Chương 39: 39
As the other Slayers began to cause chaos within the Edolas capital, Wendy sat in the Guild Hall of the Edolas Fairy Tail Guild, a bored look on her face.
"Aww, cheer up Wendy, I'm sure he's okay," Edo Mira said, trying to cheer her up. "You said that your Natsu was really strong, so there's no need to worry, right?"
"I'm not worried, I know Natsu will beat almost anyone," Wendy sighed in reply. "What I'm worried about, is that he left me here!"
"Well, it was the safest choice-?"
"He's a jerk! I'm strong, yet he leaves me behind," Wendy huffed, before calming down and shaking her head. "Sorry… I'm just-!"
"Frustrated," Edo Lucy chimed in, as she slid into the seat next to her. "You don't wanna be left out of things, right?"
"Right…"
"Well, you might be stuck here, but it's not all bad?"
"Really?"
"Yeah. You said your name was Wendy, right," Edo Lucy asked, with Wendy nodding silently in response. "You know, you're kinda like a little version of our Wendy?"
"Your Wendy?"
"Yeah! You wanna meet her," Edo Lucy asked with a cheeky grin. "Normally she doesn't like to be annoyed, but I'm sure you'd be a good exception?"
"I guess so," Wendy replied, as she got up, following Edo Lucy out the back and upstairs.
"OI!? WENDY," Edo Lucy called out loudly. "Wendy, you up there!?"
"What is it now Luce, I'm trying to sleep here?"
"I've got someone for you to meet, and she's pretty interesting…"
"Hmm, is that right? Well, she'd better be-."
Edo Wendy stepped out from one of the back rooms, freezing in place the moment she saw Earthland Wendy. The two stared at each other for several moments, before Edo Lucy broke the silence.
"Pretty interesting, huh," Edo Lucy asked, a cheeky smirk on her face.
"What type of trick is this Lucy, and how did you do it? She looks exactly like me when I was younger!?"
"Sorry for the confusion, I'm Wendy, just from Earthland," Wendy answered in Edo Lucy's place, as the Edo Wendy knelt down to look at her.
"Earthland? So, you're like, your world's counterpart to me, huh?"
"I think so? I'm not really sure how it works," Wendy replied, sighing, as she was again reminded of their predicament.
"Hey, why are you so sad," Edo Wendy asked, a small frown marring her features. "This is a pretty interesting thing, isn't it?"
"Wendy's sad because she didn't come here alone," Edo Lucy answered for her. "She came here with the Earthland version of Natsu."
"Natsu? Was he as much of a scaredy cat as ours?"
"Actually, he's the opposite. Get this, the Twin Commanders were about to get us, and he was like, 'I'm gonna go deal with em, you guys get outta here!' Before we teleported away, he knocked that damn Wyvern of theirs out of the sky in one punch!"
"He seriously did all that," Edo Wendy replied, clearly impressed. "Sounds like my kinda guy-."
Noticing Wendy's fierce blush in response to that statement, Edo Wendy giggled, ruffling Wendy's hair affectionately.
"Aww, that's cute!"
"What is?"
"Little me seems to have a crush-."
"I DO NOT," Wendy snapped back, a fierce blush across her face as Edo Wendy and Edo Lucy giggled.
"Really? Sure seems like it?"
"N-No, I d-don't like him like-like THAT! He's just … important …"
"Relax Wendy, we're only teasing," Edo Wendy smiled lightly, ruffling the girl's hair affectionately. "But now I'm curious, what do you mean by important, exactly?"
"Its hard to explain but, well, we're both Dragon Slayers, people raised by Dragons. From what Natsu told me, as we get older, and further evolve our abilities, it draws out … instincts, I think he said?"
"You mean like animal instincts?"
"Yeah. When I look at Natsu, and know he's around, I feel calm, at ease…"
"And when he's not around?"
"I feel really nervous, like he might not come back," Wendy replied quietly. "Something inside me tells me to go find him, and I'm trying to ignore it…"
"Aww, its okay Wendy, he doesn't have to come back," Edo Mira chimed in suddenly, interrupting the conversation.
"Mira, why would you say that," Edo Lucy snapped in response, noticing Wendy's almost hurt look.
"I said it, because I promised Natsu that I'd get you to the capital," the white-haired barmaid replied casually, surprising the trio. "That's where he said he'd be waiting for you, so I've spent my time finding you a ride."
"A ride," Wendy asked, clearly confused, only for Edo Lucy to stomp her right foot, gritting her teeth.
"Natsu," the blonde-haired Mage snapped, charging out of the room as Edo Wendy clarified the obvious for her.
"She means our Natsu, Wendy."
"Oh…"
The group made their way outside, only to see Edo Lucy suplex Edo Natsu. Once she stepped back, Wendy was shocked to see just how different Edo Natsu appeared to his Earthland counterpart.
He was younger, had almost no scars, and was only lightly toned. It was almost like she were looking at a distant relative, or someone impersonating him?
"OUCH! Why'd you do that Lucy!?"
"Do you have any idea what happened while you were gone!? We all almost died!"
"How's that my fault!?"
"Sorry Wendy, they're usually like this," Edo Wendy said quietly, as they waited for Edo Lucy to finish her rant.
"You want me to drive near the capital," Edo Natsu gasped, clearly fearful, as he tried to run away.
"You're driving Natsu! We owe the Earthland Natsu big time, so the least you could do is help!?"
"Okay okay! Just, please don't hit me again!"
As the Edolas Fairy Tail Guild continued to mess around with one another, Wendy's attention suddenly snapped to a large spike in Magical Energy.
"Elise?"
"What did you just say Wendy," several of the members asked, suddenly on full alert.
"That massive spike in Magic is from my friend Elise… Is the capital that way," Wendy asked, as she pointed off into the distance.
"Oh, I get it! You must mean the Elise from your world, right," Edo Mira sighed, as they all relaxed a little.
"Yes. She went with another person called Gajeel, and we split up so we could cover more ground."
"Gajeel huh? Wonder if he's good for anything beyond writing in your world," Edo Lucy replied with an amused grin.
"So why are you so scared of your world's Elise?"
"Well you see Wendy, she is one of the Twin Commanders," Edo Lucy replied, with all of the Edolas Fairy Tail members surprised at Wendy's shocked and fearful reaction.
