Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Fairy Tail
Alvarez' hideout was actually more obvious than most people would have realized. Within the wilderness of Edolas, there were plenty of scattered structures from dark guilds that had been taken down by Fairy Hunts ages ago. Seeing free real estate to hide out in now that people had no magic, Alvarez claimed them to be their various bases of operations. Some, admittedly, had been reclaimed by the guilds that had formerly been shut down. However, most were never returned to. So, Alvarez had bases scattered throughout all of Edolas, and could move whenever they needed to in order to avoid detection. Right now, Mavis found herself in the one that was closest to the Royal City, to limit the travel immediately after her escape from Alvarez.
"What has happened while I was gone?" Mavis sat down at a large table, set up for gatherings within a guild. She had turned it into a meeting table, since there was plenty of room for the Twelve Shields, and other important members if needed, to gather there. A fully equipped kitchen meant they could serve meals if they wanted to as they met, and the former guild master's office was now used as her own. This location had even been lucky enough to hold the remains of a library, though the books had been looted by the royal guards during their attack. Anything magic-related was gone, though Mavis had been quick to restock it with important volumes to study from as needed.
Sting and Wall were both in the main room, though Wall vanished into the back and left her alone with Sting in silence. He had likely set up a mini-lab where the bar had once been, based on where he had gone. "Well, obviously I lost my potential position in the army as a spy. But, that was sorta expected given your plan to familiarize us with Natsu for the upcoming battle." She nodded.
Sting shrugged, sitting down in front of her. "Levy and Natsu did visit Brandish and Dimaria, as planned. Both of them acted according to your plans. Brandish denied connections, insisting that I must have been lying to eliminate suspicion from myself, while Dimaria accepted the accusations but told them she had been questioning her loyalties for some time, based on mistreatment of soldiers. She provided more names to investigate…but it seems as if Fairy Tail has not looked into Serena or Jacob like planned."
"We can…still work with that much, I believe." She frowned, staring down at the table. How to change directions? "Lately…I've been realizing that perhaps there is a way to…expedite this process. We are having little luck with gaining the Anima blueprints from King Jellal, and the odds of Wall determining how to create one without them are slim." Despite his technical genius, the man failed when it came to making things related to magic. He could mimic it, certainly, but he claimed magic broke some list of fundamental laws the world had to follow. Mavis wasn't going to pretend to understand all of them herself, and because she wouldn't do that, she couldn't expect him to go and start understanding the fundamentals of magic either.
"The old machine was destroyed. We can't…utilize it to recreate anything." They'd already searched the site in the past, to see if they could determine how it once functioned from the parts that remained. Everything had been destroyed beyond recognition, at least in terms of recognizing function.
She nodded. "I know. However…recent events have made something else more obvious, something we've been overlooking. Exactly what took our magic in the past?"
"People from another world."
"And how did they travel here, and then back to their world?"
Sting paused, before his eyes slowly widened. "That…they had to have used magic. But…Edolas was nearly out of magic at that time…"
"Supposedly, the anima brought them back. However, this most recent intrusion?" She shook her head. "I heard rumors while in those cells, and while I don't want to put a whole lot of trust in such things…they are worth investigating. I believe that if we can manage to get into this other world, we can do as the intruders did to us in the past. We can create a reverse anima, and send all of their magic here from their world. And, as a bonus, information on magic itself would be easily gained in such a world. After all, magic is already freely used there…and has been for a long time, based on their actions here."
"So, the plans for attack are canceled?"
Mavis frowned, tilting her head. "For now, yes. If this plan fails, we will resume as planned with the war."
Sting nodded, standing up. "What shall I tell the others then?"
She paused, glancing outside. "I want them to start gathering…the Twelve Shields, that is. Other supporters can continue as they've been, until I have specific needs of them." Sting nodded. "And…while you gather them, I'd like you to bring back a Legion."
"A Legion? You want one of the flying mounts used by the Royal Army?"
"According to the rumors…it is that very creature that allowed for travel between worlds. We will be the ones to determine if that is the case or not."
"Sounds like a plan then. I'll start gathering the others." Sting paused, glancing over at her. "Would…would you like August to be brought here? He's been continuing on as King Jellal's advisor since you were arrested…we've done our best to keep an eye on him for you."
