Chapter 72

Gajeel and Gajeel

In the town of Sycca, everyone was bustling around to and fro going about their daily business. The town itself looked very different then Louen with the buildings all in various different shapes. The town also looked like something you'd see in Vegas or any other place with casinos with lights flashing with different colors and words.

In a particular pub, there were various people drinking it up inside laughing and having a good time or drinking to drown their sorrows away. The bar itself looked very luxurious compared to the bars back in Louen. The tables were fancy and had polished wood and even the chairs where cushioned perfectly for comfort. The bar itself even had specialized drinks that you can only get here in Sycca.

As the people continued to booze it up, there was one among them who was sitting on a stool by the counter all by himself sipping a cup of coffee. He wore a dark blue suit with a red tie with a hat that matched, had a familiar set of red eyes with a pair of glasses in front of them, and had short, curly black hair hiding underneath his hat. He also seemed to be carefully observing and listening to his surroundings keeping an eye out for anything interesting or worth noting.

Then the barkeeper came up to the man polishing a cup with a cloth.

"Hey there, Mac," he said. "You want a refill of coffee?"

"Of course I do," said the man. "Thank you very much."

The barkeeper took the man's empty cup and then grabbed a pitcher of coffee and poured until the cup was filled. Then he placed the cup in front of the man.

"Here you go," said the barkeeper. "You know, I'm surprised that you're not boozing it up here like everyone else has. Aren't you gonna have a cup?"

The man in the black suit shook his head as he took his cup. "No alcohol for me thank you," he said. "I'm not particularly fond of it very much. It can mess up a man's sense of reason if you drink too much. Besides, I'm on the job."

He then took a small sip of coffee and continued sitting there waiting for something to

WILLY'S POV

Eventually, me and Gajeel had made it to Sycca after a half an hour of flying. I felt a bit exhausted due to carrying Gajeel, but I was thankful that we made it to our destination within that time. But a huge cup of water sounded pretty good right about now. However, there wasn't any time for me to stop and rest. Me and Gajeel had to look around and find his Edolas version and find some information regarding the Royal City and where our friends and the people of Magnolia were. Well, I did most of the asking since Edolas Gajeel had a pretty bad reputation around Edolas.

Our findings eventually led us to a particular pub in the middle of town, thanks to an eyewitness. We soon came to the pub and we headed inside. As we grew closer and closer to it, I was silently praying that Gajeel didn't stir up trouble and at the same time hoping that I would be able to drink some water as we stepped inside. We walked in quietly so that we wouldn't draw in attention and each took a seat beside a man at the counter of the bar. I immediately took notice of the man who was at the bar.

"Excuse me," I said. "Can I get some water, please? A really big one?"

"A strange thing to ask in a bar," said the barkeeper. "But sure thing. Coming right up."

The barkeeper then got a large mug and poured some water in it and placed it on the counter in front of me. I immediately took it and gulped it all down having to be finally savoring the taste of water for the first time in a while. I soon finished and I placed the mug back on the counter letting out a satisfying sigh.

"Another one please," I said.

The barkeeper gawked at me surprised a bit, but he took my mug and went to get me some more water. Gajeel couldn't help but look at me as if I did something completely crazy.

"Geez. Take it easy Water Boy," he said. "The water's not gonna go anywhere. Not to mention, you're gonna attract some attention."

"First of all, my name is Willy, so please stop calling me that," I spoke huffily. "Secondly, I had to carry you across a hot desert which might I add had to use quite a bit of magic power to get us here and the desert made me thirsty as heck. I'll take it easy when I've had my fill of water."

The barkeeper then set down another cup of water in front of me and I began gulping that down too. At this point, I honestly didn't care if someone was watching me. I needed some water and if I was going to be fighting in the future or if I was going to be up to full strength, I was gonna need all the water I could get. Soon enough, I drank over about five cups of water and I was just about to get started on my sixth cup when I happened to overhear a conversation at a table close to us between a group of three men.

"Hey did you guys hear the news?" one asked. "About that giant lacrima in the Royal City?"

"Yeah. Sure did," said another. "The king is going to extract magic power from that huge thing two days from now."