"The other one … it's Erza, isn't it?"
Edo Mira nodded, as Wendy began to look fearful.
"We need to hurry to the capital right away! If Erza is one of the Commanders, then Natsu's in big trouble!"
"Why's that Wendy," Edo Wendy asked, clearly concerned.
"Because in our world, Natsu and Erza are … very close," Wendy replied, a slight blush on her face. "If Natsu had to fight someone that looks, sounds and basically is someone he cares about, he'd rather die than take the chance!"
The very idea of Erza even being a member of Fairy Tail made several of them shake, as Edo Wendy began to sigh.
"Looks like we're gonna need to get there quick… Natsu, you'd better not let us down!?"
"Hey, I've got the best ride in all of Edolas! There's no way we'll be late to the party!"
"Alright. So, I guess this is goodbye for now Wendy, hmm? Hopefully your Natsu is safe," Edo Mira waved, as Edo Wendy hopped into the car with Earthland Wendy.
"Bye Mira, thanks for everything," Wendy replied with a genuine smile, as Edo Lucy hopped into the front passenger seat. "
"You'd better step on it Natsu," Edo Lucy growled, as the vehicle roared to life.
"Yes ma'am," Edo Natsu sighed, as they began the drive towards the capital.
***POTD***
Gliding through the streets of the capital, Elise could only grin in sadistic glee, as all sorts of spells and weapons were being fired at her.
"Oh Gods, I forgot how fun these types of fights were," Elise moaned, as she darted around a corner, coming face to face with an entire squad of soldiers rushing towards her.
"Don't let the fake escape!"
"Get her, or the King will have your heads!"
"Not if I get them first," Elise grinned, vanishing, only to reappear several meters in their air. "War God's Twilight Slash!"
"Look out, it's a ranged attack!"
"From a sword!? What the heck is this girl!?"
The attack sliced through the barricade the guards had put up, and hacked away at the soldiers behind it. Elise followed up the attack by casually gliding past, slashing at anyone who was still standing.
"Almost doesn't seem fair… Wait a sec, what am I doing, I should be making sure Gajeel gets away with the Lacrima!? Alright, let's see where he is?"
Looking for Gajeel's Magical Signature, she took off in his general direction, the Edolas Army powerless to impede her progress.
"Sir, what should we do," one of the soldiers asked, with Sugarboy sighing in response.
"Well, we'll probably need the Twin Commanders for this one I'd wager? Even though our Elise is wounded, I'm sure she'd still come once she heard about this mess… As for Erza, you'll need to see King Faust about that."
"Of course Sir, I'll get right on it," the soldier replied with a prompt salute, before running off toward the palace.
"Will they even be enough though? She's one tough kid, and the other one that got brought in apparently didn't have a scratch on him… These Earthlander Mages sure are a pain," Sugarboy sighed, as he clutched the gash on his arm.
***POTD***
When Natsu had first entered the palace, he wasn't worried in the slightest. Once he felt the sudden burst of power from Elise however, he showed the slightest hint of concern.
"So, where's this King of yours Knightwalker?"
"Erza."
"What?"
"My name is Erza," Edo Erza frowned, stopping as she turned to look at him. "I understand that you know your own Erza, but that doesn't make me any less of a person, does it? I am Erza Knightwalker, use my name!"
"… Fair enough."
Edo Erza seemed surprised at how agreeable Natsu had just been to her sudden demand. She was under no illusion as to who held the power between the pair, yet Natsu easily acquiesced to her demand, not even bothering to argue it.
"Uh… Thank you," Edo Erza replied awkwardly, eliciting an amused chuckle from Natsu. "What?"
"I'm just thinking about how similar you are to my Erza, and how interesting that is, considering how drastically different basically every other counterpart I've met was."
"I see…"
I have to say though, I actually like how you do your hair more than my own Erza," Natsu continued, as Edo Erza's jaw dropped, a slight blush manifesting across her face. "It gives you that fiercer, wilder look, yet it also makes you seem … older, if that makes any sense?"
"W-Where did this come from!?"
"One thing you'll come to learn about me, is that I speak my mind, Erza. You should know that I find the Earthland Erza attractive, which means I'll naturally check you out as well."
"You… You aren't just saying that, are you," Edo Erza asked, genuinely stumped at his bluntness, yet surprisingly flattered. "You really find me attractive?"
"Yes."
"That's… I'm surprised you'd say that…"
"Why?"
"I'm not really viewed as attractive," Edo Erza replied awkwardly, as she turned and slowly strode toward the nearby window. "Most in the kingdom fear me, my glare keeps almost all suitors at a distance. And my body…"
Edo Erza turned around, motioning toward her abdomen, running a hand over her exposed six pack, as well as the numerous scars that littered her exposed flesh.
"I don't exactly have a body people find enticing," Edo Erza mumbled, clearly embarrassed and ashamed. "Do you truly find a body like this enticing-?"
Edo Erza froze, looking back up at Natsu, only to see that the clothes that had covered his upper body had vanished, exposing his muscular frame. She was shocked to see the sheer level of battle damage his body had endured, countless unsightly scars, many having left fissures along his skin, littered his form.
"How," Edo Erza whispered, closing the distance between them, as she traced a finger over his form without even truly realizing it. "How have you survived such…?"
"A very interesting question, isn't it? You asking how I survived such battle damage implies that there is a story there, doesn't it? Each bit of damage on my body has a story, and each helped forge me into the man who stands before you," Natsu replied quietly, as he placed a hand on Edo Erza's abs, eliciting a startled gasp, though she did not pull away. "We may be from different worlds, but we are both Human, Erza Knightwalker. Our scars are our story, our history, and our proof of growth, and we should wear them proudly, not view them as unsightly or embarrassing…"
Edo Erza's eyes widened, as Natsu pulled away, the clothes of his upper body returning as he shot her his signature grin.
"One day, you'll find someone who will look at your body the same way I do, and you'll have found someone worth opening your heart up to. Besides, if someone can't accept who you are on the outside, then they definitely aren't going to accept what you're like on the inside, are they?"
Edo Erza was surprised to find herself agreeing with him. It was obvious that this wasn't any sort of ploy by him to try anything suspicious, but rather, he was just providing her with some life advice.
