38

After what seemed like an eternity of waiting, Natsu and the other Slayers finally arrived in Edolas. Unfortunately for them, however, the moment they exited the rift that brought them there, the bubbles popped, and the Slayers began to fall.

"Damn, they aren't awake yet! Better catch them," Natsu hissed, as he extended his right hand out toward the three falling Slayers, surrounding them in a deep purple colored Aura, as well as himself, as they gently touched down on top of a grassy hill. "Right, now that their potential deaths have been averted, time to wake them up."

Gently shaking Wendy first, the smallest Slayer began to wake. As she groaned, he moved onto Elise and did the same. For Gajeel, however, Natsu just kicked him a few times.

"Oww! What the crap-!? Oi, what's the big idea Salamander!? You go missing for months and-." Gajeel abruptly ended his rant, as he noticed the environment they were in. "Oh…"

"Alright you three, take one of these," Natsu said, as he handed them one each.

"What are these for Natsu… And what the heck is going on," Elise mumbled, rubbing the side of her head.

"Look, we don't really have time to sit around and chat. To put it simply, we're in an alternate world right now. Magnolia, and everyone in it except us, was turned into a giant Lacrima. As we stand around talking, the Lacrima of our home is being taken to the capital of this place, and we need to stop them and save everyone."

"Uh…."

"Dunno bout the two of you, but what Salamander's sayin makes sense to me," Gajeel grunted in reply. "Some asshole messed with us, and we're goin in for some sweet payback, right?"

"Basically. Though, we need to find and save the Lacrima Crystal before anyone gets a chance to use anything from it. That pill I gave you lets you use your Magic, since without it, we're powerless."

The three looked at each other, before quickly taking the pills.

"So, now that the pleasantries are out of the way, what the Hell do we do now Salamander?"

"Okay. So, we need to find the capital, that's the main objective right now. So, what I was thinking is, we split into two groups, and cover more ground. We find our way to the capital as quickly as we can, and gather as much intel as we can without drawing attention to ourselves."

"Sounds like a plan Natsu," Elise nodded. "So, does this mean Erza and the others are a part of the Lacrima too?"

"Yeah, unfortunately. Elise, you go with Gajeel, and I'll take Wendy. We'll meet at the capital as soon as we can."

"Right, we'll see you there, Salamander." Gajeel replied with a stiff nod. "By the way, what's the rule on-?"

"If they attack, its entirely at your discretion you two," Natsu replied with narrowed eyes. "This is a dire situation; gramps would be in full agreement with me."

"Got it," Gajeel grunted, with Elise nodding stiffly in response. "At least you're lookin at this from that point of view…"

"Whatever it takes, we save the Guild, and Magnolia," Natsu replied sharply, as the four shared a stiff nod, before parting ways on the hill, walking off in opposite directions.

***POTD***

Natsu and Wendy had been wandering for several hours through a thick, flowery jungle, and had little success in finding any sign of civilization.

"Well, this search is off to a great start," Natsu sighed, as he trudged through the knee length grass, with Wendy on his back using her Wind Magic to cut through the vines in their path.

"To be fair, it's only been a few hours, and the capital could be literally anywhere you know? Who can say if we're even on the correct continent or not-?"

"Geez, don't even suggest that," Natsu replied quickly, as they finally reached the end of the dense flowery jungle. "Besides, we're not just looking for the capital Wendy, we're looking for anywhere, or anyone, who can give us an idea of where we are? The last thing I even want to think about is that we're on a whole other continent…"

"I know… I just want to get to the capital so we can save everyone," Wendy sighed sadly, as she remained on Natsu's shoulders, hugging his head, even when she could once again walk for herself. "Gray and Erza trained for all that time, and weren't even given a chance to defend themselves..."

"I know little one," Natsu sighed as he gave her leg a gentle pet. "But don't worry, we'll get them all back soon. Just think about it, I'm here! Imagine if I was in the Lacrima too!?"

"Well, we'd be screwed, but, you'd probably double its size just from your own power," Wendy replied, eliciting an amused chuckle from the older Dragon Slayer. "Hey Natsu?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I have some of that drink you're always having?"

"You mean this," Natsu asked curiously, summoning a flask from his Requip Space.

"Yeah. I can smell it every single time you open it, and I like it. Can I have some?"

"Do you even know what's in this Wendy? If Erza ever found out I let you have any of this, she'd take my head for sure. This, is some of the strongest booze in Fiore you know, I don't think I should give you any..."

"Why not, I can handle it!?"

"Tell you what, if we don't find anything in the next few hours, and it gets dark, if it gets dark in this world… I'll give you some, okay?"

"You'd better keep your promise Natsu," Wendy pouted, as Natsu grinned back at her.

