Layla had stepped outside the training dimension for a brief moment, however for those inside she was gone for almost 6 hours. She has now returned through the portal after her 'brief' break outside; she was immediately shocked by the sight...
The once simple river had now been replaced by ocean which also submerged the desert.
Two of the snowy area mountains had collapsed and the arena pit in the centre of the grassy field had been filled with ice and looked like an ice skating rink.
The accommodation building had been completely destroyed and there was burn marks and icicles all over it.
The majority of the group was standing on the grass area near the arena meanwhile Kori and Gray were skating around on makeshift ice skates made of ice.
Natsu, Gajeel, and an exhausted Pantherlily were out in the ocean covered desert being rescued by Saphira who was flying above them in Dragon Form.
"How is this even possible?" Layla angrily exclaimed from her position near the doorway before releasing the seal to her wings and rocketing down to the group near the ice filled arena.
"Oh, hello Layla" Wendy cheerfully replied as if nothing had happened
"What... How..." Layla responded as she looked around the destroyed dimension.
"Ok momma, before you freak out let me explaine..." Lucy said as she took a deep breath.
"Well Erza, Wendy, and I went to the beach area to train and all was going well for a couple of hours... Erza was practicing sword strikes with Aquarius who was helping by throwing waves of water at her to cut." as Lucy said this Erza still in a bikini nodded
"Wendy was practicing her Sky Magic sparring with Gemini who was copying her" As Lucy said this Wendy still in her bikini nodded also in agreement
"I was practicing channelling my magic with Capricorn under a nearby tree and it was going well..." Lucy said before pausing causing Layla to raise an eyebrow as everyone else showed signs of cringing
"Go on..." Layla said sensing this was about to go downhill...
"Well suddenly there was an explosion that shook the area which took us all by surprise, and we watched one of the mountains collapse. Because of the shock I accidentally lost focus and closed my celestial gates to Capricorn and Gemini... but not Aquarius..." Lucy said with a sarcastic laugh causing Layla to sigh guessing what happened next.
"Aquarius now with the extra power created a large tidal wave by mistake, instead of the small waves that Erza was cutting before hand. The wave swept us all across the area creating the extended ocean you now see, if it hadn't been for Carla and Pantherlily we may have drowned." Lucy said with her head down depressed.
"Wait... is that all? What happened to the arena then? And the accommodation, And the other mountain?" Layla said as she looked at the group
"Gray and I filled the arena with ice to practice his ice molding after the mountain... collapsed for some reason..." Kori said before quickly showing signs of guilt
"Kori..." Layla said frowning at her
"Okay, I was kinda showing off a little and sort of destroyed the mountain" Kori said with a laugh causing the group to sigh
"Why are there ice and scorch marks all over the accommodation building than?" Layla said confused
"Um... Well you see... After the mountain collapsed we decided to try my molding near the arena... but then Natsu came over running his mouth with Happy and well ... we kinda got into a fight" Gray said embarrassed as Erza got angry.
"But the accommodation is way up the hill away from the arena?" Layla said confused.
"It was a good fight?" Gray said as he scratched the back of his neck.
"I give up..." Layla responded as she sat down depressed.
"Don't worry momma it was our first day of training we will get better" Lucy said trying to reassure her.
"That's what scares me" Layla said as she pictured how many times she would need to fix the place.
An exhausted Pantherlily, Natsu and Gajeel were rescued from the ocean shortly after by Saphira in her dragon form; apparently Natsu ended up in the ocean because Erza had kicked him from the Accommodation area in anger of his fighting.
Layla repaired the accommodation building first so that they could all sleep for the night. Saphira apologised for the mountains getting destroyed, but Layla honestly wasn't surprised, as Kori was still getting used to her powers.
A week passed in the training area, there had been multiple incidents with things being destroyed which was one of the main reasons Layla had to assist this group personally, as no one else would be able to deal with the destruction.
Gray and Kori were getting along well, a little too well for Saphira's liking as a protective parent, but they kept it all above-board.
Because of Lucy's increased power she was able to use Gemini to copy Erza much to Erza's delight so the 2 of them sparring was an excellent solution. Wendy joined Lucy with Capricorn on channelling training as it would help Wendy's healing ability which she was excited about.
Layla decided to put Gajeel and Natsu together for sparring as they seemed to enjoy it and she was overseeing them personally...