"Your friends," Edo Erza responded, deciding to shift the topic. "You said that they were all caught in the blast that created the Lacrima, right?"
"I did, yes. A giant pillar of light came from the sky, taking my entire town, and all my friends, with it," Natsu replied, as the two slowly started walking again. "Why?"
"Who told you about where the blast came from, about Edolas," Edo Erza asked curiously. "Was it someone from Edolas?"
"Nah. Another Mage from my Guild, a guy named Mystogan, told me about it. He's the one who sent me up here, as well as giving me a rough idea about Edolas, and where to start looking for the Lacrima."
"So, there's someone who is capable of traveling freely between the two realms," Edo Erza replied curiously. "That sounds impossible…"
"I'm not sure how he knew about Edolas, he's a bit of a mystery even to my Guild," Natsu replied honestly, as Edo Erza led him into a small conference room. "So, this is where I'll be meeting the King?"
"Yes," Edo Erza replied, before noticing someone else in the room. "Oh?"
Standing off in the far corner of the room, Natsu was surprised to see a large, cat-like humanoid creature. It stood as tall as he was, had some impressive muscle mass, and had a sword strapped to its back.
The creature noticed Natsu, and immediately walked right up to him, with Edo Erza looking between the two worriedly.
"So, you are the Earthlander," the creature spoke. "I can see already how you've put the entirety of Edolas on high alert, your Magical Power is almost impossibly impressive."
"I'm surprised that you can sense it," Natsu replied, looking at the cat-like humanoid closer. "Oh?"
"Yeah. You and I have something in common," the being smirked. "Allow me to introduce myself…"
A Commanding Officer In The Edolas Military
Captain Of The First Magical War Division
The Last Member Of The Exceed Race
Panther Lily
"Nice to meet you," Natsu smiled, as the two shook hand and paw respectively.
"Likewise. Anyone who doesn't automatically bow to me like I'm some kind of deity is okay in my book," Panther Lily replied, eliciting a raised eyebrow in response.
"Bow to you? Why do people here do that?"
"Oh, right… I forgot that you aren't from Edolas, so you wouldn't know," Panther Lily replied, before beginning to explain. "You see, I am the last of a race known as the Exceeds. We, like you Earthlanders, can use Magic from within ourselves. Unfortunately, because of this, we have become seen by the people of Edolas as Gods…"
"Well, I suppose I can understand why they would think that," Natsu replied, with Panther Lily nodding in agreement. "You said that you were the last of your kind though, right?"
"Yes, I did," Panther Lily nodded stiffly. "My entire race was only recently… pacified."
Natsu's eyes narrowed at the Exceed's words, but, just as he was about to ask what he meant, a new voice chimed in.
"Come now, surely our guest isn't in the mood to hear about the Exceed race, Panther Lily? After all, beings such as yourself are abundant in droves where he's from!"
Knightwalker and Panther Lily instinctively bowed, as an older looking man entered, accompanied by several guards.
"I take it you're the King around here," Natsu asked, clearly unimpressed.
"And I would assume you to be one of the Earthlanders that are running amok around my kingdom? Yes, we know about the other two running around. In fact, I just received word that one of them that looks strikingly similar to our Commander Elise is single handedly tearing my city apart," the King replied with narrowed eyes. "You will call off your dog, Earthlander!"
"She's not my dog, King, she is my friend. That aside, why should I? We wouldn't even be here if you didn't take our friends and turn them into a Lacrima, would we?"
"It must be nice for you Earthlanders to barge into our world and cause chaos for Magic that you can easily acquire elsewhere," the King scoffed in response. "Far be it for us to take a little from your world, so that ours that is in dire straights may survive another few years-."
"Already going there, huh? Okay, fine, let's skip the small talk," Natsu sniffed, crossing his arms. "I'm well aware that you lot have a Magic shortage going on, and that your people rely on Magic. But guess what?"
"What?"
"That still doesn't give you the right to rip entire towns out of Earthland, killing thousands in the process, just to prolong Magic in your world," Natsu stated firmly, with the King gritting his teeth in response. "Eventually, you'll have to discard Magic, and learn how to survive through alternate means, plain and simple."
"The right to sacrifice people's lives? The lives of Earthlanders are of no importance to us, they are of another world after all," the King replied, with Natsu actually glaring in disgust at the old man. "What gives you the right to tell us to give up Magic, when you have near infinite amounts of it!? Such arrogance, such ignorance… I refuse to accept that we must discard Magic!"
Natsu could only sigh as he looked at the King, who appeared quite angry at him. Shaking his head, he decided to just get straight to the point.
"Look, I'm just here for my friends, and I know there's a way to turn them all back from being in Lacrima form. So, let's not make this any harder than it needs to be, alright?"
"You think your threats will work on me, boy!? We know about your Dragon Powers, and we know what you are capable of! Your Dragon Powers have the potential to perform the impossible in our world, and I will use that power for my own ends, to find a means of sustaining Magic within Edolas!"
Natsu could only laugh at the old King, finding great amusement at how he actually thought he could somehow stop Natsu from doing what he wanted. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Edo Erza looking rather worriedly in their direction, which had him momentarily feeling guilty.
"Well then, King Faust, it seems that there is nothing more to say between our worlds then, is there," Natsu asked, before suddenly vanishing, reappearing on the throne at the far end of the room. "I promised Erza there that I wouldn't harm you during out talk, so you can thank her for me not having already caved your skull in. That being said, what happens next is entirely on you…"
Natsu disappeared, prompting Edo Erza and Panther Lily to rush to Faust's side, as a window in the room shattered into pieces, indicating that Natsu had fled the room.
"Rouse Elise, we will need all our military might to hold that boy back. Ignore the other Earthlander, even the one who holds the small chunk taken from our great Lacrima crystal," Faust ordered, as he looked out the broken window. "That boy … Natsu Dragneel … I believe he will be the key to seeing infinite Magic flourish within Edolas…"
"Of course, we shall do so at once," Edo Erza replied sharply, although, she felt a twinge of something at the thought of what they'd do to Natsu if they caught him.
"Panther Lily…"
"Yes?"
"Have Byro make preparations to activate … HIM," Faust muttered, surprising both of them. "I refuse to allow that one to escape our grasp… I'll throw everything we've got just to capture him!"
