~*****~

We fled into the forest and stopped in a small area to catch our breath. "While we have this moment, we should figure out our next move," Carla hums.

"Okay, you wanna tell us how you were able to even get to Edolas in the first place?" Natsu asked immediately.

"Yeah, we heard everyone in the guild was turned into a giant Lacrima." I mention lightly.

"Horologium and Mystogan rescued me just in the nick of time," Lucy explained.

"You mean the old clock man?" Happy asks.

"Mystogan was there?" Carla exclaims. Lucy gave us a brief explanation on how she managed to survive not being absorbed by Anima. "Incredible--" Carla gasped.

"He survived the giant space vacuum, too?" Natsu asked.

"Yeah, then he gave me the run-down of what's been going on." Lucy continued with her story. "Then, I started searching for anyone I might know, and eventually ran into you guys."

"I don't understand. How come Mystogan is the only one who knows about Edolas?" Wendy asked.

I hum in response. "Yeah, I'd really like to know just who the heck he really is." I mention.

"If we're lucky, we may get to ask him." Lucy states.

"Well, I'd like to know why your magic works in Edolas and ours doesn't," Happy comments.

"Well, maybe I'm a legendarily beautiful heroine in this world." Lucy chirps.

"Don't think so." Natsu and I wave our hands.

"Can't a girl have a dream?" Lucy whimpered. She gazed down at her lap thoughtfully. "I wish I knew the answer to that question. If Natsu and Aria really can't use their power, I don't know how we are supposed to win."

Scary Lucy finally spoke up. "So, you boneheads still wanna take on the kingdom all by yourselves?"

"Of course we do." Natsu retorted.

"If we don't save our friends, who will?" Happy cheered.

"Is that really such a hard thing to believe?" Lucy asked.

"You'll fight them, even though you can't use any magic? That's suicide." Scary Lucy commented.

"Are you deaf? One of us still has an entire arsenal." Lucy exclaimed. "That's right, everyone, just sit back while Fairy Tail's strongest member takes care of this problem by herself! Oh, yeah, I'm all fired up!"

"We're totally screwed, aren't we?" Ballad asks curiously.

"Definitely." Natsu nods.

"I suppose we'll just have to hope for the best." Carla comments.

"Aye, Sir!" Happy cheers.

"You've got this in the bag, Lucy!" Wendy cheered.

"Just don't drop the bag and we should be fine," I laugh. Natsu groaned and leaned against his hand, staring irritably at Lucy. "Don't be so jealous that she can use magic and you can't!"

"Oh yeah? You can't either!" Natsu barked at me. "I hope you're freezing, cause I ain't warmin' you up without my magic!"

I hum delicately and palm at my face. "I dunno, been feelin' plenty warm since my magic energy got cut off." I mention. "At this rate, you might not even need to help me anymore, so you'll be good, won't you!"

"What-- no, wait--" Natsu barked at me as I scooted away from him. "I was just jokin' around!"

~*****~

"Hopefully, we can figure out where we're going if we use this map," Wendy comments later that day after we'd found a hotel to stay at.

"That's weird. It looks way more like Earthland than I thought it would," Happy says.

"This is where we last saw the Edolas Fairy Tail," Carla says as she gestures to a spot on the map. "The giant frog beast chased up somewhere in this vicinity. Louen is where we ran into Earthland Lucy. And we're currently holed up here, in the port city of Sycca. We'll have to secure passage overseas if we're to reach the Royal City."

"Our friends are half a world away," Natsu sighs.

"And that's half a world filled with Royal Army soldiers." Wendy adds.

"Yeah, we'll be dodging around every corner just to avoid them." I mutter. "It'll take weeks to get near the capital."

"Wow, this is nuts!" Scary Lucy mentioned. We all gazed up and I began to laugh. "She's just like me. We've even got the exact same freckles on our butts!"

"What are you saying? I don't have freckles anywhere!" Lucy barked in embarrassment.

"Wait, Scary Lucy, did you forget that Natsu is in this room?" Wendy cried as I pushed my finger in my ear.

"I can see him fine, half-pint. I just don't care." She shrugged.

"A good answer!" I chime.

"No, it's not!" Lucy barked.

"Talk about a major act of Dup-Lucy-Ty." Happy jokes.

"Tom Cat, you're not to speak for the rest of this journey." Carla hums.

"Scary Lucy reminds me of Aria the most," Ballad laughs. "While our Lucy tends to be more mindful about her body, Aria likes to walk around the house naked."

I beam as Lucy flinches in shock. "Wait a minute-- Natsu is at your house most of the time!"

I hum in response. "Yeah. He's totally desensitized by naked people." I wave my hand at her. "You know, seeing these two Lucy's remind me of Gemini." I mention.

"Yeah, now that you mention it, it kinda does." Natsu nodded.

