Mages and Wizards - Prologue
The hands of Makarov Dreyar trembled a little, brushing the paper between his fingers. He didn't really know what to feel. On one hand, he was tired. Being stuck in a wheelchair can have that effect on people and while he appreciated, in some way, the relative calm that was forced on him, he was tired of all the fighting, all those battles, one after the others. Zeref, Acnologia, not to mention dying and coming back to life, that was more than enough for the old man.
On the other hand, reading those line, the hidden pain and distress behind the words, it killed him inside not to be able to answer that request himself.
He looked over at the post agent.
- How long do you say this has been in your storage room...?
The man scratched his head, uncomfortable.
- It's hard to say, sir. You were gone for a while, and then, with the war and the whole building destroyed... We just found it again while cleaning the wreckage. A few months, I think... Maybe a year.
- Hell... We need to hurry then!
He turned his wheelchair around, and raised his voice.
- Mira! Mirajane! Please gather the team! we have an urgent mission!
- Which one, Master?
- You know the one!
Mirajane chuckled from afar.
- Right away, Master ! I'll send them to your office!
He sighed, and pushed hard on his arms to move. When would trouble finally stop? Just for a month or so? Everyone needed a break... Well, at least almost everyone. Even after all these years, he still had no idea how Natsu could have such tremendous energy, all, the, time.
Natsu who, as usual, was the last to arrive in his office, Happy on his shoulder. His partner, the talking and flying blue cat, was pouting, sign that they just had a slight argument.
- Yo, Gramps, cheered the pink-haired young man. What dya want us for?
Erza Scarlet, The Fairy Queen, The Battle Angel, or, in simpler term, The-One-Who-Scared-The-Hell-Out-Of-Natsu, gave him her most terrible stare. The young dragon slayer turned white, and gulped.
- Show some respect, Natsu! Master Makarov has an important mission to give us.
Colors quickly came back to his cheeks.
- A mission? Cool! What is it about?
The old master sighed. He was so tired...
- Sit down, Natsu.
With excitement, the young man jumped onto the chair, next to Lucy, who greeted him with her warmest smile. Makarov stared at the whole group.
Natsu Dragneel, the Fire Dragon-Slayer. His pink-ish hair seemed a bit longer. As always his neck was wrapped in the long white scarfed his father had left him.
Happy, the Exceed. A talking cat might be something strange where they were going, but one that flies on top of that might be even stranger.
Lucy Heartfilia, the Celestial Mage, invocator of Spirits. Her dark eyes, framed with blond hair, already expressed a certain concern.
Erza "Titania" Scarlet, master of Re-Equip magic, whose hair were as blazing as her name. She had put her favourite armor back on, and Makarov still had no idea how she could keep wearing this plate armor every single day.
Gray Fullbuster, the Ice Devil-Slayer. At least he was wearing a shirt, for now...
Wendy Marvel, the young Sky Dragon-Slayer. Her hair were as blue as Erza's were red. Makarov noticed that her own Exceed, Carla, was not there, for the time being.
Usually, the tiny old man would have been sitting in his massive chair, the head barely sticking over the desk, but the wheelchair made it impossible now. So he was just in front on the big wooden desk, on which he grabbed the piece of paper.
- I just received this letter, from a very old friend, he explained. And by "just", I mean that it has been sitting in the post office for some time now, so please understand how urgent this might be, and that the whole situation might have already changed, for better or worse.
He cleared his voice, took a breathe, a read :
" Dear old friend.
I hope this letter will reach you, and I hope it will do so fast enough. I know sending it breaks the promise we made a long time ago, but I find myself with no other choice left.
I suppose I should start at the beginning. My world, or at the very least my country, has been plagued for decades by a Dark Lord, bearing the name of Voldemort. A terribly skillful wizard, whom, despite being his old professor, I have not been able to stop from bringing death and pain.
Our glimmer of hope was a young boy named Harry Potter. He defeated him once, fifteen years ago, give us a time of peace after years of darkness. But, as I expected, this Dark Lord came back. A prophecy claimed that a final battle between Young Harry and Voldemort would decide our fate.
This battle will never come. Harry Potter has died. There is no one left to stop him. I am dying. My days are numbered, and while I will still do my best to prepare what is left of our resistance, I fear this will not be enough.
I of course have not forgotten our pledge to keep our worlds apart, for both our safety, and am truly aware of the risks that I am asking you to take, but please, old friend. Help us.
If I recall what you explained to me about your world, so many years ago, this would be an S-Class mission. Maybe SS-Class.
The Dark Lord has to die, but remember. Secrecy is paramount.
I hope I will be lucky enough to see you again, or at least hear from you, before my passing. I trust you still know where the portal is.
Forever your friend,
Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore."
Natsu was already jumping on his seat.
- An SS-Class mission? So cool ! I'm in, I'm in! I'm already warming up.
Makarov raised his hand.
- Calm down, Natsu. This is way more complicated than it looks.
Erza, thoughtful, leaned forward.
- Who is this Albus person, Master? I don't think I have ever heard your mention him.
- And why is he speaking about his world? And keeping our worlds apart? added Lucy.
- This is not an easy story, children. I trust you all remember Edolas.