I immediately stopped drinking from my mug of water and gave Gajeel a sideways look. He looked at me as well thinking exactly what I was thinking. The two of us then kept quiet and listened in on the conversation hoping to hear a little more of what the men were talking about.

"I heard about that too, but it kinda freaks me out," said the third. "To be perfectly honest, I'm curious as to how they were able to harvest that much power. I mean... heard some people say that they swiped it from another world or something."

"I'm just hoping that they know what they're doing," said the first. "Heck, I'm not even sure that what they're doing is a good idea. Messing with magic power like that is just asking for trouble."

The men's friends that started at him with surprise and some slight fear.

"Hey. Watch your mouth!" said the first in a hushed whisper. "From the way you're talking, it's like you're criticizing the king's way of doing things!"

"Yeah. Are you questioning the methods of our great king?!" demanded the second.

"No! It's nothing like that at all!" insisted the third. "I'm loyal you guys! Truly!"

At that moment, Gajeel got up from his seat and began walking over to the three.

"Gajeel! Wait a minute!" I whispered harshly. "What are you doing?!"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Gajeel spoke. "I'm gonna get some info from these guys."

"Wait a minute...!" I cried whispering.

But however much I tried to get Gajeel to listen to me, he wouldn't as he grew closer and closer to the three as they continued talking.

"Come on. There's no need to worry," spoke the second. "Everything will work out in the end. Just leave it to his majesty and Edolas will be sitting pretty."

Then Gajeel with me in tow came up to them. At the very same time, a man with a dark blue suit came up as well holding a notepad and pencil. Then the two of them spoke at the exact same time.

"Interesting conversation. You three punks mind telling me what you know in detail?"

"Interesting conversation. You, three fellows, mind telling me what you know in detail?"

Then Gajeel and I looked at the man with the blue suit and the man with the blue suit looked at us. The moment we saw each other, our eyes widened in surprise. We were especially surprised. For the man before us was none other the Edolas Gajeel. He looked just like the Gajeel I knew, but his hair was short and curly instead of long and spiky, wore a pair of glasses, and also had no piercings except for his earrings. Other than that, it was just like looking at a mirror.

"What... what in the..." Gajeel murmured.

"Well, looks like we found your Edolas counterpart Gajeel," I said. "Although it's kinda scary how much you two look alike."

"Who... who are you two?" demanded Edolas Gajeel. "And... why does one of you look just like me?"

"Please don't be alarmed," I spoke. "We're just here to talk. In fact, we've been looking for you for quite some time Gajeel. I mean... Edolas Gajeel. May we have a moment of your time?"

Edolas Gajeel raised a brow still feeling a bit doubtful, but he nodded. "Alright then. I'll hear what you two have to say, but I expect you two to tell me everything you know."

"That's our line pal," said Gajeel.

The three of us then left the pub and walked around, so the three of us could be alone. TThen we began telling Edolas Gajeel our whole story. Our story about how we got here to Edolas, about Mystogan sending us here, and even about Magnolia being turned into a lacrima. Edolas Gajeel made sure to take everything down on his pad of paper scribbling away on his pencil making sure he got every little detail.

"Alright. So to summarize, you two were sent to this world by a gentleman named Mr. Mystogan with the bare minimum of an explanation and nothing but the shirts on your backs?" asked Edolas Gajeel.

"Yup. Pretty much," I said.

"One thing's for sure, getting used to this place ain't no picnic," spoke Gajeel. "We practically know next to nothing which is why we're running around like chickens with our heads lopped off."

"This has to be the most intriguing yet at the same time bizarre story I've ever heard in my career," said Edolas Gajeel as he wrote on his pen pad again.

"Well, what did you expect? How often do you meet yourself at a bar?" asked Gajeel.

"Anyway, Edolas Gajeel... I mean Mr. Gajeel. We were told that you made quite a name for yourself as a freelance journalist," I said. "Is that true?"

"Indeed. My job is to investigate and write articles about the truth of events throughout the world," answered Edolas Gajeel. "Basically seeking out the truth and enlightening the masses. It's my life's true calling."

