Ch. 9- Arriving in the Capital
Fairy Tail © Hiro Mashima
OCs are mine
"So, you're this world's version of Natsu, huh?" asked Lucy as she sat in the back while still comforting Natsu, who looked ready to doze off in her lap, by now. The heroes had left Sycca not too long ago and were now driving to the Capital of Edolas thanks to Edo-Natsu's help. Now, they would be able to save their friends before this "magic extraction" began.
"This is him, all right," Haru confirmed as she sat in the passenger seat.
"So, is Puke-Face back there your me?" asked Edo-Natsu, who had this smirk of cocky arrogance to him. "Heh! Talk about pathetic."
"Hey, come on!" Haru said, defensively. "It's not like he can help it!"
"Whatever," Edo-Natsu shrugged. "Just don't let him hurl on the upholstery."
"It's not his fault," said Wendy. "Natsu gets terrible motion sickness whenever he's in a moving vehicle."
"And he's supposed to be me?" asked Edo-Natsu. "Here, I go by the name of 'Fireball Natsu'. I'm a Fairy Tail Wizard who specializes in transportation."
"Do you have to be a jerk when you do it?" Lucy muttered while Natsu hiccupped a bit.
"Hey, now that I think about it," Happy began, "this Magic Four-Wheeler doesn't have an SE Plug."
"An SE Plug?" Wendy parroted.
"A Self-Energy Plug, child," Carla explained. "It's a vehicle that runs on one's magical power."
"Well, it makes sense," Haru said. "Since the people of this world don't have any magic power, there's no need to have an SE plug."
"You mean this vehicle is running entirely on magic?!" asked Lucy.
"This is strange," Carla mused. "When it comes to vehicles, the people of Edolas are far more technologically advanced than Earthland is. What's going on here?"
Outside, Blue Fang was still sitting at the back of the car, panting happily as the wind blew in his fur… until the vehicle came to a stop.
"Whoa!" Haru cried as she momentarily jumped forward, but thankfully, the seatbelt stopped her from flying out the windshield.
"Hey, why did we stop?!" Lucy asked. "Are we here, already?!"
"No," Edo-Natsu answered. "You know how magic is limited here in Edolas? Well, it's a pain in the ass just to fuel this car up… and that's why this is as far as I can take you guys. Now…" He then turned and glared at the group. "Get outta my ride!"
"What?!" everyone except Natsu questioned.
"But… I thought that you-" Wendy started, only for Edo-Natsu to cut her off.
"If I take you any further, I won't be able to make it back to the guild," he told her.
"WHOO-HOO!" Natsu hollered as he happily jumped out of the car. "Free at last!"
"At least the other me can take a hint," said Edo-Natsu. "Now go on! The rest of you, out!"
He soon opened the back door and passenger doors and promptly kicked them all out of his vehicle. He also popped the trunk open to make Blue Fang fall off!
"Hey!" Haru shouted while rubbing her head. "What's your problem?! You were nice enough to help me before!"
"I only helped you because I thought you were my sister and I was tryin' to get us both away from Erza," Edo-Natsu countered. "Look… if you guys wanna take on the Royal Army, fine… just leave us out of it, okay? Somehow, you guys got in Lucy… well… our Lucy's head that we should fight back." He then glared at the group bitterly. "Well, guess what? That's not my thing. I just like to be on the go!"
Everyone blinked at Edo-Natsu, who only scoffed as he prepared to drive off. Unlike their Natsu, this one sounded a lot more selfish and arrogant, not to mention stubborn. Just as Haru was about to open her mouth to speak, Natsu suddenly went over and forced the driver's door open, much to his counterpart's shock.
"H-hey!" Edo-Natsu shouted. "What do ya think you're doin'?!"
"Get outta there!" Natsu ordered as he grabbed him and began to pull him away from the steering wheel. "Since you're this world's me, I got a big beef with you!"
"L-let go of me!" Edo-Natsu shouted as he struggled. "Stop it! Cut it out, already!"
But it was no use. Even without his magic, Natsu was still incredibly strong and was able to yank Edo-Natsu out of the car without an issue before he soon threw him to the ground. The others gasped as they saw Natsu stand over his parallel self, glaring down at him with glowing eyes and clenched fists, and of course, seeing such an expression on the Salamander was cause for concern. Natsu was known to start physical fights with others whenever they didn't agree with him, and this was probably not going to be an exception.
"Now tell me something," Natsu said… before he squat down in front to meet Edo-Natsu at eye level. "Why is it that you don't get carsick?!"
"THAT WAS YOUR BIG BEEF?!" Lucy questioned.
"Ugh…" Haru groaned as she slapped her hand against her forehead. "That's my brother for you… had us worried for nothing."
Suddenly, there was this whimpering noise, causing them to look at Edo-Natsu, his arms shielding his face.
"Uh… other bro?" asked Haru, worriedly. "Are you okay?"
That's when Edo-Natsu pulled his arms down… revealing tears in his eyes and a frightened expression on his face!
"WHAT THE-?!" the others questioned while Haru just blinked in surprise.
