Ch. 18- Homecoming


Fairy Tail © Hiro Mashima

OCs are mine


All around Edolas, there was nothing but panic. People were screaming in anguish and despair as their magical tools and weapons were rendered useless. Magic was disappearing from a world that didn't have much, to begin with, which was all a part of Mystogan's plan.

For some reason, though, while all of Edolas Fairy Tail was in a panic… Edo-Haru just calmly watched the sky with a look of melancholy with Edo-Blue Fang, Haru, and Blue Fang sitting beside her.

"Why aren't you panicking like everyone else?" asked Haru.

"…I'm gonna be real with you, other me," said Edo-Haru. "I'm tired of all this strife. If you ask me, magic is what caused all of these problems… so maybe it's just better if we never had it, at all."

"And you're really okay with this?" asked Haru in concern. "Because it doesn't look like your guild is."

"Eh… we'll survive, somehow," replied Edo-Haru with a shrug. "I'm not sure about everyone else, though. The prince saw this coming, too…"

"Prince…?" Haru repeated. "Oh… you mean Mystogan. So… what's gonna happen?"

"Honestly, I dunno," Edo-Haru answered. "Although… I saw your brother and those other two Dragon Slayers run off just a little while ago."

"Really?" Haru asked in surprise. "Where'd they go?"

KABOOM! A sudden explosion from the Capital caused Haru and Blue Fang to jump, along with their Edolas counterparts, and that's when Haru saw a column of flames burst from one of the buildings.

"…Never mind," Haru muttered before she sighed. "What is my crazy brother doing, now?"

XXX

"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAA!" Natsu laughed evilly as he was dressed in a black cape and fake horns, standing ominously over the Capital as his shadow loomed over the city with huge flames smoldering behind him. "FEAR ME, MORTALS! I AM THE GREAT DEMON LORD DRAGNEEL~!"

"Do you think he's getting a little too into this?" Wendy asked, wearing a black cape, as well.

"Well, you can't say he's not committed to the bit," Gajeel replied.

XXX

"Oh, for goodness sake," Haru groaned as she watched through a pair of binoculars. "Why is Natsu wearing the costume that he uses for our Halloween shows?"

"For what?" Edo-Haru asked.

"Never mind, don't worry about it," Haru said before she sighed and shook her head. "Honestly…"

She paused before she glanced over at her Edolas counterpart, then she looked out to the burning city. For some reason, she seemed to have a troubled expression on her face, which Edo-Haru took notice of. Seeing her Earthland counterpart look so disturbed, she couldn't help feeling just a bit worried, so she quietly reached over and put a hand on her shoulder, causing Haru to look at her.

"Somethin' on your mind, other me?" Edo-Haru asked.

"It's just… I feel so confused," Haru replied as she looked out to the city, again, where she could hear the panicked screams. "Usually, whenever we win a fight like this, everyone's happy and celebrating. My brother's stuffing his face with all kinds of food and everyone's laughing and drinking… but… instead, seeing everyone in such a panic…" She sighed as she closed her eyes. "I think this is the first time I feel bad for winning a fight."

"Well, I suppose that's how it is in your world," Edo-Haru said. "Look… it's gonna take people a while to adjust to something so huge… but if you ask me, this is a step toward a new future. We'll learn to live without magic. Who knows? We might thrive better because of it."

"Are you sure you're really gonna be okay?" asked Haru.

"Like I said," Edo-Haru began, "we're survivors." She gave her Earthland counterpart a smile. "We'll survive."

Despite her concern, Haru smiled back at her Edolas counterpart, and even Blue Fang and Edo-Blue Fang were smiling at each other until, all of a sudden, the sounds of terrified screams just abruptly stopped. Then, soon after, the air was filled with a roar of cheers, causing the two girls and their wolves to look toward the Capital.

"What happened?" Haru asked while Edo-Haru held up the binoculars, through which she could see Natsu lying on the ground… with Mystogan standing over him.

"I could be wrong, but… it looks like your brother lost to the prince!" Edo-Haru answered.

"Seriously?!" Haru asked. "Natsu lost?!"