"Oh, don't worry, I'll keep my promise. See, it looks like I didn't even have to move too far to do it!"

Wendy was initially confused, until she saw he was pointing at something nearby. Curiously, she narrowed her eyes, which only made her more confused once she saw what he'd found.

"Is that the Fairy Tail Guild Mark? What's it doing on that tree?"

"The world is similar, yet different …. Is this what Mystogan meant," Natsu muttered to himself, as the pair walked up to the strange tree. "Am I going crazy, or is that a door?"

"That's definitely a door Natsu," Wendy replied, clearly just as confused, as she hopped off of his shoulders. "Have we been walking past buildings this whole time?"

"I honestly have no idea Wendy… But, from what I can tell, this isn't our Guild," Natsu explained. "If I had to guess, this would be the Fairy Tail of this world, Edolas' Fairy Tail."

"Should we ask them for help? Surely, they'd know where we are, right?"

"We'll go in, but stick close. They might look the same, but they aren't our friends from back home. Before that, I guess I should change back into my Wizard Saint clothes," Natsu mused, as he changed in a flash. "Gotta have that intimidating look down, just in case."

"You're so silly sometimes Natsu," Wendy sighed, as the pair walked up and entered the Edolas Fairy Tail Guild Hall.

***POTD***

Natsu and Wendy entered the Guild Hall and, upon entering, many of the Guild members turned to look at them.

"Hey isn't that Natsu?"

"What the heck is he wearing?"

"Where can I buy some of those, and who's the kid?"

"Well, looks like we drew attention to ourselves fairly quickly, didn't we? Still, all the people here look so familiar… It's almost everyone who's in the Guild from our world, and yet, something is strangely different about them?"

As the two began to walk to the bar, a blond-haired Mage snuck her way behind Natsu, and grabbed him.

"Torture Technique Number Twelve – Th-!"

Before the blond had the chance to carry out the attack, Natsu had sidestepped her grab, snatched her arm, and flipped her over onto the floor, boot to her neck.

"What the hell was that!?"

"Did Natsu just stand up to Lucy!?"

"What the hell just happened.?"

Natsu's expression remained neutral, releasing the blonde-haired girl, before the pair continued walking forward towards the bar.

"Hey, I'm not done with you yet," the blonde yelled, as she went to punch Natsu in the back of the head.

Easily dodging the blow, Natsu grabbed the girl's arm and flipped her over him, and onto the ground once again. "You aren't very good at this, are you?"

"The Hell do you mean by that," the woman snapped back in response. "As a matter of fact, who the Hell even are you!? There's no way Natsu can fight!?"

"Hold on a minute Lucy, just settle down. You… are Natsu, right," asked the Edolas version of Mirajane, who was the only person there that seemed to be the exact same.

"That I am, though, I doubt I'm the one you all know," Natsu replied, which had many in the Guild Hall on guard. "My name is Natsu Dragneel, Fairy Tail S Class Mage, and Wizard Saint."

"That confirms my suspicions," Edo Mira nodded, motioning for both Natsu, and Wendy, to take a seat at the bar. "You're both from the other place, aren't you? Earth-Land? Right?"

"Its pronounced Earthland, and yes."

"I see. You aren't the first we've seen from there but, well, you're the first one to be somewhat similar to another person in Edolas."

"So, you guys have a Natsu in your version of Fairy Tail too?"

"Yeah, and he's a weak little pansy," the blonde-haired girl scoffed as she flopped down next to him. "Not like you. Our Natsu, Natsu Dragion, is a weak little baby outside of his car. He's also scrawny too!"

"Is that right," Natsu chuckled. "Well, everyone starts off scrawny. That aside though, I take it you can guess what my goal is, if you really have encountered others from Earthland in the past?"

"Yes. It seems that you'll be wanting to go after King Faust," Edo Mira replied with a curt nod.

"So, this King Faust guy, he's the one responsible for snatching up my entire town and friends?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so. The Capital is the only place that has access to the kind of Magic necessary to perform such a feat. Everywhere else across the planet is barely scraping by…"

"Scraping by," Natsu repeated, clearly confused. "What do you mean by that?"

"Oh, right, you wouldn't know," Edo Mira sighed. "All magic runs through objects, like Lucy's whip, or even the lights around us."

"Yeah," Natsu nodded in understanding. "So, you guys don't have Magic that comes from within your own bodies?"

"No… Is that how your Magic works?"

"Now I'm starting to get an idea of how things work here… Let me show you all something," Natsu, said suddenly, as he began to power up, unleashed just a small portion of his raw Magical Power.

"Unbelievable! He's got more Magic within him than the largest of Lacrima crystals," Mira gasped in a mixture of shock and awe, as he quickly powered down.

