Carla filled in the blanks, explaining that their mission in being sent to Earthland was being neglected by her and was forgotten by Happy, the world called Edolas, and it was running out of magic. Happy and Natsu shared a look with each other as their did sound like Happy's original home, but then, why get sent to Earthland and while Natsu was a fair bit dumb, he could put the pieces together with a rub of the jaw as Happy flew him out with Wendy and Carla, into a spanning world of floating isles and multi-colored plants.
But it didn't last as Happy and Carla's wings disappeared, they falling as Happy tried to think on what had caused their wings to disappear and why he couldn't feel Natsu's power either, before he cleared his mind and his wings emerged again, catching Natsu who caught Wendy and Carla as he spoke. "Natsu... I don't know what the mission was, but I am more than happy to be living with you."
"Just don't call me Pops, I still can't believe you bartered a week of meat for that story." Happy chuckled to Carla's utter surprise on how Happy was doing that while she couldn't as they headed down to a storage hut and dressed up in disguises to blend in better, before noticing the Fairy Tail mark outside, Natsu being careful as the smells were there, but they were rather different, all that training was coming in handy, Alex sure knew what he was doing!
And Natsu was right, everyone was different with Lucy more outspoken and tough, she and Levy bitter rivals, Cana was a lady drinking tea, Gray and Juvia were swapped personalities and attires, while Alzack and Bisca were... more open with their relationship, Natsu didn't pay it too much mind as Wendy was having a body crisis, the Edolas Wendy was... big, he just casually patting her back on her pain.
But another face caught his attention, his eyes not believing what he saw, dressed differently as a fact, but that white bob cut look, those blue eyes, and her friendly personality. His heart pounded in seeing the face of Lisanna, his childhood friend and 'wife', but he calmed down with spotting the white Fairy Tail Mark on her thigh and giving it up, but it was... nice to see her again.
The cheer was ruined when they had to make a swift get away, from the Fairy Hunter, Erza Knightwalker, Natsu seeing that a bit, Erza was dangerous just as S-Rank, but this world made it clear that she was the one responsible for taking out all of the 'dark guilds', those that refuse to accept King Faust's commands and uses Magic which was outlawed, not just because no one can use Magic in the world, they having to use Magical Tools to do that, but because the Royal City was hogging all of it to themselves, so it might be a case of keeping it all to themselves.
Natsu explained that they were not from Edolas, as Edo Lucy had mistaken him as their Natsu, but from Earthland, the world that they just got pulled from, he noticing that someone left and rested their back against the door, it was Lisanna, but why would she do that? Whatever the case, they had to get moving and that meant heading to Louen, a nearby town that served a black market of Magical Tools.
Trouble didn't take long to appear as a giant, pink frog, but Natsu and Happy were not impressed, even if Natsu couldn't use his magic, he still charged the beast, it tried to slap him away, only to whine in pain to hitting something hard and Natsu jumped with punching, his fist suddenly turning black and landing a hit, downing the toad as Natsu stood up with looking at his hand, the skin receding back to normal to his surprise. "Did I...?"
Alex did the same thing back in his duel and often during training, what did he call it...? Armament, maybe...? The strength of your will...? Natsu hummed with the party heading on, Lucy Ashley, as she was called, helping them in acquiring weapons before the royal army found them, Natsu checking his fire sword before he sheathed and grabbed Happy. "Your turn!"
"Aye!" He threw him to Wendy and Carla's surprise as he pulled out a fishbone with a grit of his teeth. "Fishbone Smash!" Before all of their eyes, the fishbone grew in size until it was a massive paddle of bone and it smashed right through the defenses of the army as he exclaimed, righting himself with holding the slab with pair paws. "Oh wow! Alex's training does pay off!"
"Way to go, little buddy!" Natsu cheered as Happy chuckled, to their utter disbelief as Wendy spoke.
"Carla... you are being outdone by Happy... you can't do that, can you?"
"N-No...!" What sort of hellish training had those two endured to get this strong and without magic for Natsu and with magic for Happy!?
Thankfully, it brought them much needed time to search and ended up finding Lucy who, though rode off the coattails of having her Magic, due to arriving in Edolas from inside Horologium and getting discovered by Mystogan, had discovered that the giant lacrima that contained everyone inside was not in the Royal City, not yet, but it was taking too much manpower as where they were was trapped into the statue of what was a chimera or the like and it was refusing to move, having taken guardianship of Magnolia and Fairy Tail.
