AN: So I finally got around to updating. I really need to focus on just a couple of my stories and put the others on hold. As trying to juggle too many is a pain in the arse.
Still I updated and here is the chapter. I hope you enjoy and leave a review.
Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or Fairy Tail, it would be fun if I did though.
( - )
(Last Time)
Looking around the larger cavernous room, there was a disconsolate expression on the former Prince of Edolas' face as he took in the several dead soldiers that littered the room, and those that were still alive, but groaning in pain.
His sadness however was not for these random soldiers though, but was instead for the slumped over headless body of the King, a single tear trickling down his face as he knelt by the old man's body, reaching out as he did so, before he picked up the dead King's head and brought it to his chest.
All the ferocity and ruthlessness that the man had had in life gone, as in death he looked so old, weary and broken. This is not how he had planned on things going, this is not what he had wanted to happen.
( - )
Chapter 21
( - )
(In Earthland)
The triumphant group's return from Edolas ended up being less than spectacular. With all of them just being spat out of a large portal in the sky, after which they were sent tumbling through the air, and the leafy canopy of the forest below, and landing in a heap on the ground with a loud thump.
Their arrival causing the birds in the nearby trees to take to the air in fright, even as the Anima above the forest just outside of Magnolia rapidly consumed itself and then dispersed. The last connection between the two worlds closing, locking the two off permanently. All of them grumbling and groaning as they sat up and looked around.
"Hey everyone I think we're home!" Natsu shouted loudly, the pink haired Dragon Slayer being the first of the group to speak up as he leapt up off of the floor and looked around, a large grin on his face as he saw the familiar, and to him, normal looking forest around him. A far cry from the distinctly alien landscape of Edolas.
"No shit." Gajeel grumbled irritably as he too got to his feet, brushing twigs and leafs out of his matted black mane and off his dirty battle scarred clothing, before he looked around, taking in the forms of Wendy, Carla, Happy and Lucy as they too started getting up and looking around. All of them grumbling and groaning as the brushed dirt and fallen leafs off of them
"Is everyone here?" Percy suddenly asked, his voice catching everyone's attention as they looked up only to see that the dark haired wizard was already on his feet, his right hand resting absentmindedly on the golden hilt of the longsword he had sheathed on his hip, noticeably the Ace of Fairy Tail had also seemingly acquired another curved sword.
This though was not what caught most everyone else attention enough, instead they were looking over at the very familiar looking, and intimidating red haired woman standing beside him, an intensely curious look on her face as she looked around the area, her thick, shiny red hair threaded through with twigs and leafs she hadn't bothered to brush off of her, and a spear leaning casually on her shoulder.
"Hey evil Erza is here too!" Natsu shouted, his eyes widening as he pointed at the scantily clad Erza Knightwalker. The once feared Fairy Hunter and Edolas counterpart of their own Erza Scarlet.
"Well of course she is, Percy invited her along. Don't you remember?" Lucy shouted out in irritation, slapping Natsu on the shoulder in exacerbation as she did so, before she stood up, instinctively checking on her Celestial Keys, after which she began to argue with the truculent looking Natsu.
Percy cocked his eyebrow at this interaction before he looked away and ignored it as Lucy and Natsu began to bicker whilst Happy flew around gleefully, exulting in being home. Looking away he instead reached down and helped Wendy to her feet, an awkward smile on his face as he felt her small, delicate hand in his own and her hazel brown eyes on him as he pulled the young girl gently to her feet. The girls white furred companion, Carla, already at her side.
"Are you okay?" Percy asked his supposed daughter softly, scanning her face trying to pick out any familiar features as he helped her up. Noticing as he did that there were some slight similarities in their facial features, not enough to confirm anything. Plus there were more differences than similarities, her features were gentler than his more angled ones, her hair was blue as oppose to being dark black, her eyes were a soft hazel, not a piercing sea green. That being said she had his slightly crooked smile, and her soft eyes were shaped in a way reminiscent of Percy's mother, Sally.
It was possible that she was his daughter, his previous children had not always looked exactly like him. Then again considering that God's had no DNA that Percy could pass on maybe that wasn't so surprising. Nor had any of his previous three children inherited his powers, like Legacies sometimes did, the inherently magical nature of the Earthlanders, and the way they were adapted to absorbing Ethernano not exactly complimenting Percy's godly origins. Though they did have some of his traits, or affinities to certain magics related to their grandfathers domains.
"I-I'm fine." Wendy replied nervously, her voice quavering slightly as she looked up at Percy, her possible father, with a mixture hope, nervousness and fear on her face. Her own hazel eyes tracing Percy's youthful face, as if she were also searching for some kind of connection, or memory she might have had of him.
It was as this was happening that the others also got to their feet and observed the familiar looking woodland, some of them grumbling and groaning as they did so.
