Chapter 48-49

A young Natsu is in a forest looking for Lisanna. He trips and hears a scream. Suddenly, he wakes up from the dream and also wakes up an annoyed Lucy. Lucy ended up sleeping on the floor when Natsu and Happy suddenly arrived at her house to have an unannounced sleepover, taking the bed in the process. After Happy wakes up as well, Natsu explains that he sleeps best on her bed and begins feeling hungry. Lucy asks him about the dream, but Natsu acts like he didn't hear her and starts to look for breakfast, causing Lucy to tell him to answer her.

Later, at the guild, while Lucy converses with Wendy and Carla, bells ring to announce the arrival of Fairy Tail's strongest Mage, Gildarts Clive, who just returned from a hundred-year quest. Above Magnolia, flying microphones tell everyone that Magnolia is to activate the Gildarts Shift and order everyone to go to their designated places. Back at the Guild, everyone hears the announcement. The whole city moves and shifts its position so that a clear and straight path leads to Fairy Tail. Gildarts finally walks in and asks Mira where Fairy Tail is. Mira explains that that they are in Fairy Tail and who she is. Gildarts suddenly remembers her and comments on the guild being new when Natsu finally jumps from the stairs and challenges him to a fight. Gildarts catches him in one hand and throws him to the ceiling, ending the "fight".

"You ain't changed a bit, Pops." Aira chuckled.

"A Man among Men!" Elfman grinned.

"There are faces I never seen before... Things sure have changed..." Gildarts stated.

"Gildarts!" Master Makarov calls out his name.

"Oh, Master! Long time no see." Gildarts approaches Master Makarov at the bar.

"How did the job go?" Master Makarov questioned.

Gildarts thinks for a second. He begins to laugh out loud. Master Makarov stares at him with a serious face, lowering his head. "No good. It's impossible for me." He replied.

Everyone becomes speechless and surprised upon hearing his answer. The guild members mutter things under their breath about his failure.

"Even Pops couldn't handle it?" Aira mumbled.

"Knowing when to withdraw is also being a Man!" Elfman said.

"Impossible, even for Fairy Tail's strongest wizard?" Lucy thinks to herself. "What in the world is this hundred-year quest?"

"You aren't ready for a hundred-year quest." Erza informed. "Don't even consider it."

"Do I look rarin' to go to you?!" Lucy points to herself in surprise.

"I see. Even you couldn't handle it?" Master Makarov sighed.

"Sorry, this'll be bad for our reputation." Gildarts apologized.

"No, I'm just happy you came back safe and sound." Master Makarov said. "You're the first one I know that's ever come back from this quest alive." Gildarts grins at the Master.

"I wanna get some rest, so I'm heading home." Gildarts leaves the bar so he could go to his house. "Man, I'm beat..." He sighs out loud. "Natsu! Come to my place later. I've brought souvenirs!" He laughs out loud. "Now, pardon me." He uses his Magic to blast through a wall.

"My, my..." Mira smiled sheepishly.

"Use the door, man!" Warren shouted.

"I wonder what he brought me? I can't wait!" Natsu copies Gildarts and punches through the wall as well.

"Don't go copying him!" Max yelled.

"My, my..." Mira said.

"Happy, let's hurry up and go!" Natsu shouted.

Lucy asks Happy about Natsu and Gildarts' relationship. Happy tells her Gildarts has taken a liking to Natsu and begins to recount a story from when he was just a little cat.

Past...

Natsu, Happy, and Lisanna were fishing by a pond. Happy tells Natsu to catch him a big fish, but Natsu only manages to catch a tiny fish. As the three cook their fish, Happy and Lisanna tease Natsu about them being a family. A little while later, Lisanna tells Natsu about some big footprints she found near the East Forest, thinking they could be from the Dragon Natsu was looking for. Even though the sun is beginning to set, the two decide to go into the forest with Happy. They arrive at the sight of the footprints, but realize that the footprint belonged to a Gorian, a forest Vulcan. A heart-broken Natsu, Lisanna and Happy decide to return home. Natsu is walking so fast that Lisanna is having a hard time catching up. Suddenly, the fog thickens and Natsu and Happy realized that Lisanna is no longer following them, but was captured by a Gorian that they once defeated.