"See what I mean now? Where I'm from, Magic runs through all beings and objects, rather than just objects. From what I can tell, the people of this world either don't have, or can't access, their Magical Cores."

"Natsu… You have the power to topple the King, and end his hunt for us," Mira replied, still in awe.

"His hunt? What are you-?"

"THE FAIRY HUNTERS ARE HERE!"

All members in the Guild immediately began to scramble around, as Natsu and Wendy looked on confused.

"We can't fill the teleporter with enough Magic in time!"

"They're gonna be here in less than a minute!"

"Hey Mira, what's going on?"

"Remember what I just said? The King is hunting us because we still use Magic. Magic use is forbidden by the King, so we were branded a Dark Guild, and the Twin Commanders were dispatched by him to wipe us out," Mira replied quickly, as Natsu pondered this new information.

"So you called them Fairy Hunters? I heard someone mention a teleporter, is that how you evade them?"

"Yes, but it seems our lucks finally run out," Mira sighed, looking out the window worriedly.

Natsu looked around the Guild, and saw many fearful faces, before he looked back at Wendy.

"Mira, I can buy you some time, but you once you get away, I need a favor, okay?"

"What!? You can't seriously mean to fight them!? You'll be killed!"

"I'm stronger than I look, alright? Now, will you listen to me?"

Mira looked at Natsu before nodding, clearly not liking the idea of sending him out to fight the Twin Commanders alone.

"Get Wendy to the capital, there are two more like us that will be waiting for us there. If you promise to get Wendy there, I'll buy you all the time you need."

"Wait, why are you going off by yourself Natsu," Wendy snapped, clearly not happy with being left behind. "Why can't I fight!?"

"Because if anyone is going to test how the people of this world really fight, then it should be me. Besides, I'm sending you on to go meet with Gajeel and Elise-."

"That's not fair-!"

"I'll give you my flask if you go quietly?"

Wendy's mouth snapped shut, as she held her right hand out for it. With an amused snort, he passed her the flask, before making his way toward the door.

"I did want to see how we all stacked up in this world, so, I guess these Twin Commanders should do just nicely..."

"You'd better not do anything stupid Natsu," Wendy huffed, as she immediately looked away from him, indicating that she was rather cross with him, despite the bribery.

"I'll be fine," Natsu replied, exiting the Guild Hall.

"Hang on to something everyone," one of the Mages yelled, as the Guild began to glow brightly.

***POTD***

Ignoring the steadily climbing Magical Signature behind him, Natsu walked out the front, before sighing. He hated leaving Wendy alone, but it was probably for the best. These enemies were unknowns, in many respects.

He wouldn't put her at risk, just to sate his own curiosity. No, Edolas Fairy Tail would look after her for now. They clearly needed his help, and, despite knowing that they weren't his Fairy Tail, he felt inclined to help them.

"She's gonna make me pay for that later, but I can't just let these Twin Commanders, or whatever they're called, kill any more of them… I guess I should give them credit though, since they certainly have the intimidation factor on point."

Off in the distance, the Twin Commanders were closing in on the Fairy Tail Guild Hall, and fast. To his surprise, the Commanders were riding atop a Wyvern, probably the absolute last creature he'd expected to see here.

"Well, time to get acquainted with the local authorities," Natsu sighed, as his body glowed deep purple for a moment, before he suddenly vanished.

On the Wyvern's back, the Twin Commanders were on guard, watching, as the Fairy Tail Guild Hall lit up off in the distance.

"Looks like they might not be able to get away this time," the one of the left smirked.

"It was bound to happen eventually," the one on the right replied plainly. "There's only so much Magic left to go around, after all?"

"True that," the one on the left grinned, only for the pair to suddenly find themselves flung right off of the Wyvern, being forced to catch themselves midair, as they landed on the ground, skidding to a stop. "What the heck!?"

To the shock of the Twin Commanders, a man had literally appeared out of thin air, punching their Wyvern in the face, and knocking it out cold in a single strike. The man stood atop its head, not even stumbling as it hit the ground, a small smirk on his face.

"Of all the counterparts that I could have run into, it just had to be the two of you, didn't it?"

"Impossible," the one of the left snarled, there's absolutely no way I'm seeing this!?"

One Of The Twin Commanders Of Edolas

Commander Of The Demonic Division

Left Hand Of The King

Elise Fulcrum

The Edolas version of Elise looked similar to her Earthland counterpart, only she was slightly leaner, and had her hair much shorter, with it looking more like the shaggy, unkempt hair of a boy. It was still black in coloration, and, she wielded an Ebony Blade that glowed a deep red color.

"I must agree, this is highly irregular," the other Commander muttered in reply, with Natsu seriously kicking himself for getting himself into this mess. "Something tells me that this is not Natsu Dragion though, Elise?"