"So this is Earthland?" Erza asked softly as she too stood up and looked around the area, unconsciously tightening her grip on her spear as if she were worried that they would be ambushed at any moment, her sharp brown eyes flicking around cautiously.
"Yep, this is the place." Natsu nodded with a smile, "It's nice isn't it evil Erza."
"Do you have to call me that?" Erza replied dryly, and unamused look on her face as she shot Natsu Dragion, no wait, he was the Earthland one wasn't he, a slight scowl.
"Well how else will we tell the difference between you and our Erza?" Natsu replied dismissively, waving his hand at her and looking away nervously. Erza Kngihtwalker's glare was just as terrifying as Erza Scarlet. Honestly he was pretty terrified at the thought of there being two of them at the Guild.
Erza blinked at that in confusion.
Lucy however let out a slight gasp. "Oh I didn't think of that. What is our Erza going to say when she meets this Erza?"
"I don't know what she's going to say, but she's defiantly going to kill Perseus." Gajeel spoke up, an almost gleeful look on his face.
"Ermm, hmm." Percy muttered, licking his lips nervously as he did so. He hadn't really thought this through had he? Nor did he get much of a chance to think any more on this as moments later he was distracted by a rustling in the trees around him, even as scores of Exceed, with coats of every colour, burst out of them and started darting around overhead, some of them crying out in confusion and panic.
Erza seeing this turned started at the multitude of Exceed flying around above her in shock, instinctively bringing her magic spear up as she prepare dot defend herself from the flying demons. "What the..."
"Great more flying cats." Percy muttered sarcastically as he saw the Exceed beginning to fly off into the sky and away like a swarm of brightly coloured, panicking locusts. All of those present of course had known of the Exceed, the race of magical flying cats in Edolas, but none of them had ever had any real interaction with them. Not even Erza Knightwalker. "I guess they count as magical beings too and were pulled through the Anima like us."
"Wow there is so many of them…" Happy said softly as he looked up and watched all of the Exceed, ones of every size, shape and colour flocking whirling through the air, and flying off, some of them giving the group below cursory, dismissive looks before they flew off into the sky. Whilst others gave them fearful looks, especially when they saw Erza glaring darkly at them, a spear in her hand.
"Where are they going?" Carla asked as she saw the flock beginning to fly away.
"No idea, they're probably trying to work out what happened and where they are now." Percy shrugged, he could almost feel sorry for the displaced race as they found themselves hurled into a whole new world without any warning. Then again this fate was probably far better than the one they would have had, had Percy and his group not interfered with the King's plan. "Are you two not tempted to join them? To find out more about your kind and where you came from?" He then continued looking down at the two Exceed in his group.
"No," Carla said uncertainly at first as she saw her race disappearing off into the distance, before she seemed to find some resolve. "No, my place is with Wendy, not with the race that sent me hear with that foul mission. Besides I am sure I will come across some of them again at some point, and then I can get the answer I want."
"Aye," Happy nodded along with Carla's words, staring into the sky as the last of the Exceed disappeared from sight.
"Is it truly safe to have such a dangerous race roaming your land?" Erza asked sharply as she looked to Percy. "They are cruel and ruthless, and tried to rule over and subjugate humanity for years!"
Percy though just smiled in amusement, thinking back on the Exceed he had met. Happy and Carla didn't seem dangerous, they had very little magic and fragile forms. Percy knew monsters, and these Exceed didn't rank very highly in his mind. "Dangerous?"
"They may look weak, but I had the displeasure of working with one of their kind during my time serving the Kingdom. The Exceed was called Pantherlily, and he was one of the strongest and most ruthless of the King's commanders." Erza replied warningly, trying to impress on the others the threat the Exceed could pose. "In fact if these Exceed are here, it is possible that Pantherlily came here too."
"Pantherlily eh?!" Gajeel spoke up with a grin, his red eyes shifting around the clearing as if trying to spot this mysterious Exceed, only to obviously come up short. "He sounds like a worthy partner for me!"
The rest of the group sent the Iron Dragon Slayer incredulous looks as they heard that.
None more so than Erza, who just looked at Gajeel like he was some kind of idiot "Pantherlily would rip you a new one if you tried. No, I would advise using lethal force if you ever come across him, anything other than that and he will handily beat you, and then kill you."
Gajeel scowled at that but said no more, instead he looked off in the direction the swarm of Exceed had flown off in and grumbled under his breath about how all the other Dragon Slayers had flying cats and he didn't.
"I say give them the benefit of the doubt." Percy spoke up, choosing a generous wait and see approach as he looked off in the same direction as Gajeel. "The humans of this land are capable of using magic and there are many powerful wizards around. I doubt the Exceed would be able to gain as much influence here as they did in Edolas. Besides if they do cause trouble I have little doubt the Guilds will receive mission requests and they will be dealt with swiftly."