"Yeah, looks like it!" Edo-Haru answered. "But… he's smilin' for some reason. I guess he's not too angry about it."

"Really?" Haru asked.

XXX

A battered and bruised Mystogan stood over Natsu, who lay on the ground, just as beaten up as he was… and yet, he was smiling.

"Are you satisfied… Natsu?" Mystogan whispered as the wind gently blew behind him.

"Hehehe! I sure am!" Natsu replied with his usual big, dopey grin. "I hope we meet again, someday… Mystogan!"

"…You fool," Mystogan whispered as he looked down at the Fire Dragon Slayer with a warm smile while the crowd cheered behind him.

"Hail Prince Jellal!" they chanted. "Hail Prince Jellal!"

XXX

"Huh… maybe this was Natsu's plan, all along," Haru mused.

"Do your brother's plans usually go this well?" Edo-Haru asked.

"Well… not all the time," Haru admitted, "but… when they do work out, the results turn out to be worth it in the end."

"Hehe…" Edo-Haru chuckled. "Your brother's such a weirdo."

"Yeah, well… so's your brother," Haru replied, causing the two girls to break out into laughter, and even Blue Fang and Edo-Blue Fang seem to snicker a bit. However, their laughter was cut short when Haru and Blue Fang's bodies began to glow, and then, they slowly began to rise up into the air, to Edo-Haru and Edo-Blue Fang's surprise.

"Whoa!" Edo-Haru cried. "Hey, what's going on?!"

Soon after, Haru could see the rest of her friends beginning to rise into the air, including Natsu, Wendy, and Gajeel… and it was at that moment that she realized what was happening. With a sad smile, the Beast Wizard turned to her Edolas counterpart.

"It looks like we're heading back home to our world," she told her. "I guess… this is goodbye."

"Oh…" Edo-Haru muttered. "I… I see."

Edo-Blue Fang whimpered as he lowered his head sadly, not ready to say goodbye to his braver counterpart.

"Hey… don't feel too bad, other me!" Haru exclaimed. "Despite all the crazy stuff, it's been fun, getting to meet you!" She then gave her a big grin. "Who knows? Maybe we'll see each other again, someday!"

"Hahaha!" Edo-Haru laughed. "Maybe we will!" She then gave her Earthland counterpart a smile. "Well… goodbye, Haru."

"Goodbye, Edo-Haru," Haru replied.

Blue Fang barked to his Edolas counterpart, who happily barked back in reply before the Earthland Fairy Tail Wizards slowly rise up into the sky.

XXX

"You… you knew?" Lisanna asked as she held hands with Edo-Mirajane and Edo-Elfman. "You two knew that I wasn't your Lisanna?"

"Yeah, we did," Edo-Elfman replied. "We just didn't really know what to say about it. Sorry for not saying anything, sooner."

Lisanna sniffed, feeling her eyes beginning to well up with tears.

"I'm… I'm so sorry," she said. "I just didn't want you to be sad."

"You really are a kind girl," said Edo-Mirajane, "just like our Lisanna was… and we appreciate that you pretended to be her for our sake… but I think it's time you went back." She gave Lisanna a warm but sad smile as her eyes began to tear up, as well. "Back to your world's Mira and Elfman, don't you think? They probably thought you were dead, all this time… and if they're anything like us, they're probably heartbroken, too. That's why you should go back. You belong in Earthland… your real home."

"…I'll… I'll miss you both!" Lisanna cried. "Thank you for everything!"

"No… thank you," Edo-Elfman replied.

"Give your brother and sister our best regards, okay?" asked Edo-Mirajane.

"Mm-hmm!" Lisanna nodded. "Goodbye… Edo-Mira! Edo-Elf! I love you!"

"We love you, too…!" Edo-Mirajane replied before she and Edo-Elfman finally let go, allowing Lisanna to float up into the sky with her friends.

In a flash of light… they were gone. Everyone from Earthland had disappeared into the reversed Anima… and for that matter, the Exceed had disappeared along with them. Once they were gone, Edo-Haru sighed as she sat down and stared up at the sky with Edo-Blue Fang sitting beside her.

