Chapter XXI: Edolas
The Truth About Edolas
"What do you mean, because of you?" Natsu demanded, his usual easy-going demeanor replaced by something harder. "How are you responsible for this?"
Carla took a shuddering breath, her composed facade finally cracking completely. "Edolas—the world on the other side of Anima—is dying. Their magic is finite, limited, and it's running out. Six years ago, their King ordered the construction of hyper-space magic portals called Anima to absorb magic from other worlds."
Happy's eyes widened. "Other worlds? But that's—"
"Impossible? No, it isn't." Carla's voice was bitter. "For six years, small Anima have been opening across Earthland, draining magic wherever they appeared. But someone has been closing them, preventing Edolas from getting the magical energy it needs."
Wendy felt pieces clicking into place. "Mystogan. He said he'd been suppressing the Anima."
"Yes," Carla confirmed. "But the one above Magnolia was too large, too powerful for even him to stop. So Edolas finally succeeded in taking what they wanted—an entire city's worth of magical energy, along with all the people within it."
Natsu's flames began to flicker around his fists. "And what does this have to do with you two?"
Carla closed her eyes. "Happy and I... we're Exceed. We were sent here six years ago as scouts, as advance agents for Edolas. The knowledge of our world and our mission was implanted directly into our minds before we were dispatched."
"Mission?" Happy's voice was small, confused. "What mission? I don't remember any mission!"
"Because you never tried to remember!" Carla snapped, her composure shattering entirely. "You've been content to play the fool, to pretend you're just a happy-go-lucky cat who loves fish! But we have a purpose, Happy! We were sent here for a reason!"
"What reason?" Wendy asked quietly.
Carla looked at her, then at Natsu, conflict clear in her expression. "I... I can't. Not yet. Happy needs to remember for himself, or the knowledge won't be complete."
Before anyone could press further, another voice cut through the tension—older, familiar, and absolutely furious.
"Six years."
They turned to see Gildarts emerging from behind a pile of rubble that had once been part of the guild's eastern wall. His clothes were torn, his orange hair disheveled, but his magical energy blazed around him like a visible aura of rage.
"Six years these Anima have been appearing, and nobody thought to mention it to the S-Class mages?" His crash magic flickered dangerously. "How many people have been taken? How many cities destroyed?"
Behind him came the rest of the Clive family—Teilanne with her crimson ki barely contained, Kizuna's golden energy fluctuating wildly, and Uruk and Gine flanking them with the disciplined readiness of veteran warriors.
"Dad?" Wendy had never been so relieved to see someone in her life. Cumber was beside her in an instant, his own power flaring protectively as he took in her distressed state.
"We were in the guild when it happened," Teilanne explained, her black eyes fixed on Carla with an intensity that made the Exceed flinch. "The dimensional distortion was unlike anything I've experienced. One moment we were there, the next..."
"We were scattered across what used to be Magnolia," Uruk finished clinically. "The selective nature of who was left behind suggests specific magical resonances were filtered out during the absorption process."
Gine studied Happy and Carla with calculating eyes. "Dragon Slayers and Exceed. Both categories of beings that originated from different worlds or possess abilities that transcend normal magical boundaries."
"You knew?" Natsu asked, looking between the Saiyan siblings with surprise.
"We suspected," Kizuna replied, his usually cheerful demeanor replaced by grim determination. "The magical signatures of the Exceed never quite matched native Earthland species. And the timing of their appearance..."
"Six years ago," Cumber said quietly, understanding dawning in his voice. "The same time these Anima started appearing."
Carla hung her head. "We are spies. Scouts sent to gather intelligence about Earthland's magical resources and defenses. Everything that's happened—Natsu finding Happy, Wendy meeting me—it was all planned."
"No!" Happy protested desperately. "I love Natsu! He's my best friend! I would never—"
"You would, because that's what we were programmed to do," Carla cut him off ruthlessly. "Form bonds with powerful mages, integrate ourselves into their lives, gather information. The fact that you developed genuine feelings is irrelevant to our original purpose."
Teilanne stepped forward, her maternal instincts overriding her anger at the deception. "What was the mission, child? What were you really sent to accomplish?"
Carla looked up at her, something breaking in her expression. "I... I can't say. The knowledge was implanted in such a way that I can only reveal it if Happy remembers his part first. It's a safeguard to prevent captured agents from compromising the mission."
