the sky, eyes fixated on the exact location of the explosion. He could only comprehend how he failed the people in his guild. Those who looked up to him in Ishgar as a saint would only realize that he was a boy with nothing.
The boy from the Tower of Heaven.
"Jellal," Gajeel called out, insides tightening at what they just witnessed. "Is everything alright?"
It took him a while to process the question. When he answered, it was the truth—uncertain. "No."
How would he face Erza after she made so many sacrifices to save him, only to find out Magnolia still faced extinction? How could anyone forgive him for being so helpless?
Happy rolled over, trying to block out the chanting of the ignorant public. pressed his paws into his ears.
"I'm truly sorry," the Wizard Saint apologized, mustering up the courage to confront Gajeel and Happy. The exceed slowly made his way to Jellal, righteously angered.
Happy gulped. "You did the right thing, Jellal. You still saved Extalia. They all would've died if you hadn't acted sooner."
"He's right," Gajeel nodded, "at least there was still something left to save."
No words could be exchanged about Magnolia's fate. They'd seen and heard everything, and it was more than enough to silence them. Jellal stood up, taking Happy in his hands. He was going to wander until he found a purpose in the world of everlasting magic.
The night was bright with the ethernano in the sky, yet the hollowness of the mages' hearts could not be filled with the brimming smiles of those in Edolas. Nothing could mend them, for they lost their homes, families, and guild.
Jellal strayed away from the towns and found a lone legion in the sky near Extalia. The user controlling it held a staff and swirled it in the air to get rid of the incoming army of other legions. The war was only beginning between Edolas and Extalia.
But why was another human protecting Extalia?
He inspected the scenario with Meteor and found Mystogan's cape swaying in the wind. Jellal flew up closer with Happy to confront him with a mix of emotions.
Mystogan caught sight of him and allowed him to land on the legion in mere seconds. Happy teared up as Magnolia's explosion resounded in his ears all over again, like a never-ending nightmare.
The mage caught onto their loss, "My father succeeded in his plan, didn't he?"
Jellal only nodded, unable to meet his counterpart's eyes.
"I didn't think he would act so quickly."
Tentatively, the Wizard Saint responded, "Regardless, we need to prevent Faust from using this magic energy. It's the least we can do to at least preserve what's left of Magnolia."
Mystogan gave it a thought, "I think there's something I can do about that. Though, I cannot restore Magnolia. For that, I apologize."
"Don't be sorry. I figured it wouldn't be possible," Jellal said quietly, and it hurt Happy that his powerful comrade had no control of the situation.
"I'll have to get into the castle. That is, if it's not surrounded by all the guards."
"Speaking of which," Jellal turned to confront the militia on legions, ready to attack them. Mystogan came forth, and when they found two identical faces upon Mystogan removing his mask, everyone froze.
Erza Knightwalker gaped at him, "It's the real prince..."
Mystogan's voice resounded through the sky, "How dare you point a blade at your prince, Captain Knightwalker? Have you forgotten what punishment that entails?"
Reluctantly, she set down her blade until everyone heard roaring laughter from below them.
"A prince? Don't be ridiculous! I never considered you to be my own son!" Faust claimed.
Mystogan's eyes widened at the device his father remained caged in. "He's activated the Dorma Anim?"
"Indeed, I have. It's time to end the exceeds of Extalia and you, Earth Land wizards." A beam lit up from the Dorma Anim and extended to Mystogan.
He held his hands out and moved his fingers around rapidly in a technique he mastered. "Three-Layer Magic Circle: Mirror Water!"
Despite the spell's ability to deflect, the beam penetrated the spell and knocked Mystogan off the legion. Just as Jellal was about to fly down to retrieve him, Panther Lily flew in and caught Mystogan. Gajeel watched from below and was at awe with the exceed's loyalty to his prince, despite the others ready to charge at him.
Jellal tested his magic and extended his hand, manipulating the properties of air until a tornado formed in the sky at his side. It was rare to see him fight with his elemental magic, but when he did, it was nothing short of breathtaking like his Heavenly Body Magic. "By the heavens that reap destruction, Tenmetsu!"
The spell targeted the Dorma Anim to test the waters. Soldiers near the gust of wind were sent flying across legions. Jellal found that the attack had no impact on the metal dragon Faust was encased in.
He caught sight of Natsu running towards the Dorma Anim as he landed an attack on it, affecting the dragon. He concluded that Dragon Slayer Magic only impacted the Dorma Anim.
Gajeel ran towards the dragon after pinpointing Natsu, which left Jellal to ask one more Dragon Slayer.
Once Faust began attacking Natsu, the armies of men surrounded Jellal and prepare to attack him. Panther Lily sheltered the prince and went into hiding. Jellal prepared to face off against all the legions until he found one coming towards him.
Erza, Mirajane, and Gray flew a legion with Lucy and Coco. The legion flew next to Jellal, and Erza requipped into her Purgatory Armour.
"Erza, what are you doing here? You're still injured."
"I'm perfectly fine...thanks to you." She said, extending what little remained of her right arm, which was now bandaged.
It pained him all the same every time he laid eyes on it. But there was no room to ponder it as Knightwalker raced to them.
Erza hopped onto her counterpart's legion and swung her weapon with an intensity that blew away the surrounding forces. Erza looked back at Jellal for only a moment, "Finish them, then we can discuss our course of action later."
He watched as she gracefully wielded her blade with one arm, not letting it hinder in her movements. Mirajane and Gray took care of their own set of platoons. Jellal looked back at Extalia and got off the legion to find Wendy.
Defeating Faust would be rocky battle, and with all the magic energy he just accumulated, he would be a harder adversary.
He went further into the town of the exceed race and found Carla planting a blade on the ground, in front of another exceed that resembled her. She only had one wing, unlike the others.
Wendy sensed his presence and turned to him, seemingly calm. "Jellal...were you able to free Magnolia?"
She was so hopeful in her question and expected him to respond with a reassuring yes.
Not knowing how to give her a response, he stood there passively. His eyes told her everything, and she felt as though her breathing stopped.
"So that explosion earlier was Magnolia colliding with...something else? But wasn't it headed for Extalia?"
"I intercepted it with the lacrima the humans created when they activated Code ETD. Even then, not all of Extalia was saved."
Jellal could see her ready to cry, "So, we'll never see them again?"
He couldn't ruin Wendy's life with that realization. She was only a little girl who had gone through so many changes, especially when she lost the comfort of her former guild.