"So… that's it, then," she said. "No more magic."

"Indeed."

Edo-Haru turned to see Mystogan approach her with a solemn look in his eyes.

"Your Highness…" Edo-Haru muttered before she bowed her head with Edo-Blue Fang doing the same.

"No… raise your head, please," Mystogan said, causing the two to look back up at him.

"So… what happened to your old man?" asked Edo-Haru. "Is he gonna be in prison or something?"

"No," Mystogan replied. "I decided that my father should be exiled from the Capital tomorrow morning as punishment for his greed."

"I see," Edo-Haru said as she stared up at the sky, again. "The Exceed are gone, too? Even… Panther Lily?"

"Yes," Mystogan replied. "It's a shame… I thought that he could rule the kingdom better than I could."

"…You know… he was the only guy I ever liked," said Edo-Haru. "When I was captured by Erza and tortured… he was the only one who treated me with any kind of decency." She sighed sadly. "It's a shame that I never got to thank him."

"So it seems he touched both of our lives," Mystogan replied. "He saved my life when I was a boy… I'll never forget that… he was more of a father to me than Faust ever was."

"…Are you gonna be okay?" Edo-Haru asked.

"…I know that the people of Edolas expect much from me," Mystogan replied. "I can only pray that I don't disappoint them."

"Well, if ya ask me," Edo-Haru began, "and… this is just me… I think you're off to a pretty good start."

Mystogan chuckled wryly as he glanced at her, causing her to look back at him.

"Thank you… Haru," he said.

"No problem, Your Highness," Edo-Haru said. "Or should I call ya 'Your Majesty'?"

"Even in this world, you're just as witty as the other Haru," Mystogan answered. "I suppose I can some comfort in that." He then looked to the horizon. "The road to our future will be a long one… but I have a feeling we'll be fine."

"Yeah… me, too," Edo-Haru agreed.

"Haru!"

Edo-Haru turned to see Edo-Lucy, Edo-Natsu, and the rest of Edolas Fairy Tail.

"Are you just gonna stand there or are you gonna help us clean up?" asked Edo-Lucy with a grin… but through that, Edo-Haru could see the dried tear stains beneath her eyes, showing that she had been crying, which caused her to frown slightly. Despite that, she could only smile back as she walked toward the blonde and put a hand on her shoulder.

"We got a lot of work to do," Edo-Haru said. "We better get started." She then walked past her. "And maybe after the city's fixed up, you can finally ask out my brother on a date."

"HEY!" Edo-Lucy shouted with reddened cheeks while Edo-Natsu's face just went as pink as his hair.

"Wait, what was that?" he asked.

"Oops!" Edo-Haru grinned. "Did I say that out loud?"

"DAMMIT, HARU! YOU'RE GONNA PAY FOR THAT!" Edo-Lucy shouted as she began to chase after her, causing Edo-Haru to laugh as she ran off, and the others soon began to laugh, as well… except for Edo-Natsu, who was muttering to himself about him and Edo-Lucy.

Even Mystogan couldn't help laughing, feeling a sudden sense of nostalgia as he looked up at the sky.

'No matter what world… Fairy Tail always manages to make me smile…'

XXX

Back in Earthland, the rain was still pouring down, nonstop. However, a small hole in the clouds opened up… and out of it came Natsu, Lucy, and all the others, all of them landing on the ground once again in an awkward pile-up, with Blue Fang landing right on top of everyone, causing them to cry out in pain from his weight.

"Ugh… seriously, Beast Girl, what do you feed this wolf?!" Gajeel questioned.

"Oh, shut up and get your foot off my face!" Haru yelled.

"Okay, whose hand is that on my butt?!" Lucy questioned.

"Uh… oops," Natsu said. "Sorry, Lucy."

WHAP!

"OW!"

"Gray… can you get off of me, please…?!" Wendy wheezed.

"I will as soon as Natsu gets his ass outta my face!" Gray answered.

"Get your face outta my ass!" Natsu shouted.

"Ugh… can someone please move their arm?!" Lisanna asked as she tried to squirm out of the pile.