Panther Lily and Edo Erza shared a look, as Faust began cackling with glee, the pair slowly and silently backing out of the room, sharing conflicting emotions about what was to come.
***POTD***
Elise had met up with Gajeel, as the two continued to carve a path through the forces of the Edolas Royal Army. Neither of them had any difficulty, only finding their presence mildly annoying, as another wave would take the place of one they just defeated.
"Is there an end to these punks," Gajeel grunted, as he swung his right arm, which he'd converted into a sword, and sliced through a group of soldiers like butter.
"How should I know!? All I know is that we're almost at the city limit," Elise huffed, as she flashed around Gajeel, blocking any and all projectiles from hitting him.
"Well now, the two of you seem to be getting awfully close, eh!?"
Elise and Gajeel nearly tripped over themselves, as Natsu was suddenly running with them, seemingly appearing out of thin air.
"Where the hell have you been!? Actually, weren't you supposed to have been captured by the Twin Commanders," Elise asked, clearly confused.
"Captured is a strong word Elise," Natsu smirked as they smashed through the entrance to the city, entering the barren wastelands outside the capital. "That aside, you guys should get out of the city, since I may have pissed of the King a little bit… Also, once you get out, I want you to try something Gajeel? Attack the Lacrima with your Dragon Slayer Magic!"
"Are you serious Salamander!? The Hell did you find out while you were in the palace?"
"Only that our Dragon Slayer Magic does things that defy the norms of this world," Natsu replied with a shrug. "Just try it, okay? Oh, also, Wendy should be here pretty soon, so help her out when she arrives?"
"And what will you be doing while we're grabbing Wendy?"
"Well, the entire army will probably be coming after me, so I can distract them until you guys can link up with Wendy, and have Gajeel test out his Dragon Slayer Magic on the Lacrima."
"No fair, you're stealing my fun," Elise whined as she playfully punched his arm. "Just kidding, I've already killed over a hundred of these idiots!"
"You'd better not wipe em all out before we get back Salamander," Gajeel grunted. "After lugging this thing around, I wanna get a few hits in!"
"I'll make sure to save some scraps for you," Natsu smirked, eliciting a snort from both the Slayers. "Go!"
The two nodded as they picked up speed, whilst Natsu skidded to a stop, turning around to face the incoming army.
"How many years has it been since I did something stupid like fight an entire army," Natsu mused aloud to himself, as he spotted what he was up against.
Rapidly approaching his position, was a considerably large force. Natsu could only sigh as he saw the lineup. Fifty Wyverns, ten ships, with the total number of soldiers being an unknown. At the head of the inbound force, was Erza Knightwalker, Elise Fulcrum, along with several others.
As the forces got closer, they halted several hundred metres in front of Natsu's current position, with Edo Erza speaking to him using some sort of projection device.
"Dragneel! This is your one chance to surrender peacefully! No matter what, you'll be brought in, so make this easy on yourself!?"
Natsu sighed, shaking his head, as he ignited his fists with crimson flame. With a smirk, he started charging toward them, shocking most of the army, with some even hastily stepping backward.
"This kid is crazy," Sugarboy muttered from Erza's right, as he drew his blade, his left arm bandaged up.
"You can say that again," Edo Erza muttered in reply, as she signaled for the entire army to attack.
Natsu smirked as the numerous attacks quickly began bombarding the area all around him. Allowing his mind to recede back to how it was during Scarlione, Natsu easily tore through their rank, using both his superior speed, and superior power.
Launching himself into the air after a brutal combo on an entire platoon of soldiers, he summoned a red Magic Circle in front of him.
"Fire Dragon King's Nova Burst!"
From the Magic Circle, multiple palm sized attacks were fired out in rapid succession. Faster than the eye could blink, three ships exploded, as large spheres of flame seemingly expanded from their surface, tearing them apart as they crashed down into the soldiers beneath them.
In a matter of seconds, over four hundred soldiers died, as Natsu reengaged with the ground forces, all hints of his playful demeanor gone. All that remained in its place, was a battle-hardened warrior.
***POTD***
Feeling the clash between Natsu and the Edolas Royal Army, Elise and Gajeel didn't even look back, dead set on making it as far from the battlefield as possible.
"Gajeel, try that thing Natsu asked you to do, I'll use my Magic to reach Wendy faster," Elise called out over the sound of explosions behind them.
"Worried about Salamander, huh," Gajeel asked with a grin. "Sure, I'll handle it, so get goin!"
"Thanks," Elise replied, her form becoming coated in a blackish aura as she shot off into the distance.
"Well Salamander, you wanted me to break this thing, then you've got it," Gajeel grunted, turning his right arm into a saw, and slicing the Lacrima clean in half.
A bright light appeared from between the two destroyed sections, before quickly splitting off into two separate forms. The light then condensed into humanoid shapes, as Gray and Erza suddenly appeared before him.
"Well shit, guess Salamander was on the money," Gajeel grinned, as the pair slowly opened their eyes and noticed their surroundings.
"What the hell happened… and where the hell are we," Gray asked, clearly confused, before Erza cut him off.
"That can wait Gray," Erza replied, looking right at Gajeel. "Fill us in, what's going on?"
"Figures you'd sense that Titania," Gajeel smirked. "Long story short, we're in some other world right now. Me, Salamander, the little one and the Godling were immune somehow, but everyone else got turned into this giant Lacrima. Me and Faulkner saved your asses from being used as a power source, and Salamander is doin what he does best over there."
"That's… Okay, that's a lot," Erza muttered with narrowed eyes. "Explain to me why Natsu's putting out so much power, and we'll go from there."
"He's fightin pretty much the entire Edolas Army over there," Gajeel explained, before pointing in the other direction. "Faulkner went to go grab the little one off in that direction. I was meant to bust whoever was in that Lacrima out and given em one of these things."
Both Erza and Gray shared raised eyebrows, as Gajeel offered them a strange looking pill.
"You need these things to use Magic in this world, so Salamander says anyway. Apparently that Mystogan guy gave em to him?"
"Mystogan," Erza asked, clearly surprised. "Fine."
Both Erza and Gray took their pills, immediately feeling their access to their Magic return.
"Right, no time to be wasting round here," Gajeel grunted. "Salamander might be strong, but even still, we're fightin for the rest of the damn Guild and Magnolia here!"