"We'll see them someday," he said. "Hopefully right after we return to Earth Land."
"You think so?"
"I'm certain." Jellal forced himself to smile upon comforting her with a lie. Erza hated it when people did that to her. She would rather be hurt by the truth.
But not Wendy—she would want to remain oblivious to the cruel reality.
Carla still barked at the queen as Jellal told Wendy, "In order for us to get back to Earth Land, there's a favour I must ask of you."
"Anything for our guild," she said bravely.
This time, his smile was genuine at her determination. "I need you to help Natsu and Gajeel in taking down the Dorma Anim." They turned around so he could point at the metal dragon.
"Yeah, that shouldn't be too hard with Natsu and Gajeel by my side. And I can use my enchantments!"
"We have a talented enchanter in our guild. I'm glad you joined Fairy Tail."
Wendy hummed, "I'm glad I joined as well. I can't believe you'll find a way to see our friends again after we return home. Thank you, Jellal."
Carla waited for them expectantly and grabbed Wendy, claiming that she would still fight for Extalia, and that the war wasn't over yet.
Queen Shagotte remained kneeling on the floor as she watched her royal advisor, Nadi, join Carla in a battle of tears and cries. It motivated other people to join Carla to seek vengeance.
"You there," Shagotte called out, eyeing Jellal. "You were the one who saved Extalia from further destruction, correct?"
When Jellal didn't answer, she continued, "You were also the chosen one for the Dragon Chain Cannon that I predicted, weren't you?"
So this was the one who decided who lived and died. Jellal walked closer to her, "You must be the queen who decides the fate of humans."
Ashamedly, she replied, "You're mistaken. I only see things in the future. Extalia used this ability to force the humans into submission."
Recalling that Carla had a similar ability, he bent down to the queen's level. "I see. Faust must have misused your ability to decide who to execute as well."
"It seems that would be the case. But I'm ashamed, to think that people died because of false claims about me."
"You should listen to your daughter, Queen Shagotte. You might learn how to redeem yourself for her sake. Then you'll find a purpose, one without being a queen."
Her eyes widened in response at his clever wit. Easily, this man before her deduced that he and Carla were related. Shagotte got on her feet, spreading her one wing. The wing of a fallen queen, and of one who didn't want to bear such responsibilities. "I will. Thank you for showing mercy to me. You saved Extalia, and for that, I cannot be grateful enough."
Jellal repeated her words mentally and fathomed the possibility of redeeming himself. "At least I'll go back to Earth Land knowing that I was able to save someone here. Although, I wish the situation never escalated to this."
"There's nothing I can do about your homeland, young man. My deepest apologies."
Jellal stood up gracefully. "Nothing could be done about it. You don't need to apologize."
He took off with Meteor into the sky and strategized how he would take out the armies.
But when he found Erza fighting with one arm, he couldn't ignore her battle, even if she gained the upper hand. Jellal extended his Heavenly Arrows in Knightwalker's direction, and successfully targeted her, before flying to Erza's side.
He had never battled against another woman, and the sensation was strange. He had never intervened in Erza's fights, and knew she could fend off for herself.
But today, it felt like something he was responsible for, as though he owed her this.
Much to nobody's surprise, Erza asked, "What are you doing here, Jellal? Go help the others."
She lay on the ground from Knightwalker's attack and struggled to get up.
"You still can't fight to your full potential, Erza. That's why I'm here."
"I can take care of myself," she announced, unafraid to confront Knightwalker.
"This is everything I owe you. So please, let me assist you."
"I told you, it's all under control," Erza rolled out of the way as she dodged an attack and stood on her feet. Her boots were worn out and so was her Heart Kreuz Armour. She looked ready to give in, but her furious expression had told otherwise.
Jellal stood next to her and offered her his hand. "Alright then, can we try a Unison Raid?"
Erza stared at his arm for a long moment, and remembered what he had told her in the hotel room while she was unconscious. The voice was so faint that she almost missed it.
"But you told me that monks spent their entire lives training to do this, but even the most disciplined never succeeded."
"Well then, we might as well test our luck."
She took his hand in hers, trusting his words. He always had a reason for suggesting the impossible.
They turned towards Knightwalker and their army as the militia prepared an attack of their own.
Their magic energy fused together, and they felt it overtake their bodies. The rush had brought on a new spark of magic, and Jellal knew it would be enough to eliminate those in the sky.
Their magic energy created an opening in the sky, which turned purple as everything gravitated towards it. Erza knew of his ability to form blackholes on a whim. Nobody could move from the crushing force. Their fingers that barely brushed against each other were now linked tightly, preparing to unleash their highly concentrated power.
"I call upon the heavens to reap destruction to thine enemy. Heavenly Body Magic-"
"Requip-"
They both chanted together as the magic energy released towards their foes, "Unison Raid!"
Sparks of red and golden surrounded the spectacle as it hit Knightwalker and sent any soldier flying away from Extalia, where they had originally planned to march. The exceeds cheered as their enemies swiftly cleared from the sky, and Knightwalker was reduced to a stumbling mess.
She dropped to the ground, holding onto whatever she could. Her hatred for Erza had been sparked by their difference in motivation.
"Erza...your outfit."
She found herself in an outfit that reflected the constellations and stars in the sky. "I think this is my favourite requip outfit."
She flaunted her gauntlets, matching dark breastplate, and the cape that followed behind her. The addition of the crown made of stars fascinated Jellal the most.
"It worked..." he mumbled, finally realizing what many monks lacked.
A relationship built on trust with the person they performed it with.
Erza approached the fallen soldiers who had once roared in victory. Titania found herself confronting a bitter version of herself when she was younger, fuelled by nothing but revenge for the people who enslaved the Tower of Heaven victims.
Erza inched closer to her and sat directly in front of her counterpart. "Your kingdom served no purpose other than attaining power. You may be proud to have attained it with your loyalty to your king, but it came at the price of another person's blood."
Knightwalker rolled over. "Even then, eternal magic energy was not enough for us. This power doesn't compare to what you're capable of."
Erza gave a small smile. "Then find purpose outside of magic. For a world that cannot naturally produce magic energy, you all are awfully dependent on it."
"We really are," Knightwalker's voice faded into a mumble.
Jellal guided her away from the many fallen men and into the quietness of a town without people. Most were worried about the commotion going on, and set aside the ethernano particles accumulating in the city.
The battles in the sky slowly faded into nothingness, just as Jellal's hope had. He leaned against a streetlamp and crossed his arms, waiting for Erza to say something, anything.