August…what did he think of her right now? The boy knew what she'd done, who she really was. Mavis had just wanted him to be safe, and away from the potential dangers that came from being involved in an organization like this. She wanted him by her side, where she could see that he was safe and happy. Yet…August had loved being with King Jellal, and working with Natsu. The shy boy amused August, with the way he stammered as he tried to answer August's questions, and how he got so uncertain when August brought up their own relation to each other. Being August's uncle was something Natsu didn't seem to adjust to that well, and he didn't know how he was supposed to behave as August's relative…but he tried, and August loved being near family.
Closing her eyes, Mavis swallowed. Her hands closed into fists, and she slowly rose to her feet. "Please…leave him be." Sting nodded, moving towards the exit. "Oh…and also, try not to delay yourself too much with the visit with Invel. As happy as I am for the two of you and your relationship, I'd rather not have it slow down my plans. I want to get to Earthland myself as fast as possible, and bring Zeref and Zera with me."
"You think you'll find a way to bring them back over there that quickly?"
She thought back, seeing the other Zeref taunting her with that book and his knowledge. Yet, he'd also offered to grant her requests later, after his betrayal. She didn't understand Earthland's Zeref at all, and she couldn't comprehend why he shifted goals so suddenly and completely, without warning. Yet, it was something she could use to her advantage, possibly. "I…I believe I can. There is one in that world that already knows of the spell I require. All I need to do is convince him that it would be beneficial to both of us, for him to help me."
"Well, Earthland really does have it all, don't they?" Sting shook his head. "I'll be glad when we get that magic back here. Seeing my step-brother again…" He trailed off, swallowing. "You'll be able to bring him back too, right? Like you promised?" She nodded. Sting smiled again when she did, taking a deep breath. "Of course you will. Sorry…I just get nervous, thinking about him."
"I understand. I'd be the same…if someone promised to return Zera and Zeref to me." The blond nodded, taking a deep breath. Then, he smiled again, waving and walking out the door. His shoulders were stiff, and he seemed to move quickly. Yet, she knew his pain well, far too well. Rogue, Sting's step-brother, had been a part of one of the dark guilds caught by Fairy Hunters in the past. Sabertooth had been their name…Rogue had been nearly able to convince Sting to join as well, when they were discovered. With the limited magic power of Edolas, they had been unable to defend themselves. The members were wiped out in the attack, with the guild master captured to be executed publicly as an example. Sting had lost Rogue then, the man that had been his best friend.
As horrible as it had been, that event was one she couldn't regret occurring. It brought her a valuable general, one who understood her pain and would do anything to alleviate it too. It had helped Sting as well, bringing him to Invel. Invel was a kind-hearted man, wearing his emotions openly in front of the others. Really, his use was in keeping them united and acting together as a team as a result. Yet…Sting's pain had been obvious to Invel, and the other man had needed to help. He'd comforted Sting about his loss, and helped him push forward. It was Invel that had brought Sting to Alvarez, and afterwords, the two had only continued to grow closer. Invel understood loss…likely better than even she did. Yet, unlike her reaction, he had never wanted to recover his lost loved ones. While he refused to speak of exactly how it had happened, he was open about stating that it was better to look forward rather than to the past for answers.
Even so, Invel did support her plans and goals. He agreed that magic was needed in this world, but did not explain why. He claimed to understand her longing to bring the dead back as well, though he acknowledged that such a feat was likely impossible to accomplish as well. Overall, he was more mysterious than most people realized, since on the surface…Invel was calm, and ready to lend a hand to anyone in need.
With Sting off to locate the others, Mavis had to prepare the former guild hall for people to reside there. Already, the guild hall had spare rooms which were likely used to hide when Fairy Hunts arrived. This guild's plan had likely been to appear as one that was already destroyed by the Royal Army, based on the layout. The doors opened and closed easily enough, but on the inside, there were mechanisms that indicated they'd hide the doors using magic, if there was magic to use that is.
Mavis had altered the layout of those rooms into sleeping quarters for the base. They weren't the most comfortable accommodations, but they functioned. There were cots with blankets and pillows, with each room designed to hold at least three people. Given the fact that Sting and Invel usually shared a bed…it typically allowed for the most use of the space they had. There were just barely enough rooms for such a thing to work, and even so, Mavis had set up a cot in the meeting area as well, to ensure there were still thirteen beds available.