After a while, they finally managed to break free and pulled themselves to their feet.

"So… did we make it?" asked Haru.

"Yeah… I think we did!" Natsu answered.

"We made it back home!" Happy exclaimed.

"YEAAAAAAAAAAH!" everyone cheered.

"Okay, first things first," Gray said. "We have to see if Fairy Tail made it back okay!"

"Hey! Look over there!" Lucy called as she and the others headed toward a ledge, where they could see the whole town of Magnolia on the horizon, as well as the Fairy Tail Guildhall, standing right at the edge of it!

"It's there!" Natsu answered. "The whole town's back to normal, too!"

"Wow… it's just as beautiful as I remember…!" Lisanna whispered as she stepped forward, causing Erza and Gray to gasp.

"W-wait a minute!" Gray exclaimed. "Aren't you supposed to be in Edolas?!"

"Wait… can it be…?!" Erza asked.

"That's right!" Haru affirmed as she walked over. "Erza, Gray! This is our Lisanna! She's been alive, all along! Didn't you notice her fighting with us?"

"Well… it's just… I was so caught up in everything and… I…" Gray stammered.

"L… Li… LISANNA!" Happy sobbed as he flew into her arms, sobbing with comical tears in his eyes. "IT REALLY IS YOU!"

"Hahaha! Oh, Happy!" Lisanna exclaimed as she hugged him.

"Lisanna…" Erza whispered before she went over and hugged her, causing the Animal Soul Wizard to laugh as she hugged her back, even as Happy was being squished between them. "I can't believe it's you…!"

"It's me, all right," Lisanna replied. "It's so good to see you, Erza! And you, too, Gray!"

"So… Lisanna's been alive this whole time?!" asked Gray.

"She was sucked up into Edolas by the Anima," Haru explained.

"I don't really know the circumstances," Wendy began, "but I'm happy for you guys!"

"Yes, yes, reunions are all well and good," Carla began, "but aren't we forgetting something?"

"Carla's right," Erza replied. "We have to see if everyone in Magnolia made it back, safely!"

"There's no need to worry about that! We already checked for you!"

Everyone looked up, only to gasp as they saw the Exceed flying overhead!

"We actually got here a little while before you did," said an Exceed with orange fur and a black tank top, "so we've been doing a bit of flying around."

"Yeah!" replied a chubbier Exceed. "Everyone in Magnolia and in the Fairy Tail Guild is doing just fine!"

"What in the world…?!" Carla questioned in disbelief.

"What are you guys doing here?!" asked Haru.

"Since we have magic in us," said a dark blue Exceed with a coiffed hairdo, "we got sent here, too!"

"This place is overflowing with magic!" added an Exceed wearing a cowboy hat. "It's amazing!"

"Wow! Isn't this great, Carla?" Wendy asked.

"It's FAR from great!" Carla shouted. "You monsters need to go back to where you came from, right now!"

Almost instantly, the Exceed stopped their revelry and soon landed on the ground, bowing their heads.

"Hey, hey!" Haru cried. "Why are you so against them being here? They're your own kind!"

"And besides, they don't have anywhere to go," Wendy said.

"How can you be so forgiving of them, Wendy?!" Carla questioned. "After all they did to us!"

A short distance away, Lucky and Marl quietly watched while hiding behind a tree.

"Listen," said an Exceed with tiger stripes. "We're really sorry about throwing rocks at you."

"Yeah! Really!" agreed a female Exceed wearing a dark red frilly dress.

"We've got nowhere to go, now!" cried an Exceed with dark brown fur. "We promise we'll change!"

"Yes! Please forgive us!" pleaded a female Exceed with curly blond hair.

"I don't care about any of that!" shouted Carla. "The fact remains that you people sent me to kill my friend!"

"Yeah, she's right!" Lucky shouted as he came out from his hiding spot. "The Queen stole our egg from us! I won't let you forget about that!"

"Oh! It's you, Mister Lucky!" Happy noticed.

"Wait… what is going on?" Haru asked. "Did I miss something here? What are you all talking about?"