He never expected her gratitude, nor did he think he deserved it, but it was all she could offer. "I know earlier I said I didn't need your help, but I'm indebted to you. I wouldn't have been able to beat all of them, or even Knightwalker."
"It's the least I owe you for searching for me after the incident in Worth Woodsea." He pointed gestured to her arm and sighed. "It still isn't healed. When we get back, I'll take you directly to Porlyusica so we can get you treated."
"But Magnolia..."
"It's gone for good." He said it so confidently, as though there was no other possible fate. "Our priority is the get your arm back. I've stalled on that for too long."
Erza's eyes widened as she stared at him with uncertainty. He reciprocated with a blank countenance, unreadable and unknowing.
"No, that can't be. You'd never turn your back on the place you grew up in."
"It's the truth, Erza. No matter how I try to calculate it, there is no way you can undo the blast with the ethernano dispersed across Edolas. I am to blame for this situation. If I hadn't fallen into such an obvious trap, everyone would still be alive today."
"Jellal, stop blaming yourself." Erza demanded sternly. "You blame yourself for things that are out of your control. Nobody expected you to stop an entire monarchy from doing the inevitable. We'll just...figure something out when we return to Magnolia."
"Please do not defend my actions, Erza. I created this chaos, and now we're all left to pick up the pieces."
"You must be out of your mind. Nobody could have saved them, even if you were the strongest person in Earth Land."
He smiled cruelly, "I'm a mess, Erza. I technically count as one of the strongest wizards in Ishgar. But my actions today proved I'm nothing short of a pathetic being. Jose was right...my title as a Wizard Saint isn't deserved."
Erza clenched her teeth. "You're going to listen to that fool? In all my years of knowing you, there has never been a person who has affected you as much. What did he tell you that makes you feel so worthless?"
"What makes you think he told me something?"
"He told you many things when he kept you captive. You're afraid of him, and I can't allow you to go on like this. Is he threatening you?"
He gave it a long thought and almost laughed at himself for fearing an imprisoned man. "I'm not afraid of him. I just...let his words get through to me."
Her expression softened, "You should know better than to acknowledge the words of a liar. His opinion is nothing compared to the thousands who have praised you."
Jellal stared at her longingly. "You always say the right things, don't you?"
"Sometimes you need to be reminded that you're more than just a mage. You're a person, Jellal. I want you to know that despite anything we face..."
The words were unsaid and hung in the air between them. But Jellal had read them, and his heart raced as a reminder that all that remained in the moment was the love they had carefully crafted. Nothing else.
"I'll never abandon you, even if everyone else demeans your worth."
"Even if I ran away from the situation?"
Erza gave him a knowing look. "You don't run away from problems, Jellal. Besides, we'll never know if it's possible to save the others unless we try."
Jellal looked away, not entirely convinced. "Erza, neither of us know how to revert magic energy into living people, nor do I think it's possible."
"You'll be forced to continue to find ways, even if you come to a dead end, because you never give up on something you want. I've seen you battle your way through stubborn people to get a position on the Magic Council. I've seen you become the youngest Wizard Saint to have existed."
Jellal would insult her sacrifices if he gave up on trying to save everyone.
"Please forgive me for being the cause of your pain."
"Jellal, you've done nothing wrong."
"Your eye and arm, were losses that came from my consequences. After this is over, I will give you all the answers you deserve, be it about the Magic Council or about...us. I won't hide anything anymore, that, I promise."
Erza's eyes widened, and she knew somewhere along these battles they had grown better in communicating.
"Then I'll wait for that answer when we save Magnolia."
The wind breezed, and that small moment allowed them to escape the crushing reality of their losses.
A final and catastrophic explosion came from the Dorma Anim, and all went quiet. All their battles were over, and the Fairy Tail mages had finally defeated the monarchy.
It immediately followed with all the magic energy floating into the sky as an opening similar to Anima appeared above Edolas.
Jellal watched, and said, "All the magic energy is being sent back to Earth Land."
"Mystogan." They both concluded simultaneously.
Panther Lily watched as Mystogan reversed Anima, with nobody to stop him, thanks to the Fairy Tail mages. Their reunion was short-lived by the severity of the situation.
"Prince Jellal, what are you doing?"
Mystogan prompted Panther Lily to the inter-dimensional gate, "I'm try to send the magic energy from the blast back to Earth Land."
"But all the magic is being sent back too!"
"Edolas was supposed to be a land without magic. Faust took many things from Earth Land and turned them into magic energy."
"The people will not be happy about this, prince. Please reconsider your decision, before rebellions arise."
Mystogan held his staff out as he walked closer to Panther Lily. "I suppose they will perceive both my father and I as villains to this kingdom. And because of that, we need a new ruler. One that can unite exceeds and humans together. One that has lived among both nations."
Panther Lily knew where the prince was going with this. "That new ruler must be you, Panther Lily."
"I cannot rule an entire kingdom, prince. I will not take that responsibility. Edolas needs a ruler who will put their life on the line and that person is you."
"No Lily, I cannot."
Panther Lily growled, "It has to be you! Nobody else will pick up the pieces of this destruction. Only you can do that, because you are the cause of this. Take responsibility and own up to your actions. Nobody else can guide Edolas away from this calamity except you."
They heard rumbling from outside and ran towards the ledge of the halls, watching as the islands came crashing down and Queen Shagotte guided the children into a nearby forest. "I hadn't anticipated widespread destruction such as this."
Panther Lily sighed, "We have to act now, Prince Jellal."
There were guards who came to inform Panther Lily of the situation. "Sir, there are riots in the city."
"Our first priority is to control the people," Mystogan said, to which the guards pointed their spears at him.
"He's the impostor!" one shouted.
Panther Lily barked at them in response, "He is indeed the real prince. The impostor is currently wreaking havoc, so do your best to control the public!"
"Right away!" they all marched down the halls in an effort the contain the people. All of them started running, and anyone who walked through the castle grounds went unnoticed, mostly. Mystogan gave a knowing look, pointing out how the soldiers obeyed Panther Lily's orders without question.
"You're not going to stop this chaos?" Panther Lily raised an eyebrow to the prince.
"No. We must send all the ethernano back to Earth Land. Edolas must live without magic, and I think you can rule these people. People doubt my ability to save the kingdom. But with your service to both Extalia and Edolas, you have proven yourself to be a fair leader, Panther Lily. Saving me all those years ago made me realize that."