The Gorian tells Natsu to kneel down and apologize and he will give Lisanna back. Natsu does what he asks, but the Gorian begins to stomp on him and is about to kill him with a giant boulder when Gildarts appears to stop him. Gildarts uses his Magic to disassemble the boulder and orders the Gorian to put down Lisanna and leave the forest. Natsu begins to apologize, but Gildarts cuts him off and tells him he did the right thing and to be proud. The four head home and Gildarts asks Natsu to play catch with him the following day. The next day, the two play catch and talk about Natsu finding Igneel. Lisanna and Happy are watching the two and commented that they are like father and son.

Present...

Natsu and Happy arrive at Gildarts' house. Gildarts asks him about Lisanna. Natsu replies that Lisanna is dead and attempts to leave, but Gildarts stops him and tells him that he met a Black Dragon on Mt. Zonia and that it was the reason he failed the job. Natsu tries to leave again, saying he will find the Black Dragon and ask it where Igneel is, but Gildarts tells him that it is likely to be traveling around the continent, or perhaps the world. When Natsu is still willing to go, Gildarts shows him the damages the Dragon caused. Gildarts' left arm, left leg and an unspecified organ were taken from him when the Dragon attacked. He continues to say that the Dragon is an enemy to humanity and that a human can't defeat it, but Natsu shouts out that only Dragon Slayers can defeat Dragons and runs off. Happy tries to follow him, but Gildarts stops him and says that he should give Natsu support.

Outside of the Guild...

"There are five Dragon Slayers in our guild... Exactly as Porlyusica said. Fate is trying to make its move." Master Makarov said.

EDOLAS

Gajeel is desparately looking for a cat as his new partner in the streets. He rejects every cat he sees, stomping away. He accidentally trips on a bottle which causes him to fall on his face and he recalls that Natsu, Wendy, and Aira have cats as partners (completely forgetting that Satsuki also doesn't have one). He nearly cries and thinks of himself as the only Dragon Slayer without a cat. A light shines down on a cat in front of Gajeel grinning to himself.

At the guild, Wendy, Lucy, and Carla talk about Dragons and the day of their disappearance, which happens to be the same. Happy arrives with a wrapped fish for Carla. Carla angrily rejects Happy and then leaves, thinking that he's clueless. Happy runs after her, asking if he has done something to make her mad at him. Carla replies that he can't protect Natsu but she can protect Wendy. Happy says that he can protect Natsu because he is his partner, but Carla answers that he can't and leaves saying that he doesn't even know what he is.

Above Magnolia, thunder clouds form and rain begins to fall. Wendy finds Carla and talks to her about her actions. Then, she finally reunites with Jellal, who turns out to be Mystogan. However, there is no time for reunions as Mystogan warns her that the city will be destroyed.

At the Guild...

"The rain just isn't stopping..." Lucy looks out the window at the pouring rain.

"You know?" Cana said.

"I do not think it is Juvia's fault." Juvia spoke.

"Nobody was blaming you." Gray told her.

Natsu's peacefully sleeping in his chair, snoring out loud which annoys some people. "How long are you gonna sleep, Natsu?" Elfman asked.

"Let's scribble on his face!" Aira grinned.

Wendy, followed by Carla, tries to run towards the guild, wanting to save everyone. Mystogan tries to stop her, saying that he is willing to save her alone, but Wendy won't hear of it.

Natsu now has whiskers scribbled on his face as he continues to sleep. "Aira, please stop these kinds of childish pranks." Lucy grinned sheepishly.