"Germ-a-what?" Scary Lucy asked.

"A couple of Celestial Spirits I'm contracted with." Lucy explains. "They can turn into perfect look-alikes of other people." She pulls out Gemini's key. "Open, gate of the twins, Gemini!"

Another Lucy appeared. "Ta-da! Gemini, at your service." Gemini cheered.

"Whoa--" Scary Lucy hummed.

"If you thought two was great, try a triple does of hotness!" Lucy beamed.

I hum delicately and smirk. "I can't seem to forget how Gemini flashed everyone that one time." I mention impishly.

"SH-SHUT IT, ARIA!" Lucy cried.

Gemini just laughed. "I was only trying to poke fun!" She chirped.

"This is fun and all, but when do you ladies plan on clothing yourselves?" Carla asked irritably.

Lucy gave a soft scream and ran towards the bathroom, hauling Scary Lucy after her. "Man, even without Gemini, it's almost impossible to tell which one of you is which." Natsu commented after they'd gotten dressed in matching blue pajamas.

"It's pretty easy to me." I shrug.

"I don't suppose ya got one of those ghost things that's good with a pair of scissors, do ya?" Scary Lucy asked.

"Yeah, in fact, I have the perfect spirit for that job!" Lucy chimed.

She summoned Cancer. "It's been a while since you called me, baby!" Cancer exclaimed.

"Are you cool with him calling you baby like that?" Scary Lucy asked.

"If you've got a problem with him, then you're gonna freak when you meet Taurus," Lucy giggled.

Cancer gets to work on Scary Lucy's hair. "I hope you like your new do, baby~" Cancer cheered.

"There shouldn't be any trouble telling us apart now, don't you think?" Scary Lucy asked.

"Are you sure you're okay with chopping it off?" Lucy asked. "I mean, mine took forever to grow out."

"Yeah, it's just hair." Scary Lucy shrugged. "It's not serving some great purpose by being longer, so why does it matter?"

"Because every lady should have pride in the Do they sport, baby." Cancer comments.

Scary Lucy chuckles. "Yeah, I guess so." She just sighs and approaches the windows. "In a world like this you tend to forget the little things, like boy or girl that separate you from your friends. In the end, we're all just survivors."

"If it's that tough, why did everyone in your guild seem so carefree?" I ask softly.

Scary Lucy smiles. "Well yeah, of course they did. It's important to keep your spirits up, even if you gotta force them every single day. And when we can't bring ourselves to smile, we remember there are people in this world who need us. Even if it means we're labeled a dark guild. Fairy Tail will always be there to lend a helping hand." I hum softly and start to smile. Being a dark guild in Edolas, it takes strength. Even I can admire that. They're trying to do right in a world that doesn't want them to. "But I guess that still isn't enough in the end." Lucy hums in confusion. "Nothing. I'm just rambling."

~*****~

I hadn't so much felt the cold since we arrived in Edolas, but perhaps the nights were just colder. I'd never spent so much time in such an arid area. I shivered against the chair I'd taken residence on, peering out of the window I was sitting in front of. I blew on my fingers irritably and tried to nestle deeper into my blankets. "Will you give the shivering a rest?" I hear Natsu complain quietly. I peer over at him and snort angrily. "Just come over here if you're so cold."

I shook my head violently. "No way, there are other people--"

"So what?" Natsu hummed, his brow raising. "Not like it's secret you like sleepin' near warmth. Just keep your clothes on this time. I don't think my heart can take it right now." I barely hear him, but it's nice to know he's still feeling something. Even if he doesn't exactly know what it is. I roll my shoulders a bit before complying and curling onto the couch with him. My body is sandwiched between him and the couch, and I start to feel warm. My body clings to his in an attempt to get more of his warmth. "Quit movin', my stomach's doin' that thing again," He complains in a slightly breathless tone.

I chuff lightly as I press my nose against his neck, sighing out in delight from the warmth that this man seems to give. "It's normal," I hum delicately. His hands are stiff as they rest on my waist, and every so often, I can feel his fingers twitch when I try to move closer. Eventually, I do doze off, listening to the wild pattering of his heart in his chest.

The next morning, we're awoken by Lucy's screaming. I hum irritably as I lean up from Natsu's chest, my hands planted firmly against the hard planes of his torso. "You've gotta be kidding me! I can't believe myself!" Lucy bellowed.

"You're certainly energetic first thing in the morning, aren't ya?" Natsu complained, sitting up and curling his arms around my waist in an attempt to go back to sleep.

"What's wrong with you?" Carla asks as I lean against Natsu in response, my eyes drooping against the warmth.

"Listen miss me packed her bags and took off on us last night!" Lucy barked as she held out a scrawled note.

I sigh loudly and slip off of the couch, my nails scraping at my belly as I yawn. "Keep walking for three more days and you'll get to the royal city." Wendy read out. "I'm gonna go back to my guild now. Good luck and try not to get busted."