"You think!? Look at him, this guy is nearly triple the size of that shrimp!"

"I take it that you two are these Fairy Hunters I've heard about," Natsu cut in, drawing their attention toward him. "The Twin Commanders?"

"You are indeed correct. Would we be correct in assuming that you are not Natsu Dragion of Fairy Tail?"

"Yep, I'm afraid not! Natsu Dragneel, from Fairy Tail in Earthland," Natsu replied with a grin, as the one he didn't want to deal with stepped forward, pointing her lance at him.

One Of The Twin Commanders Of Edolas

Commander Of The Divine Division

Right Hand Of The King

Erza Knightwalker

"Erza and Elise, a dynamic duo, even in another world," Natsu smirked, as he sat down on a nearby tree branch. "And yes, I know your counterparts from Earthland, quite well, actually."

"Earthland… But you can use your Magic," Edo Elise replied sharply, not buying his story. "That's impossible!?"

"I don't believe in that word," Natsu smirked in reply, which annoyed Edo Elise. "That aside though, its pretty unfortunate for you lot that I can use my Magic, because, I need to have a word with that King of yours, regarding my friends…"

"We would never let you near King Faust," Edo Elise snapped back, as she readied her blade, before Edo Erza held her back.

"Your friends? I assume you are referring to the Anima blast that transported them here recently? Unfortunately, they have been turned into a Lacrima Crystal, and the process is irreversible. Since your quest is pointless, you should return to your own world, Natsu Dragneel…"

"If I were any old Mage, that little intimidation thing you're trying to pull would work. But here's the thing, Erza Knightwalker, I'm not just any old Mage, I'm a Fairy Tail Mage… Now, when someone tells me that my friends are in danger, I'm not just gonna sit by and do nothing."

"As I already said Dragneel, there isn't anything you can do at this point," Edo Erza replied with a firm shake of her head. "They surely have already perished from the conversion process, there is nothing that can be done for them now…"

"Dead? You'd better hope they aren't dead when I get there, and I will get there, believe me on that. Because, if they are dead, then there won't be any more talk of this Kingdom of Edolas, of this Anima blast taking cities. All the survivors will speak of, will be the once great Kingdom of Edolas, a Kingdom wrought to ash by the fury of the Dragons," Natsu snarled in response. "You might look like Erza, the girl I like back home, but not even that will save this land if what you say is true!"

"Come on Erza, there isn't a point in trying to reason with this guy," Edo Elise sighed, attempting to move past Edo Erza's lance which blocked her path. "Come on, what gives!? The guy is just Fairy scum-!?"

"You mentioned Erza just now… Why her?"

"Because Erza Scarlett, my worlds counterpart to you, is someone rather important to me," Natsu replied honestly. "Though our luck with actually being able to have a successful date is extremely shoddy, there's still something there I hope to explore with her, once I restore her, and our home, back to the way it's supposed to be…"

"Erza Scarlett," Edo Erza muttered softly to herself, before nodding stiffly in response. "Listen Dragneel, I am Erza Knightwalker, one of the Twin Commanders of the Royal Edolas Army! I will respect and honor your decision to be against us, as it is a noble one. However, this makes you an enemy of his majesty, and of myself!"

"Punishable by death I'm guessing," Natsu asked in reply, with Edo Erza nodding in the affirmative.

"I'm guessing you know my counterpart as well then? I'm Elise Fulcrum, the other Twin Commander. I don't sympathize with you at all, because you're just Fairy scum," Edo Elise chimed in, as she pointed her blade in his direction. "By the name of King Faust, I shall see you dead, Earthlander!"

"Go on," Natsu smirked, cracking his knuckles as all three felt a surge of Magical Power behind Natsu. "Just try it…"

"It seems the Edolas Fairy Tail got away again," Edo Erza sighed, only for Edo Elise to snort in response.

"Doesn't matter Erza, since there's a Fairy right in front of us," Edo Elise cried, as she suddenly vanished, reappearing behind Natsu, and taking a swing at his head. "Got him!"

"Elise, above you!?"

To the surprise of the Twin Commanders, Natsu's form flickered momentarily, before he was suddenly above Edo Elise as she swung for the place his neck had just been. Without using Magic, he clashed with the Commander.

'So, these are those Magic Weapon things,' Natsu mused internally, as he pushed off from the clash, flipping in the air and landing on a nearby rock. 'No regular weapon could possibly endure a punch like mine without so much as a scratch, which means that these two could actually be tough?'

"By the Ten Divine Commandments, I will smite all who oppose my King," Edo Erza declared firmly, as she rushed his position.

Edo Erza went in for an ordinary thrust attack with her lance, with Natsu finding himself surprised at the simplicity of the attack. His surprise soon turned into annoyance, as the tip of the blade exploded, and Edo Erza vanished, reappearing behind Edo Elise's position.