"Who're you callin' a child, eh?" Aira continues to scribble on Natsu's face. Natsu now has dark black circles on his eyes.

"Now you're even worse than a kid!" Lucy sweat dropped.

Natsu finally wakes up from his previous nap. "Is there a fight?! Let me in on it!" He looks around for an opponent.

"What are you muttering about?" Lucy sighs at him.

"A Man! You people need to be more assertive! And you call yourself a Man?!" Elfman shouts at Jet and Droy.

"Here." Lucy brings out a mirror in front of Natsu's face.

Natsu snatches the mirror out of her hand, surprised to see his scribbled face. "Who drew this on me?!"

"There's only one other person who'd stoop to your level, right?" Lucy whispered, reminding him about one specific person.

Natsu instantly knows who she's talking about. "Was it you, Aira?!"

"You wanna go, bud?" Aira shot back. "I punished you for your loud-ass snoring, is what!"

"You bastard!" Natsu yelled. Soon enough, the two Dragon Slayers began brawling inside of the guild.

"Rainy days are perfect for going on dates with your boyfriend..." Cana grins to herself, hugging her barrel of booze.

"Cana, make sure you leave enough of your 'boyfriend' to serve guests, okay?" Mira said. She wore a black coat before she leaves the guild with Elfman.

"Oh? Where are you going on a day like this, Mira?" Cana asked.

"Just to the church..." Mira responded before she walks away.

"If you're a Man, then get stronger! You won't be able to protect Levy like that!" Elfman scolded Jet and Droy.

"Y-Yeah..." Droy muttered.

"We know." Jet said.

"Elfman, we're leaving!" Mira called out.

"You tell 'em too, Nee-chan!" Elfman said. "They totally screwed up on their last job. They knocked out first, and Levy had to finish up the job all by herself!"

"It hurts to hear about it." Droy covers his ears so he won't have to hear about the mission.

"We suck so bad..." Jet complained.

"I think Jet and Droy were doing their best." Mira smiles at them.

"Mira-chan!" Jet and Droy appreciated her comment with hearts around them.

"...such as it is." Mira added.

"Ouch!" Jet and Droy exclaim in unison.

"Why are Mira-san and Elfman going to the church on a day like today?" Lucy asked.

"Oh, right." Levy remembered.

"It's almost the anniversary of Lisanna's death." Cana responded.

"Lisanna?" Lucy questioned.

"Mira and Elfman's little sister." Levy answered. "It was two years ago... An accident on a job. When it gets close to the anniversary, those two start going to the church."

"I see..." Lucy mumbled.

"Now that you mention it, you remind me a bit of Lisanna." Cana pointed out, looking at Lucy.

"I do?" Lucy asked.

"Like how you get along well with Natsu..." Levy added.

Natsu and Aira are still fighting in the middle of the Guild. They finally stop after a second, exhausted from their fight. Aira walks away, retying his hair that had become loose. "Damn it... That guy's got too much energy..." Instantly, Natsu goes back to sleeping. "Asleep already?!"

"So Natsu used to have a girl, huh?" Lucy teased.

"You're way too sticky." Gray looks at Juvia. Juvia looks at him with a surprised expression. "Can't you eat it without getting it everywhere?"

"This is the first time Juvia has eaten it." Juvia replied with her hands all sticky.

"There they go again..." Alzack and Bisca both watch Gray and Juvia.

"You eat a caramelized frank like this. You open your mouth really wide and then..." Gray demonstrates for her, chomping down on the food. Juvia copies his actions. "It ain't so high class food, you know!" He gives her a thumbs up.

"How can they be so bold?" Bisca blushes to herself.

"One day, Bisca and I..." Alzack looks at Bisca. They look away, sheepishly smiling to themselves as they blush even more.

"The rain just isn't stopping, is it?" Bisca said.

"Y-Yeah..." Alzack agreed.

"Looks like you two are as friendly as ever." Erza approaches them.