"You two are doing well" Layla said to the pair who were taking a quick break
"Would you two like to take it to the next level?" Layla said with a mischievous grin
"The next level?" Gajeel replied confused
"Well because of your stage of development you both are unable to enter Dragon Force at will correct?" Layla said to the two.
"Yeah why is that when Sting and Rogue could if they are no better than us?" Natsu replied
"Well because of their Lacrima infusion, it allows them to draw on what little dragon essence they have. As it was premature they will be unable to get wings and claws like what you will soon have; all they have gained is the ability to reach Dragon Force." Layla replied
"So what are you suggesting?" Gajeel said with an eye raised.
"This" as Layla said that she extended her palms creating a green flame in her left hand towards Natsu and a Sphere of what looked like liquid Chrome in her right towards Gajeel.
"I think you get the idea" Layla said with a smile as the two of them devoured their respective element.
"WOW! I've never had fire like this before" Natsu exclaimed as he erupted into a green fireball and fiery red dragon scales appeared over his face and arms which was more complete than his simple scale indentations.
"Yeah no kidding" Gajeel added as he took on a more shiny metallic look almost liquid in nature like Mercury with darker iron looking scales over the top.
"This is the true form of your Elemental's Dragon force prior to Lacrima. It's best that you focus on your base element first before you try to mix your secondary elements; that being said, I am extremely impressed you both managed to unlock them this early." Layla said with pride
"Sweet, so shall we do this Gajeel, I'm not holding back" Natsu said as he raised his hand gesturing Gajeel to bring it.
"Geehee" Gajeel chuckled as he leapt across the area towards Natsu
The area shook as explosions erupted all over the desert area of the dimension catching the attention of the others
"The hell is that?" Gray exclaimed looking down from the mountains at the green fireball and reflective metal clashing.
"Looks like Citrine gave them their Elements" Kori said with a wide smile as she could sense the power both of them now had and had to contain her excitement to join in.
"What like fed Natsu fire?" Gray said as he thought back to Natsu and Hades
"Yes, when a Dragon Slayer is able to ingest their primary element, it empowers them as well as restores their energy" Saphira said as she smiled from her place behind the 2 curled up in her blue dragon form.
"Yeah I prefer Ice, but I do get some benefit from water to a lesser extent" Kori proudly exclaimed
"Heh, so you prefer Ice" Gray said with a smile now suddenly in his boxers
"Haha, calm down 'Romeo', I'm not that easy... You would have to earn it" Kori said with a wink
"Kori..." Saphira sighed and squinted her eyes at her daughter
Meanwhile over near the beach area...
"What's this Magical Pressure? is that Natsu and Gajeel?" Erza exclaimed as Gemini shrugged at her
"Is that Natsu?" Lucy said looking at Wendy
"Yeah for some reason I can tell that they are in Dragon Force" Wendy replied
"It does seem that they are emitting a lot of magic from the Desert area" Capricorn said as he adjusted his sunglasses
"But we have our own mission when it comes to magic, so lets not get distracted by them, else you will be left behind" Capricorn said to the two with a smile as they both returned to focusing to the task at hand.
As night came drawing the first eventful week to a close inside the dimension. The group all gathered around a large dining table on the first floor of the accommodation building, to eat and talk about their respective trainings.