"Well now, that could have been bad," Natsu sighed as he appeared from the blast unfazed. Darting past Edo Elise, he appeared in front of Edo Erza in a flash, before she even had time to react. "Think I'll have a quick look at this..."

Taking the lance from Edo Erza, Natsu was surprised to find that there was an overwhelming amount of Magical Power stored within it. Suddenly, he could feel the lance draining his Magical Energy, prompting him to immediately drop it, before clearing some distance.

"What the hell was that," Natsu growled as he could feel a burning sensation up his right arm.

"Unbelievable… You just recharged all the Magical Energy in my lance," Edo Erza gasped as she recovered her weapon. "I can't even remember the last time it held this much power!?"

'That's something important to remember for later,' Natsu thought to himself, now wary of the two weapons. 'If you're an Earthland Mage, these weapons can suck you dry…'

"It seems you are much more powerful than we had initially thought," Edo Erza admitted, as she formed up next to Edo Elise. "We won't be making that mistake again…"

"Yeah, we haven't had someone who can actually put up a fight to battle in a long time," Edo Elise agreed. "Most people wouldn't have even dodged my initial attack, let alone manage to out speed the both of us…"

"Well then, if you're both done underestimating me, then show me what you've got," Natsu replied calmly, sliding into a basic combat stance.

"Don't worry Dragneel, we plan on it! Ten Divine Commandments – Silfarion," Edo Erza shouted, as the tip of her lance morphed into a more triangular shape.

"Ten Demonic Commandments – Chithnis," Edo Elise hissed, her sword reforming into a thin dagger as powerful winds spun up around her.

"The Twin Commanders… Now it makes sense," Natsu muttered to himself, as the two instantly appeared in front of him, both poised to strike.

Taking swings at Natsu easily avoided their strikes by jumping high into the air, only for Edo Elise to suddenly appear above him.

"Not this time Dragneel," Edo Elise shouted, as she moved to stab him with the wind coated blade.

Completely unfazed, Natsu grabbed Elise's arm as she went to stab him, and threw her toward Edo Erza's position. The scarlet haired Knight easily avoided her counterpart, preparing another attack of her own as she remained on the ground.

"Ten Divine Commandments – Mel Force!"

Firing a blast of wind at Natsu's position, the Dragon Slayer held out his right hand, and sent out a blast of Crash Magic, shattering the attack instantly, as both he, and Edo Elise, hit the ground.

The moment the pair hit the ground, Natsu had already shot toward Elise, the Commander not even fully realizing he'd advanced on her, as his fist ignited with orange flame.

"Fire Dragon's Crashing Iron Fist!"

The Commander had just managed to get back on her feet, right as Natsu landed a blow to her jaw, sending her flying off into a nearby cliff. Within moments of the attack, Edo Erza appeared behind Natsu, and attempted to run him through. However, before she managed to land the strike, he jumped onto the lance, pinning it to the ground by the blade, an amused smirk on his face.

"Ten Demonic Commandments – Soul Sphere!"

Elise quickly re-joined the battle, firing a ball of darkness at Natsu, which promptly exploded, and sending Phantoms in Natsu's direction.

"Don't let these hit you Dragneel," Edo Elise taunted, as Natsu leapt off of Edo Erza's lance. "Or do, if you don't value your soul!?"

"You'll have to do better than that," Natsu smirked, as he suddenly raised his right arm, a deep purple Aura coating his form, as the Phantoms were smashed into the ground, exploding into a puff of miasma. "These aren't the first Phantoms I've fought…"

"Such power," Edo Erza muttered under her breath, watching as the ground was cracked just from the basic action of raising his right arm.

"A Human with the ability to manipulate gravity itself… That's unbelievable," Edo Elise muttered in shock, looking between her blade, and Natsu's position.

"Now, I'd love to stay and hang out with you two, but I've got places to be," Natsu grinned cheekily, as he dusted off his coat.

"What the fuck," Edo Elise hissed. "Can you believe this bastard is mocking us!?"

"He has good reason to, Elise… I get the feeling that we haven't even come close to seeing him fight seriously," Edo Erza replied, clearly also frustrated, as she grit her teeth.

"Well, anyway, I surrender."

Both Edo Erza and Edo Elise froze, eyes widening in complete shock, as Natsu suddenly raised his hands up.

"W-What," Edo Elise gasped, looking toward Edo Erza. "Is he serious!?"

"Dragneel," Edo Erza muttered, eyes narrowed in deep thought as she studied his amused smile. "What's your game…?"

"Who cares what his game is, we don't take prisoners! By order of King F-!"

Before Edo Elise could attempt to attack him again, Edo Erza cut her off by raising her lance to block her path.