"I-I'm sorry, okay?" Edo-Natsu asked, looking like a scared little kid who was about to soil his pants. "I don't know! I swear!"
"Wait, back up," Natsu said in disbelief. "Are you seriously the same other me from a few seconds ago?"
"Y-yeah! I mean… I guess!" Edo-Natsu cried.
"This Natsu is a total wimp!" Happy exclaimed.
"AAH!" Edo-Natsu shrieked as he covered his head. "P-Please don't yell like that! It's scary!"
"Oh, yeah," Haru realized. "I think I remember the other me telling me about this. She says that he acts like a jerk when he's driving his car, but then he turns into a totally different person when he's out of it."
"I… I'm sorry, okay?" asked Edo-Natsu as he sat before the group in a fetal position, tucking his legs against his chest with his arms under his knees. "But I really can't do it! I only came because my sister and Miss Lucy asked me to do it!"
"I-it's okay!" Wendy assured. "You don't have to force yourself if you really don't want to."
"It's not like he can be much use to us as he is now, anyway," Carla added.
"Carla!" Wendy chided.
"Y… you must be the other Wendy," said Edo-Natsu as he looked at the Sky Dragon Slayer. "Wow… you're so small and cute!"
Wendy blushed a little at that comment.
"And you must be the other Haru," Edo-Natsu said as he looked at Haru. "And the other Blue Fang, too… wow… you two look a lot braver than me!"
"Uh… thanks, I guess," Haru replied.
"And you… other me," said Edo-Natsu as he looked at his Earthland counterpart… his eyes sparkling with admiration. "Wow… you look pretty cool!"
"Weren't you just calling me 'Puke-Face' a while ago?" Natsu asked, not the least bit impressed or flattered.
"I'm Happy, and this is Carla!" Happy introduced himself while Carla just remained silent with that usual brooding expression of hers.
"And you already know who I am, right?" asked Lucy.
"Yeah… you're the other Miss Lucy," said Edo-Natsu before he smiled. "Wow… for some reason, I feel a lot calmer with you. You're a lot nicer than our Lucy. She's always picking on me."
"Maybe because she likes ya," Natsu pointed out.
"Don't try to justify teasing, Natsu," Lucy scolded.
"Anyway," Edo-Natsu began, "Miss Lucy- our Lucy- said that it would be okay if I brought you guys out this far… so… here we are."
That's when the others looked over a ridge… and there it was: a huge city with a towering castle right in the center. It was then that they knew that they had arrived at Edolas' Capital!
"We're here!" Haru exclaimed.
"That's the Capital?!" asked Happy in disbelief.
"Wow! It's bigger than the Elise Kingdom!" Wendy pointed out.
"So that's why you stopped earlier!" Natsu realized as he hooked his arm around his Edolas counterpart's shoulder. "Why didn't you just say so in the first place!"
"AAH!" yelped Edo-Natsu as he cowered. "I'm sorry!"
"Jeez, don't ya know a compliment when ya hear one?" asked Natsu in annoyance. "Well, anyway, this is great! We got here even faster, thanks to you, other me!"
"So… this is it," Lucy realized as she looked down at the Capital. "Our friends have turned into a giant Lacrima and now it's somewhere down there, right?"
"Well, then, let's not waste any more time, here," Carla replied before she began to make her way down.
"Carla, wait for us!" Wendy called as she followed after her feline friend.
"See ya around, other me!" Natsu waved.
"Yeah, and thanks!" Haru added. "Tell that to your sister, too!"
"And give the other Lucy our best regards, okay?" asked Lucy.
Blue Fang barked in agreement, obviously wanting to give his best wishes to his Edolas-self as well.
"Uh… hey, wait!" Edo-Natsu called, causing Natsu and Haru to glance back at him. "You're not… really gonna fight the entire Kingdom, are you?"
"Well, we'll have to see," Natsu replied. "We're just here to save our friends."
"And if they're gonna put up a fight, then so be it," Haru said.
"But… there's no way you can win!" Edo-Natsu cried.
"Look, other bro," Haru began, "you gotta stop with that whole defeatist attitude. If you just keep thinking that you'll never win, then you've already lost before the fight's even started. Besides… it's not just about helping our friends. This king of yours is obviously ruining his own kingdom by taking all the magic in the world… so maybe it's time someone kicked him off his high horse."
With that, she soon headed down with Blue Fang following after her. Natsu glanced back at Edo-Natsu, who stared at him for what felt like a very long time… but then, the Salamander grinned at him.
"See ya!" he said before he jumped down to join the others, leaving Edo-Natsu to sit there, deep in thought.
XXX
It wasn't too long before the heroes arrived at the lower section of the Capital City… but the moment they did, they saw it was completely different from the towns they had previously seen. People were everywhere, chatting and just bustling about. Buildings and houses were floating around in the air, people were actually selling magic at legitimate stores, and there were even children playing with magical toys! It was definitely a far cry from what they had seen.
"Whoa… what is this place?" asked Lucy in surprise as she looked around.