"Then we make him remember," Natsu declared with typical directness. "Whatever it takes."
"It doesn't work like that," Carla replied miserably. "The memories are locked behind emotional triggers. He has to want to remember, has to be willing to confront what we really are."
Happy was quiet for a long moment, staring at his small paws. When he finally spoke, his voice was barely audible. "Are we going to save everyone?"
"What?" Wendy asked.
"Natsu, Lucy, all the guild members—they're trapped in another world because of us. Are we going to save them?" Happy looked up, tears in his eyes but determination in his voice. "Because if we are, then I need to know the truth. I need to remember."
Something shifted in Happy's expression then, as if walls in his mind were finally coming down. His eyes grew distant, unfocused, and when he spoke again, his voice carried knowledge that hadn't been there moments before.
"The Dragon Slayers," he said quietly. "We were sent to monitor and, if necessary, eliminate the Dragon Slayers."
The words hit like a physical blow. Natsu staggered backward, betrayal and hurt warring across his face. "Eliminate?"
"The Dragon Slayers represent the greatest potential threat to Edolas," Carla continued, her own recovered memories now flowing freely. "Their magic is self-sustaining, not dependent on external magical energy sources. If Edolas successfully drains all magic from other worlds, the Dragon Slayers could still resist. They could fight back."
"So you were sent to kill us," Wendy said quietly.
"If it became necessary," Happy confirmed, his voice hollow. "But it wasn't supposed to be necessary! We were told that if we integrated properly, formed the right bonds, we could influence the Dragon Slayers to be cooperative when the time came for absorption."
Gildarts's crash magic flared again. "And now?"
Carla and Happy looked at each other, then at the devastated landscape around them.
"Now we're going to Edolas," Carla declared, her voice stronger than it had been all day. "We're going to rescue everyone who was taken. And if that means betraying our orders and fighting against the kingdom that sent us..." She spread her wings, which shimmered with otherworldly energy. "Then so be it."
Breaking Through to Edolas
"Wait," Natsu said, stepping forward with renewed purpose. "You can get us there? To this Edolas place?"
"Yes," Carla confirmed. "Happy and I can access the dimensional barriers between worlds. It's how we originally came to Earthland."
"But there are conditions," she continued, her tactical mind already working through the implications of what they were planning. "First, returning to Edolas violates every order we were given. We'll be considered traitors the moment we're discovered. Everyone will need disguises."
"Second," she looked pointedly at Happy, "no more questions about our mission. What we've told you is all you need to know for now."
"Third, I've never actually been to Edolas before. I was born on Earthland and given implanted memories. I can't act as a guide to their world."
"And fourth," her voice grew deadly serious, "if Happy or I show any signs of reverting to our original programming, if we try to betray you or lead you into traps, you are to kill us immediately. No hesitation, no second chances. The lives of everyone from Fairy Tail depend on it."
The silence that followed was heavy with the weight of what they were contemplating.
"We're all going," Gildarts declared, breaking the quiet. "Every member of the Clive family. Our guild, our home—it's all been taken. We get it back."
Teilanne nodded, her hand finding his. "Agreed. Though we'll need to be careful. A world where magic is limited presents unique tactical challenges."
"Our ki abilities should function normally," Uruk observed. "They're not dependent on external magical energy sources, similar to Dragon Slayer magic."
"Then it's settled," Natsu said, flames dancing around his entire body. "Let's go get our friends back."
Carla spread her wings fully, revealing their true size and the strange, ethereal quality of their feathers. "Happy, you'll need to manifest your true flight capabilities. Not the magic-assisted hovering you've been using, but our actual dimensional wings."
Happy nodded, and suddenly his small wings expanded dramatically, taking on the same otherworldly sheen as Carla's. "It feels... different. Stronger."
"Because we're accessing our true nature," Carla explained. "Grab onto Natsu and Wendy. The rest of you will need to hold on to each other—the dimensional barrier can be turbulent."
The expanded group arranged themselves carefully—Happy carrying Natsu while staying close enough for Gildarts to maintain contact, Carla supporting Wendy while Cumber kept one hand on her shoulder. Teilanne, Kizuna, Uruk, and Gine formed a chain of contact that would keep them together during the crossing.