"Well you make that sound ominous." Lucy muttered as she and Natsu finally stopped bickering and tuned into the conversation.
"You make us sound like vermin that might need exterminating." Carla tagged on acidly, her voice pitching slightly as she took offence.
"No, he is merely treating your race as a credible threat, but like he said, is giving them a chance to live here peacefully." Erza shot back, her hazel eyes flashing over to Carla, making the white cat flinch slightly. "And if they don't, if they act like they did in Edolas and attempt to rule over humans, well also like Percy said, they will be dealt with."
"But anyway." Percy cut in before anymore could be said, or an argument could ensue. "That is a concern for another time. For now I think we should head on back to the Guild, if only to make sure that everything is as it should be."
"Do you reckon they will remember being turned into a Lacrima?" Lucy asked thoughtfully.
"I doubt it, from what Byro said they were trapped in stasis." Percy replied with a shrug, before he looked around hoping to get his bearings. "For now we need to head back, so we need to try and find the way back to Magnolia. This forest looks pretty familiar, but I'm not exactly sure where about we are in it, besides with no the dark clouds overhead we won't be able to work out which direction is north anyway."
"Ohh! I know, I will fly above the treeline and try and find it!" Happy volunteered cheerfully, before he soared upwards.
"Hey Happy wait up!" Natsu shouted, before he chased after the cat, scrambling up a nearby tree as he did so.
"Erm Percy." Wendy said softly from behind Percy as he and the others watching Natsu's antics in amusement, the kid might have grown up a little recently, but he could still act childishly at times.
"Wendy." Percy replied with a smile. "I know you probably have a lot of questions, and that you're probably as confused about whatever connection you might have to me as I am. But I promise you, we will find out the answers together."
Wendy looked a little disappointed at that, no doubt hoping that Percy might have some answer right now, despite that though she still nodded a faint smile tugging at her mouth. "So you don't know if you're my father, or who my mother was?"
"No, I am not aware of having any children still living. In fact the last time I had a child was nearly a century ago." Percy replied softly, crouching down so he got on her level as he did so.
"Wait did you just say a century ago!" Lucy shouted loudly, not even bothering to pretend she wasn't eavesdropping. The others all looking on in curiousity too, especially Erza who was looking at Percy intently hanging on his every word. All of them once again locking onto just how mysterious the dark haired wizard actually was, and just how little they really knew about him.
Percy sent the blonde girl a wry smile at that, but didn't reply. "As I was saying Wendy, I don't know the answers you're looking for. But I am willing to help you look for them."
"Thanks." Wendy said softly, looking at her feet as she did so. "I would like that."
"Hey Magnolia is only a half a mile or so that way!" Natsu shouted loudly, breaking the tension, and ruining the moment, as he launched himself from the trees and landed back in the clearing. Happy flying after him with a loud "Aye!"
"Right, well let's go then. I definitely need to strip out of these clothes and take a bath." Lucy groaned, stretching out her arms on either side of her as she looked around, pushing her thoughts about Perseus to the side for the moment. She could hassle him later, a good, hot, soapy bath always came first.
With that said the group began to set off, heading in the direction of the Guild Hall and Magnolia. All of them looking quite scruffy in their rumpled, dirty, battle worn clothing,
"Huh, so does anyone know how we're going to explain all that happened?" Gajeel spoke up a scowl on his face now. "If the others don't remember what happened to them I mean."
"The truth." Percy shrugged easily. "We tell them what happened, and if they don't believe us then who cares. That being said, with Erza with us, I doubt they will actually disbelieve our story."
"And since I'm coming with you does that mean I have to join Fairy Tail too?" Erza asked as she strode forward until she was side by side with Percy.
The others twitched awkwardly at that question, after all Erza Knightwalker was known as the Fairy Hunter, and had killed dozens of Fairy Tail members in the parallel world.
"Well you don't have too." Percy shrugged easily, "But you're welcome to if you want. Though I will warn you that it might be awkward as there will probably be Earthland versions of wizards you fought. Plus you might be treated suspiciously by some. Still give it time and prove your worth and loyalty and I reckon you'll fit in fine. I mean Gajeel over there destroyed the old Guild Building and brutalised several members of the Guild, nearly killing them, but he was still accepted. So yeah, I think you'll be fine."
Gajeel flinched a little at the reminder of his previous membership of Phantom Lord and the crimes he committed whilst there. The others though relaxed slightly at the reminder of just how forgiving the Guild could be, stupidly so at times.
"You make it sound so easy." Erza drawled back sarcastically.
"Just give it time, and I reckon you'll be fine." Percy replied, before he paused. "Though I am a little nervous about you meeting your Earthland counterpart."
"Really?" Natsu grinned at that, "Because I am looking forward to that the most."
"Yeah the other Erza is going to be so pissed off!" Happy cooed gleefully.