"Okay, this is totally not what I was expecting," said Haru, and even Blue Fang seemed in awe as the wolf took in the surroundings. "I mean, that other me made it sound like the king was running some kind of dictatorship or something. We even got in here, no problem!"
"It's a lot different from those other towns we saw," said Lucy. "This place is like an amusement park or something!"
"Hmph!" Carla scoffed. "They're just wasting magic in this city. It's probably a ploy by the king in order to justify his actions and curry favor from the people."
"Ugh, what a crook!" Lucy said, crinkling her nose in disgust. As they kept walking through the streets, Wendy stopped as she noticed a large crowd gathering nearby, all of them cheering and applauding.
"Hey, look!" Wendy said. "There's a commotion going on!"
"Is it a parade?" asked Lucy.
"Who knows?" asked Haru.
"Let's go check it out!" Natsu exclaimed as he ran to join in. "Come on, Happy!"
"Aye, sir!" Happy replied as he followed after his best friend.
"Wait, Natsu!" Haru called as she ran after her brother with Lucy, Wendy, Carla, and Blue Fang following after them.
"We're not here to play fun and games, you know!" Carla shouted as she ran after the group.
"Urgh… 'scuse me!" Natsu said as he pushed his way through the sea of people. "One side! Comin' through!"
"Bro! Stop pushing through people!" Haru called out as she tried to push her way through, as well.
"Ow! Watch it!" cried a man as he held his foot.
"Sorry!" Haru apologized.
"Natsu, wait for us!" Lucy called as she tried to squeeze her way through as well, only to accidentally bump into him from behind as he suddenly froze in his tracks. "Ow! Natsu, what are you doing?! Why did you… stop…"
She trailed off as she, as well as the others, finally saw why it was that Natsu suddenly stopped: there, right in the center of the city… was a gigantic Lacrima Crystal. In fact, it was the exact same size as the Fairy Tail Guildhall back on Earthland! It even looked like something had already cut off a part of it, too!
"…Mavis Vermillion…!" Haru whispered in shock while Blue Fang stood beside her, gaping with his eyes wide.
"It's… a giant Lacrima…!" Wendy whispered in disbelief.
"You mean… that thing…?!" Lucy asked.
"Everyone in Magnolia… and Fairy Tail…!" Happy gawked. "They're all inside that thing!"
"And that looks like it's been a piece that's only been cut off!" Carla added. "There's sure to be more of it!"
Natsu, meanwhile, had broken out in a cold sweat… but the citizens of Edolas were all cheering and laughing as if everything was right with the world while they chanted…
"Long live the king! Long live the king!"
That's when they saw a tall elderly man with a long, flowing beard and hair. He wore elegant regal clothes and had a dome-shaped hat on his head. It didn't take them very long to realize who he was.
"That's him… that's the king!" Haru exclaimed.
"People of Edolas!" declared King Faust. "My sacred land! The Anima has produced a supply of magical power that will last us all at least 10 years!"
"It didn't make anything!" Happy growled as he clenched his tiny fists. "He stole it from our home!"
"Singing together… laughing together!" Faust preached while holding up his staff. "We shall share this joy with all of Edolas' citizens! Each and every one of you has the right to share in this magical power! We are the sacred race that shall endure for all eternity! No one can take away our great nation's magical power! And I hereby pledge to you, on this day, we will obtain even more of it!" He slammed the head of his staff into the Lacrima, which created a small hairline fracture. "We shall be so powerful that even THIS will seem like nothing!"
As the citizens of Edolas cheered… Natsu's rage was beginning to reach its boiling point. This man… this monster… he dared to try and justify kidnapping all his friends and family, and then made it sound like he was trying to save his people… but he knew the truth. They all knew… and he wasn't going to stand for it any longer. As the Fire Dragon Slayer attempt to push his way past the cheering crowd… he suddenly stopped as he felt a pair of arms wrap around him.
"…Let go of me, Lucy," Natsu growled, his fangs bare for all the world to see.
"No, Natsu," Lucy said as she wrapped her arms around him even tighter. "Please, just calm down."
"Like hell, I will!" Natsu shouted as he attempted to wrench his way out of her grasp. "That bastard… he's got our friends in there!"
"I know, Natsu!" Lucy cried. "Please… I know you're upset… and so are we."
Natsu looked around… and he saw Happy's teary eyes, Carla trembling as she hung her head down in shame, Blue Fang growling ferociously as his fur bristled, and Wendy looked like she was doing everything she could to keep from crying while Haru held her closely to comfort her… even though she had tears in her eyes, herself.
"It's gonna be okay," Lucy said. "We'll think of something… okay?"
Natsu didn't speak… but his body soon turned lax as he felt his fury beginning to quell. He was still angry… but at least he had calmed down.
"…Let's get outta here," Natsu said as he looked around. "I can't stand watching this… it makes me sicker than being in that car."
With that, they turned and walked away… but as Faust's laughter rang through the air, Haru seethed quietly as she glanced back with bitter hate.
'You're gonna pay for this… one way or another, you are GOING to pay!'
Review, please!