"We are?!" Alzack exclaimed.

"Erza-san..." Bisca trembled nervously.

"Cherish this time." Erza smiles at them. "So you don't have any regrets..." Alzack and Bisca stare at her with pink tinted cheeks.

"Hey, Erza! Come over here." Master Makarov calls her over.

"Yes, Master?" Erza walks over to him.

"It's about that 100-year quest..." Master Makarov replied. "I've been looking into it, and... I was thinking of giving it to someone else. Any objections?"

"I think it's appropriate." Erza responded.

"Ah, there's nothing to do." Lucy groaned, stretching her arms out on the table.

"With it raining like this, it's hard to get motivated to go on a job." Levy said.

"I wish something interesting would happen..." Lucy mumbled.

A hole in the sky soon opens and completely swallows up Magnolia Town, leaving nothing behind except for her, Natsu, Happy, Cain, and Carla. Carla reveals the nature of Anima, the Magic that absorbed Magnolia, and its source, Edolas.

The five travel to Edolas with the help of Carla and Happy and discover a Fairy Tail Guild there, but different.

"It's Fairy Tail!" Natsu exclaimed. Natsu runs towards the Fairy Tail Guild with Wendy behind him. "The building's a little different, but it's Fairy Tail! It's gotta be!"

"Natsu-san!" Wendy called out, running behind him.

"Wait!" Happy yelled.

"Sheesh..." Carla starts running.

"This helmet is heavy..." Happy complained.

They arrive at the entrance of the Guild. They go inside to check if everyone is safe and sound. "Everyone's safe!" Natsu cries tears of joy.

"We found everyone pretty easily!" Wendy said.

"The guild seems really different, though." Happy commented.

"Don't worry about the details, man!" Natsu sniffed.

"Can we really, though?" Wendy questioned.

"Wait... This isn't right..." Carla muttered.

"Agreed. Something's off..." Cain said.

"Hey, that's the Request Board..." Happy whispered.

"There's nothing at all, see?" Natsu said. They hide under one of the tables. "So why are we sneaking around like this?"

"Look carefully." Carla replied.

Juvia is in a completely different outfit that doesn't fit her personality. "That's..." Natsu whispered.

"Juvia is going on a job now." She's talking to one of the guild members who happens to be Max.

"Be careful, now." Max warned.

"W-Wait, Juvia-chan!" Gray, in a layer of clothes, holds out his hand for her. "I wish you'd take me with you... or something..." He rubs the back of his head.

"You're so smothering..." Juvia gets irritated with him.

"Gray's way too clingy." Warren, in a purple suit, said.

"Men in love sure get fired up." Max added.

"What the heck?!" Natsu screamed in shock.

"That's pitiful, Elfman." Jet with a tougher appearance, scolds Elfman who seems more innocent and not manly.

"You screwed up on a job, again?" Droy sighs out loud and looks at him in disappointment.

"I'm so embarrassed..." Elfman looks away from them. Jet and Droy lecture Elfman about being tougher and manlier.

"Hey, look! The two vying for the strongest in Fairy Tail, Jet and Droy, are lecturing Elfman again." Max pointed out.

"Hope they go easy on him..." Warren commented.

"Work, work!" Nab quickly runs to his next job.

"Nab works way too much." Warren said.

"You can say that again." Max agreed.

"Cana-san, why don't you have a drink with us for a change?" Macao, in a different look than usual, offers Cana a drink.

"Come over here!" Wakaba, without his usual smoking routine, calls her over.

Cana with a more ladylike appearance, replies, "I know I have spoken of this before to you. I cannot handle drinking alcohol." Natsu freaks out even more.

"Bis Bis..." Alzack sits with Bisca at their own table, clinging onto each other.

"What is it, Al Al..." Bisca hugs him closer. Wendy blushes in shock.

"Now look here, you..." Jet stares at him with a scary look.

