2 years ago

Year X782, Edolas Forest

Lisanna groaned weakly, trying to get up. The pain in her chest was enormous, making her think she must have broken-or at least cracked-one or more ribs. She also couldn't move her left shoulder, which had been dislocated instantly when she had been struck. To top things off, her head hurt worst than it ever had before and the world was spinning. She finally managed to get up and looked around.

This... What is this?

The forest around her was unlike any she had ever seen; titanic mushrooms replaced trees and the grass was a pale shade of turquoise. A shadow passed across the ground; Lisanna looked up, expecting to see a cloud, and sank back to her knees in utter shock.

A mountain drifted lazily in front of the sun, suspended thousands of feet up in the air.

This place isn't normal... I must have fallen asleep...

She shook her head, pinched her arm, and even pushed on her broken ribs a bit, eliciting only a sharp wince of pain and sharp intake of breath. She seemed to be fully awake, but the world was completely irregular. She tried to remember as much as she could; she had been on an S-class mission with her siblings, they were to suppress 'The Beast'. But something went wrong...

I remember... A massive shape smashing through the fog... An enormous hand sweeping out of nowhere... Pain... And tears... Tears rolling down Mirajane's face and onto my own...

Am I dead? Lisanna asked herself, No, I wouldn't feel any pain if was. More importantly, is Elfman okay? Or did Mirajane have to...

She grasped her head in her hands, sobbing in helplessness until she heard herself whisper.

"I need to go home."

That was it, her grasp on reality, she needed to escape whatever this strange world was and return to Elfman and Mira, to Erza, Gray, Cana, Master Makarov, Happy, and... Natsu, she had promised him she would come home, she had to. Lisanna looked up at the bizarre canopy, initially surprised at the yellow sky beyond.

If I can muster enough magic power to do a bird takeover, I can at least get a lay of the land.

She took a breath and reached for her remaining magic. She released it and shouted out, "TAKE OVER! ANIMAL SOUL!"

She expected her arms to morph into the colorful bird wings she had grown used to since she started using takeover magic eight years ago. But her arms just kept aching; this, added with the stress of trying to use magic, led her to collapse weakly at the base of a giant mushroom. Her eyes drooped shut slowly and her body grew limp. She fought with all her being to stay awake as sleep finally took a hold of her.

•••

She awoke the next day in a small cot, the pain in her ribs felt number and her shoulder had been popped back into its socket, softening the pain and allowing her to move it. Looking around, she saw that she was in a circular dome-like room filled with all kinds of random objects.

She started to push herself up from the cot when she heard a deep voice in the corner of the room, "You shouldn't move too much yet, your ribs aren't fully mended."

Looking for the source of the voice, she saw a tall man in a dark cape sitting on a rickety chair, he had a hood over his hair and a cowl covering his face. He had five intimidating staves on him; one rested on his laps, the other four were slung across his back. Lisanna knew she had never seen him before, but something about him felt familiar. He started to rise to his feet and walked to her side.

"Who... Who are you?" Asked Lisanna shakily.

The tall man was silent, he held a hand over her and muttered a few words, a weak glow enveloped her. "You will be better soon, until then, sleep..."

Upon hearing those words Lisanna's eyes widened and she grabbed his wrist, keeping him from completing his trademark spell.

"I know you..." She had a hunch of who this man was, "This spell, those staves... You're Mystogan, aren't you?"

The man pulled back his hand and said nothing, he nodded once. Lisanna stared at him in shock, she had only ever heard stories and rumors about the shadowy staff-wielding Mage who's powers apparently rivaled even Laxus.

"Why are you here? Where IS here?" She started asking, all her confusion bubbling up and breaking out uncontrollably, "Are Elfman and Mirajane okay?"

Mystogan raised his hand, silencing his confused guildmate, "This is Edolas, a parallel world with alternate versions of everyone and everything in your own world, Earthland."

"MY world? Why are you talking like this Mystogan?"

The shadowy figure removed his cowl and hood, revealing a mess of blue hair and an intricate tattoo around his right eye. Lisanna's jaw dropped, she recognized this man, how couldn't she? Siegrain Fernandez, the newest of the Ten Saint Wizards, had been featured on the cover of every 'Weekly Sorcerer' for the past month.

"Siegrain?" She asked slowly, "Why are you in Fairy Tail?"

Mystogan shook his head, "No, I am Edolas' version of Siegrain's twin brother; Jellal. I have been traveling around Earthland for the past seven years, closing the Anima that have been stealing magic power for the Kingdom here."

He went on to explain the politics of Edolas, and their struggle for inexhaustible magic power. By the end of it, Lisanna's head was hurting again.

"But why am I here?" She asked as Mystogan finally stopped, "And how am I supposed to get home?"