"Ready?" Carla asked.
"Do it," Gildarts commanded.
With powerful beats of their expanded wings, Happy and Carla launched themselves upward, carrying their companions toward the lingering traces of the Anima portal. As they approached the dimensional barrier, reality seemed to bend around them, colors shifting and space folding in ways that made even Teilanne's experienced senses reel.
Then they broke through, and everything changed.
Welcome to Edolas
The world that greeted them was unlike anything they had ever experienced. Floating islands drifted through skies painted in impossible colors, connected by streams of water that flowed upward in defiance of gravity. Strange, crystalline trees grew in spiraling formations, while creatures that looked like crosses between birds and fish swam through the air around them.
"It's beautiful," Wendy breathed, momentarily forgetting their dire circumstances.
"And completely alien," Uruk added, his analytical mind already cataloging the differences in physical laws. "The gravitational fields here operate on entirely different principles."
Their observation was cut short as Happy and Carla's wings suddenly vanished, leaving them all plummeting toward the ground below.
"Magic doesn't work freely here!" Carla called out as they fell. "I forgot—our wings are considered magical constructs!"
Teilanne's ki flared as she twisted in midair, catching Wendy and Cumber while simultaneously reaching for Carla. Around her, the other members of the Clive family activated their own abilities, their ki-based powers unaffected by whatever limitations bound magic in this world.
They managed a controlled landing in a grove of the strange spiral trees, though not without some bumps and bruises.
"Everyone alright?" Gildarts asked, helping Natsu to his feet.
"Define alright," Happy muttered, rubbing his head where he'd bounced off a tree trunk.
"At least we're here," Wendy said, looking around at their surroundings with a mixture of wonder and apprehension.
"Now we need those disguises Carla mentioned," Kizuna observed. "Something tells me walking around as obviously foreign visitors won't end well."
Their solution came from the environment itself. The spiral trees bore large, colorful leaves that could be woven into crude clothing, and various flowering vines provided materials for masks and accessories. Within an hour, they had transformed themselves into what they hoped would pass for local inhabitants.
Natsu wore an elaborate headdress made of blue and green leaves, while Wendy had fashioned herself a flowing cape from golden vine-flowers. The Clive family had opted for more practical camouflage—earth-toned plant materials that wouldn't restrict movement if combat became necessary.
"I feel ridiculous," Cumber muttered, adjusting his leaf-woven vest.
"You look... distinctive," Wendy assured him diplomatically.
Their first attempt at contact with local inhabitants was a disaster. The humans they encountered took one look at them and fled in terror, some shouting warnings about "Exceeds" and begging to be spared.
"Well, that went well," Gine observed dryly.
"They're afraid of Happy and Carla specifically," Uruk noted. "The reaction was triggered by recognizing them as Exceed, not by our general appearance."
"Which means Exceed have a reputation here," Teilanne concluded grimly. "And it's not a good one."
Continuing their exploration, they accidentally triggered some sort of bouncing plant mechanism that launched them through the air, ultimately depositing them in what appeared to be an abandoned storehouse.
"Finally, real clothes," Natsu declared, diving toward a pile of local garments.
The clothing they found was bizarre by Earthland standards—elaborate, colorful outfits that seemed designed more for show than practicality. But they served the purpose of making the group blend in better with local fashion.
When they emerged from the storehouse, properly disguised, Natsu was the first to spot something familiar in the distance.
"Look!" he called out, pointing toward a massive tree-shaped building crowned with an unmistakable symbol. "That's Fairy Tail's mark!"
The guild symbol hung from the strange structure like a banner, immediately recognizable despite the alien architecture surrounding it.
"Our friends are in there," Wendy said with certainty.
"Then that's where we're going," Gildarts declared. "But remember—we're supposed to be locals. Try to blend in."
As they approached the tree-building, voices could be heard from within—familiar voices, but somehow... different.
"I wonder if they're alright," Wendy murmured.
"Only one way to find out," Natsu replied, pushing open the entrance.
What they found inside defied all expectations. The Fairy Tail guild hall was there, but everything about it was wrong. Juvia wore revealing clothing completely unlike her usual conservative style. Gray was bundled in multiple layers of clothing and seemed to be fawning over Juvia with obvious romantic intent. Jet and Droy were bullying Elfman rather than competing for Levy's attention. Nab was actually working instead of standing thoughtfully by the job board. And Cana...