"But... But...!" Elfman cried, rubbing his eyes.

"Don't cry at every little thing!" Droy scolded.

"This is already freaky enough!" Natsu shouted. "W-What's goin' on here?!"

"Everyone's acting really weird!" Happy exclaimed.

"Hey." Somebody in dark clothing squats down where Natsu and the others are hiding. "Who the hell are you?" Their eyes go wide when they get noticed by the person.

"No way..." Natsu mumbled.

The woman appears to be Lucy in goth-like clothes. "What the hell are you doing sneaking around under there?"

"Lucy!" Natsu screamed in horror.

"...san?!" Happy added, screaming along with Natsu.

Wendy cannot find the words to describe Lucy and the others. "What in the world is happening?" Carla asked.

"Oh, yeah... It doesn't look like Erza-san or Aira-san are here..." Wendy pointed out, noticing two of their Earthland guild mates were missing from Edolas Fairy Tail.

"You gotta be kiddin' me..." Natsu muttered.

"Hey, so what do you think Erza and Aira are like over here?" Happy questioned.

"Well, you know, probably backwards." Natsu responded as him, Happy, and Wendy started imagining Erza and Aira's Edolas versions.

Natsu, Wendy, Happy, and Carla are found by Edolas' version of Fairy Tail as they learn about Edolas Fairy Tail.

"It's the Fairy Hunter duo! They're here!" Nab announced, entering the guild and making everyone go into panic.

"You over there, cat! Where do you think you're going? It's dangerous outside!" Lucy said to Carla, Happy, and Cain who were trying to leave.

"Crap!"

"The location's been found out already?"

"The people from the Kingdom are after us again..." Cana muttered.

"This is terrible!" Macao and Wakaba said in unison.

"Kingdom?" Happy questioned.

"The people who sent us to Earthland." Carla elaborated.

"We're the enemies of Fairy Tail?" Happy muttered.

"Reactor ready for ignition." Levy announced, trying to make the guild move.

"Fairy Hunter duo?" Natsu repeated in confusion.

"They're coming!" Elfman shouted.

A creature soon flew down, getting Natsu's attention as it roamed the guild. However, Edolas Fairy Tail disappeared just in time.

"Transmission, eh?" A scarlet-haired woman muttered.

"Damn... They got away again. Tch, how annoying..." Her male companion that had long pastel blue hair tied up in a bun cursed.

The sound of someone approaching the two were soon heard. "Transmission magic, I see. Using that much magical power so foolishly... Those fairies sure are quick at running, yes..."

"They flit from one place to another, like flies... Damn vermin..."

"Why do they insist on making our job harder?!" The pastel-blue haired male growled, clenching his weapon tightly in anger.

"You two were quite close. However, they won't be able to transfer too many more times. It's only a matter of time until you two catch you prey. On another subject, it seems the giant Anima plan was a success. So, all Magic Regiment Captains and Vice-Captains are to return to the Royal City."

"The Earthland Fairy Tail was destroyed?"

"More accurately, absorbed. Our king sure does things in a big way."

"What happened to the wizards that were absorbed from Earthland?" The long-haired male asked.

"In the Royal City. They've become a giant lacrima."

"Lovely. Now Edolas doesn't need to worry about magic power for the time being." The scarlet-haired woman said.

"Hmm."

Meanwhile, Edolas Fairy Tail had finally landed as Lucy and Levy were arguing. "Who were those people before..." Natsu mumbled.

"What's the matter, Natsu? Has it been so long you forgot?" Mira questioned.

"As if!" Reedus shouted.

"She's one of the captains of the Kingdom's Magic Regiments, along with her vice-captain... Erza Knightwalker and Airavata Chasseur. Also known as the Fairy Hunter duo." Mira revealed, shocking Natsu, Wendy, Happy, Cain, and Carla.

"What...? Erza and Aira are... our enemies?" Natsu asked in shock.