"I'm afraid that Carla is not unjustified in her anger."

Everyone looked up to see Shagotte, as well as the four Extalia Elders behind her, all of them looking very remorseful.

"Perhaps it's time we explained ourselves," Shagotte said. "You deserve to know the truth, after all."

Soon, Shagotte and the elders began to explain in full detail why Carla and Happy had been given "orders" to kill Natsu and Wendy. It was 6 years ago when Shagotte, who held the power of foresight, had foretold the destruction of Extalia, which was actually a result of magic being extracted from Edolas. At the time, however, Shagotte and the elders were convinced that humans would be the cause. Knowing that the Exceed did not stand a chance against the humans if they were to go to war, Shagotte and the elders devised a plan to evacuate 100 Exceed eggs to Earthland. They went about the plan secretly, hiding it from even their own people.

Instead of telling the truth, they told the public that they would send their children to destroy the "monstrous Dragon Slayers". The Exceed never really had any personal quarrels with the Dragon Slayers, of course, but they felt that they had to come up with something.

"I see," said Wendy. "You're saying that you had to do what was necessary, right?"

"And if word about the real reason got out," Lucy said while Natsu carefully draped his cape around her shoulders, "then it would have caused a mass panic."

"When really, you were just trying to save your kids, right?" asked Haru. "I mean… it's kind of extreme, but still!"

"We borrowed the human's Anima," Sharlotte continued, "and the plan was a success… but there was just one thing we did not plan for." She then glanced over at Carla. "That was your ability, Carla."

"W… what…?!" Carla whispered.

"Just like me, you were born with the power to foresee the future," Shagotte explained. "However, for you, it works subconsciously… which wreaked havoc on your memories. Out of all the 100 hundred Exceed who had been sent to Earthland… only you had that power. What you saw was likely scattered fragments of the future of Edolas… and you must've mistaken the plan as 'orders'."

"You… you're lying…!" Carla whispered.

"So… are you saying that…?" Happy asked.

"You and Carla were never ordered to kill or capture anyone," Shagotte clarified. "It was just your mind's way of trying to make sense of what you were seeing. In doing so, you accidentally created your own false orders."

Hearing that didn't seem to make Carla feel any better, given her horrified expression.

'So… what I was seeing was just… visions?' she thought.

"We decided that it was best if you didn't know about your power," said Nabi while he continuously waved his right arm up and down, "so we made it sound like we were manipulating you. Please forgive us!"

"Meow…" Nichiya muttered, solemnly. "It was nothing more than a clumsy lie on our part, meant to build up the mystery surrounding our beloved Queen, but it was indeed foolish. Forgive us."

Carla didn't speak a word, clearly still trying to digest this information that she had just learned, to Wendy's concern.

"You suffered through a combination of misfortune and my attempt to look powerful in front of my people and the humans," said Shagotte, growing more and more guilty by the second. "No… even worse was that I made the families I took those eggs from 6 years ago miserable."

Nearby, Marl and Lucky both cast their eyes to the ground, sadly, while the Exceed muttered amongst themselves.

"That is why I offered up my life to you, Carla," said Shagotte. "The Exceed are not to blame for this crime… the sin was mine, alone."

A pause… before Haru stepped forward and stood before Shagotte with a warm smile.

"Well, at least now, you're speaking up about what happened, Your Majesty," she said. "I mean… the way you went about it was wrong, but I can understand where you're coming from. Sometimes, people tend to make a show of strength by hurting those who are smaller or weaker than they are, so I can see why you tried to make yourself act like some sort of deity. You did it to protect your people and the next generation of Exceeds." Her eyes softened as she kept speaking. "You're more human than even you, yourself, realize. You did what you felt like you had to in order to protect the people you care for."

Soon, all the Exceed began clamoring at once.

"She's right, Your Majesty! Don't blame yourself!"

"You only did what you had to protect us!"

"We're not all innocent in all of this! We deluded ourselves into thinking we were all-powerful!"

"And now that we're here in Earthland, we should go find the children that got sent here, 6 years ago!"

"And while we're at it, let's see if we can make friends with the humans, as well!"