"What was all that about lending a hand?" Lucy growled. "If I get my hands on her, I'll wring her scrawny neck!"

"So you're saying that you have a scrawny neck, too?" Happy asks.

"Shut up!" Lucy barked before stomping away.

"There's nothing we can do," I comment as I continue to yawn. "Other Lucy said she wasn't gonna fight, and we have to respect that."

"Yeah," Natsu agreed.

"You're saying I should just forgive this?" Lucy asked irritably. "Someone with my face should never abandon people in need!"

Natsu sighs loudly. "Come on, it's no big deal." Natsu whined.

"It is, too!" She shouts back.

I just smile. "Maybe she's gonna try to get the other Fairy Tail to fight back on their own terms." I suggest.

"How can you be so hopeful without your magic?" Lucy whined.

I just laugh. "Well, if there's one thing I know, even if you step on an ant pile, some of them are bound to bite back. And this whole world is an ant-pile for the Royal City, isn't it?" I stretch my arms upwards. "I think Scary Lucy and the others are gonna fight back, too!"

Natsu beams. "That's the spirit, buddy!" He laughs.

~*****~

Lucy seemed to cheer up after she had a little retail therapy. "She's not screaming anymore," Ballad commented in her new little dress and matching head bow.

"It's good to know you can cheer Lucy up just by giving her a rare book to read," Wendy giggled.

"So what book did you end up buying, anyway?" Natsu asks.

"A complete history of Edolas, silly!" She chirped. "Don't you wanna learn about this amazing world while we have a chance?"

I snort. "Not really. I'd like to get back to wearing my regular pants. These shorts are really tight." I mention as I tug on the small scrap of denim covering my hips. "And don't get me started on this damn shirt-- my boobs were small enough, now I got this thing, where my puny chest barely fits in it."

Lucy's all smiles. "Oh, you poor thing." She says in full on Pity mode. I grimace at her before throwing my arms over my chest. "You know the saying Knowledge is Power? Well, this book as got tons of it! For example, there's a ton of history regarding a fearsome tribe called the Exceeds!"

"We actually heard about them already," Wendy mentioned. "Everyone got really scared when they started talking about them."

Natsu sighed. "Whatever. I could take them." My gaze slings upwards when a large shadow covers the town. "What the--" Natsu gasps.

"Look above us!" Carla exclaims.

"An Airship?!" Natsu says.

"Move it or you'll be left behind!" A few guards barked as they ran by in the crowd.

"It's the Royal Army again."

"We gotta hide," I say urgently, my hand tugging on Wendy's arm.

We hide behind a large pillar as we listen to the guards talk. "They're talkin' about our friends," Natsu growls.

"And everybody from Magnolia, too." Wendy murmurs.

"The magic extraction is in two days?" Lucy gasped. "That means if we go on foot, we'll never make it."

"And once the extraction process is underway, we'll lose any chance of turning everyone back to their normal states." Carla mentions softly, her eyes downcast.

I grumble irritably as I stare out at the ship. "We're gonna have to steal that ship." Natsu explains.

"Steal it? All by ourselves?!" Wendy cries.

"That's a completely unnecessary tactic!" Carla shouts. "It would be easier to simply sneak aboard!"

"Man, I can't stand hiding," Natsu complained.

"This must be the weird Natsu," Happy says. "Cause ours would never wanna ride in a vehicle."

Natsu just beamed. "That's true, but with Wendy's Troia spell, vehicles aren't a problem anymore!"

I reach over and tug on his cheek to get his attention. "Natsu." I say as I lean closely to him, my face suddenly serious. "We cannot use magic here." I say very slowly.

Natsu grimaces, his face flushed pink as he scratches at his head. "Yeah, yeah, you don't gotta look at me like that. Let's find another way."

"It's too late," Carla snapped.

"I say we take it by force!" Lucy suddenly says. "It's our best chance of making it in time to save them."

"But how will we do that?" Wendy asked.

"Duh, we'll use my magic." Lucy beamed. "Did you forget you're in the presence of the most powerful wizard in Fairy Tail?" Natsu and I grunt irritably. "And did you notice how quickly we got the upper hand on those soldiers in Louen? Earthland magic must be far more advanced than anything in Edolas."

"You know, you might be on to something." I comment.

Lucy beams and charges right on in. "Check this out, you guys!"

"Oh, hell yeah!" Natsu and I cheer.

"Open, Gate of the Lion, Loke!" Lucy chimes. But instead of Loke, Virgo appears. "What? Virgo?!"

"Please forgive this intrusion, Princess," Virgo simply says.

"Why'd she use her?" Natsu asked.

"What's going on?! Where's Loke?!" Lucy cried.