Percy sent the duo a sour look as he heard that, before he looked back to the other Erza. "It might be a little uncomfortable at first, but I think the two of you will get on. You have enough differences to make you unique individuals, but also quite a few similarities too. I mean the two of you are practically identical twins if you think about it, sisters that have not met yet, that really all there is to it."
Erza cocked an eyebrow at that, but said no more. Nor did she get the chance to, because as the group left the clearing they had landed in and started into the forest, they quickly came across another person who had been seemingly listening in on them. A certain white haired, blue eyed girl that was very familiar to at least three members of the group.
Looking at the girl, Natsu, far paler than usual, was the first one to speak up. "Lisanna..."
The white haired girl flinched at the sound of Natsu's voice.
"It can't be..." Percy muttered his brow furrowed as he stared intently at the very familiar looking white haired girl, a girl he had been told had died two years ago, back when he was on a mission. It was Lisanna Strauss, the youngest Strauss sibling.
Lisanna flinched again as she heard Percy, her blue eyes twitching from the dumbstruck Natsu, to the curious and cautious Percy, her blue eyes beginning to water at the sight of the two familiar people. As well as the both familiar and unfamiliar people around her, like the polite Lucy, the evil Erza and the much younger Wendy.
"How..." Happy chimed in next, his own eyes wide.
"Could it be the Edolas Lisanna?" Lucy asked the obvious, her brow furrowing as she looked from the bored looking Erza Knightwalker to Lisanna, proof that it was just as possible for a native of Edolas to travel through an Anima to Earthland as it was for an Earthlander to travel to Edolas.
"What are we going to do? I don't think we can send her back home, not anymore." Wendy panicked, only knowing vaguely who the girl before them was.
A slight silence followed this, with no one, not even Percy, knowing what to do. Only for the tension to be broken when Lisanna turned back to Natsu her eyes watering and a smile playing around her mouth.
"Natsu!" She then shouted happily, leaping at him and knocking him to the ground in a single movement. "I never thought I would see you again!"
Natsu looked up at the tearful girl a confused look on his face as he recognised her as the Edo Lisanna he had briefly seen in the Edolas Fairy Tail Guild… Tree. "Eh?" He finally replied eloquently.
"Happy!" Lisanna cried out ignoring his confusion for the moment as she instead turned and pulled the flying blue cat into a crushing hug as she did so. "It's me, Lisanna!" She continued joyfully before she then glanced over him and at the others. "Percy, you're back, and you look the same as ever. Ha, what am I saying of course you do! If there is one thing I can rely on it's that you never change."
Percy cocked an eyebrow at that comment, before he instinctively looked to his side and at Erza, with whom he shared a bemused look. Though this time it was the Edolas Erza that responded with a partially amused, partially irritated look of her own. Once again, the two women for all their differences, were also very similar.
Lisanna oblivious to this released Happy and then continued to look excitedly around, though her smile did fade slightly when she saw the scowl on Gajeel's metal studded face, and the familiar imposing figure of Erza Knightwalker. A flash of distaste and hatred momentarily passing across her face at the sight of Erza, though only momentarily as she pushed it down and focused on the last member of the group. "And this must be little Wendy, wow you're much different than the version of you that I knew, but I bet you're still as sweet and kind as she was. I mean, how could you not with a dad like Percy?" Here Lisanna's face scrunched up in a frown as she looked accusatorially Percy. "Why did you never tell us you had a daughter eh? And why did you bring that 'witch' back with you." She then continued pointing at Erza as she did so.
Percy frowned as he heard that, once again sending Wendy a befuddled look, though he still put a bracing hand on the younger girl's shoulder when she nervously looked up at him. After which he sent Erza a small, supportative smile, not that he needed to as Knightwalker looked entirely unconcerned by Lisanna's vehement words, instead she looked much more interested in checking out the surrounding forest than tuning into the conversation, and listening to the insults of a 'vapid little girl'.
"Wait a second..." Lucy spoke up finally, her finger shaking as she pointed at Lisanna. "You couldn't be... Earthland's Lisanna?"
The girl smiled sadly as she heard that, before she nodded "Yeah."
"You came back to life!" Natsu cheered gleefully, throwing himself at the gently smiling girl as he did so.
"Wait." Percy cut in, his voice sharper than usual, as he locked eyes with Lisanna. "They told me you died, nearly two years ago now!"
Natsu sent Percy a scowl as he heard that, though Wendy, Lucy and Carla all looked interested. As for Gajeel he was still scanning the skies, probably hoping to snag himself a flying cat companion. Whilst Erza was barely paying attention, either because she just didn't know or care about Lisanna, or because she found the alien world of Earthland far more interesting.