"Is that Cana acting like a proper lady?" Kizuna whispered in disbelief.
"And she's drinking tea instead of ale," Gildarts added, his voice filled with paternal confusion.
But it was Lucy who spotted them first. Dressed in dark, gothic clothing that was the complete opposite of her usual bright style, she peered under the table where they were attempting to hide.
"Well, well," she said in a voice that carried none of her usual warmth. "What have we here?"
Every eye in the reversed Fairy Tail guild turned toward them, and suddenly, their carefully planned infiltration had become a very public exposure.
The Test of Power
What happened next could barely be called a battle—it was more akin to a natural disaster.
Gildarts moved first, his crash magic erupting outward in concentric waves that disintegrated everything they touched. The elaborate guild hall furniture crumbled to dust, the walls developed massive cracks, and even the air itself seemed to fragment under the assault of his power.
The reversed guild members scattered, their earlier confidence evaporating as they realized the true magnitude of what they were facing. The backwards Gray's multiple layers of clothing provided no protection against magical force that simply unmade matter at the molecular level. He found himself thrown across the room, unconscious before he hit the wall.
But it was Teilanne who truly demonstrated the gulf between their worlds.
The Saiyan matriarch didn't charge or shout battle cries. She simply stood in the center of the chaos, her crimson ki expanding outward like a tide of liquid fire. When the first wave of soldiers reached her, they simply... stopped. Not frozen by magic or paralyzed by fear, but held in place by gravitational force so intense it made movement impossible.
"You want to see what real power looks like?" she asked conversationally, lifting a dozen armored soldiers into the air with casual gestures. "I once destroyed a planet-killer weapon with my bare hands. Your little anti-magic restraints are amusing toys."
Knightwalker, to her credit, attempted a tactical retreat. Her armor began to shift and transform, revealing hidden weapons systems and mobility enhancements. She launched herself at Teilanne with speed that would have been impressive against a normal opponent.
Teilanne caught her by the throat in midair, stopping the attack with the same effort most people used to swat flies.
"Captain Knightwalker," she said politely, as if they were discussing weather rather than warfare, "I suggest you reconsider your approach."
Meanwhile, Kizuna was discovering that his fluctuating golden energy was far more potent in this world than it had been on Earthland. His power seemed to feed on itself, growing stronger with each surge of emotion. When the militant Mirajane launched a devastating magical attack in his direction, he didn't dodge or block—he simply absorbed the energy and redirected it back at her with twice the force.
The result sent her crashing through three walls and left a Mirajane-shaped crater in the courtyard outside.
"Interesting," he murmured, staring at his hands as golden light continued to dance around them. "The magical resonance here is different. Weaker. My ki isn't being suppressed by the natural magical field like it was on Earthland."
Uruk and Gine were methodically dismantling Jose's defenses with surgical precision. The reversed master had power, certainly, but he was facing opponents who had been trained in combat techniques that transcended mere magical ability. Every spell he cast was countered, every strategy anticipated, every desperate maneuver turned against him.
"Your technique is sloppy," Gine observed, casually sidestepping a blast of dark magic that could have leveled a building. "You rely too heavily on raw power without understanding the principles behind it."
Uruk nodded agreement, his analytical mind cataloging Jose's weaknesses even as he fought. "Magical combat in this world appears to have stagnated. No innovation, no adaptation to new threats. It's tactically primitive."
Natsu and Wendy were handling the remaining reversed guild members with a combination of Dragon Slayer magic and righteous fury. Natsu's flames had taken on an almost liquid quality as they melted through magical barriers and armor alike, while Wendy's Sky Dragon magic was creating localized tornadoes that lifted opponents off their feet and left them dizzy and disoriented.
But it was Cumber who provided the most shocking display of power.
The youngest Clive son had always been the most controlled, the most restrained of the siblings. But seeing Wendy threatened, hearing about their friends being slowly drained of life force, had pushed him past his usual limits.
His golden ki exploded outward with such intensity that the building's strange architecture began to melt. The air itself caught fire, and for a moment, the very fabric of space seemed to bend around him.
"Nobody," he said quietly, his voice carrying across the battlefield with absolute clarity, "hurts my family."