"That's besides the point I'm trying to make. Don't make me carry this burden, because I cannot lead this kingdom! You've come back home after so many years. You've been trying to save both Earth Land and Edolas. Prince Jellal, you truly are fit for this role, even if the people have no faith."
They stopped their back-and-forth arguments upon hearing an explosion in the capital.
Mystogan couldn't believe his eyes. His guild mates were destroying his homeland.
The Fairy Tail mages had grouped together after the fall of Faust. Natsu dragged the king while unconscious and tied up at the Dragon Slayer's expense.
"Was that method of capture necessary?" Carla asked, irked by Natsu's sick satisfaction to end his life.
"Maybe he'll tell us how to get our friends back if we force him to speak."
Jellal shook his head. "Even Faust doesn't have that knowledge. But with Mystogan transporting all the ethernano back to Earth Land, we can experiment with ways to preserve Magnolia."
"But we still have a chance to save them, right?" everyone's hope to restore everything to normal followed Lucy's fruitful wishing.
"Our priority right now is to send all the magic energy back to Earth Land. While we're at it, we need to control the public. They've started evacuating the city."
"We need to make them understand that this place is still habitable, or else everyone will turn against Mystogan." Gray added, "But how?"
"I can help!" a voice chirped below the mages. Nadi swiped his hand repeatedly as he continued on, "I overheard the prince wanting to hand the throne to Panther Lily."
Lucy raised a brow, "Why him, of all people?"
"One who has served both the people and exceeds. That is the ruler Mystogan wants to take over Edolas." Jellal explained. In the prince's shoes, he would have made the same decision.
Erza disagreed with the decision, "But Mystogan is the rightful heir. He probably thinks he isn't able to lead the people because they don't trust him."
Natsu grinned, "Then we make him trust them. Using this guy." He tugged at the rope in which Faust was incapacitated in.
Sir Nadi nodded, "We need villains for this show. And then the hero will save them from the chaos."
"That will be Mystogan's cue," Gray concluded, to which the rest nodded. "But we'll need a convincing villain, one that is willing to go against the kingdom."
Jellal eyed the Dragon Slayers. "Why, who better than to have that honour than the people who overthrew the king?"
"Me?" Wendy practically screeched. "I can't scare people!"
"We're going to do this, whether or not you like it. Servants of Lord Dragneel, listen up!" Natsu hollered enthusiastically, crafting a plan with precision.
"Does he mean us?" Wendy asked Gajeel.
"If that's the case, I don't want to take a part in it." Gajeel growled in response, crossing his arms.
"Just do as I say!"
Erza asked Jellal as she shuffled to his side, "Are you going to do anything?"
"It wouldn't be my place to help, we'd only confuse the public with two princes. For now, I'll calculate ways to save Magnolia."
Above them, the air had become dense from Natsu's breath attacks as he scared the people into submission. The civilians ran back into their hometowns to witness the dramatic scene.
Erza eased herself onto the pile of rubble, sighing in relief.
"Do you want to rest at the hotel?"
She looked at Jellal through an eye. "No. I'm just relieved that we solved one matter at hand."
"The second one is much harder. I don't really have any magical theories I can reference. There's never been accounts for the reversal of ethernano transformations."
Erza did not understand what he referred to, but conjured a better answer than he had in the moment. "Sometimes you need to make your own theories and test them out. This is something completely new, so I doubt you can reference books."
"I'm not qualified to do such a thing. I'm simply a mage learning about magic."
Erza raised an eyebrow in response. "And who's to say that? I bet all those past authors were a mage like you. As long as you have a passion for magical theory, then who can stop you from pursuing it? You make yourself as big as you want to be, Jellal."
"Perhaps they were all ordinary mages, but they all have more experience and wisdom than me."
"You could be a senior and be a councillor, or gain the same position at seventeen. Either way, you both will develop the experience of a council member. Age is not a barrier for experience—you're living proof."
Jellal took her words into consideration, and committed every advice to memory. They both revolved around helping others grow into a better person. Erza was much better at it, and her advice was nothing short of optimistic.
"You're right, as always."
"It took me a while to understand that, as well. But reflecting on your past made me realize that there is no limit to which what we can accomplish."
Erza was going to continue on until they both witnessed Mystogan running towards Natsu with his staff.
Jellal watched keenly, "It looks like the hero responded to the cries of his civilians."
Erza's expression mirrored his. "I think we're going to see quite the show."
Jellal's aloof appearance would cause less confusion on the counterpart concept. He let everything play out as he still devised a plan for the magic energy being sent back to Earth Land.
Mystogan reluctantly approached Natsu, contemplating the mages' actions until he heard another voice resound from the crowd.
Edolas Gajeel waved his hand in the air, gathering the attention of frightened civilians before pointing at Mystogan. "Is he the rumoured Prince Jellal that has come to save us? Can he truly defeat these monsters without magic?"
Everyone started murmuring about him. News of the impostor prince hadn't reached the civilians, which did not cause as big of a commotion to arise with Mystogan's battle against Natsu.
Erza could feel all the magic energy gravitate towards Anima, and she thought for a moment that if the era of magic would end, how would the people proceed?
"Jellal, if you had to live without magic for the rest of your life, how would you proceed?" she asked.
He stared at her for a moment before following her gaze. "I would have a lot of learning and unlearning to do. But that's the beauty of life. There will always be something we can do better, which means that man will never reach the pinnacle of their existence."
"You wouldn't mind?"
"I probably would, after years of studying magic. There's something I want to attain that's only possible with magic."
Erza raised an eyebrow at him, "Oh really? What exactly would that be?"
"If I'm able to attain it, then I'll tell you what it is."
The thought made Erza want to read upon the books that influenced his decision. She was no stranger to his changing opinion on magic, specifically after reading upon that one book authored by Hades. It was the day before the war against Phantom Lord.
That book...was when Jellal spent less time reading.
Had he been searching for that author the entire time? A person with such a twisted perspective on magic?
Erza's eyes widened when she stared at Jellal again. "You're after...Primordial Magic?"
Contrary to what she thought, Jellal did not react oddly in the slightest. "Well, aren't you quick to catch on? How did you guess?"
"You haven't touched a book since then."
"Really? I thought I skimmed through a few at the Magic Council. The guildhall isn't the only place to read, Erza."
Erza closed her eyes before reopening them to calm herself. His charming smile only startled her. "Primordial Magic is dark, Jellal. You cannot seek it, or it might...it might corrupt you!"