"I didn't die or anything like that..." Lisanna replied, looking away sadly. "Two years ago I was on a job with Mira and Elfman, it was an S-class job, one which involved hunting down a monster. And well we found it, but things went wrong and Elfman tried to use his Takeover magic on the monster. I can't remember much after that, I mean I tried to stop him when he went out of control but got smacked aside instead. After that I lost consciousness, and well I guess I was probably sucked into the Anima at that point. I think there was a bunch of them popping up all over Earthland back then..."
Those that were listening in nodded at that, both Byro and Edo Percy had indeed confirmed that the Anima machine had been being tested for decades, which meant that it was likely that such small portals were continuously appearing across the world of Earthland for many years, each one sucking in more and more magic, until finally they created one big enough to absorb an entire town.
"When I awoke in Edolas and found Fairy Tail, I was surprised." She then continued with her story, looking away from the others now, her face instead clouding over with a mixture of sadness and nostalgia. "Everyone was a little different than I remembered, but there were people who knew me there. In addition, everyone thought I was the Lisanna from Edolas. I figured the real Edo Lisanna was probably already dead. That's what felt the most different when I entered... Edo Mira and Edo Elfman, they were just so happy to see me... I couldn't tell them the truth. I pretended to be the Lisanna from Edolas. And well I just kind of fit in for the most part and was accepted. Percy, the Edo one that is, probably knew I wasn't quite who I said I was, but he never called me on it, instead he helped me, and made me feel welcome, just like the Perseus I knew would."
Percy couldn't help but smile at that. His counterpart might have been better suited as a Son of Athena than as a Son of Poseidon, but at least he had a good heart.
"It was confusing at first..." Lisanna sighed, looking at the others now. "But I just went along with the flow and settled into the Edolas version of me's life, I kind of just got used to life in Edolas I suppose. And then after nearly two years you all showed up. I saw all of you arrive at the Guild, and was… well you know, kind of listening in when you were talking to Percy…"
"Why didn't you tell us the truth back then?" Natsu demanded, wide-eyed as he remembered seeing Lisanna back at the Guild, though back then he had just thought she was just the Edolas version of the one he had known.
"I couldn't say anything, no matter how much I wanted too..." Lisanna looked down at her feet now, as if she were ashamed. "Even though you were quickly acknowledged by the Guild as guests from Earthland, I was too afraid to say anything. I didn't want to make Mira and Elfman and the others sad again, I had already decided to live the rest of my life in Edolas with them, and so I stuck with that. But then that Anima opened and began to drain all magic from Edolas and I was affected too. I tried to resist so I didn't abandoned my Edolas brother and sister, not when we were in the middle of a battle against the Royal army, but didn't have a choice. I was dragged away."
The others were all silent as they processed this.
"You didn't want to return?" Percy asked calmly, breaking the silence and putting aside for the moment the fact that she had been in the middle of a battle, after all he had wondered where the King's vaunted army was when they infiltrated the castle.
"I didn't want to leave Elfman and Mira," Lisanna replied quickly. "They might have been alternate versions of my real siblings, but they still loved me and I loved them." Lisanna paused here, before a watery smile spread across her face. "I did get closure though, back before I was taken away. I did find out that they knew where I came from, from the start, and that they loved me all the same. They also told me that I had to go home, and come back to the Mira and Elfman who were missing me here..."
Lisanna began to cry softly at that.
Percy nodded at that, glad that the younger girl at least had some idea of what her real siblings had been going through without her. That being said she must have been in an agonising positon, no matter what she chose she would cause two of the people she loved pain. It was an unfair situation, and a choice that no one should have to make.
"So what now?" Lucy asked, looking to Percy as she did so.
"Well, now we go home." Percy replied, looking around at the others now. "We've got a missing member of the Guild to bring back, and a new member to introduce."
"Hey I haven't said I'm joining yet!" Erza spoke up, tuning back into the conversation now as she looked over at Percy with a scowl, her cheeks reddening slightly in embarrassment.
"Wait you're letting that hag join the Guild!?" Lisanna shouted incredulously, gesturing at the former Fairy Hunter now.
"Who are you calling a hag, brat?!" Erza shot back dangerously. She knew she had done bad things, but just as she knew that, so too did she know that she been under the impression that she did what she did for the right reason. She had been trying to converse the magic of her world, and so had hunted down and stopped the illegally operating Wizarding Guilds from frittering away the finite resource that her people relied upon. Sure she knew there was some hypocrisy in the King's mandate, and that the old man was corrupt and evil. But she had truly and honestly believed that she was doing the right thing, for the good of the world and the people that lived in it.
"Enough." Percy cut in before the two could continue to argue. "For now we will go home. You two can sort out your disagreement later, peacefully! For now Lisanna you should be more worried about meeting up with your siblings, your… passing, it hit them both hard. As for you Erza, well you don't have to join Fairy Tail, but I would prefer it if you did."
Lisanna looked down at her feet as she heard that.