"When Mirajane and Elfman came back and told us what had happened, I had a horrible suspicion that it was an Anima. I ran to the location of your 'death' you were so close to death, it made you weak enough for an Anima to absorb what was left of your magic, taking your body along with it." He looked at the floor, hating the words that came from his mouth, "As for getting you home... I haven't thought of any way to get you out of Edolas, I got back here by slipping through the remaining traces of the Anima that took you. The lack of Magic in this world as opposed to Earthland's acts in equilibrium, my body contains no magic so I can slip through easily, as can anyone from Edolas. You, however, contain an endless supply of Magical power, the only way to get you home would be to empty you of all Magic, which is a death sentence to mages."

The silence hung heavy in the air, dread building within Lisanna. Mystogan hadn't said specifically said it, but she knew what this meant. She would never return to Earthland, she would have to live out her days in this strange land.

"No!" she screamed as she leaped out of her bed, oblivious to the pain in her ribs and the tears soaking her cheeks, "There must be a way! Some trick, some way to get through. I need to get home!"

When I come home

"I swore!"

Be careful

"I swore I'd come home!"

We'll talk about us

She punched her guildmate in fury and desperation, tears dripping onto the floor. "Natsu's waiting for me! He thinks I'm coming home!"

Mystogan hugged her, holding her tight against his chest, ignoring the sting in his cheek. Lisanna did her best to scream and punch him. She hated him, this was all his fault somehow. Faces flashed in front of her...

Macao and Wakaba drinking and reminiscing in the corner. Cana reading the Tarot, trying to predict some secret event. Gray freezing the Master's beer and running away as he giggled. Erza eating through an entire Strawberry Cheesecake while lecturing others on temperance. Makarov sitting cross legged with a beer and a wide wise smile. Gildarts pretending to be overwhelmed by an army of young children. Happy munching through a pile of fish and shouting "Aye Sir!". Elfman bragging about his manliness while fixing a picnic to go bird watching. Mirajane looking for a fight against any and every foe.

And Natsu... Natsu whining, bragging, laughing, fighting, crying... Natsu holding her against him, kissing her so passionately that she felt him wash away the heartache of the last five years.

With that image in her head, Lisanna lost all strength and slumped in Mystogan's arms, sobbing weakly. Mystogan laid her onto the cot and waved his hand over her, sending her into a deep dreamless sleep.

•••

Lisanna awoke an hour later, her eyes still red and puffy. She sat up, looking around the warehouse. Mystogan was gone, in his place was a note and a vial containing a single red ball in it. She walked over to it and picked up the note.

Lisanna

I apologize for my hasty departure, but I'm afraid that I must return to Earthland as soon as possible before my chance to get back unnoticed slips away. I am truly sorry for your predicament, but I know of no way to reverse this. I swear that I will search for a way, and if I find one I will hasten back to let you know. Until then, I have left you an X-Ball, this is a medicine I developed to allow me to use Earthland magic, but it may also serve to unlock your own power while you are here. You must not let anyone discover your powers; if they do, you may even be carted off to the Royal City for interrogation. As for what to do next, that is entirely your choice, however, if you follow the left path for a few hundred paces and then follow the trail of white marks on the trees, you will reach Edolas' Fairy Tail. Their Lisanna died a month ago from a fall, you will find welcome there. Remember that everyone in Edolas is slightly different from the versions you know, please do not let that shock you.

Take care, and please forgive my inability to help.

Lisanna stared at the page, then at the vial. She swallowed the little red pill and felt a warmth within her. To be sure that the pill worked, she turned her right arm into a large green and pink wing. She smiled slightly, loving the sight of her wing, it was almost like seeing an old friend. Now came the choice, she could go off on her own into the woods and learn to integrate with the people of Edolas... Or she could go to Edolas' Fairy Tail, make them believe she was somebody that she was not. The idea of lying to those people stuck in her throat, but if it meant seeing her family, she would do it, she would do anything to see Mira and Elfman... And Natsu. Thinking of Natsu reminded her of a day after she had been kidnapped by a Gorian and saved by Gildarts...

"What's the point?" she whined, tickling Happy

"Gildarts and I won't always be there to help you Lisanna!" shouted Natsu, Gildarts sat a few feet away, amused by the quarrel before him, "And no offense, but turning into a bird or a giant rabbit won't help in a tough fight."

She pouted and turned from Happy to face Natsu, "I didn't learn magic to fight, I learned it to help people."

"Which sometimes means you'll have to get your hands dirty."

Both the children turned to Gildarts, Natsu grinning victoriously.

The older man sighed and looked seriously at his little friends, "Lisanna, I admire your desire to help, but I'm afraid Natsu is right. You may need this someday, you can't rely on others to help every time."

Lisanna nodded and turned to Natsu, blushing slightly. "So what were you going to show me?"

Natsu lifted his fist and summoned a handful of flames, "The first spell Igneel ever taught me; The Iron Fist of the Fire Dragon."

Lisanna smiled, thinking of Natsu's irritation during the months he spent teaching her the 'simple' spell. She closed her eyes and reached for her power, thinking of Natsu's smile. Flames sparked up around her hand and incinerated Mystogan's message.