"We will accept your surrender Dragneel," Edo Erza replied, shocking Edo Elise, as she moved toward Natsu. "King Faust will be most interested in you..."

"Are you kidding Erza, he's dangerous! We can't just bring him back to the capital, he'll go straight for the King!"

"He's going to the capital regardless Elise, you and I both know that. It would take more power than just the two of us to beat him," Edo Erza sighed, shaking her head. "Besides, if he's willing to surrender, then he must be willing to talk, right?"

"Fine! But he's your responsibility," Edo Elise huffed. "Besides, how are we even supposed to get back, the Wyvern is out cold!?"

"I think I can help with that, just jump on its back," Natsu chimed in, as the two looked to where he had been standing, before realizing that he was already on the Wyvern.

"I'm not taking orders from you," Edo Elise snapped, as Edo Erza just shook her head, moving to sit on the Wyvern next to Natsu.

"Come on Elise, better to let him expend his energy than ours," she sighed, as Edo Elise got onto the Wyvern, albeit, with a considerable amount of complaining.

"Well… Now what," she asked in annoyance, eliciting a small sigh from Natsu.

"Which direction are we going?"

"Northeast of here," Edo Erza replied, as Natsu's body began to glow a deep purple, which quickly expanded around the entire group.

"I'm assuming the Wyvern is yours, so that's why we're using it, and not some rock or something," Natsu said, as the Wyvern was lifted high into the air. "Alright, hold on tight!"

'This must be more of that gravity manipulation,' Edo Erza thought to herself, as they began moving in a northeasterly direction.

***POTD***

While Natsu and Wendy had the misfortune of heading off in the complete opposite direction to the capital, Gajeel and Elise had arrived within mere hours, and began to stake out the area.

"Gihi! Can't wait to rub this in Salamander's face," Gajeel grinned as they sat down in a back alley. "Who knew the capital was this close, and the idiot went the wrong way!?"

"Normally I'd find that hilarious, but considering how things are going, I'm just glad that we managed to find the place at all," Elise sighed in response, thinking hard on what their next move should be. "The fact that Slayers are immune to whatever Edolas has done to Magnolia is a miracle, in of itself…"

"Yeah, I'm still wonderin about that? Did Salamander explain any of this to ya?"

"Nope. I'm just as clueless about this as you Gajeel," Elise sighed with a shake of her head. "Aside from looking for a giant Lacrima, I'm not even really sure what we should do…?

"For a War God Slayer, you sure don't know much, huh? This is my take on it, so listen up, Salamander was smart in sendin us here. Think about it, with us here, we can scope out what we're up against military wise, right? Salamander by himself could do considerable damage, but with the four of us, we have room to strategize."

"Huh, I guess you're right. Any idea where the nearest base is?"

"How the hell should I know!? All I know, is that if there's any place to start, that's lookin pretty damn good," Gajeel replied, as he pointed to a large crowd gathered near a large structure.

The two made their way over, and joined the crowd that had formed up around the large structure, as a robed figure appeared before the audience.

"Citizens of Edolas, I thank you for coming all this way for this important announcement! It is my great honor to introduce to you our savior, our King," the announcer's voice boomed, surprising Gajeel and Elise as an elderly man wearing formal robes and wielding a staff, slowly walked onto the stage.

A Man Seeking Eternal Magic Power

The King Of Edolas

Faust

The crowd roared in approval, as the old man waved down at his subjects, a content smile on his face. Unbeknownst to him, Elise and Gajeel weren't cheering, and they most certainly weren't smiling.

"Well now, guess it's our lucky day," Gajeel smirked, licking his lips. "We can solve all our problems in one go…"

"Wait Gajeel, hold on," Elise hissed, as the King began to speak.

"My most faithful subjects, I'm so happy to see you all here today to provide you with this critical announcement! Throughout my reign as King, I have fought tirelessly to find a solution to the Magic Crisis our world suffers through. Unfortunately, whilst I do not address you today with that solution, I can provide something just as hopeful!"

The crowd began to cheer once more, as the two Fairy Tail Mages looked on with matching grim expressions, knowing now what was coming.

"It gives me great pleasure today to present to you all something that will buy us precious time, time to find a more permanent solution! I proudly present to you all, a Lacrima!"

The king pulled the veil off the structure, revealing it to be a giant Lacrima. Gajeel and Elise looked at each other, disgusted that the crowd was cheering.

"With this Lacrima, we will fuel our world for many years to come," Faust declared, as he suddenly cut off a piece of the Lacrima.

She immediately moved to engage, but Gajeel held her back, surprising her with his grip strength as he led her away from the square.

"Don't do anything here! We get caught now, then they'll all be gone," Gajeel hissed, bringing Elise back to her senses. "Come on, let's follow those guys, and see where they're taking it!"