Erza meanwhile flushed and looked away, though she did mutter a response under her breath. "Well, I didn't say I was not going to join. It was just the principle of the matter, and the assumption that bothered me…"
Natsu titled his head in confusion at this response, he had been expecting something far louder and more vulgar from the evil Erza.
As for Lucy couldn't help but frown, her hands unconsciously balling into fists as she looked between Percy and Erza.
Wendy too looked on in confusion at everything that was happening, only for Carla to tell her that "she'll tell her about it later" when the blue haired girl looked like she wanted to speak up.
As for Gajeel, he just snickered evilly before he sidled over to Percy. "You know the other Erza is going to kill you don't you?!"
"You know I still haven't made my mind up on you yet…" Percy replied sourly, his sea green eyes flashing as he gave the suddenly nervous Iron Dragon his 'wolf stare'.
( - )
(Sometime Later, At Cardia Cathedral Cemetery)
"We should get going," Elfman muttered to Mira, holding his umbrella up over himself and his crouching older sister as the dark clouds over head finally started to weep, great droplets of rain falling from the sky, faster and harder by the minute. The weather reflecting the solemnness of this day, the day their sister had died.
Mira nodded at that, before replying softly. "Just a little while longer..."
With that said the white haired barmaid gently traced her fingers over the well-maintained tombstone in front of them. Her delicate, pale hands gently tracing the words on it, 'Lisanna Strauss, X768 ~ X782, Beloved Sister and Friend'.
It had been two years to the day since they had lost their younger sister, but despite that it still hurt as much as it did back then. There were just some wounds that never healed.
"Mira!" A voice familiar female voice suddenly cried out from behind them. Making first Mira flinch, before she turned around in shock, and then Elfman, the umbrella falling though his now limb, nerveless hand as the two of them turned and saw there sister, slightly older than they remembered, but very much alive, running towards them through the rain, tears streaming down her face along with a joyful smile. "Big brother Elf!"
"I-It can't be..." Mira muttered, tearing up, her eyes widening in disbelief as she brought her shaking hands up to her face.
"Lisanna..." Elfman sobbed, watching on helplessly as Lisanna crashed into Mira, crying out as she threw her slender arms around her older sister.
"I'm home..." The younger sister whispered, burying her face in Mira's long, damp hair, breathing in the familiar scent as she felt her sister suddenly, almost instinctively, grab her and pull her into a tight, nearly bone crushing hug. Tears streaming from both of the girl's eyes as they just clutched onto one another, as if they were afraid that each of them would disappear if they let go.
Without a word, a crying Elfman stepped over and surrounded them both with his arms. Pulling both of them into a tight, desperate hug of his own. The sad expression on Mira's face slowly turning into a slight smile as comprehension set in.
Pushing Lisanna back so she could get a good look at her, Mira gave her younger sister a small tearful smile. She didn't care about how her sister was back, nor why a bunch of her Guild mates were standing in the rain at the entrance to the graveyard, all of them looking roughed up, that was unimportant and could wait until later. Instead also she could focus on was that her beloved younger sister was back. "Welcome home."
( - )
(Sometime later back at the Fairy Tail Guild Hall)
"I can't believe how much everything has changed, even the Guild Hall!" Lisanna said as she looked around at the new, much plusher and posher Guild Hall, a far cry from the tree they lived in in Edolas, and at the nearly hundred strong compliment of mages in it, all of them drinking and celebrating Lisanna's return, even as some of the other members of the group that went to Edolas serenaded them with the tales of their adventure. "And you're totally different now too, Mira. I mean you're so mellow and sweet, you're just like the Edolas version of you!"
Mira smiled softly at that, still not releasing Lisanna from her grip as she held her hand, her usual barmaid duties completely forgotten for the moment. "Really?"
Lisanna nodded at that, looking around fondly as she did so, before she moved closer to her sister. "But I guess Fairy Tail is Fairy Tail no matter what world it's in after all."
"Lisanna's come back!" Macao cheered from nearby, one arm around Nab and the other around Wakaba as they drank and partied, all of the old members of the Guild, those that had known her, sticking close as if they were afraid she might disappear at any moment. Much to Elfman's occasional annoyance as he tried to wrestle several of them away when they tried to crush Lisanna in a mass hug. "Party! You've got two years to make up for!"
"I not working today! So I can go all out!" Nab tagged on, as if that would convince her to release Mira and join in. Though considering the Earthland Nab hadn't taken a real job in years, his offer didn't really have much weight behind it.
"Welcome home, Lisanna!" Jet and Droy shouted once again going for a hug, only to get knocked away by the very much overprotective Elfman.
For the last half an hour this had been happening as multiple Guild wizards tried to get close to her, some too close due to their enthusiasm, to welcome her home, or to find out more about what had happened to her over the last two years.