Jellal's eyes were glued on Natsu and Mystogan's battle. "That's not exactly how magic works, Erza. Besides, that publication was opinionated. The author must be dense if he's linking Primordial Magic with Zeref."
"What even is Primordial Magic to you?" Erza asked.
"It's something I do not understand. I want to find out more about it."
"That is your answer? I find it confusing that you decided to investigate it after reviewing that literature by Hades."
"No, I've read many papers about Primordial Magic, and it seems that every author has a different conclusion. I want to find my own answer, then publish my findings."
"Wouldn't that cause people to steal your work for unethical purposes, like what happened back in the underground palace?"
"What can be unethical about uncovering the true nature of the oneness of magic?" Jellal asked, to which she had no answer for.
"I'm worried that you might be too invested in this mission. Something may happen to you."
If he changed...would I still love him? Even if he turned his back on everyone over these ideals?
Erza knew the answer to her own question. But even so, she didn't want Jellal to change because of his discoveries about magic. She would never want to be the obstacle of her friend's endeavours, but she could imagine herself stopping Jellal.
"I won't, Erza. That's my promise to you."
She trusted those words and sighed in relief. Erza only briefly heard Natsu and Mystogan say their farewells through the guild conduct and traditions.
She found Knightwalker on the ground and strayed from Jellal to speak with her. Surely it wouldn't hurt to offer her a word or two.
Erza's armour felt heavy with her weakened state, but she still towered over her counterpart.
"Scarlet," Knightwalker began, still battered and on the ground. She didn't even lift her head.
Erza smiled, "Have you finally surrendered?"
"Ashamedly so. My king will indeed be displeased that we did not fulfill our pledge to him."
"He's been defeated as well."
The news came as a shock as the commander attempted to survey the battlefield, which was now being cleaned up by other guards.
"I see... Do you not wish to see me dead after what I did to your friends?"
Erza sniffled. "I wish I could hurt those who harmed me. But in the end, I haven't been able to. Maybe this battle will allow you to reflect upon your time in the castle. All those lives you took, would you really want to walk away from that burden?"
"I deserve no less than an execution."
"That's not atonement," Erza scolded, pointing in the fight's direction between the prince and Natsu. "Work to rebuild your nation, without magic. Your prince will guide you."
Erza lost her footing and floated into the air a moment later, as Knightwalker remained in silence.
"Do you speak from experience?"
"About atonement?"
"Yes."
Erza shook her head earnestly. "I'm someone who tries to be just. I cannot be the judge of your atonement, so do whatever you feel is right."
And with that, all the Earth Land mages gravitated away from Edolas. Mirajane in particular reached out to someone.
A person who would never come along with her.
Lisanna.
Erza was the last person to drop from the sky, landing on top of everyone. Her armour pulverized Natsu and Gray. Jellal cleared out from the swarm of bodies and waited for all the mages to descend from the sky.
"There's only magic energy in the air," Erza sighed, walking on the emptiness once known as Magnolia.
Lucy sniffled, "We're not getting them back? They'll stay like this forever?"
The mages turned to Jellal for confirmation, who remained quiet.
"We're going to try," Erza reassured, comforting Lucy by patting her back. "I promise."
"Erza, do you even have a plan? Jellal doesn't know what to do."
Gajeel, having studied the silent Wizard Saint, suggested, "The Magic Council should be able to do somethin' about it. Wouldn't they have found out about Magnolia's disappearance by now?"
Jellal nodded, "I suppose you're correct. But the Magic Council has no weapon which can convert magic energy back into its original form. I've never heard about a reversible magic energy reaction."
"Then shouldn't that weird contraption have turned them back? Think about it, technically they are in their original form if they came back as magic energy."
"Anima didn't turn them back though," Erza pointed out with a sigh.
"You make no sense!" Natsu hollered at Gajeel.
"Yeah, drop the idea. It makes no sense," the Iron Dragon Slayer murmured.
"No Gajeel, you might be onto something." Jellal said, "Anima converts magic energy as it seems fit. In the end, Magnolia is still a town with people, so there must be a way to reverse this effect. We just need a catalyst..."
Everyone fell silent, except Gajeel, who seemed smug about the lightbulbs he lit in Jellal's mind. "Sounds like a plan."
"You don't even know what he said!" Gray accused, which was nothing short of the truth.
Stubborn and intent on appearing as a genius, he said, "I'm the one who summoned the idea, genius!"
Knowing that nobody caught onto his plan, Jellal reiterated, "In simple terms, ethernano has the ability to allow people and objects to change forms. Take Natsu's Dragon Force, for example, which is activated when he receives a form of ethernano. We can apply the same concept to transform magic energy into Magnolia again."
"I have a Dragon Force?" Natsu asked quizzically.
"Yes, all Dragon Slayers possess this ability." Jellal confirmed.
"You may be right, Jellal, but Magnolia's restoration will require a great deal of ethernano." Mirajane pointed out.
"Unfortunately, gathering every wizard in Ishgar would not be enough for the transformation."
Lucy all but used her reasoning to deny the possibility of the plan working. "But where are we going to get such intense amounts of magic energy? What if this entire idea is misleading? And worst of all, what if Magnolia stays like this forever?"
Mirajane hushed her quietly, noticing the tense atmosphere. Happy was sobbing quietly, Carla and Wendy shivered, and Erza was now perplexed by the numerous outcomes, all being disastrous.
"If only we had reached the capital earlier, we could have prevented it all," Natsu threw his fist into a tree, frustrated with himself. "If I hadn't gotten that damn airship blown!"
"Natsu, it wasn't your fault." Erza reassured. "We would have landed a worser fate had they found out I was the imposter Knightwalker. I think this was something inevitable...and sometimes we need to accept that some battles can never be won."
"We could've won this, Erza!"
"But we didn't, right?" she countered. "We're not going to win every time just because we have powerful wizards."
Gajeel grunted, "So we ain't gettin' our friends back?"
"That's not what I mean. Sometimes the situation grows out of control, and we seem powerless. Although it seems like we had the power to stop the Dragon Chain Cannon, we had little time."
"No," Carla interjected, head hanging in shame. "If I hadn't led the group into the trap, none of this would have happened. It makes little sense why Happy and I were programmed to be puppets, but in the end, using the Dragon Slayers as magic energy resulted from my deception."
Mirajane bent down to the exceed's level. "Carla, you didn't deceive anybody. It was bound to happen. Besides, in the end, new orders were given to use Jellal as the source of the cannon, which meant the capture of the Dragon Slayers was all for nothing."