Of course they did. Edolas was a parallel world they had been trapped into, and also the origin world of the Exceeds, including Happy and Carla. In this world, no one was gifted with magic, so they had to harness this energy into objects and weapons.
- Well this was not a discovery for me. I mean, I already knew about the existence of parallel worlds.
Gray, Lucy and Erza looked at him in shock. Natsu didn't seem to understand. The master explained :
- Long time ago, long before you were even born, just months after I was named Master of Fairy Tail, I encountered this man, during a mission in the north. Albus Dumbledore. There was a portail, a gate, somewhere in the mountains. He had crossed some kind of portal, following an enemy of his own, named Grindelwald.
- What happened? What happened?
- Shut up, Natsu! What happened does not matter ! What you need to know, is that those men, Dumbledore and Grindelwald, are from another world. And their magic is very, very different.
- Different how? asked Lucy, now very curious. Her own magic was also quite different, as she was using Celestial Keys to invoke spirits from another plane of existence.
- You do know how our magic works, right?
- The Ethernano, the magic particles that lives in all things, she recited. We channel the Ethernano within us and it manifests as our powers. On Edolas, humans were emptied of Ethernano, that's why that had to crystalize it, and use those crystals as magic sources in their items.
- Yes exactly. Well, Albus and I became good friend, very quickly. And what he showed, or explained to me, was incredible. In their world, some individuals, named wizards, have the power to use the Ethernano around them. Said in another way, their magic does not come from within, but from the outside. They can channel it, use it, in a way none of us can. They can make incredible things, using nothing but a little stick they call "wand".
- Who cares? grumbled Natsu. It's boring.
- You care! snap Makarov to his surprise. You HAVE to care! You don't understand, Natsu. In their world, people with magic does not have the same kind of powers as us. It's like "one masters fire, the other masters ice,etc.". They use spells, incantations, and anyone with a wand can KILL you with just a word! You don't understand, Natsu. If you are touched by the "Killing Curse", as Albus called it, it's finished. There is no fighting it, no resisting it. It's a law of nature. If you get water on you, you're wet, and if you get touched by the curse, you die! This is not something you can... burn your way out of !
Natsu had turned a little pale, retreating in his seat. Happy looked terrorized.
- I've seen it happen, Natsu, I've seen Albus fight, against this Grindelwald guy, forcing him back into their world. I've seen them turn the air into fire, making giant rocks fly, or... kill an innocent girl with nothing but two single words. Natsu, everyone... With a wand, one single wizard has more power all of us combined. With a wand, one wizard can make fire, ice, water, snow, anything you can think of. They can freeze the time and take you voice away. They can turn you into something else! Into a pig, into a dog!
- This sounds... incredibly dangerous, master, spoke Gray for the first time.
Next to him, Wendy was trying to disappear into her seat.
Makarov lowered his head and sighted.
- It is, Gray. This is why I am not taking this assignment lightly. I would have gone myself, if I could have. But there is something else you need to know. Natsu, what happens if you punch this wall?
Natsu looked for a second.
- I don't know? I guess I destroy it...?
Makarov nodded.
- What happens if you use your Dragon Roar on an enemy?
- Usually, they fly away and get knocked out.
- Gray, Erza, what happens when you use your power on someone?
They looked at each other, not sure where he was going with this.
- Same as Natsu I suppose?
- Exactly. The reason is, again, the Ethernano. Infused with magic, our bodies are stronger, more resilient. But in their world... In their world, people have none of it, it's only in the air. In their world, someone who punches a wall don't destroy it. They just break their hands. Natsu, if you use your Dragon Roar on someone, he will burn. His flesh with melt. He will die. Gray, your ice shards could pierce through someone like paper. They will die. Erza, your swords...
- Will cut them down, and they will die.
He nodded.
- Their world is dangerous to you, but you are just as dangerous to them. You need to know that if you accept this mission, you might end up with blood on your hands. I know that risking our lives to help people is what we signed up for, but this is another deal. You need to know what you are walking into.
- What about the others? asked Wendy, her voice small. Laxus, Gajeel? Mira?
Makarov shook his head.
- We need them here. After what just happened, we are vulnerable. If the Team Natsu is in whole other world, we need some of them to keep everyone safe, just in case.
The team looked at each other for just a second. The answer was pretty obvious to them anyway.
- Well, these people need our help, right? Or this Dark Lord bad guy whatever will kill a whole bunch of them?
- It sounds like it, yes, sighed the old man.
- Then we have no choice. We have to go.
Master Makarov looked at him. Natsu had this giant grin on his face, the grin he has when he's diving into something absolutely terrifying without a damn clue of how dangerous it is. A true member of Fairy Tail.
- I was not finished Natsu.
- Again..?
- Yes. There is something more. Here in our world, magic and regular folks go along pretty well. In their world, the wizards... need to stay hidden. The common people, Muggles as they call them, have no idea of their existence. Magic is a secret, and has to remain as such. It's a matter of life and death. If anyone who is not supposed to see you magic discovers it... Things will go very bad. Natsu, everyone, this is important. If you take this mission, you will go to war, and you will have to keep this war a secret. Break this rule, and I will consider your mission failed, Natsu.
- Damn, muttered the young mage. It doesn't sound fun anymore...