Though the tales Natsu, Happy, Gajeel and Lucy were spinning were able to satisfy quite a few of them. Even if it was only their version of events, and not the whole story. That being said it had been agreed upon by the group as a whole to keep Wendy's possible parentage a secret, at least until something concrete was known about her relationship with Percy.
"What's with the miniature rain cloud over you Juvia?" Cana asked as she saw the blue haired wizard looking distinctly down in the dumps, only for her to then turn and look at the nearby giggling Happy.
"The version of you over there..." Happy was cackling at a distinctly embarrassed looking Gray. "I can't... even thinking about it..."
"Spit it out already!" Cana shouted to Juvia, rolling her eyes as she heard Happy, he had been going around teasing everyone about their Edolas counterparts, or at least the ones he had met since he had returned, Natsu gleefully joining, especially when it came to mocking Gray. "You're making the beer taste bad!"
"Juvia wants to go to Edolas..." Juvia muttered, clenching the pillar she was hiding behind, with enough strength to make it crack as she stared longingly at Gray.
Cana laughed loudly at that, especially since she had heard how Edolas Gray had been the one obsessed with Juvia, the complete opposite to how it was here.
"Being back home, and back in with our Guild is the best though! The Edolas lot were alright, but we are all cooler by far, except for Gray of course!" Natsu roared, upending a table as Gray lunged at him, finally having enough of the Dragon Slayer's mockery.
"So noisy..." Cana grumbled, drinking from her large flagon of beer as she did so.
"Is the other Natsu like this too?" Macou asked looking to Lisanna this time, all of them watching as Gray and Natsu started trying to wrestle, knocking several of the other wizards in the Guild flying, and involving more and more of the celebrating wizards in what was rapidly descending into a brawl.
"Ah, well..." Lisanna giggled, before she looked around at the others. "The Edolas version of him is a complete wimp. He used to cry all the time about how Lucy was being mean to him, or Levy was making fun of him, and he was completely terrified of Jet and Droy when they shouted at him for screwing up a mission."
"Ahahaha!" Someone laughed, only for many others to join in, including an exultant Gray. The brawl pausing for a moment as they all laughed at the thought of what Natsu's counterpart was like. "I really want to see that!"
"Lisanna!" Natsu complained, as he now found himself the one being mocked and teased, karma was truly a bitch sometimes.
"They're being especially loud today aren't they?" Gildarts laughed, observing the ongoing festivities from his seat at the bar, looking sideways at Makarov as he took it all in.
"Yes, though there is much to celebrate, one of our long thought lost children have returned home." Makarov said cheerfully, remembering his own emotional reunion with Lisanna, a girl he thought of like a granddaughter. After which his expression soon turned sad when he looked to back at Gildarts. "It's too bad about Mystogan though. Let's hope he's doing well over there in Edolas."
"I'm sure he is." Gildarts replied comfortingly. "He grew up in this Guild. I'm sure he's thriving out there. Though he also probably has a lot to do. From what Percy said that Edolas place was pretty messed up, and is probably even more of a shambles now they've lost their magic."
Makarov nodded at that, before he smirked slightly. "Speaking of Perseus I see he is noticeably absent from the proceedings."
"Yeah, apparently he's having lady trouble." Gildarts grinned, both of the older men looking over to the corner of the room, where the green eyed wizard could be seen talking to a pair of irritated looking red haired wizards. "A moment for our fallen brother."
"He will not be forgotten." Makarov tagged on, after which they both clinked tankards and downed their drinks laughing. It was Percy's own fault for getting himself into this situation.
( - )
(With Percy, Erza Scarlet and Erza Knightwalker)
"So Perseus, I think you have some explaining to do." Erza Scarlet said sweetly, far too sweetly, her narrowed Hazel eyes moving from her scantily clad, spear wielding doppelganger to her former teacher. She had already been told the story by Percy, but he hadn't gone into that much detail on why Erza Knightwalker was here. "You disappear off to another world for a day or so, and seem to have already tried to replace me."
"Hey listen here, I'm no replacement." Erza Knightwalker cut in, a harsh scowl on her face as she grabbed her Earthland counterpart's armoured cuirass. Both of them locking gaze as the other Erza's gauntleted hand grabbed Knightwalker's scarf.
"You're pretty confident aren't you?" Erza Scarlet growled shoving Knightwalker back and summoning a sword into her hand.
"I have reason to be, after all I am the stronger Erza." Erza Knightwalker replied challengingly, spinning her spear around and licking her lips in anticipation, her muscled legs bending slightly as if she were preparing to leap forward and into action at any moment.
"H-hey now, Erza, and well Erza, there is no need to fight." Percy spoke up, trying to keep the peace as he forced his way between the two powerful women, feeling two sets of identical, hazel eyes boring into him as he did so.