Elise nodded, as the two made their way out of the crowd, and began to tail the workers carting the piece of Lacrima.

"Should we take them out? If we do, we can get the Lacrima piece back," Elise whispered, only for Gajeel to shake his head.

"We just wanna tail em for now. Once Salamander and the kid get here, we'll come back for it."

"But what if they go to use it?"

Gajeel pondered Elise's question, before sighing, realizing that it was a very real, and dangerous, possibility.

"Fine, we'll get the damn crystal! But we need to be real careful where we take these guys… If anyone sees us runnin off with the crystal, we'll have half the damn military after us."

Elise nodded in agreement as they continued to follow the workers, until they reached a large workshop. Entering the building, Gajeel and Elise moved to a nearby window.

"Guess your hunch was right, they're gonna use it straight away. I've seen a machine like that before back in Phantom," Gajeel whispered as he looked closer at it. "We used a few of em to power the Jupiter Cannon."

"So, we should get in and stop them before they hook it up then?"

"We'll get to that, trust me. I'm bettin they've got more than just workers around here, which means we're gonna have to play this real careful," Gajeel replied quietly as they advanced toward the front door to the building.

"If it goes South, and we have to fight our way out, you grab the Lacrima Gajeel," Elise replied as she summoned two Ebony blades to her side. "I'll cover you."

"Sounds like a plan, you ready?"

Elise nodded, as the two kicked in the door, immediately noticing that they had hooked the Lacrima piece up to the machine, preparing to activate it.

"Fairy Tail's come knockin, chumps," Gajeel growled, as he disappeared, immediately reappearing behind the workers, knocking them out.

Alarms immediately started going off the moment Gajeel tore out one of the cables attached to the Lacrima, with Elise covering the door with narrowed eyes.

"Hurry up Gajeel, I can hear soldiers coming!?"

"Just give me a sec, I'm only able to go so fast y'know!?"

"Funny, you seemed pretty fast a second ago?"

"Shut up, that was different," Gajeel shouted, as he tore out the last cable, hoisting the Lacrima over his shoulder and joining Elise.

"You sure you can carry that with one arm, it's a pretty big Lacrima?"

"I've got it covered. Besides, I don't like to leave myself open, if you know what I mean?"

Elise nodded, before turning on her heel and running out into the back streets, only to be met with several arrows from down the road, all of which she promptly blocked with her blades.

"Hold your fire, it's Commander Fulcrum," one of the guards shouted, as they began to approach her.

"Who," Elise muttered under her breath, as Gajeel emerged holding the crystal, only to be met with more arrows, which Elise promptly deflected.

"Commander, what are you doing!? This criminal is stealing his Majesty's Lacrima!"

Appearing behind the archers in a burst of speed, Elise immediately knocked them out before they could even react, as Gajeel motioned for her to come back.

"Hey, quit showin off, there's more of em coming this way!"

"Security just had to be tied to the building itself, didn't it," Elise sighed, as she instantly appeared in front of Gajeel, before vanishing again and appearing right in front of the enemy soldiers.

"Commander Fulcrum, what are you-!?"

The soldier didn't even get to finish his sentence, as Elise ran him through with one of her swords, while fending off two others with ease, quickly decapitating one, and cleaving the last clean in two.

"Don't tell anyone I did that. Natsu's generally lenient about it, but Erza would kill me if she knew I was being messy..."

"Ain't nothing I haven't seen or done before," Gajeel replied with a grin, as he morphed his free arm into a large metallic shield, as several arrows bounced off of its surface.

"These guys aren't using Magic, which means that Magic shortage must be pretty bad," Elise mused, only for Gajeel to shake his head.

"Who cares if the trash are at a disadvantage, fuck em up Faulkner!"

"What the hell are these two they've got magic," one of the guards cried out, as Elise started butchering her way through their rank, targeting long range fighters over anyone else.

"Someone get the Magic Core!?"

"Isn't Commander Fulcrum one of the leaders of the Magic Core," another terrified soldier cried out, only for a voice to silence them all.

"You idiots, that isn't our lovely Commander Elise," a rather flamboyant voice chimed in, prompting Elise and Gajeel to look up.

A Commanding Officer In The Edolas Military

Captain Of The Fourth Magical War Division

Sugarboy

"It's Captain Sugarboy!"

"He brought backup!"

Elise looked up at the man standing on the roof, snorting in response to his appearance. He wore bright pink Armor, but no protection at all around his groin area. That, combined with his almost comical face, had her viewing him as an almost non-issue.

'But still, if he's a Captain, then he must be able to use Magic, same with these reinforcements he brought,' Elise thought to herself, as the man jumped off the roof.