The backwards Cana, who had been attempting to maintain her prim facade while launching card-based attacks, found herself face-to-face with power that transcended anything she'd experienced. Her teacup finally slipped from nerveless fingers as she stared at the golden-haired young man who had become a living weapon.
"This is impossible," she whispered. "No one has this much magical energy. The readings are off every scale we have."
"That's because it's not magic," Cumber replied, his power stabilizing at levels that still made the air shimmer with heat distortion. "And if you don't stop this charade right now, I'm going to show you exactly what the difference means."
The threat hung in the air for a heartbeat. Then, suddenly, the gothic Lucy began to laugh.
Not the cold, cruel laughter she'd been displaying earlier, but something genuine and filled with relief.
"Oh thank the spirits," she said, her entire posture changing as the dark persona fell away like a discarded costume. "I was starting to think we'd have to keep that up all day. Do you have any idea how exhausting it is to be that consistently unpleasant?"
The transformation was immediate and startling. The Lucy they knew and loved was back—bright clothing materializing to replace the gothic ensemble, warm smile returning to her features, the familiar sparkle of kindness in her eyes.
Around the ruined guild hall, similar changes were taking place. The militant Mirajane's dark clothing faded away, replaced by her usual blue dress and gentle demeanor. The backwards Gray began shedding his excessive layers with obvious relief. The timid Erza straightened her shoulders and requipped into her familiar armor.
"Wait," Natsu said, his flames guttering with confusion rather than anger. "What's going on?"
"A test," the real Cana explained, setting aside her teacup in favor of her usual barrel of ale that materialized from somewhere. "Though honestly, we were expecting you to figure it out sooner."
Master Makarov—not Jose—stepped forward from where he'd been concealed behind an illusion. His familiar diminutive stature and gentle expression were a welcome sight after the arrogant impostor they'd been facing.
"Forgive the deception," he said seriously. "But we had to be sure you were strong enough for what's coming."
Knightwalker—still held effortlessly in Teilanne's grip—began to shimmer and change. Her dark armor faded away, revealing the familiar red hair and kind eyes of their own Erza.
"You can put me down now," she said with mild embarrassment. "Though I have to admit, your restraint is impressive. I was fully expecting to be unconscious by now."
Teilanne released her with a mixture of relief and lingering suspicion. "Explain. All of it."
The real Mirajane stepped forward, her gentle smile tinged with concern. "When the Anima brought us to this world, we were immediately captured by the Royal Army. But instead of being imprisoned like normal captives, we were brought before King Faust himself."
"He made us an offer," Levy continued, her usual books already materializing around her as the scholarly persona reasserted itself. "Cooperate with his plans, and our guildmates would be treated well. Resist, and everyone would be thrown into the dungeons to have their magical energy slowly drained away."
"So you agreed to work for him?" Gine asked, her tactical mind already seeing the implications.
"We agreed to appear to work for him," Erza corrected. "In reality, we've been gathering intelligence about the kingdom's defenses, the location of other prisoners, and most importantly—the source of the Anima technology."
"But when reports came in about dimensional travelers matching your descriptions," Gray added, "we realized you'd managed to cross over somehow. The question was whether you'd be strong enough to actually challenge Faust and his army."
Gajeel grinned, his usual iron studs glinting as they reformed on his clothes. "Turns out you're stronger than we expected. A lot stronger."
"The reversed personalities were a test of your resolve," Freed explained, his dramatic flair returning as he dismissed the illusions that had hidden the guild's true nature. "We had to know if you'd fight for us even when we appeared to be your enemies."
Juvia—back in her conservative blue outfit and speaking in her usual third-person style—nodded emphatically. "Juvia is sorry for the deception, but it was necessary to determine your commitment to the rescue mission."
Wendy felt tears of relief streaming down her face. "You're all okay. You're really okay."
"We're alive," Makarov corrected grimly. "But we're not okay. Every day we remain in this world, King Faust grows stronger. He's been using our presence to experiment with ways to make the Anima permanent—to create stable gateways that would allow him to drain magical energy from Earthland continuously."
"And he's not just targeting our world," Wakaba added, puffing nervously on his pipe. "We've met prisoners from dozens of other dimensions. Entire civilizations have been drained dry to feed Edolas's magical hunger."
"So what's the plan?" Gildarts asked, his crash magic finally stabilizing as the immediate threat passed.