"Out of the way Percy, there is only one way to deal with this." Erza Scarlet said, her form lighting up with a golden glow, and her standard armour shifting to her 'Black Wing Armour', the glossy black metal plates gleaming in the light from lacrima powered lighting in the hall, even as her hands tightened on the black longsword she now had in her hand.
"Yes, on that we are agreed. Words are meaningless at a time like this." Erza Knightwalker added in the exact same commanding and uncompromising tone, her spear shifting forms as she twirled it around, the spearhead becoming more arrow like as it took on the form of 'Silfarion', the weapon which vastly increased her speed.
"There can be only one!" Both Erzas shouted at the same time, their call catching the attention of the rest of the Guild, even as they both shot forward, Knightwalker little more than a blur as she shot forward in a straight lunge. Whilst Scarlet sent half a dozen blades shooting through the air like bullets.
"For fucks sake." Percy muttered before he unsheathed both Backbiter and Rosa Espada in one movement, deflecting Erza's projectile swords with one blade, and parring the other Erza's spear thrust to one side with the other. "If you're going to spar at least do it outside!"
"Boo, no it's raining out there, and we want to watch!" Someone, sounding suspiciously like Makarov, called from the rapidly growing, cheering crowd of spectators that was flooding to where the standoff was taking place.
"What did I do to deserve this?" Percy groaned audibly, even as he stepped back, avoiding swipes from both women, after which they began to fight in earnest. Both of them at least keeping their attacks none deadly, even if they didn't hold back that much. The shockwaves from their clashing weapons were evidence enough of that.
In the end though nobody answered as they were all too invested in watching the two equally beautiful red heads fight, both of them showing peerless skill in their chosen type of weapon as they fought back and forth. Neither of them bothering with taunts or words, as they instead let their blades and their skill do the talking.
"By the gods I need a drink." Percy sighed as he watched the two, exquisite, striking, and recklessly wonderful women fight, backing away until he slumped against the bar, beside the grinning Makarov and Gildarts, a freshly poured tankard of ale already waiting for him.
( - )
AN: Andddd finally done. Wow that chapter was a pain in the arse to write, it was almost as irritating as writing the Edolas chapters had become. Still it's over and I hope I did it justice. It took me three hours today to write this bad boy, partly because I had to keep revising my dialogue and character interactions because I wasn't happy with it.
Still it's done. That being said I am sure some people noticed that the scene with Mira, Elfman and Lisanna was ripped straight from canon. Though that was because I found that scene and the music accompanying it beautiful. It was literally one of only a half dozen times an anime, or television programme, or film actually moved me. Mostly in part to Fairy Tail's amazing musical score, which in my opinion is almost on a par with the Attack on Titan and Full Metal Alchemist music, almost.
On top of that I am not going to gloss over Lisanna's return and her character like canon seemed to do. It won't be a major plot point but I won't just ignore it like canon seemed to do. It will affect the other characters, and her different perspective and understanding of magical technology etc. will not be ignored.
Other than that though things have changed a lot. Both in the way the Edolas Arc ended, which was probably slightly better for the people of Edolas than in canon, after all the city wasn't destroyed, the King and the worst of his commanders were dead or incapacitated. And Mystogen, Edo Percy and the little creep Byro were all still around to lead Edolas in a new age, one without magic.
That being said the changes in Earthland are likely less positive. The pissed off Pantherlily is now roaming around unreformed and resentful. The Exceeds are let loose an entire new race, one which due to the changed events did not overcome their superiority complex in regards to humans, suffice to say that may come back to bite them later. The lack of interaction will also impact on Carla and Happy's future development.
Then finally we have the unresolved situation between Wendy and Percy, one that won't be wrapped up in a single chapter as things like this tend to be complicated and need more time than that. Plus it will affect her development going forward.
Of course the biggest, and most entertaining for me at least, change is the introduction of a new main character to the group. One who will completely change up the dynamics going forward to the Tenrou Arc. And yes I have big plans for that and beyond. After all I have recently been watch the new anime, and I have to say, controversial though it might be, I actually am quite enjoying the Alvarez Arc at present. Sure it might be a bit rough, and would have probably have been better if a bit more planning and thought had been put into the story telling and what not. But it is certainly entertaining. I am especially looking forward to the arrival of Irene Belserion.
So yeah that's my rambling out of the way. As always I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and leave a review. I do love hearing from you.
And please do check out my other stories if you have time. Also if you like Percy Jackson crossovers there is another account, Greed720, which has a load on there. Part of the reason I have been so bad at updating at late.
Piece of advice to aspiring writers, if you want it anyway, do not start too many stories, it might be easy and fun to start them off, but carrying them on, especially when you have a lot of them that you're interested in, can be a real ball ache sometimes. Instead be sensible and stick to only one or two stories. Again just a throw away piece of advice if anyone wanted it.
So yep again, I hope you enjoyed, please review and comment. I will catch you all later.
Seagate.