"My my… I'd heard tales from King Faust about how in Earthland, there were counterparts to almost everyone," Sugarboy said, as he landed before her. "Yet I still cannot believe it, a counterpart to our Commander Elise Fulcrum… I was not expecting such a thing!? Regardless of that, however, I'm only gonna say this once. Tell your friend to drop the Lacrima and surrender! King Faust only wants a word with the two of you, then you'll only have to spend life in prison."

"As if we'll surrender," Elise spat back angrily. "That entire Lacrima is made up of our friends, and we won't stop until we've saved them!"

"Brave words, but don't think you lot are the first who've come to Edolas looking for some sweet revenge," Sugarboy replied with a smirk. "Sad to say, they've all been put to the sword by our noble Twin Commanders. Besides, do you think you've got what it takes to beat the Royal Edolas Army?"

"Do I think I have what it takes?" Elise muttered in reply, as she turned to look at Gajeel, who nodded, as she turned her attention back to the ever-increasing amount of soldiers behind Sugarboy.

"Also, do keep in mind that, just a short while ago, another one of you lot was caught by our Twin Commanders? And, by all accounts, he was so much of a handful that once he was escorted inside the Royal Palace, one of them collapsed from her internal injuries. I believe the guy's name was Natsu?"

The two Fairy Tail Mages looked surprised for a moment, as they looked back at each other, sharing a stiff nod.

"There's no way Salamander was taken by force," Gajeel laughed openly. "Smart bastard found a nice and easy route here, that's all! Though, interestin that he didn't mention the shrimp?"

"You say you captured Natsu," Elise asked the Captain, curious if he was lying or not?

"Yep! He's probably being interrogated as we speak," Sugarboy replied, as Elise began to laugh.

"Natsu is captured, and being interrogated!? HAHAHAHA! Ahh… Man, that's a good one! I can guarantee you that he's perfectly fine, and is probably causing quite a commotion in your palace. Or he will be, as soon as he gets what he wants. Do you want to know why, Captain?"

"Sure, I'll bite. Why?

"Because, if your so-called Army can't even take me," Elise began, as her form started to glow a mixture of light and dark auras, which quickly began to wrap around her, her clothes changing into a full set of Ebony Plate Armor, with white glowing lines across its length.

"Oi Elise, was that-?"

"Yeah, a little trick Erza taught me. Though, to be fair, I only need a few sets of Armor, unlike her. War God's Divine Requip – Onslaught Armor!"

A large burst of energy erupted from Elise as everyone, except Gajeel and Sugarboy, were pushed back.

Gajeel could only grin in response, seeing the fear her mere presence inspired in the enemy troops, as well as admiring her clear growth in power.

"Gihi! Good to see you didn't fall behind these last six months," Gajeel smirked, adjusting his grip on the Lacrima. "I'd have been pretty damn disappointed if you weren't cracking out some kinda S Class shit by now…"

"Likewise, Gajeel," Elise grinned, as she looked over her shoulder to face him. "Guess those notes Natsu gave you really worked out, huh?"

"He only gave me an idea of how to go about it," Gajeel grunted in reply. "Hate to admit it, but he's damn smart, knew exactly how I'd prefer to train… But yeah, of course I got stronger!"

"No better time for it to come into play, is there," Elise laughed, as she turned back to face the ever-increasing reinforcements from the Royal Edolas Army. "Get that Lacrima piece out of here, and I'll handle them!"

"Gihi! No one else better to wreck an army than a War God Slayer," Gajeel agreed, as he took several steps backward. "Try not to kill all of em, Slayer!"

Gajeel bolted, with some of the Edolas Army, as well as Sugarboy, moving to give chase, only for Elise to appear right in front of them, cutting them off.

"Do you seriously think we'll let you and your friend leave our city alive," Sugarboy snapped, eliciting only laughter from the God Slayer.

"Unfortunately, you lot don't have much of a choice BUT fight me," Elise grinned savagely, as she flicked her wrist, firing off a powerful aerial slash attack that cleaved through over twenty soldiers, blood splattering everywhere.

"What-!?"

Two blades shimmered into Elise's hands, one being a Black Ebony straight sword, and the other, an Ebony Blade that had been turned a pure white colour, the same colour as the white that ran through her Armor.

"Because, little Sugarbaby, if you don't send every last little soldier you have to fight me …"

Elise vanished, reappearing atop a nearby building, her Magical Power exploding from her form as she licked some blood from the length of the Black Ebony blade.

"I'll paint this pretty little capital red, in retribution for Magnolia, and my family!"

Before they knew it, Elise had charged their rank, as Sugarboy momentarily fell back. Pulling a small device from his pocket, he sent word to the castle, begging for every last soldier Edolas had to back him up.

Otherwise, the Earthland Mage may just make good on her threat, and he most certainly couldn't stop her alone