"So it looks like you are all starting to get the hang of it, I'm finally having to repair less of this place every day." Layla said with a sigh of relief causing the group to laugh
"Yeah I feel stronger already, this place is a welcome addition to Fairy Tail" Erza said with a smile
"Yeah this place is great, the wind makes it so we can fight all out and not have to hold back" Natsu said excitedly
"Yeah Salamander and I have torn up the desert to our hearts content, it's great" Gajeel said with a grin
"I wish I could join you boys, but I'd just hurt you" Kori said with an evil grin
"So what have you and Gray been getting up to in the mountains?" Lucy asked excitedly causing Gray to accidentally blush at the idea
"Ho!" Erza, Lucy, and Wendy exclaimed as they all leaned in to the table staring at Gray
"We haven't done anything you idiots, calm down" Gray yelled still embarrassed
Kori deciding to not miss an opportunity to stir the pot "What Gray? Don't be like that my little snowflake" she said with a mischeivous grin
"SNOWFLAKE!" everyone exclaimed Gajeel and Natsu burst into laughter
"Shut up you flaming retard!" Gray yelled as he and Natsu quickly started to fight
"Did you really need to encourage them Kori..." Saphira said with a sigh
"I got this" Erza exclaimed as she knocked both Gray and Natsu unconscious, Kori laughing proud of her work
"Well now that you are all accustomed to this place and because of the nature of all your powers... I'm going to be ... 'Helping' you all in your recovery tonight." Layla said with a smile
"You know what would help with our recovery, a hotspring!" Lucy exclaimed
"That's not what I meant dear... however that is a good suggestion! We can knock something together later" Layla responded
"So what do you have planned?" Erza asked
"I'm going to 'alter' your bodies natural flow of mana using my magic" Layla replied
"And what does that entail, sounds a little creepy" Lucy said a little worried
"Well your body is already different Lucy so you don't need any help with your ability to expend mana. However I would like to assist Erza, Gray, Natsu, Gajeel, and Wendy, with the way they moderate their magic essence" Layla said before clarifying
"Your bodies expend mana at a predefined rate depending on your affinity to magic. What I'd like to do is... 'Tune'... that rate, increasing your body's affinity to Eternanos, doing so will increase the efficiency of your mana supply. This means more output as well as giving you drastic improvements to the speed you replenish your supply." Layla said smiling at the group
"So it's like that time Ultear used her magic to give us Second Origin?" Erza replied
"You could think of it that, but second origin is more a secondary container used to store your mana giving you an increased total overall. What I plan to do would be to enhance both containers like adding more holes for mana to flow in and out of." Layla replied raising a finger in the air a-matter-of-factly
"Sounds great, will it hurt?" Erza asked
"No it will be relatively painless, there may be some discomfort like an itching sensation but I wouldn't call it pain, and it would only occur during the procedure itself" Layla responded
"How long are we talking?" Gajeel asked with his arms crossed leaning back in his chair.
"All up it should be no more than 10 minutes each, so I could have you all done within one hour. It's best done before you sleep, so let me know when you are ready and I'll tend to each of you individually.
The group finished up their dinner and the girls all took a bath while Gajeel spoke with Layla and Saphira downstairs, as he waited for Natsu and Gray to slowly regain conciousness.
After the girls had finished their baths the guys took theres and Layla got to work on Erza and Wendy. Erza had zero discomfort at all which surprised Layla, but Wendy had difficulties with it but persevered
With the 2 Girls done, it was time for the boys. All of them complained and couldn't sit still; requiring Kori to freeze their limbs in place much to her delight, so each one took 15 minutes due to their fidgeting.
With the procedures finished and the 5 asleep, Layla exhausted returned down stairs to have some tea and relax.
"Those boys sure made a fuss, why couldn't they be more like Erza" Layla said with a sigh as she sat down in an armchair near a fireplace in the lower floor.
"So did you do whatever it was you wanted to do with them?" Lucy asked sitting down in a nearby armchair as she joined her mother for tea.
"Yes, the change should drastically improve them all, they will have all jumped years in development." Layla said with a relieved sigh
"What is all this for? Why did you suddenly help the guild with so much? As generous and kind a person as you are momma, it all seems a bit odd" Lucy asked confused as to the whole situation
"Obsidian, is coming. We have 6 months" Layla said with a worried look in her eye
"He's coming? From where and for what?" Lucy asked a little shaken
"Everything... he wants to destroy it all. It's why we need to stop him" Layla said with regret
"It's true Lucy" Saphira said joining the two
"I see..." Lucy said with a depressed sigh
"I found you all in Magnolia because I was drawn to the sudden presence of Obsidian. Once I saw it was only a fragment I immediately attacked it" Saphira explained
"With no more Dragons for Obsidian to command he will use demons, and corrupt humans. It's why mankind will need to play a major role in the coming conflict. Dragons like Saphira although formidable can only cover so much area." Layla explained
"So that's why you need Fairy Tail" Lucy said as she looked at her mother
"Fairy Tail have a unique stake in all this due to reasons I'm not at liberty to disclose, however know that the reason is nothing bad, it's actually quite a good thing." Layla said with a reassuring smile before continuing
"Fairy Tail also has exceptionally strong wizards, each with incredible kindness in their hearts. With their help it is possible for us to fight this war on multiple fronts, it's why everyone must get stronger and why I'm going to such lengths to ensure it."