Preparing for the others meant checking that the sheets and bedding were clean and properly washed before they arrived. So, Mavis set herself to chores for the day, enjoying actually having something to do for a change after a month of silent contemplation about her past and her plans. When the laundry was left drying, she took a break and began to study in the library instead. It had been a while since she last got the chance to read for any long duration of time, so it was rather calming to do so now. Reading like this had been something she used to do with Zeref. They'd go to the library, pick out their own books, and just sit in comfortable silence, enjoying the world of knowledge independently. Afterwords, they'd share any interesting facts they learned, or interesting plot twists if they had been reading novels instead.
Gradually, the Twelve Shields began to arrive. Brandish came first, bowing to Mavis when she walked in. "Your Greatness." She saw Mavis preparing food, and quickly pushed her aside. "Allow me to complete that for you. Remedial tasks such as this are not suited to leaders." With that, Brandish set herself to work. The girl hated being idle, so Mavis wouldn't be surprised if she didn't have a single chore to do for the rest of her time here now.
With Brandish keeping things clean and staying busy, Dimaria arrived. She met Mavis' gaze, nodding. Her hair was shoulder-length, and she dressed in a button-down white shirt with a long dark red skirt. "I hear we are changing plans."
Mavis nodded. "I will inform you of the change when everyone has arrived."
"I've brought a Legion with me. Sting said you requested to have one." Mavis nodded. "If there is no further requests of me, I think I will be going to rest in my room. The trip was long, and I find that I am tired at the moment."
"Do as you wish for now. My orders will start…once I've determined the usefulness of the Legion." With that, Mavis split her time between getting the creature used to her, and studying further. The Legion was surprisingly calm, considering how it was used most often by armies for war. It seemed gentle, despite its strange appearance. Oddly, it was calming to be near it…almost as if it was a large pet of some kind.
Jacob, Serena, and Ajeel were the next to arrive. They at least began to help Brandish with the upkeep of the base, gathering supplies for the kitchen and helping with cooking for the rest of them. Kagura and her brother, Simon, joined next. The two of them were always inseparable. From what Mavis understood, Kagura held a grudge against the royal family, however. She did not care what Alvarez' overall goals were, so long as they opposed Jellal in some form. It seemed as if what she saw as unfair taxes and regulations led to poverty for her family. While her parents managed to keep her and Simon alive, they had both perished. With anger towards the government for neglecting to care for its people, she had come and asked if she could be a sword for Alvarez. She was one of the most skilled fighters amongst the Twelve Shields, and while her brother was rather average, her skill and refusal to join without him made the payoff worth it.
Neinhart returned without much fuss, and the place was starting to feel crowded and active again. Sting and Invel returned next, delayed as Mavis had expected. "Irene said she'd show up soon…whenever she felt like helping." Mavis sighed, nodding. That girl was often too lax in her actions. Sure, she could help strategize on a level comparable to herself in terms of logic and considering future outcomes. Yet, when it came to punctuality and actually putting forth effort, she rarely did a thing.
When Irene finally arrived, Mavis had already gotten quite familiar with the Legion. The creature didn't seem to be willing to display its supposed ability to move to different realms, but she could be patient for now. With everyone here, explaining her new plans became more important. It had been so long since she'd gathered all of the Twelve Shields like this. Seeing them all at the table…Mavis couldn't help but slowly smile. "Welcome, to the first gathering of the new plan. Today…we start taking steps towards a magic-filled world. Today, it is our turn to follow in the footsteps of those we've seen before us, and learn from history." Their gazes were watching her, and Mavis slowly began to smile. "Today, we begin following the plot laid out before us by the Demon Lord Dragneel, who stole our magic away. We will turn this strategy against Earthland…and steal their magic while being in Earthland."
And now we have all of the Edo-Spriggan Twelve together! I don't think I'll be able to go hugely into depth for all of them, but I at least wanted to introduce the twelve I imagine participating in this (since August isn't involved and I can't imagine demons having Edolas counterparts, as they were created by magic, not born). I thought it'd be interesting to have Kagura here, and also parallel her grudge against Jellal in both worlds...so that was my main motivation for choosing her and Simon. Either way, feel free to review and tell me what you think!