"It's a new beginning for us!"

Shagotte stared in awe at the enthusiasm of her subjects, and for a brief, she had no words to describe how grateful she was feeling at the time. She was expecting them to turn against her when she revealed the truth… but instead, they understood.

"Hehe!" Natsu laughed. "These guys sure are excited, huh?"

"I guess that just goes to show how much they love their queen," Haru pointed out.

As for Carla, she seemed uncertain at first… until she sighed in resignation.

"Very well," she said. "I accept this."

"…Oh, Carla…!" whispered Shagotte.

"Still, I don't understand one thing," Carla said. "How is it that you and I have the same powers of clairvoyance?"

Shagotte and the Extalia Elders froze at that question.

"Err… well…" one of the elders muttered.

"Well… I can't really say," Shagotte said, her eyes darting left and right.

"Why is that, I wonder?" asked another elder.

"Huh…" Happy mused as he stood beside Lucky while raising his paw. "Hey, Mister Lucky? Have you noticed that Carla and the Queen kinda look alike?"

"Huh? They do?" asked Lucky, who raised his paw in the same manner.

"Aye!" Happy replied. "And they even move the same, too!"

"Move the same?" asked Lucky. "Are you sure?"

"Aye! Just look!" Happy said, and meanwhile, Marl just giggled quietly to herself, causing Haru to glance back and forth between her, Happy, and Lucky, then at Carla and Shagotte.

"Hey, Blue Fang…?" Haru whispered, causing Blue Fang to look at her. "Do you think that maybe…?"

Blue Fang only tilted his head, making a perplexed whine.

"Well, in any case," Natsu said as he squat down beside Nabi while, for some reason, shaking his right arm up and down, "I'm glad you guys made it here okay!"

"We sure did!" Nabi agreed, making the same gesture.

"Why the hell are you picking up on his weird habit, Natsu?" Gray asked… while shaking his arm, as well.

"You're doing it, too, Gray," Lucy pointed out.

"Meow~!" Nichiya exclaimed as he noticed Erza, who yelped in disgust as she backed away. "I must say, you are quite an exquisite beauty!" He then sniffed at her. "Mmm… such a beautiful perfume."

"Is… is this…?!" Erza stammered.

"Deep breaths, Erza," said Haru as she held her shoulders. "Deep breaths!"

"For the time being," Shagotte began, "we're thinking of living somewhere close by. What say you?"

"That'd be great!" Wendy exclaimed. "Then we'll be neighbors!"

"Why are you so happy about that?" Carla asked.

"Carla…" Shagotte whispered as she stared at the white Exceed with soft, warm eyes. "Now, we'll be able to see each other more often." Then, unexpectedly, she pulled Carla into her arms and hugged her tightly.

"W… what are you…?!" Carla stammered as she attempted to pull away… yet, she barely could. Her momentary surprise gave way to a melancholic expression as she found herself sinking into Shagotte's embrace.

'…Strange… she's so warm…' she thought. 'Although… I don't seem to mind it very much…'

"You're welcome to come visit us anytime, as well, Happy," Marl offered.

"Aye!" Happy exclaimed.

"GRAAAH!" Lucky yelled angrily. "No one says you have to come!"

"By the way," Happy began, "you two sure smell nice. I wonder why that is!"

Marl and Lucky both tensed before tears of joy began to well up in their eyes. Before the former could lose control of herself, she quickly turned away while the latter growled and wiped his eyes.

"GRAAAAH!" he screamed as he chased after Happy, who shrieked in alarm. "You can't just go around, smelling other folks, you got it?! It's rude!"

"Sorry!" Happy cried as he hid behind Lisanna's leg, causing her to giggle.

"Take care of him, won't you?" Marl asked.

"Of course, we will!" Lisanna answered. "That's what we've been doing all along!"

"Thank you," Marl said with a grateful bow of her head.

"Hey, Natsu… you can tell, can't you?" asked Haru quietly so that Happy couldn't hear.

"Yeah," Natsu replied, still waving his arm up and down like Nabi. "Those two are definitely Happy's mom and dad. I can tell just by smellin' 'em."