"We fought for the human's future long ago, we are simply keeping that promise now and fighting alongside them once again" Saphira said with a smile towards Lucy.
"Thank you..." Lucy said as a tear ran down her cheek
"There is no need to cry Lucy, you like your mother will always have our support, we owe her a lot" Saphira said as she bowed her head to Layla
"How does it work between you two anyway?" Lucy said slightly confused by Saphira's humbleness towards her mother
"I'm just like a protective parent to them all Lucy" Layla said with a small giggle
"And how many more family members should I be aware of..." Lucy said as she squinted her eyes at Layla
"Haha, no it's not like that. As long as I've known Citrine, she has always been a protector of our race, so we just all looked up to her like a mother figure" Saphira replied with a laugh
Layla sighed "You really do know how to make me feel old don't you"
"Well not many people know how to make you feel young... except..." Saphira responded before being cut off by Layla almost choking on her tea and flashing an angry look at her
"Wow that seemed to hit a nerve..." Lucy said as she looked over at her mother
Layla showing embarrassment replied "It's nothing..."
"Really Momma, people don't react like that to 'nothing'" she said with a grin as she leaned in towards Layla
"Well, while we are on the subject, how is Natsu?" Layla replied causing Lucy to cough
Saphira raised an eyebrow at this as she looked at Lucy then Layla before saying "Apple and tree, I guess it's true" with a giggle.
Both of them looked at Saphira as the room went silent, her words bounced around in Lucy's head...
"Really..." Lucy said looking at Layla
Layla sighed dismissively adding "It was hundreds of years ago"
"I did pick up on Igneel's presence a few years back, but he has himself hidden away" Saphira said with a smile
"Where?" Layla said showing some excitement
"He was on one of the larger islands off the country of Ca-Elum, south-west of here across the ocean. The island was extremely volcanic, I wasn't too fond of the area, so I continued on my way as I searched for signs of the other Slayers" Saphira said with a smile.
"How long ago was this?" Layla asked
"About 8 years ago, I had only recently found Kori at that time so I didn't want to travel away from her for long" Saphira responded
"Hmm 8 years ago... It's likely he has moved, but it is a place to start. If I had time I would search for him..." Layla said as she considered everything
"With Kori complete and settling into the guild, I could resume my search for the others, Empress" Saphira suggested with a smile to Layla
"That would be most appreciated, If we can all regroup then that will give us some powerful cards to play" Layla said with excitement as she raised her hand to her chin in thought
"Unfortunately I have learned that Weisslogia and Skiadrum have passed on, Metalicana is unknown, but Grandine has spoken to me informing me that she will wait at the Isle." Layla added
"So Grandine is heading to the Isle, I had spoken to her in the past when she circled Fiore. She told me she had located Wendy, but did not want to interfere with her growth as a human, she actually mentioned Fairy Tail in the past but never told me the other Slayers were there" Saphira said with a smile.
"When you are ready, meet up with Grandine and try to find Igneel and Metalicana, when you find them have Grandine inform me using her Sky Magic. It's best we don't have 4 dragons suddenly show up in Magnolia, so we will all meet at the Isle" Layla said with a nod.
"I'll stick around for the remaining duration of our stay in here, I would like to keep an eye on Kori as well as the human Gray. I can see some attraction, but I'm more concerned about Gray's safety... If Kori gets a bit too forward or excited she may hurt the boy." Saphira said with some concern
Layla giggled "Yes humans can be emotional, but I am forced to admit despite their short existence, the flame of their life burns brighter than any other species." Layla said with a fond smile as she remembered her human life.
Lucy smiled hearing the genuinely warm comment.
"I'm going to call it a night, I'll leave you two to your tea" Saphira said as she stood up and left to an upstairs bedroom for sleep.
"I'm glad your my momma" Lucy said as she smiled at Layla
"You are a wonderful daughter Lucy, I'm just sorry that I had to get you mixed up in my problems" Layla replied
"Obsidian is everyone's problem, and we are all here to help you with it" Lucy said as she started to fall asleep in her chair.
"Thank you. Lucy" Layla said as she quietly got up from her chair and packed up the Tea Set.
"Mmm, I best head up to my room" Lucy said as she woke herself up enough to get upstairs
"Goodnight Lucy..." Layla said as she returned the teacups to the kitchen
"Tomorrow will be interesting for everyone" she mumbled to herself before heading upstairs to goto sleep also...