They made a plan to sneak into the Royal City to find out more, they nearly stole an airship before Natsu had Lucy use the next part which was summoning Leo, only to get Virgo in return, but they were not out of luck as they got support in the form of Natsu's Edolas person, Natsu Dragion who was epic behind the wheel of any vehicle, but was totally scared out of the vehicle.
Natsu let him off the hook as their friends were more important and they entered the city to find that the people were more than happy in using Magic in their daily lives, using it as a part of her lives, not as a supporting part of it. Natsu kept his temper in check, though Lucy did keep close to make sure he didn't lash out at the Kingdom pulling a small portion of the Lacrima to showcase it as 'sent by a god', and the people ate it up.
They resolved to find out a way to free their friends and pondered on the King Faust being able to undo it, just as Carla started to have visions of the kingdom and passages that they could use to figure it out, choosing to infiltrate the palace for those answers, but it was a trap, a trap that no one among the party and even Carla saw coming as the Royal Army was waiting for them and greeted Happy and Carla as successful agents and the party was divided with Natsu and Wendy being imprisoned while Lucy was slated off as Ashley and to be executed.
Carla and Happy awoke to be greeted by the Minister of State Nadi and Captain of the Imperial Guard Nichiya who congratulate them for their successful mission of capturing the Dragon Slayers when initially they were meant to kill them before Happy pieced it all. "Then why did we never have knowledge of the kill order in the first place?" This caught them and any surrounding Exceeds by surprise as Happy looked up with grief in his heart as he spoke with removing his nap sack. "If we were meant as assassins, then why did we never have knowledge of it all, there is a big freaking gap in these orders here."
"I understand, but there is no need to-" Nadi started as Happy shook his head in speaking.
"I am not picking a fight, I am just asking and, how the Royal Army reacted along with Carla's own foresight, I am casting doubt in we actually stepping into a trap and they just positioned in... in reaction to her visions." This stopped them short as Happy spoke. "I humbly request that Carla and I meet with Queen Shagotte, not to doubt her right now, but to hear the rest of the mission."
"Happy, we shouldn't..." Happy held up a paw, stopping Carla as he spoke.
"I... want to hear it, impossible as it is... I want to hear it." Nichiya hummed as he spoke.
"Such resolve, such strength of will, are you sure you wish to know, young man?"
"I am sure..." Nadi and Nichiya exchanged glances before both nodded.
"Very well, we will help grant you an audience with her Majesty." Happy nodded, Carla still doubting everything and feeling regret for her fulfillment of her mission as they headed on, soon coming to the throne where Shagotte met them with eyes of... sorrow, grief perhaps as she spoke.
"I understand you wish to know more, but the capture of the Dragon Slayers was..." Happy hummed before he met her eye and spoke with wonder.
"I... feel it, you are using a lie." All froze as Happy spoke. "Due to some training in Earthland, I have been getting... notions of truth and lies, like I can understand a person's behavior and the Dragon Slayer capture... it is ringing as a lie, Your Majesty." The guards nearly moved to stop him, but Shagotte shook her head as she met Happy's eye again. "This... mission, you used it as a excuse to do something else, something of grave importantance, more than just Dragon Slayers... you focused fear into a task..." He breathed with plopping on the ground in voicing the last words. "You sent us to Earthland... to live..." Carla gaped as she exclaimed.
"Happy, that is madness, our mission was-"
"-A front, to save a hundred of the Exceeds from the impeding disaster to come..." Shagotte answered as all nearly exclaimed in revealing such information, but she was not dissuaded as she 'stood up'. "Young Exceed, what is your name...?"
"I'm... Happy, Your Majesty..."
"I see..." She turned to Carla as she spoke. "Forgive me for my heartless front, it is just to keep the humans in line, as we fear their desires and hunger for more will, one day, overwhelm us, but back then, I perceived a vision of the future..." Carla's eyes widened as Shagotte spoke. "Due to the Magic fading out and our home of Extelia crashing into the ground, I only took one course of action, to save the next to come, but as we did not wish to cause a panic, we sent a hundred Exceed eggs to Earthland to spare them the disaster, the mission was just a front to ensure what was asked would be done six years ago, but..." She lifted her head as she spoke on. "This mission still went through to one, someone who possessed the same gift of foresight as myself..."
"Your daughter... Carla..." Happy answered with a breath, Carla dropping in surprise to the sudden bomb before her as Happy got back up. "While the rest of us were left unburdened with the false mission, to live freely in Earthland, she got glimpses of that mission, she took your false mission as her own task to complete, didn't she...?"