"Big brother is currently occupied with a date," Virgo simply says. "He cannot be summoned at the moment."

"Big brother?!" Lucy squeaked.

"Damn, she's getting two timed by Loke. Well, can't say I didn't see it coming." I comment to Natsu.

"You got that right," He snorts.

"Master Leo requested that I refer to him in that manner," Virgo explains to Lucy.

"Has he lost every ounce of sanity he had?!" Lucy cries.

"That's Lucy from Fairy Tail!" A guard shouts.

"Capture her!

"Now what am I supposed to do?!" Lucy asked wildly. "I was counting on Loke to take all of them out and make me look like a powerhouse!"

"Princess, if you'll allow me, I believe I can fulfill that role." Virgo says calmly. "With the power of interpretative dance."

"GO HOME!" Lucy barks at her.

"Why don't you just use Aquarius like you always do?" Happy asks curiously.

"I can't do that without water!" Lucy shouts.

"Cow man?" Happy.

"That won't work either. We're gonna die!" Lucy sobs.

"If our magic's useless, we'll just use Edolas' magic!" Natsu mentions with his flame sword.

"Plus we got our fists! Ain't nothin' wrong with a good old fashioned street brawl!" I exclaim.

"Watch out, because we know what we're doing now!" Wendy shouts.

"That's the stuff from the black market!" Happy cried. We get knocked down effortlessly. "Without their own powers, they're totally useless! But they're still better than Lucy!"

"I wanna shine!" Lucy whined.

"The airship is getting away!" Carla cried.

"We gotta do something quick, or we'll never make it!" Wendy cried as I lifted a guard above my head and tossed him at some of the other guards surrounding me.

"Get back here--" Natsu growls. I lift up another guard and shout as I'm being seized by many guards. Just before I can try and break myself free, a vehicle roars down the street and crashes through the guards.

"Who's driving the magic mobile?" Lucy stammered.

"I don't know, but it's got Fairy Tail's emblem on it." Happy mentioned.

I peer into the window and squint irritably. "Lucy thought you guys might need a lift. Hop in." A familiar voice mentions. We all beam and jump into the magic mobile. "Fasten your seat belts, kids. We're riding hard! Go, Fire!"

The mobile lurches, causing me to topple back against my seat, stomach roiling.

~*****~

I stare through my dizzy gaze at the Edolas version of Natsu and I, completely at home in the front of the car. The car stops out of nowhere, causing me to topple forward. "Wow, you people sure are ignorant." Edolas Natsu comments irritably. "Since Magic power is a limited resource, that means things like magic fuel are equally limited. It's nearly impossible to get a hold of. Long story short, I can't really afford to take you any further. So get out." Edolas Aria just hums in response, her legs kicked up on the dash as if she didn't care. "If I keep burning through fuel, I won't be able to make it back to the guild. Thanks to the Fairy Hunter, they had to change locations again, recently."

Natsu and I don't bother to argue and we leap out of the vehicle. "Hello, solid ground!" Natsu barks. "I've come back to life!"

"Come on, guys, they've helped enough." I say over my shoulder.

Edolas Natsu and Aria smile at one another before humming. "I'll hand this to your Natsu and Aria. They know when it's time to pick up and move out."

"I'll say," Edolas Aria hums delicately. "Now get out." She snaps to the others. "If you weirdo's wanna take on the Kingdom, then, we won't stop you. Just don't go dragging our Fairy Tail into it. We only helped you because of Lucy. And no, not you, our Lucy. We can't turn her down when she asks for something. So make sure you thank her for your rescue. Natsu, let's go. I don't want anything else to do with these guys."

Edolas Natsu hums with a smirk. "Drivin' is all that matters to us."

Natsu and I glance at one another before we smirk cruelly at each other. "Hey!" Natsu barks as he leans over the opened door, leering own at them. "I wanna talk to you guys for second!"

Edolas Natsu immediately changed his tune, but Edolas Aria just huffed and stepped out of the vehicle after Natsu dragged out his counterpart. "No, you get your hands off me, right now!"

"Sorry, but I got to have a nice heart to heart with myself!" Natus barked at him.

"Will you cut it out! Let go of me, no! I can't get out of the car!" Edolas Natsu cried.

I chuckle as I watch with my own counterpart. "Now tell me. Why is it you don't get car sick?" Natsu asks immediately.

"That was your big beef?!" Lucy bellows.

I began guffawing. "Hey, I'm curious, too," I mention to Edolas Aria.

She doesn't respond. Instead she trots forward and pushes herself in front of Edolas Natsu, her arms crossed over her chest. "Back off before I make you." She snaps in a cold tone. Her hand goes down and Edolas Natsu reaches for it, his body trembling as he cowers behind her. I gaze in shock as he whimpers.

"I don't know why--" He stammers. "I'm sorry, please, don't hurt me."