"…You think we should tell him?" Haru asked.

"Nah," Natsu replied. "If he wanted to know, he'd probably ask, himself… and besides, they look happy just knowing that he's okay."

"I guess so," Haru said with a smile.

Soon, the Exceed had all taken flight and soared away, headed off to their new home in Earthland.

"See ya later, everyone!" Natsu called.

"Bye!" Lucy waved. "Take care!"

"Maybe we'll come and visit someday!" Haru added while Blue Fang howled out his farewell.

As the Exceed flew away, Shagotte, who was being held aloft by Marl, took one last glimpse at Carla, who grew smaller and smaller as the distance between them grew.

"…So, here's a question for ya," Lucky said as he flew alongside the Queen. "Why didn't you tell that girl that you're her mother?"

"…I don't have the right to tell her," said Shagotte. "Not until we find the 100 children that had been sent to this world. Only then can I admit that to her."

"Honey," Marl said. "You do realize that you could have said the same thing to Happy, right?"

"GAAAH! Forget it!" Lucky shouted. "As if I could call a kid as blue as him my son!"

"I suppose so," said Marl, humorously, before she looked at Shagotte and gave her a reassuring smile. "You can always go and visit her, Your Majesty. Although I must admit, I'm surprised that you would send your own daughter to Earthland, too."

Shagotte smiled sadly as her eyes teared up, once more.

"I am a queen in name, only," she said, "but even so… a mother's child is her greatest treasure."

"GRAAAAAH!" Lucky screamed. "I can't argue with that!"

XXX

"So, this whole time, you were alive, huh?" Gray asked as he, Natsu, Erza, and Haru stood around Lisanna, who was sitting down on a rock with her head bowed. For some reason, Natsu and Gray were still waving their arms up and down, and somehow, Lucy and Erza were doing it, as well.

"You know, it's really hard to take you guys seriously when you're all waving your arms like that!" Haru said… even though she was doing it, too!

"Um… Haru?" Wendy asked. "Now you're doing it."

"Focus, please!" Erza called. "Now, Lisanna… if you were alive this whole time, why didn't you say anything before?"

"I'm sorry," Lisanna apologized. "It's just… I did it because I just didn't want to Edo-Mira and Edo-Elf sad. They already lost their real sister… and I had to make up excuses for why I suddenly turned up. I said things like I had amnesia, at first, and… for a while, they seemed to accept that." She then turned to Natsu and Happy. "I just didn't expect you and Happy to turn up, Natsu. I'm really sorry I didn't say anything… I wanted to tell you, I really did, but… I just couldn't figure out when would be a good time, and then everything else came up and… finally…" She sighed as she looked up at her long-lost friends. "I really am sorry, everyone. I can't even begin to try and make it up to you… can you ever forgive me?"

A pause… before Erza smiled at her. "Don't you think you're overthinking it a little?"

"Yeah… what is there to forgive when you haven't done anything wrong?" asked Gray.

"We're just glad you're back home, safe and sound," said Natsu. "Right, Happy?"

"Aye!" Happy agreed.

"And I know two people who will be even happier to see you," Haru added.

"…Do you really think they'll understand?" Lisanna asked, knowing exactly who Haru was referring to.

"Hey, they're your brother and sister!" Natsu said. "They'd understand more than anyone else!"

"Hold it!" Gajeel shouted, all of a sudden. "We're forgettin' someone else! Where the hell is Lily?!"

"Lily?" Haru repeated. "Wait… you mean Panther Lily, that big, buff Exceed?!"

"Yeah! He should have come here along with us, right?!" Gajeel questioned. "Where the hell is he?!"

"I'm right here, Gajeel!"

Everyone turned around… only to gape in comical shock. There, standing behind Gajeel… was this little Exceed with a scar over his left eye who stood at least a couple more inches than Happy and Carla with these cute little round ears and wearing a pair of green pants.

"Is that… Panther Lily?!" Haru asked.

"HE'S TINY!" Natsu, Lucy, and Wendy cried.

"Wow! You look so cute!" Happy added.