"We overthrow the kingdom," Erza replied matter-of-factly. "Destroy the Anima technology, free all the prisoners, and find a way back to Earthland before this world's magical instability tears itself apart."
"Is that all?" Cumber asked dryly.
"Oh, and we have to do it before the Grand Magic Games begin in three days," Lucy added cheerfully.
"Grand Magic Games?" Uruk inquired.
"Faust's grand celebration of his conquests," Macao explained grimly. "He's planning to display prisoners from every world he's conquered, then execute them publicly as a demonstration of Edolas's dominance over all other dimensions."
The revelation sent a chill through the rescue party. They hadn't just come to save their friends—they'd walked into a trap that threatened countless innocent lives across multiple worlds.
"Three days," Teilanne murmured, her tactical mind already working through the implications. "Can we gather enough intelligence to mount an effective assault in three days?"
"We'll have to," Makarov replied firmly. "Because if we fail, King Faust won't just drain our world dry. He'll use the magical energy he's stolen to begin targeting every dimension in existence."
The stakes had just become infinitely higher. This wasn't just about rescuing Fairy Tail anymore—it was about saving the entire multiverse from a madman's ambitions.
And they had three days to do it.
The Real Edolas Fairy Tail
Wait," Cumber said, his analytical mind catching something in the explanation. "If you were testing us, then where's the real Edolas version of Fairy Tail? The one that actually belongs to this world?"
The question hung in the air as the Earthland guild members exchanged meaningful glances.
"About that..." Lucy began hesitantly.
Before she could finish, the guild hall's doors burst open yet again. But this time, instead of soldiers or imposters, a familiar pink-haired figure stumbled in, looking around with wide-eyed confusion.
"What the hell happened to this place?" the newcomer demanded, taking in the battle-damaged interior. "And why does everyone look so... normal?"
Wendy blinked in surprise. The man looked exactly like Natsu, but his clothes were different—more elaborate, with decorative elements that suggested wealth or status. More importantly, his demeanor was completely different. Where their Natsu was impulsive and hot-headed, this one carried himself with an almost aristocratic bearing.
"Natsu Dragneel!" a sharp female voice called from across the room.
A woman emerged from behind the overturned tables—tall, blonde, and wearing an outfit that was both more revealing and more militaristic than their Lucy's usual style. Her eyes locked onto the Edolas Natsu with predatory intensity.
"Lucy Ashley," the Edo-Natsu replied with what sounded like forced politeness. "How... lovely to see you again."
"Save the pleasantries," Lucy Ashley snarled, producing an elaborate whip that crackled with magical energy. "You've been missing for weeks without reporting to the guild. Time for some discipline."
What followed was both terrifying and oddly mesmerizing. Lucy Ashley's "Screwdrive Crush" technique was a complex series of whip strikes that seemed designed more to inflict psychological torment than physical damage. The Edo-Natsu endured it with resigned patience, occasionally wincing but never crying out.
"Um," Happy said quietly, watching the display with obvious discomfort, "is this normal behavior for guild members here?"
"Sadly, yes," replied a voice from the doorway.
Everyone turned to see three more figures entering—an Exceed that looked exactly like Happy, another that resembled Carla, and a young girl with long blue hair who was unmistakably another version of Wendy.
"Happy?" the Earthland Happy said, staring at his doppelganger with confusion. "But I'm Happy."
"And I'm Happy too," the Edolas Happy replied cheerfully. "Though I suspect we're going to need to work out some kind of naming convention if we're all going to be in the same place."
The Edolas version of Carla—who seemed significantly less uptight than their Carla—looked around the room with interest. "My, what an interesting gathering. Dimensional travelers, I assume?"
"Exceeds," several of the Earthland guild members breathed, recognizing the distinctive features.
But something was off. Mirajane approached the Edolas Exceed carefully, her expression puzzled. "You look like Exceeds, but..." She reached out tentatively, her magical senses probing. "There's no dimensional energy signature. No otherworldly aura."
"That's because we're not actually Exceeds," the Edo-Wendy explained matter-of-factly. "We just look like them. It's a common mutation in this world—the magical radiation from the Lacrima deposits sometimes causes humans to develop physical characteristics similar to other species."
Elfman nodded agreement. "The magical resonance is completely human. They're just... differently shaped humans."