"Well one thing's for sure, the truth ain't an easy pill to swallow," smirked Gajeel cheekily. "Bet you got yourself a lot of haters."

Edolas Gajeel chuckled. "Now what would make you say that?" he asked aloofly.

"We happened to run into some people who they thought that the Gajeel I know was you," I explained. "But... this Gajeel here pounded them to the dirt in no time at all with... me being less than willing to rough them up."

"While I thank you for taking care of such annoyances for me, I really must apologize for the inconvenience and for having such trouble befall you," apologized Edolas Gajeel. "Truth be told, I've become a thorn to the side of many powerful organizations here. In fact, my articles have caused numerous problems for the king as well as the government over the years. However, I refuse to write articles based on lies. As long as I can put pen to pad, I will write the truth. No matter how much anyone threatens me or says otherwise."

I couldn't help but look at Edolas Gajeel feeling a slight bit of admiration for the guy. Even Gajeel looked impressed with his counterpart.

"You know, when we just first heard about this place, I thought that it'd be completely different from our world," spoke Gajeel. "But..."

The two Gajeels then stopped walking and looked at each other. At first, I didn't know what was going on, but then the two Gajeels put each other's arms around their shoulders like they were brothers.

"You and I are almost exactly alike!" the two said happily.

"You not only don't take crap and fight the man, but you dress good and write fancy words like I'd do. Well, if I cared that is," laughed Gajeel.

"And your unkempt wildness and cool side is reflective of my soul," agreed Edolas Gajeel. "We have so much in common Mr. Me. And... incidentally, I'm exceptionally skilled when it comes to singing, playing instruments."

Gajeel's eyes widened with wonder. "No way! Me too! You're really are my Edolas self!"

"We're like a musical genius!" the two of them said as they bumped their fists together.

I couldn't help, but smile a little at this weird but somewhat touching scene. But this wasn't the time for something like this.

"Excuse me you two," I said. "I hate to break this up, but we're getting a little bit off track here." I then turned to Edolas Gajeel. "Mr. Gajeel. Me and Gajeel need a come up with some kind of plan to get to the Royal City and to save our friends. Our time window is getting limited, so we should probably come up with a plan if we plan to save Magnolia and it's people before they get converted into magic power."

"I'm well aware of that," spoke the Edolas Gajeel. "In fact, I think I may have an idea as to how you two can get to Royal City and save your friends."

"I also got some ideas too," said Gajeel. "What do you say we combine our ideas and make a plan Edolas me?"

"Sounds good," smiled Edolas Gajeel. "Now then, listen closely you two. Here's what we'll do..."

Gajeel and I leaned in close and listened to the plan. It was a good plan, cunningly contrived but somewhat dangerous. It could only work if each one of us played our part. The odds were also against us and the stakes were high, but now this wasn't the time to worry about those things. When we finished discussing the plan, I couldn't help but be amazed yet somewhat worried about what the two Gajeel's had in mind.

"Do you guys really think that will work?" I asked. "I mean... it's a bit risky."

"Sometimes you gotta take some risks to get the job done," smirked Gajeel. "Besides, I'm really digging this plan. As expected of Edolas me."

"Thanks, Mr. Me," smiled Edolas Gajeel. "But if you two plan to get to the Royal City, you better get going."

"But how? It'll probably take us days to get there on foot," I said. "Not to mention I can't carry Gajeel over there using my wings."

"Don't worry. I know just the mode of transportation to get you there," spoke Edolas Gajeel. "Follow me."

Edolas Gajeel then led us to a different area of Sycca, just around a corner. There around that corner as a group of soldiers. They all wore silver helmets that were silver and covered most of their faces and wore blue outfits with turn tail coats carrying spears and were all standing guard by a large and spacious area. At first, I didn't really see anything, but then there was a giant gust of wind. We looked up above us and there floating down towards us, was a large dropship. It was huge, blue and white in color and had a pair of exhausts on its wings. As it touched down on the ground, a lot more soldiers gathered as the drop ship's door opened.

"So, I take it we're going to be taking that dropship?" I asked Edolas Gajeel.