"You are preceptive, Young Happy." Shagotte nodded as she came down, shedding her dress and crown to stand before them as her normal self as a single wing emerged from her back. "But it is also my own role, as a mother, I chose the life of my daughter over my own, even giving up a portion of my power to keep her egg alive as it was frail to begin with, this may have also cursed her to see the mission before her." She turned to Carla as she spoke. "I am not asking for you to forgive me for the lie that myself and the elders had made, but I ask of you to keep it in mind that what we did... we did it to ensure the safety of the children, even though some had hard rejections to the plan." Happy breathed with running his paw over his skull as he spoke.
"Just a question, Queen Shagotte, would you hate us for being a part of Earthland's Fairy Tail Guild, would you be upset with us for joining a guild in the first place, and are we allowed to save our friends?" Shagoote hummed as she spoke.
"I would hold no hate for you and it will be known among those in this room, but to all others, we will be forced to label you as 'Fallen' and you would be ousted from the kingdom, but I would never bare hate or rage toward either of you, if you choose to go." She faced Carla once more as she spoke. "If you are even more conflicted, then find the homestead of Lucky and Marl, they would also be labelled Fallen, but only because they were the most against of the plan and now live as simple farmers, they will help unburden your minds if you are still filled with doubts." Happy nodded with a bow as he took Carla's paw.
"Come on, Carla, we need to go help them, I don't mind this, we are Fairy Tail members after all, we can handle this much later, please." Carla numbly nodded as Happy dragged her along as Shagotte redressed and breathed as one of the elders spoke.
"My Queen, that was bold of you, but you did it either way, are you sure that we can trust those two and is she...?"
"For now, we must play to the farce before us, the humans have grown corrupt with the power and would now seek to turn weapons upon us..." Shagotte answered as she looked forward. "Send the Captain and some guards after them to assure the humans' intention and have an observer tell us exactly what would occur, if this truly connects to my vision, then we must move fast and with resolve in our souls, Extalia may fall, but we must keep panic out of our hearts if we are to see the next sunrise." They nodded as her orders were given and the young Exceeds understood the meaning as they hopped on a wagon and woke back up in a field and meeting Lucky, true to his role as a farmer before taking time to heal up, to mend their minds, and be ready for more trouble.
Carla was still in shock, but she had time to heal and she came to the understanding... that she was stuck-up with distancing herself from everyone else, she had to be cold to Happy who had a fancy in her, and that her mission was indeed false as, despite how Natsu and Gajeel reacted, Wendy was a dear and Kenith was polite and that helped in her regaining her strength of mind and her heart mending to allow her Magic to be used again, she would have to sort out her newfound relation to the Queen later, for now, her friends needed aid and she would help in doing so, though a talk with Marl, Lucky's wife, helped in that resolve forming right as they took off and headed to the Royal City...
Trouble came for the Wizards of Fairy Tail as, though they had managed to get out of the grip of the Army, Natsu and Wendy's power of Dragon Slaying was drained away to power Faust's great weapons that could finally bring Extalia down to the ground, but they were joined by Gray and Erza who were the Lacrima pried from the statue, and Gajeel who were aided by Mystogan and supplied with pills that could allow them the use of the Magic in Edolas.
They still had to pick a fight with the commanders of Sugarboy, Hughs, and Byro while the rescued Coco had in her possession the key to the Dragon Chain Cannon that could be used to 'hopefully' drop the Lacrima onto Extalia, the Army finally prying it from the statue and positioned it for the hit, heedless of the statue showing signs of cracking. Their attempt to adjust the cannon's aim failed with Knightwalker mucking up the plan and the events soon followed as Extalia's civilians tried to save their home before Mystogan returned with returning the Lacrima back to Earthland and tried to stave off the war, but Faust was not done in as he sent the Army to attack, even striking at Partner Lily who had been guarding the Lacrima from Gajeel, while bringing forth the Dorma Anim.
Far in the distance, the statue finally shattered and crumbled to the ground, a part of it getting tossed off to Alex grumbling as he dusted himself off. "I have a magical core, I should have been turned into Lacrima, but no... I got turned into a freaking statue of a chimera, safeguarding the Lacrima and only coming undone when those hooligans pried it out of my body." He groaned with rolling his limbs from the stiffness. "I am going to feel sore for months, who does that...?"
He hummed before shrugging. "A doctor, but that was not even carefully, even a child has careful hands over those dumbbells..." He peered into the distance and huffed as he pulled out a Lacrima and attached it to his overcoat, it starting up a tone, of a place of metal and forges found and of an ancient power awaken to fight the hero. "Time to show them what happens when you take what I guard." He felt his power sealed over, but that didn't stop his other skills as he dashed in a flash...