"So you can't actually fly between dimensions," Carla observed, her scientific mind cataloging the differences.
"Nope!" the Edo-Happy replied cheerfully. "Though I can hover for short distances using magic. It's pretty useful for reaching high shelves."
The explanations were interrupted by Edo-Natsu finally extricating himself from Lucy Ashley's "discipline session."
"Has anyone seen Erza?" he asked, straightening his elaborate clothing. "I need to report to her about the situation in the eastern districts."
"Erza's out on patrol," Lucy Ashley replied, coiling her whip with practiced motions. "Something about increased Royal Army activity near the border zones."
"What do you think she's like?" Wendy asked quietly, her curiosity getting the better of her. "If everyone else's personality is inverted..."
Natsu's eyes lit up with imagination. "Maybe she's super laid back! Like, instead of always wearing armor, she just wears casual clothes and doesn't care about rules or discipline!"
"Or perhaps she's completely reckless," Uruk suggested analytically. "The opposite of our Erza's careful strategic planning."
"I bet she's really shy," Happy added. "Like, the opposite of commanding and confident."
Their speculation was interrupted by a commotion outside. Through the windows, they could see a figure riding one of Edolas's strange flying creatures—a woman in elaborate armor, carrying a massive spear, her red hair flowing behind her like a banner of war.
"Never mind," Gildarts said dryly. "I think we're about to find out."
Back inside the guild hall, the tension between the two versions of their friends was creating an increasingly uncomfortable atmosphere. The Edo-Natsu kept trying to assert some kind of authority over guild operations, while Lucy Ashley seemed determined to remind him of his place in their hierarchy through increasingly creative applications of her torture techniques.
"This is getting ridiculous," the Earthland Natsu finally declared, flames beginning to flicker around his fists. "Lay off him, Lucy! Can't you see he's had enough?"
The guild hall went dead silent. The Edolas members stared at Earthland Natsu with expressions ranging from shock to terror.
"Did he just..." one of them whispered.
"Talk back to Lucy Ashley?" another finished. "Is he insane?"
Lucy Ashley's expression shifted from annoyed to genuinely surprised. "Well, well. It seems our dimensional visitor has some backbone after all."
Before the situation could escalate further, another voice cut through the tension—gentle, kind, and achingly familiar.
"Lucy, stop bullying Natsu."
Every eye in the guild turned toward the speaker, and several people gasped audibly. Standing in the doorway was a young woman with short white hair and kind blue eyes, wearing a simple dress that seemed to glow with inner light.
"Lisanna," both Natsus breathed simultaneously.
But it was the Earthland Natsu and Happy whose reactions were the most dramatic. Tears began streaming down their faces as seven years of grief and loss crashed over them like a tidal wave.
"Lisanna," Earthland Natsu whispered, his voice breaking. "You're alive. You're really alive."
Memories flooded back—childhood adventures, shared dreams, the terrible day when everything changed. The young girl who had been his first real friend, who had understood his loneliness and filled it with warmth and laughter.
"She's so beautiful," Happy sobbed, his small form trembling with emotion.
Both the Earthland Natsu and Happy moved toward her as if in a trance, arms outstretched for the embrace they'd been denied for so many years.
Lucy Ashley's whip cracked between them and Lisanna with surgical precision.
"Don't," she commanded sharply. "You're not our Natsu and Happy. And she's not your Lisanna."
The words hit like physical blows, stopping the two in their tracks.
"What do you mean?" Wendy asked softly, though Carla's expression suggested she was already beginning to understand.
"Look around you," Carla said quietly, her analytical mind processing the evidence. "The girl who looks like Wendy, the cat-boy who resembles Happy, this version of Lisanna who's clearly alive when ours died seven years ago." She paused, letting the implications sink in. "These aren't our friends with altered personalities. These are completely different people who happen to look like our friends."
"Edolas," the Edo-Wendy confirmed with a nod. "We're inhabitants of a parallel world. Similar in many ways to yours, but with crucial differences. Our lives, our relationships, our experiences—they're all completely separate from yours."
The revelation hung in the air like a lead weight. They weren't facing twisted versions of their friends—they were meeting strangers who wore familiar faces.
"Then our real friends..." Wendy began.
"Are still prisoners," Gine finished grimly. "And we still need to rescue them."