"Indeed. If you went there by foot, there would be no chance of you getting to the Royal City in time," said Edolas Gajeel. "However, if you take the dropship, you'll be able to get to the city in no time at all."

"Sounds like a plan to me," smirked Gajeel. "It is our best chance of getting there quick. We're sneaking aboard."

"Normally, I'd try to talk you out of it," I spoke. "But there's no helping it this time. I'll have to rocket us on top of the airship, so they can't see us."

"Forget that. If we did that, we'll most likely be seen by the guards," said Gajeel. "I've got something else in mind." He then looked back towards the Edolas Gajeel. "Some of our friends should be here too," he said. "No doubt they'll stir up trouble around here sooner or later. And when they do..."

"Yes. I'll let you two know the moment they strike," finished Edolas Gajeel. "And don't worry about the king catching you two. I've got contacts everywhere, so he won't be able to scratch his nose without me knowing about it. Keeping tabs on him as well as his subjects and everything else that happens will be easy."

"Good. Until then, me and Gajeel will lie low until you give the word, Mr. Gajeel," I said. "We're counting on you."

"Well, I guess I'll be seeing you both later," said Edolas Gajeel tipping his hat. "Take care you two."

"Same to you," replied Gajeel. "And don't keep us waiting."

And with that, the three of us separated. Edolas Gajeel going down one way and me and Gajeel going another way towards the drop ship.

NO POV

Back in the forest where Gajeel and Willy were originally found, Kuromen along with a squad soldiers were patrolling the forest searching for any signs of Fairy Tail. So far, no one had found anything.

"Man. We can't seem to find anything around here," said one. "Is Kuruomen sure that Fairy Tail is somewhere in this forest?"

"Don't doubt Kuromen!" spoke another soldier in a hushed whisper. "If he heard you say that, he'll slice you in half! You know how he is!"

"OK! OK! Geez! I'm just getting a bit tired walking around," said the first. "It's nothing but a waste of time."

"What is nothing but a waste of time?" asked a low metallic voice from behind them.

The two guards faces then paled behind their masks and nervously looked up. There behind them was Kuromen who seemed to loom above them. The two immediately let out a scream of fright and jumped back away from him.

"K-Kuromen sir!" they yelped. "We weren't saying anything, sir!"

"Then get back to searching," Kuromen said gruffly. "If you have time to prattle on, then you have time to search. Keep looking around for any disturbances. If you keep dawdling around, I see to it that you meet the end of my blade. Are we clear?"

"Y-yes Kuromen sir!" the two soldiers squeaked as they raced away into the bushes.

Kuromen then resumed his search trying to find any signs of life in the forest. Then another soldier came running up to Kuromen.

"L-lord Kuromen sir!" he spoke while he saluted. "We may have found something that you should see sir."

"Is that so? Lead on then," spoke Kuromen.

The soldier then led Kuromen to a certain fallen tree where some other soldiers were inspecting it.

"What the heck could have caused this?" wondered one soldier.

"It looks something to cut this tree down," said another. "But what could have had that kind of strength? It's a pretty thick tree. Not even a magic item could cut a tree this size."

Kuromen then came up to the tree. He looked at the deep cut and felt it with his hand feeling the clean cut. "How very unusual," he thought. "This isn't a normal cut. It's like someone used some kind of sword to cut this tree. But what could have had the strength to cut a tree like this? A wizard from Fairy Tail perhaps?"

Just then, a soldier came running up to Kuromen. "Sir Kuromen! I have urgent news from the king back at the Royal City!"

"What is it?" asked Kuromen.

"I've just received word that all the captains are to return to the Royal City," explained the soldier. "The king is planning to have magic power drawn from the lacrima two days from now and is requesting for additional security detail. You are to return to the palace and await further orders from the king."

"Understood. I'll leave right away," spoke Kuromen. "All soldiers, return to the dropship."

"Yes, sir!"

The soldiers one by head marched away heading back to the dropship. Kuromen followed them, but not before taking one last look at the cut-down tree. Then he joined his troops leaving the fallen tree behind him.

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