"Gajeel's right, we can't leave it all to Natsu. The lives of thousands are on the line," Erza agreed with a firm nod. "I'm sure Elise and Wendy will rejoin and assist us soon, but we should make our way to the battle immediately!"
"Leave it to the flame brain to try hog all the action, even after we all trained for months," Gray chuckled, as the group began to run towards Natsu's position.
***POTD***
Natsu panted as he backed off slightly, having just downed another ship, setting off numerous explosions as Panther Lily charged his position.
"This almost reminds me of the last time I tried to take on an army," Natsu panted, as he started fending off numerous sword strikes from the powerful Exceed. "At least back then, I had Gildarts and the others…"
"I must commend your skill Dragneel. Single-handedly, you have dealt a massive blow to our military. Such power could have only been achieved through brutal and rigorous training," Panther Lily praised, even as he was trying to cleave off one of his limbs.
"Yeah, brutal puts it lightly. Still, it's a shame that things even had to come to this, but I won't let Edolas use that Lacrima!"
"You can't possibly think you'll defeat all of us," Edo Erza chimed in, as she began her attack, alongside Edo Elise.
"Kinda hard to win when you're trying not to kill your opponents," Natsu replied with a shrug, even as he caught Edo Elise and Panther Lily's blades with his hands. "At my level, trying not to kill people is pretty hard you know?"
"You call what you did to me holding back," Edo Elise asked in disbelief, as they continued to hack and slash at Natsu, who continued to dodge and counter all their attacks with relative ease.
"There's only one way you can win Dragneel, and that's if you stop holding back and fight us for real!"
Natsu looked at Edo Erza, sighing, and shaking his head. He was about to respond, when suddenly, there was a chill in the air.
In an instant, his entire demeanor changed, as he vanished, reappearing several meters away, as the Edolas Commanders regrouped with their forces.
"What's he doing now," Edo Elise groaned, as everyone on the battlefield felt the cold chill wash over them.
"It's not me, but there is one guy I know who could do that," Natsu grinned as three Mages quickly sprinted toward his position. "If you lot couldn't beat me by yourselves, then there's absolutely no way you'll be able to stop us now!"
"Gihi! Damn Salamander, you've trashed em pretty bad," Gajeel smirked, as the three Mages looked around at the carnage. "Nice!"
"I see you listened to my advice on using your Dragon Slayer Magic on the Lacrima," Natsu replied, as the pair bumped fists.
"Who'd of thought these two would've been in there, eh? Guess we'll have this kingdom on its knees by sundown…"
"Gotta say Natsu, you did a pretty good job fighting them by yourself," Gray agreed, as the trio looked out on the destroyed area, and the countless unconscious soldiers and destroyed ships.
"Well, I'm not just a mighty Wizard Saint for show, am I Gray? How about showing me what you learned while you were gone?"
"On these clowns, that'll be overkill," Gray smirked in response. "Check this shit out!"
Walking over to the gathered soldiers, Gray took his shirt off, as ice began to cover the left half of his body.
"Hey, I remember Ur doing something like that," Natsu noted, as Gray merely shot him an amused smirk in response.
"She taught me a Hell of a lot more than just covering my body with ice," Gray replied, as he crossed his arms into an X formation, before extending them fully outward at his sides, as a massive dark blue colored Magic Circle appeared in-between his outstretched arms. "Ice Make – Frozen Wasteland!"
Natsu increased his body temperature and stood near the others, as the blast passed them by. The group watched as a powerful blizzard washed over the enemy rank, instantly freezing the rank-and-file troops, with only some of the Magic wielders surviving the attack.
"Not bad Gray, I'm impressed," Natsu said in response to his attack. "I'm guessing you can't do that frequently though?"
"Not unless there's water or something," Gray replied, as he returned to the group. "You can only generate so much before you start drawing too much from your reserves, you know?"
"Well, at least ya left some for the rest of us to wail on," Gajeel grinned, as he began to charge towards the enemy, only to slip on the ice. Natsu immediately burst out laughing, with the other Slayer immediately getting up in his face.
"What's so funny Salamander!? Huh!?"
"Nothing Gajeel, nothing… other than your lame entrance to the battle! Hell, even Gray pulled it off!"
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean," Gray snapped, as the three started arguing with one another.
"Have you idiots forgotten that there's a war on!?"
"Fuck, she's right," Natsu replied, coughing awkwardly, as the three looked back to the enemy, right as Edo Erza broke rank, charging directly toward them.
"Scarlett," Edo Erza roared, with Earthland Erza summoning a blade and vanishing, meeting Edo Erza halfway as the two began fighting.
Gajeel and Gray were completely shocked at seeing another Erza, but Natsu wasn't bothered at all. Instead, he simply started advancing toward the army once more, as the remaining two Mages shared stunned looks.
"Uh, what the hell just happened!?"
"Since when were there TWO of Titania," Gajeel huffed, only for Natsu to snort in amusement.
"You guys think that's weird, there's another Elise coming for us right now," Natsu replied, motioning toward the almost enraged looking Edo Elise that was charging their position, sword in hand.
"What have we gotten ourselves into," Gray sighed, as the group began to fight the Edolas Royal Army once more.
***POTD***
Elise could feel the surge of several recognizable Magic, grinning like a loon as she realized their chances of success were just cemented.
"Now I just have to get Wendy, and we'll all be back together again," the God Slayer grinned, putting more power into her speed.
Several minutes later, she could see something approaching at high speed. Slowing down, Elise quickly realized that Wendy was inside.
The vehicle began to slow to a halt right next to her, and Wendy shot out of the passenger seat, hugging Elise, before looking up at her with a worried look.
"Is Natsu alright? I can feel so much Magical Power clashing together?"
"Well, I can't exactly answer that, since I'm not there. But he's fighting the entire Edolas Royal Army right now, so make of that what you want?"
"Can you get me there quickly," Wendy asked as Elise nodded, before looking toward the other occupants in the car, who all seemed extremely unnerved to look at her.
"Thank you for helping get Wendy here, I can't thank you enough."
"Just beat Faust, that's all we can ask for," Edo Lucy replied, clearly trying not to glare at her, before the car suddenly sped off.
"They didn't seem to like me very much," Elise said after they were gone, clearly confused.
"That's because you have a double in this world, and she's one of the Fairy Hunters."