"To think we're still piecing the event together," Jellal mused, to which Erza nodded.
"It was a hectic battle. But in the end, we solved the problem in Edolas. Mystogan is the rightful heir, and he'll make a wonderful king. He helped us by sending back our friends to Magnolia, so I have faith we can do our part and restore everything to normal."
Gajeel was the first to head off into the East Forest. "Alright then, time to find a solution."
Everyone nodded and headed in different directions, trying to find information. Only Jellal and Erza remained, finding the silence tranquil.
"Any ideas?" she asked.
Jellal had been in his train of thoughts throughout the entire return to Earth Land. "I think I may have a plan. However, no Fairy Tail member should be burdened with this task."
"We're responsible, Jellal. This is our guild we're trying to save. An entire town we belong to."
His smile mirrored his amusement. "Fairy Tail has no business with saving a town. This time, I'll be operating as a member of the Magic Council."
She understood. A situation so out of grasp could only be countered with extreme measures. "So there's nothing I can do to help? You're always acting alone. It makes me worry about you being burdened with all of this."
"You never burdened me, Erza. However, this is the government's responsibility."
"I see."
"Would you be able to evacuate everyone from this area? Even further from the East Forest."
Erza requipped into her Giant Armour, "I don't know what you're up to, Jellal, but something tells me you've found a way to save them."
"I'm hoping this will work. Thank you, Erza."
"Of course."
Once he took off with Meteor, she smiled to herself.
With that, Erza began her search for civilians and mages around Magnolia and the surrounding forest.
The Wizard Saint wondered if there even was a plan of action the Magic Council had about the disappearance of Magnolia. They should have known and must have assumed the entire town was warped into another area. He had entered his office unannounced to anyone to conduct research. He scanned the archives for any knowledge, and by tapping into the database through Archive Magic, he retrieved the information he was seeking.
Jellal found the stern guard, Nadal, standing by on duty and informed him, "Please assemble all the Magic Council members together for a meeting."
The amphibian obeyed rather dutifully, "Right away, Master Jellal."
Jellal would never get used to having anyone use the master formality, but could not deny such respect due to the hierarchy structure of the Magic Council.
The bells of Era rang throughout the building, ringing only for one occasion. When a councillor declared a state of emergency, members of the Magic Council were expected to assemble, be it Thought Projections or themselves.
As Jellal entered the meeting room, the members assembled one by one. Ever since Gran Doma's appointment, there were many councillors replaced with those Jellal did not recognize.
The Magic Council was not the same without Yajima, and getting any point across would be difficult now that everyone knew of the Oración Seis incident and the damage it caused to Worth Woodsea.
All the members assembled in one spot, to which Gran Doma stood in the middle of the room, circling around its parameters. The chairman spoke, "Where have you been, Jellal? It's been three days since the Seis were defeated. There was no word of you after the battle."
"I apologize, chairman. That is the reason I came here as soon as I returned. Magnolia is endangered with extinction, and I humbly beseech you for assistance."
"I heard about that," Org commented, "word has it that Magnolia is simply a blank terrain. We only received news about it hours ago."
"Therefore, I'm calling that we find a solution right now." Jellal declared, using the lacrima in the middle of the room to project Magnolia's emptiness to the councillors. They stared wondrously at the spectacle, wondering what explanation was possible. By the looks of it, all the councillors had a long day. "In this vacuum of space, there are particles of ethernano that equate to Magnolia's magic energy."
Gran Doma slammed his staff to prevent further commotion from spreading. The question of how and why plagued every council member's mind. "Man has never converted ethernano into its original form. Once an item is converted to ethernano, the process is irreversible."
"It could," Jellal countered, "in recent studies, researchers have found that ethernano's effects can be reversed with a great deal of magic energy. We can focus great concentrations of magic energy on the void, and in turn, it will cause a reaction that will synthesize both the remnants of the town and ethernano to restore Magnolia."
Jellal used his Telekinesis to warp the book into the room, then commanded it to float into Gran Doma's hands. The chairman had half a mind for putting the book down, but proceeded to skim through it for a long moment.
Gran Doma's cloak swayed as he confronted the Wizard Saint, "Yes, but that requires magic energy that is impossible to attain from mere wizards."
"I'm well aware," Jellal grinned matter-of-factly. His determination burned through Gran Doma's gaze and resonated with the other councillors. "Even gathering all the Wizard Saints would make it a burdensome task, to say the least."
"If that's the case, then what do you propose we do? Clearly, the direness of this situation falls into the lap of the Magic Council. It must require something powerful to restore order to Magnolia."
Their eyes narrowed, "Chairman Gran Doma, you and I are no strangers as to what must be done for such an incident."
Michello grumbled, "Stop beating around the bush and get straight to the point."
"We need to activate the Satellite Square: Etherion."
Every councillor in the room gasped. Belno, who had no qualms with Jellal, could not side with the young man. "Have you gone mad, Jellal? Etherion is powerful enough to obliterate an entire nation! By saving Magnolia, you'll be destroying everything around it."
Org sighed in deep thought, "Even if Etherion would be fired, we have no way of knowing if your theory is correct. It's never been tested before, and everything you calculated is purely hypothetical. In other words, we cannot be sure if this is even the correct approach."
"I understand your concerns. However, magic energy gravitates towards ethernano particles because of their attraction. This will help contain the blast within its designated target."
"It's still too risky," Gran Doma voiced, waving his staff in the other councillors' direction. "You've heard them voice valid concerns. And though you present strong arguments, everything is purely based on your predictions. This is a gamble, not even a hypothesis."
Expecting compliance from elders with supposedly more experience was fruitful wishing, Jellal thought. He came in ready to face rejection, but not willing to turn his back on the guild mates who relied on him to restore Magnolia. If he saved just another soul, he could live with himself, knowing they could live on.
He owed this to Makarov and Erza, especially.
"What do you propose we do, then?" Jellal questioned rather confrontationally.
"My question to you is, how did they end up as magic energy?"
Jellal explained every detail he witnessed as the Dragon Chain Cannon moved closer to Extalia. He also realized that the exceed militia made up part of the magic energy lingering in the space once housing Magnolia.
The members listened intently about the wild journey to Edolas, and their previous ignorance reminded him of the council in Edolas comprising old exceeds. Both of these situations mirrored each other in the sense that it harmed the general public.