Music started to beat in the air as Lucy spoke. "Where is...?"
"Who is gonna rock the place (place, place)." Suddenly, Alex appeared and punched, tens flying to the sudden attack as he tore through them. "Who is gonna rock the place (place, place), who is gonna rock the place (place, place), who is gonna rock the place. There is no one that can touch this." He even shattered the Legions that came to aid as the Army found their assault quickly getting annihilated like their armor and forces were made of cardboard as the next verse played from a Lacrima on his chest pocket. "Who is gonna rock the place, we are forever gonna rock the place. Who is gonna rock the place, all together gonna rock the place. Who is gonna rock the place, we are forever gonna rock the place. Who is gonna rock the place, there is no one that can touch this." It broke into a guitar solo with the tap of the drum as Alex rolled his body to the beat and struck again as the music kicked back in with 'This evil foundry'. "Who is gonna rock the place (place, place), Who is gonna rock the place (place, place), Who is gonna rock the place (place, place). We are forever gonna rock the place, who is gonna rock the place. All together gonna rock the place, who is gonna rock the place. We are forever gonna rock the place, who is gonna rock the place. All together gonna rock the place, there is no one that can touch this." It played into an ancient melody as Lucy exclaimed.
"Alex!"
"In the flesh and..." He paused before huffing with looking away. "Natsu got tricksy on you, I see." She hummed in her... scant clothing that came from that haunted house and Natsu trying to use her sex appeal to dissuade the monsters in not attacking, forgetting for a moment that they were puppets and bent to the puppeteers command, as he spoke. "Now, where is that bloated king?"
"Uh, Natsu, Wendy, and Gajeel are fighting him now, but you don't..."
"Lucy..." Alex smiled as he glanced at her as he finished. "Since when have I needed Magic to shatter bone?" Lucy hummed as the ample forces heard this and paled, if that wasn't Magic, then he was a real monster as he looked back with tracing out where the Dragon Slayers were. "Now hold tight, you have reinforcements coming soon." Lucy nodded as Alex crashed right through the ranks, just as Edolas's Fairy Tail arrived to fight back.
"Who is gonna rock the place (place, place), Who is gonna rock the place (place, place), Who is gonna rock the place (place, place), Who is gonna rock the place." He slid into facing Black Dorma Anim, Natsu and Gajeel surprised as he smiled with a tilt of the hat.
"Howdy!"
"Another worm, no matter, I will take your Magic as I took the others!" Alex huffed to the approaching fist before he caught it, Wendy gaping as Alex looked Dorma Anim in the eye and smirked.
"Little king, you seem to forget..." His eyes sharpened as he spoke. "You took my Lacrima, I am here to shatter your body." He followed up with a fist that fragmented the held arm as the music played, each punch accompanied with the song.
"Who is gonna rock the place." Faust barely had the chance to get the arm back before Alex smashed it completely. "Who is gonna rock the place." He rolled into the other fist coming for him before he made it to the joint and smashed, dislodging it as the Dragon Slayer felt their energy returned with the reprieve that Alex was giving them. "Who is gonna rock the place (place, place)." He ran down the back and evade the tail strikes before snatched it and pulled, toppling Dorma Anim backwards with him rolling out of the way as the missiles were fired to take him out. "Who is gonna rock the place." He dashed with the missiles following, he smiling before he leapt over to the Slayers and struck each of the missiles into pieces, even getting a few exploding for Natsu to gulp down before he ran again, circling Dorma Anim like a persistent ferret on the hunt.
"Who is gonna rock the place." He slid under the attempted stomps of the machine as he just smiled to Faust's rage before he sprung onto one of the ruins and waved goodbye, just as Gajeel pledged into the feet of the machine, pinning it down as Wendy boosted Natsu's attack, right for Faust. "Who is gonna rock the place, all together gonna rock the place. Who is gonna rock the place, we are forever gonna rock the place, there is no one that can touch this." With that, the battle was won, Faust defeated with his armies and Edolas now on the brink of losing what made their lives on the daily, but Alex didn't complain as Natsu, once he got word of what Mystogan was planning on doing, convinced the rest of them to play the role for the people, this was both their send-off and a convincing ruse for Edolas to believe and live by...
(The song was 'The Palace That Was Found' from Sonic & the Secret Rings, I don't own it, I thought it would be a great battle theme to use, but I am keeping the fights and everything short and sweet with a lot of exposition to the chapter, my bad on that.)