"I see. Then I guess we should get back to the others as quickly as possible. Also, I wouldn't worry about Natsu's safety, I'm sure he's fine. It takes a lot more than some basic weapons to take down someone like him, you know?"
"Yeah, you're right Elise," Wendy nodded in agreement, as Elise picked her up, holding her close.
"Hold on tight Wendy, we're going back at TOP speed," Elise grinned, as they shot off toward the battlefield in the distance.
***POTD***
Erza was still struggling to come to terms with who she was currently fighting. The two were identical in almost every aspect, excluding only minor differences like scars, hairstyle, and clothing.
"Do all Earthlanders find it customary to hold back," Edo Erza asked, as the two broke off from a clash.
"I could say the same to you as well," Erza grunted in reply, as the pair circled one another. "You and I are relatively the same, which makes this a rather complicated battle."
"You know, I half expected you to be as absurdly powerful as Dragneel," Edo Erza muttered, before shaking her head. "That man ran circles around me, clearly unbothered by all my attacks. He's both charming, yet frightening, all at the same time."
"I know what you mean. Though he projects a happy, almost amused exterior self, Natsu has a cold and calculating side hidden within him. One that I know even our Guild Master sometimes worries about…"
"A hidden darker side? So, you mean to tell me that his threat to burn our kingdom to ashes if there was no viable way to save his Guild and town from the giant Lacrima WASN'T a mere bluff?"
"I sincerely doubt it. Natsu will do whatever it takes once he's committed himself to a goal, no matter what he has to do. If he said that, then he would indeed have carried it out, were it true."
"I see. Then, that makes what he said all the more interesting," Edo Erza replied, as she entered a neutral stance, surprising Erza. "Listen, I've learned of a few things that King Faust has done recently that have made me question my role in events…"
"Like what?"
"The massacre of the Exceed Race. Initially, we were all told that they were killed," Edo Erza began, before narrowing her eyes. "Just before I came here, however, I found out that it was all a lie."
"What are you talking about," Natsu asked, suddenly appearing between the pair, walking right up to Edo Erza. "What's Faust done?"
"I would also like to know," Panther Lily chimed in, as he appeared several meters away. "You are speaking of my people, Erza Knightwalker, I have a right to know?"
"That you do," Edo Erza muttered quietly. "There are two projects King Faust has that were designed to not only assist the King in his efforts, but keep the populace in line. I … I know that what I am about to do will be seen by the King as treason but … let me help you Earthlanders in defeating Faust!"
"Well, I wasn't expecting that," Natsu replied with raised eyebrows. "Still, I won't knock back your help."
"Every time you speak with me, you say things that I wish to deny, yet in my heart know them to be true. All I ever wanted was to make sure the people of Edolas were safe, and foolishly thought King Faust was the way… Perhaps young Prince Jellal was right in running away all those years ago?"
"Jellal," Natsu and Erza shouted in unison.
"So, you've met him, or perhaps his Edolas counterpart then? Either way, it doesn't matter. What does matter, was that young Prince Jellal stood up against King Faust, to protest the theft of Magic from Earthland, and the murder of thousands using Anima!"
As Edo Erza explained herself, Natsu mind pondered what she had just said. His mind moved toward Mystogan, as pieces started lining themselves up in his head. Before he could voice any sort of question, however, Edo Erza addressed him directly.
"Listen, since the fighting between us hasn't resumed in quite some time, the whispers will have no doubt reached the officers, or even Faust himself, that I won't fight you anymore. There are two weapons of mass destruction within Faust's possession, both capable of causing unparalleled damage!"
"So, what would these two weapons be then," Natsu asked, as Edo Erza began to explain them.
"The first, and most dangerous one, is an ancient super-weapon known as Dorma Anim. It is only used as a last resort, because it will draw all the Magic from the world just to power itself."
"Always with the super weapons," Natsu sighed. "So, what's the other one?"
"This one isn't as powerful, but is still extremely dangerous. Many years ago, back when all the remaining Guilds in Edolas were outlawed, one Guild stood in defiance… Fairy Tail. Back then, they had a Guild Master who was so powerful, that none of the Edolas Royal Army could beat him in single combat. None, except him..."
"Who was it," Natsu asked, before several lights were being aimed at the small group's direction.
"Having fun divulging state secrets, Erza," Faust's voice boomed, as his airship came into view.
"No… Surely they didn't already prepare him!?"
"Oh yes indeed Erza, I authorized Byro to activate him right after you left! As for the two of you Earthlanders, I'll pick up where our former Commander left off! There was one man our great army had who could stand against Fairy Tail," Faust's voice boomed, as they all felt a sudden spike in Magical Power. "Our greatest Commander, Sir Gildarts!"
"Oh shit… Don't tell me-!"
"Commander Gildarts was killed in a battle against the former Master of Fairy Tail, Precht. We recovered our dear Commander, and gave him a state funeral, with full Honors. Behind the scenes however, Byro began his work to turn what was already one of the strongest Edolas Mages … into the undisputed strongest Mage!
"And that, Natsu, is the second super weapon… Project G.I.L.D.A.R.T.S," Edo Erza muttered, as the King roared with laughter. "They didn't kill the Exceed Race, at least, not to begin with… Byro managed to take their internal Magic Cores, combine them into a single one, and inserted the thing into the corpse of Commander Gildarts…"
"An Edolas Human that could perform Magic, just the same as an Earthlander! That was the goal! Not only did we achieve that goal, but in the process turned him into the ultimate weapon, completely unaffected by regular attacks, and can withstand even the most powerful of blows!"
"WHAT!? King Faust, is this true," Panther Lily roared, looking up to the airship as he clutched his blade tightly. "TELL ME!?"
"Oh yes, very much so. The power the Exceed Race held was something I couldn't afford to simply erase, I needed to gain from their demise, for Edolas' future!"
"You…You MONSTER!"
"Count yourself lucky Panther Lily, for you would have also suffered the same fate, had you not been useful," Faust scoffed in response. "The fate of a bunch of cats means nothing to me, not when I stand to secure the supremacy of Edolas!"
"How…How DARE YOU," Panther Lily roared, large feathery wings shooting from his back, as he charged toward the airship. "I'LL KILL YOU FOR THIS FAUST-!"