Gran Doma's footsteps echoed across the room. "It seems this is more complex than you initially presented it. We'll have to resort to extreme measures, but I'm uncertain if we should turn to Etherion. Never in the council's history did anyone report its use. It was only ever revered as a weapon to ward off enemies trying to invade Ishgar."
Ultimately, the chairman was the one to have the final say, and nobody would be able to question it.
Jellal knew this and turned down the position without giving it a second thought.
Perhaps I should've accepted the position when I got offered it by King Toma.
He would never hold the fact that he was the first consideration for chairman of the Magic Council against Gran Doma. His hatred for Fairy Tail was apparent, and it was abundantly clear that Jellal's intention was to save his guild—at least, in the council's eyes, it was.
Gran Doma thought in silence, staring at the intricate architecture of the room. "You've proven yourself a worthy member of the Magic Council, Jellal. Having been the first choice as the next chairman, I could see firsthand why King Toma fancies you. However, your involvement with Fairy Tail gives you a rather tedious reputation on the Magic Council. I don't want to assume that you're using this power to benefit your guild. This is the only thing stopping me from giving the word to fire Etherion."
"You cannot take such a factor into consideration when an entire town is on the brink of extinction. Every second we waste, ethernano particles are gravitating to other sources requiring magic energy. If we stall around any longer, we won't be able to save every living being."
Gran Doma grumbled, "Your reason for saving Magnolia is personal, and has nothing to do with the Magic Council's ideals."
Jellal was not one to rebuttal so fiercely, but the statement dishonoured all the lives in Magnolia. "And you call yourselves a just Magic Council? This government stems from disturbing secrets and grudges against others, yet you all would dare call me selfish for wanting to save Magnolia? Your grudge against Fairy Tail should be no reason to turn away from a town. And if that's the case, then I no longer wish to contribute to this Magic Council."
"Jellal, you can't!" Belno called out. "You're a seal for Face, there is no way you can leave so carelessly."
The revelation shocked Gran Doma. "Jellal is a seal for Face?"
The Wizard Saint stubbornly gave no response, allowing the entire council to realize that horrific reality. Ideally, everyone wanted the information to be kept confidential, so not even the later chairmans would have knowledge of Face's seals.
Org reasoned with Gran Doma, finding it pointless to hide Jellal's crucial role. "Chairman, please reconsider Jellal's proposal. He is indeed an important member. And with one seal gone, we cannot afford to lose another."
Gran Doma eyed Jellal irritatingly, before sighing in defeat.
"Provided that this theory of yours will succeed..."
"It will succeed, chairman. You have my word."
Could anyone else know that he was uncertain as well? Nobody would, because Jellal confidently proclaimed hope. Even the councillors were at a loss with his logic, since none of them were involved in research that Jellal extensively did.
The only reason Gran Doma considered his idea again was because Jellal was seen as a weapon. When had he been something other than a weapon to the Magic Council?
Gran Doma nodded, "We will begin the preparations for Etherion. But know that your decision today will bring about consequences in the future, whether or not we succeed."
Jellal had to wonder what consequences he would endure should Magnolia be restored. He gracefully responded, "I'll be prepared to face them."
The bells rang across the buildings as messengers, technicians, and councillors began preparations for the Etherion blast. Gran Doma exited the meeting room swiftly to inform the amphibians of the course of action to take.
The Wizard Saint could only hope that his actions today would pay off. He could be exiled from the council for misusing Etherion.
This was yet to be the biggest gamble of his career.
Everyone in the East Forest stared wondrously at the magic circle forming above the vacuum of space, where Magnolia was situated. The animals galloped deeper into the forest. Erza gathered every exceed and rounded them in the forest to seek shelter. They found a cave a good distance away from the Satellite Square and fit all the creatures within it.
Compact within it, the exceeds exchanged distressed faces, unsure of what was to become of the royal militia in Extalia. Queen Shagotte comforted as many children as she could.
Erza helped the last child inside the cave. "Everyone stay here until that magic circle disappears. It's dangerous outside."
"We will," Shagotte reassured as Lucky started complaining about the lack of space in his surroundings. Wielding his plow as a weapon to the nearby exceeds didn't help in deescalating the situation either.
Erza ran towards the circle to figure out what was going on. She found Natsu and Gajeel near Magnolia, coming up with theories of what could be going on.
"Hey Erza, is this Jellal's doing?" Gajeel asked, obviously trying to prove his point that the Wizard Saint was involved with the situation.
"Jellal can't reach Era that fast!" Natsu complained, "There's no way he did this."
"He is the fastest wizard I've seen," Gray said. "I would expect him to be there by now."
Erza shook her head. Confusion and uncertainty plagued whatever hope she had for Magnolia. "Just what is he doing?"
"The Satellite Square," Lucy chimed in with Happy in her arms. "They're using the most powerful weapon in Ishgar."
Wendy joined her after they searched all across the forest for displaced animals. None were near the magic circle, and everything was going according to Jellal's plan.
"It seems too extreme of a measure," Erza commented. "Etherion can annihilate nations, from what I heard. So why are they going through with this?"
"No matter how destructive it is, we cannot stop the Magic Council. Guess that means we'll have to clear out of this zone too," Gajeel said, backing away as the intensity of the magic circle grew. The entire group started bolting through the forest, until Erza found a large figure wandering near Magnolia, with their cloak swaying from side to side and a bag hunched over their shoulders.
"Great, another person to clear out," Gray growled, trying to go after the wandering figure. Erza stopped him by raising her arm.
"Leave them to me." She ran towards the man, and found him searching around aimlessly for something.
Probably looking for Magnolia.
When she neared the person, Erza's heart dropped. "It's you..."
He waved a hand at her, "Hey there, I'm looking for Magnolia." He studied Erza's countenance in more detail. "Erza...?"
Slowly but surely, the density of the air above them increased to levels that were unheard of.
"Let us pray," Org announced as the councillors surrounded the railing which circled around the lacrima.
Gran Doma gestured to the amphibians to communicate the status of Etherion's preparation, which Jellal was grateful for. The anticipation was heavy amongst the mages, waiting to see if the Wizard Saint's gamble would pay off.
Gran Doma announced, "Resume the initialization of Etherion."
The amphibians worked away to target the Satellite Square directly on Magnolia, and finding nobody around the targeted area through lacrimas, the council deemed it safe to continue with the blast.
Gran Doma gave a pointed look at Jellal, "I take it the evacuation of the mages in Magnolia was your doing."
"Not exactly. I planned ahead should you have agreed upon firing Etherion."