"It would appear that my body isn't really suited for this world," said Panther Lily.

"And yet, you don't seem to mind it much, do you?" Carla inquired with a deadpan expression.

"I wish to join the wizards guild that took care of Prince Mystogan during his time here!" Panther Lily proclaimed. "And I assume that you'll help me join, just as you promised, did you not, Gajeel?!"

"OF COURSE, I'LL GET YA IN, YA LITTLE FURBALL!" Gajeel cried as he tightly hugged Panther Lily with comical tears of joy. "I FINALLY GOT MY CAT!"

"Uh… why is he crying?" Lucy asked.

"Search me," Haru muttered.

"Man, what a day!" Natsu exclaimed. "We gotta go home and tell everyone!"

"But first," Haru began, "there are two people at the Kardia Cathedral that Lisanna should see." She then glanced at the formation Animal Soul Wizard, who looked up at her with uncertainty. "Lisanna… are you ready?"

Lisanna bit her lip… then, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath as a look of renewed resolve appeared on her face.

"I'm ready," she whispered.

XXX

At the Kardia Cathedral… Mirajane and Elfman stood out in the graveyard. Before them was Lisanna's tombstone, in front of which they placed a bouquet of flowers. Elfman quietly stood at his older sister's side, holding the umbrella over her as she knelt down in front of it.

"Don't you think it's time we started heading back, Mira?" asked Elfman.

"Just a bit longer, Elfman," Mirajane whispered, sadly. Please."

"Mira! Elfman!"

Mirajane and Elfman turned to see Natsu, Haru, Lucy, and the others approach.

"Natsu?" Mirajane asked. "Lucy? Everyone?"

"What are you guys doing here?" Elfman asked.

"We've got a surprise for you," Haru said before she and Natsu stepped aside… revealing Lisanna standing behind them. A gasp escaped from Mirajane and Elfman, the latter being so shocked that the umbrella fell from his hand, allowing the rain to soak both him and his older sister.

"L… Lisanna…?" Mirajane whispered.

"It… it can't be…!" Elfman said. "That's impossible!"

Lisanna stood with Natsu and the others, not daring to take even a single step… until she felt a gentle push from behind, causing her to glance back and see Haru smiling at her.

"Go… they're waiting."

Lisanna looked at her siblings, who stood there in stunned silence. Then, after what felt like an eternity… she broke out in a run, sprinting toward her older sister and brother, who, in spite of their shock, instinctively reached out with open arms. Once the distance was closed, Lisanna threw herself into the arms of her siblings in a near-bone-crushing hug. All three hugged each other tightly, as if to make sure that what they were seeing and feeling was real… and when they had assured themselves of that fact, the damns soon burst open, and all three of them burst into sobs.

"LISANNA!" Mirajane cried.

"YOU'RE ALIVE!" Elfman sobbed. "HOW CAN IT BE?!"

"Mira… Elf… I'm sorry!" Lisanna cried. "I'm so, SO sorry!"

The three Strauss Siblings just held each other, crying into the rain. After two years of believing that she was gone… Mirajane and Elfman had been reunited with their beloved sister. As the reunion took place, the rest of Team Natsu and even Panther Lily smiled at the touching scene. Lucy even sniffed as she wiped her eyes, happy for her friends. Even Gajeel, who was normally so steely and hardboiled, couldn't help but crack a small grin.

As for Haru, she just couldn't hold her tears back as she wept with joy, prompting Blue Fang to lick her face in an attempt to console her. That's when Natsu reached over and caught his adopted sister in a side hug, which she returned.

"…Welcome home, Lisanna…" Mirajane whispered, happily.

"…That's right," Lisanna replied. "I'm home…!"


And with this, Edolas has finally ended. I admit, I wasn't very enthusiastic about this one, but I'm glad I managed to get it done with.

Now that Edolas is over, I'm going to break from Fairy Tail for a couple of weeks and see if I can work on some One Piece stuff. I'll probably work on Wano for a while and then see if I can start on The Fire Within, again. After that, I'll be working on another filler arc that takes place before Tenrou Island.

Until then, review please!