The moment of contemplation was shattered by another commotion outside. A man in elaborate robes burst through the doors, his face pale with panic.
"Everyone!" Nab called out desperately. "The Fairy Hunter is coming! We need to evacuate immediately!"
The reaction was immediate and coordinated. The Edolas guild members began moving with practiced efficiency, gathering essential items and preparing what appeared to be some kind of magical transportation system.
"Fairy Hunter?" Gildarts asked.
"One of the Royal Army's most dangerous commanders," Lisanna explained quickly as she helped pack supplies. "She specializes in hunting down illegal magic users and disbanded guild members."
"Illegal?" Natsu looked confused. "But you're a guild!"
"Fairy Tail is classified as a Dark Guild," the Edo-Wendy explained, her hands glowing with transportation magic. "All independent guilds were banned years ago. We operate in secret, constantly moving to avoid detection."
Levy was at the center of a complex magical array, her hands weaving patterns that seemed to encompass the entire building. "Transportation spell ready! Everyone hold onto something!"
"Wait," Uruk called out. "You can move the entire guild?"
"Mobile headquarters," Elfman explained proudly. "It's our specialty!"
The building lurched, then began to dissolve around them. But instead of falling apart, it was reassembling itself elsewhere—every table, every chair, every decorative element being transported intact to a new location.
When the dizzying process completed, they found themselves in a completely different area of the forest, the guild hall perfectly reconstructed as if nothing had happened.
"That's incredible," Teilanne observed, her warrior's mind immediately grasping the tactical advantages of such mobility.
Through the windows, they could see the spot they'd just vacated. A figure in elaborate red and black armor stood in the clearing, her massive spear gleaming in the filtered sunlight. Even at a distance, her resemblance to their Erza was unmistakable.
"Erza Knightwalker," Lucy Ashley said grimly. "The Fairy Hunter herself."
Another figure joined her in the clearing—a man with long blue hair and an unnaturally sweet smile, moving with fluid grace that somehow seemed threatening.
"And Sugarboy," the Edo-Natsu added. "Her second-in-command."
They watched as Sugarboy approached Knightwalker with obvious deference.
"Commander," his voice carried across the distance with unnatural clarity, "new orders from the capital. The Earthland Fairy Tail has been successfully converted into a Lacrima crystal. All commanders are to return to the Royal City immediately for the next phase of operations."
Knightwalker's armored form straightened. "Understood. Have the other hunter units received similar orders?"
"Yes, Commander. King Faust wishes to address all senior officers personally."
The implications of this conversation hit the rescue party like a thunderbolt.
"Converted into Lacrima," Wendy whispered, horror evident in her voice.
"Our friends," Cumber said quietly, his power beginning to flicker with barely controlled rage, "they've been turned into magical crystals."
"Not just turned into," Carla corrected grimly, her knowledge of Exceed technology allowing her to understand the process. "They're being used as living batteries, their magical energy slowly drained to power the kingdom's systems."
The revelation transformed their rescue mission from difficult to desperate. They weren't just racing against time anymore—they were racing against the gradual consumption of everything their friends were.
"Three days," Gildarts said quietly, his crash magic beginning to manifest around his clenched fists. "We have three days to save them before the Grand Magic Games."
"Before they're completely drained," Teilanne added, her maternal instincts extending to encompass all the young people they were trying to save.
The Edolas Fairy Tail members looked between their dimensional visitors with growing understanding.
"You're planning to assault the Royal City," Lisanna observed. It wasn't a question.
"We're planning to save our family," Kizuna replied, his golden ki beginning to pulse with determination.
"Then you'll need our help," Lucy Ashley declared, her earlier hostility replaced by something approaching respect. "Because if you think you can just walk into the most heavily defended fortress in Edolas and rescue prisoners from the deepest dungeons, you're either incredibly powerful or completely insane."
"Why not both?" Natsu asked with his usual grin, flames dancing around his entire body.
The alliance was forming, but the challenges ahead seemed insurmountable. They had to infiltrate an impregnable fortress, rescue prisoners who had been converted into magical crystals, and somehow reverse a process that was slowly killing everyone they cared about.
All while being hunted by the most dangerous military force in this dimension.
To be continued in Chapter 22: Key of Hope & Super Saiyans?!