"And I only agreed because I've heard that you studied a lot of magic theory during your time in the Magic Council. I must commend you for your interest."
"I think every council member should have a basic understanding of magical theory. That way, we can understand the direness of resorting to weapons like Face and Etherion."
"Perhaps we can do something about that," Gran Doma suggested. "Of course, we still need to confirm whether or not your hypothesis will work. Magnolia rests in your shoulders, Jellal. It will either be annihilated or restored."
"Believe me, I'm not fond of resorting to this either, chairman."
Their exchanged glances only brought suspicion onto one another. Jellal knew that even if Magnolia were to be thriving after this incident, Gran Doma still had plans for him. Oración Seis' incident must have brought a lot of property damage in Fairy Tail's name.
If only Yajima were here.
"Target set."
The announcement sent everyone into silence as the lacrima projected the Satellite Square with the growing magic circle.
"Let us pray to the sacred light and fire Etherion at once!" Gran Doma clasped his hands together. The magic energy radiated and the air above Magnolia refracted.
Jellal could only hope his plan would work and that none would be injured in his endeavour.
Belno eyed Jellal from the side. "You don't seem too well."
"I'm worried about the outcome of this." He barely whispered.
"I see Erza! She's running here!" Lucy hollered, jumping over Natsu to catch sight of her. "And she's brought another person along..."
"Enemy?" Natsu asked, moving around to get a closer look. With a yelp, Lucy dropped to the wet grass and mud as the rain pelted heavily against them.
"I don't believe it. It's old man Gildarts!" Natsu grinned, running towards the duo.
Mirajane supervised Etherion and noticed it was so close to being activated. "I think we should start running with Erza."
"That idiot's running in the opposite direction!" Gajeel pointed at Natsu, who was more keen on clashing with Gildarts than getting to safety. "I'm saving my cat."
Gajeel scooped Panther Lily into his arms and started running, to which the remaining mages followed.
When Natsu was within arm's reach and about to lock horns with Gildarts, Erza hauled him from the scarf.
"You fool, we have to keep running!" Natsu was sandwiched between Erza's body and Gildarts as they continued away from the blast.
"It's firing!" Mirajane shouted over her shoulder as they continued bolting.
Gildarts shielded Natsu as the explosion hit the ground and boomed across the forest. "Get out of the way!"
All the mages and exceeds were swept off their feet and sent flying. Gildarts used his magic to crush what came towards them. In an unsuccessful attempt, they all rolled on the ground. Erza dug her elbow into the grass to stop herself from rolling further.
She turned on her heel and found Etherion raining down. The remnants of magic energy in the void of Magnolia fused with Etherion and resulted in another explosion.
A reaction, like Jellal predicted.
"Are you alright?" Gildarts asked, bending down to her level. Erza only smiled at what she just witnessed.
The Satellite Square disappeared after Etherion dissipated. As though knowing of Magnolia's restoration, the rain stopped, and the sun shined brilliantly upon Erza.
"I'm well," Erza replied, getting up.
"How long ago did you lose your arm?"
"A few days ago."
Those were all the words they exchanged at that moment, but they all had many more for each other.
Mirajane slowly approached the knight. "Erza, let's go see if Magnolia is back to normal."
Erza wordlessly nodded and walked through the East Forest in search of people, animals, and items that possibly came to Earth Land from Edolas.
But she knew Mirajane sought one person: Lisanna.
It came as a shock to find exceeds huddled on the outskirts of a town that was restored to its former glory.
Erza smiled, "He did it...Jellal restored Magnolia!"
"Did you expect anything less?" Mirajane winked, to which Erza blushed slightly.
Gildarts scratched the top of his head, staring back and forth at Gajeel and Wendy, who both had exceeds in their grasps. "New members of the guild with their own cats, huh?" he pivoted on his heel and pointed at Magnolia. "And can someone explain to me what happened to our home in the first place?"
"It's a long story. But forget that, geezer, let's fight!" Natsu grinned, preparing to attack Gildarts. The older man held his arm out and crushed Natsu to the ground.
"Later. I wanted to greet Makarov. Nothing happened to him, right?"
"We'll, let's go see if they're okay." Natsu led everyone towards the guildhall as they paraded towards the guildhall. Mirajane and Erza stayed put in their spots.
"You guys coming?" Gray asked.
Erza stared at Mirajane, who simply said, "You all go ahead, I want to check on something."
"For one, let's deal with these exceeds!" Carla demanded, furious with their ungrateful attitude from before, especially when Jellal saved them.
Erza tuned out on the group as they ran into the city. Many citizens witnessed the commotion from their balconies and doorsteps as Carla reprimanded them. Mirajane backed away to join the rest, but Erza found her straying towards the Kardia Cathedral.
Seeing Lisanna must have garnered a lot of denial on Mirajane's side. She wanted to believe that the girl they saw in the parallel universe was her sister.
Erza's heart was racing at the thought of her finally confiding in Jellal about the Magic Council. It seemed too good to be true.
Was he going to quit soon? The reality made her uneasy.
Before them, the Gildarts Shift commenced, astounding the latest additions to the guild. The old man groaned.
"It's been a long day. I'll get my answers when we get to the guildhall."
When Jellal comes back, Erza thought, staring at the sky.
Mirajane gave Erza a knowing look and guided her towards the guildhall. Even in his absence, everyone had known Jellal was behind Etherion, even if the Magic Council would be glorified for it.
"At least he won't be in trouble," Mirajane said as an afterthought. "He saved Magnolia. There is no way the Magic Council will use him as a scapegoat for Fairy Tail."
"I can only hope so," Erza whispered with uncertainty.
Jellal would never get the credit he deserved, but as long as he saved someone, the Wizard Saint would be content.
Especially after he never mustered the courage to return to the Tower of Heaven all these years later.
Erza still had one answer left about Lisanna. She eyed Mirajane, "Are you going back to the Kardia Cathedral?"
Mirajane exhaled sharply, "Yes. She didn't come back." Erza fell silent, expecting her friend to stray from the group at that very moment.
Erza reached out as a notion to offer her condolences, until Mirajane continued, "At least I can now completely accept her death."
So Mirajane suspected her sister was still alive somewhere, because she saw her dissipate in the air.
Erza still said, "She's still alive, Mirajane. Lisanna said so herself."
The She-Devil went limp, as though she lost her grasp of the world, as though she could imagine herself with her younger sister again.
Lisanna lived on within Mirajane Strauss.
The Strauss sibling smiled momentarily, "I suppose you're right."