Panther Lily was suddenly blasted out of the sky by a powerful attack that had originated from the airship. Edo Erza leapt up and caught the Exceed, shocked at how much damage he'd suffered from just one attack.
"KAHAHAHAHAHA! FOOLISH CAT, YOU DARE STRIKE YOUR KING!? You will suffer the same fate as the Earthlanders, as will you, Erza Knightwalker," Faust's voice cackled with glee, as something landed ten meters before them. "As for you, Natsu Dragneel, you will be the first to die at the hand of my greatest weapon! For daring to defy me within my own palace, I sentence you to execution!"
Everyone was completely stunned at the entity before them. The body was clearly long deceased, yet that wasn't the part that left the group horrified. Jutting out from the entity before them, were dozens of Lacrima that had been infused into key points along its body.
Natsu, however, couldn't take his eyes off of the face of the being before him. It took a lot to unnerve him, given what he'd seen back in Scarlione. But the face of his mentor, all cut up and mutated with Lacrima inside his eyes…
That was something that genuinely disgusted him.
Former Commander Of The Edolas Royal Army
Top Secret Military Super-Weapon
A True Edolas Magic User
Gildarts Clove
"So, you violated a dead man's corpse, and turned him into your own personal weapon… If I didn't want you dead before, I definitely do now," Natsu snarled hatefully, as he looked up toward the airship, only for Faust to laugh in response.
"You may want me dead, but he might have other plans? Gildarts, Scenario Forty-Seven is in effect! Wipe out the Fairies, but leave those with the Dragons power!"
"This is disgusting," Natsu growled, as he watched the skin ripple and pulse, as Lacrima actively shifted around within the body. "A sentient Lacrima, that's all this thing is. Any trace of humanity…has been stripped away!"
"How could someone do such a thing to a Human being, let alone a departed Human's body," Erza asked, clearly in shock, as the mutated Commander lunged toward them.
Erza easily dodged the attack, helping Edo Erza get Panther Lily away, as he was still half conscious from the attack Gildarts had hit him with. The mutated Commander seemed to instantly react to their evasion, however, and instantly turned to strike them again, only for Natsu to appear in front of them, catching the punch.
"Natsu!?"
Both Erza and Edo Erza were surprised to see purple lines appear across Natsu's skin, a trail running up toward his torso. Before they even had the chance to question what it was, Gildarts was suddenly blasted away, despite the fact that there wasn't any visible sign of an explosion.
The pair behind him were shocked to see Gildarts smash through multiple airships, before flipping midair and regaining his footing, its body torn to shreds with bits of skin and bone hanging out uselessly.
"Natsu… what was that attack just now?"
"I never did tell you what Dragon I trained with, did I," Natsu muttered in reply, as he dismissed his coat to his Requip Space, revealing his upper body once more. "Though I'm far from mastering it, I've learned the power ... of a Gravity Dragon Slayer!"
"So that's how you blasted Gildarts away," Edo Erza muttered. "You hit it with a Gravity based attack, and that's what blew a hole right through him!?"
"Correct. The lines you saw on my skin, however, weren't from that attack," Natsu replied, as they reappeared on his skin once again. "They are connected to a Gravity Seal I've placed on myself."
"A… Gravity Seal," Erza asked slowly. "What does it do?"
"Its training, essentially. I placed a seal over myself that can increase the Gravity focused on my form," Natsu explained, shocking both Erza and Edo Erza, as they both quickly realized what this meant.
"So, all those times you kept vanishing so quickly-!?"
"I was having the seal match localized Gravity, yes," Natsu nodded, as Gildarts started stumbling forward. "I've had the seal set to four times regular Gravity, but situations like this mean I have to disable it-."
All three snapped their attention back toward Gildarts, as it let loose a robotic screech, as power exploded from its form. Natsu immediately placed himself between Gildarts and the girls, as the mutated Commander began rapidly regenerating its damaged form.
"I see… So, that's how its going to be," Natsu muttered, as Gildarts fully regenerated back to normal, its Magical Power exploding yet again as it locked its sights squarely on Natsu. "That could be a problem…"
G.I.L.D.A.R.T.S (Lacrima Infinity Engine + Extalia Core) – 502,412 MPI
"That's insane," Erza gasped, seeing the projection spat out by Natsu's Wizard Saint ring. "There's no way that can be accurate-!?"
"It-It is," Panther Lily gasped, as he slowly rose to his feet. "You forget… That thing there, has every single Exceed's Magical Core put in it, aside from my own…"
"He's right," Natsu agreed instantly. "Not only that, it has all those Lacrima, which likely had reserves in them as well."
"Natsu… I beg you," Panther Lily hissed, clutching his right arm which was bleeding profusely. "Destroy that abomination in my place…!"
Looking back to the Exceed, Natsu's eyes hardened, as he clasped his large paw with his right hand. The two shared a look, as the Exceed's eyes watered, before he fell to his knees.
"Its so strong… but … I know you can beat it!"
"You can't be serious," Erza gasped, looking between the Exceed and Natsu. "I know you're strong, but you saw that thing's MPI!? The amount of raw power that thing has access to-!?"
Erza's mouth promptly snapped shut, as Natsu let go of Panther Lily's hand, and turned to face Gildarts, releasing his own reserves. Erza actually had to take a step back, unable to even process what she was feeling, as Natsu started to walk toward the mutated Commander.
Natsu Dragneel (Base Form + Gravity Seal X4 Inactive) – 257,906 MPI
"That can't be possible," Erza muttered in sheer disbelief. "He hasn't even used his Flame Drive or anything!?"
"I trained very hard since the Nirvana Incident, Erza. I'm not going to sit back and relax when there are countless powerful threats out there like the Bharam Alliance, or this thing," Natsu replied firmly. "Both of you, take Panther Lily and get out of here, try and help the others in stopping the Edolas Army as I deal with Faust's abomination!"
"O-Okay," Erza stuttered, still completely stunned as she helped Edo Erza carry the unconscious Panther Lily away.
"All right, now its just us," Natsu muttered to himself, as the mutated Commander finished powering up, and charged toward him.
Gildarts jumped into the air, and began firing a volley of razor-sharp crystals at Natsu, which he easily shattered with his Crash Magic. The pair then vanished, with Natsu being punched in the gut, getting knocked up into one of the numerous floating islands surrounding the capital.
Hitting the side of the island, Natsu came out the top and quickly righted himself, flicking some blood from his right hand that had been cut when he hit the floating island on his right side.
Gildarts leapt up from ground level, all the way to the floating island he had been flung to. Looking at his cut hand, a deep purple Magic Circle appeared, as he aimed it in the mutated Commander's direction.
"Fine, you wanna play that game, then let's play!"
A matching Magic Circle appeared on the right fist of Gildarts, as the mutated Commander was suddenly and rapidly dragged into Natsu's direction through a force around his fist.
Cocking back his left arm, he straightened his fingers as his hand was set ablaze. Looking back to the incoming Gildarts, he waited until the right moment.
"Fire Dragon King's Piercing Claw!"
Thrusting his attack forward as Gildarts appeared right in front of him, the mutated Commander was helpless to do anything as the Gravity Seal Natsu had placed over his fist dragged him right into the attack.
The Piercing Claw went through the top of its skull, slicing the Commander vertically in half, as bits of skin and Lacrima were blasted out everywhere, with the two halves of the body veering off either side of him, hitting the ground and skidding along before crashing into the small mountain behind him.
"Doubt that finished it off," Natsu, muttered, flicking his right hand, as his Piercing Claw deactivated. "Still, good to see my Gravity Seal technique works on him well enough…"
Turning around to see his handiwork, he cringed as he watched the various bits of skin and Lacrima being moving back toward the two halves of the mutated Commander's body. Said halves themselves were also twitching about, as they flopped about, moving closer together.
"Fine, let's kick this up a notch," Natsu muttered as his hair flicked upward, with some scales beginning to form across his body. "Flame Drive!"
Natsu Dragneel (Flame Drive) – 386,859 MPI
The battle immediately shifted up a notch, as the mutated body of Gildarts immediately slapped itself together, already forming a shard based attack full of unstable Magic, as Natsu vanished, reappearing mere meters away from it with his right arm outstretched.
"Fire Gravity Dragon's Pressure Wing!"
Combining the Wing Attack from both his Fire and Gravity Dragon Slayer Magics, Natsu formed a wholly new one. The Pressure Wing's fire immediately turned a dark blue color, mere moments before it smashed right into Commander Gildarts' body, slicing cleanly through not just his attack, but the Commander himself.
The moment his attack sliced through the mutated Commander, it set off a miniature explosion of blue fire around him, as both halves of his body were compacted into a ball, before suddenly exploding again, sending bits and pieces raining about the place.
To Natsu's annoyance, even as the pieces scattered, he could see many of them combining together to reform, which meant that his attack was wholly ineffective.
"Back to the drawing board on that one I guess," Natsu huffed, as the fully formed body of Gildarts shot out of the ground, a fully charged Magical Energy Blast in its right hand, which it promptly fired at him.
Looking up at the attack, Natsu knew that this wasn't going to be a fight he could just brute force. Rather, it was going to be a fight he would need to draw out and strategize a solution for.
His least favorite kind of fight…
***POTD***
"Such overwhelming Magical Power," Elise muttered under her breath, as both she and Wendy looked at all the explosions off in the distance.
"I can feel a few different ones, but there's one I don't understand?"
"The one that Natsu's signature is clashing with right now," Elise asked in reply, earning a nod from the smaller Dragon Slayer. "Yeah, there's something…cold about it?"
Skidding to a stop, the pair had arrived to the site of the battle, only to find death and destruction. Dozens of downed airships, thousands of troops either dead or unconscious, and a ravaged landscape, was all the pair could see.
"Elise!? Wendy!?"
The two looked up to see not one, but TWO Erza's rushing towards them, which immediately caught the pair off guard.
"Hang on, aren't you one of the Twin Commanders," Wendy asked, clearly confused, as she pointed to Erza Knightwalker.
"Was one of the Twin Commanders. I've been relieved of duty and sentenced to death for aiding Scarlett and Natsu, it seems."
"Good to see you again Erza, I'm glad you were one of the ones in that Lacrima piece Gajeel and I saved."
"Gray was in it too," Erza replied with a small smile, before shaking her head. "That aside, we don't have too much time to mess around. Natsu's currently fighting some weird Lacrima thing, and the King's disappeared entirely, which leads me to assume that he's activating the other project Knightwalker was telling me about."
"Dorma Anim is its name, and yes, we don't have much time to lose! Every second we delay dispatching Project G.I.L.D.A.R.T.S, is another second that Faust could reach the activation site," Knightwalker added, as the group collectively nodded.
"Gray and Gajeel seem to have the remaining Commanders, as well as all the other troops covered. That being said, if you see any on your way, take them out quickly," Erza said, as Elise shook her head.
"This has to be our weirdest adventure yet… You two are exactly the same, it's hard to tell who's who," Elise replied, eliciting a sigh from Erza.
"Listen, none of that matters right now! All we need to do is back up Natsu, before this Dorma Anim thing turns up, alright!?"
"Fine," Elise replied with a roll of her eyes. "Can't stop me from saying this is weird though!"
"Wendy, are you going to be okay doing this," Erza asked with concern, ignoring Elise's comment. "This is going to get really dangerous-?"
"I'll be fine Erza, I trained just as hard as the rest of you," Wendy replied firmly, meeting Erza's gaze with a determined one of her own.
"That you did," Erza smiled gently in response, further noticing the change in the youngest Dragon Slayer's demeanor from when they'd first met. "Sorry for doubting you."
"All right, with that out of the way," Edo Erza chimed in firmly, as all eyes moved to her. "We need to get a move on, and find Faust!"
"Right," everyone shouted in unison, as they charged back into the battlefield.
***POTD***
As the battle raged on at the gates of the capital, a robed figure stood atop one of the floating islands orbiting said capital, gazing upon the carnage with a saddened look.
"I see he wasted no time in starting the battle for the country… Hopefully he won't mind if I show up a little late," the robed figure mused aloud, as several explosions went off on one of the islands across from him. "Who am I kidding, it's Natsu, he should have been fine while I wasn't here. Still, this Magic seems familiar to the one I felt when I left Edolas… I hope Natsu isn't fighting that-that thing Faust created?"
With one last look at the battlefield below, the figure shimmered slightly, before vanishing in a swirl of mist
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