[X784, Edolas]
— Dannis Martell —
Now that they had a plan, they needed to figure out a way to get Edo Dannis' attention.
The only way to do that was to first figure out what kind of person he was.
Leaving Levy and Juvia to rest in the hut, guarded by a dozen Wraiths, he set out in the night to the still active Royal City.
The Royal City of Edolas was a grand place, where glowing lacrima lanterns covered every inch of the street to alight with a slight bluish hue. Wealth dripped from every street corner, magic woven into fountains, rail-lines, and even storefront signs.
It was half the reason Dannis doubted King Faust's cries of "magic scarcity." Perhaps it was true in the outer settlements, where supplies dwindled and people suffered. But here? Here it was in abundance, hoarded and jealously guarded.
Pulling a hood low over his head and a mask over his face, he chose to hide his features to not get noticed. In a city as compact as this, it wasn't hard for Dannis to blend into the crowd.
From his experiences, the easiest source to extract information from was people. Rumors fly through common chatter. By listening in, one could learn a lot regarding the goings on of a city as big as this.
The uses of the Soul Curse were plenty, the greatest of which was the power to control and utilize the lingering and wandering souls of the world and bringing them to his employ.
The powers of these souls were varied, mostly reliant on the power they had in life. But the one thing that was present across all of the souls was the ability to remain unseen.
Dannis had the power to share their memories, therefore all he needed to wait. Every whisper they heard echoed back into his mind.
All it took was a mental command, and the wraiths in his command swept through the streets invisible and unseen.
The stronger souls like Jellal, Midnight, and Racer were kept with him at all times, while the dozens of lesser ones were sent away across the entire city.
In a tavern ironically named The King Faust, which he thought was pretentious, Dannis shut his eyes, letting the chorus of voices pour in:
"Dannis Martell was spotted in the Royal City a week ago?! Can you believe it?"
"Yeah, I heard! If it wasn't for Captain Erza Knightwalker, who knows what that monster would have done!"
"Wait really? I heard that Dannis Martell and his band of terrorists was spotted near the Taren Mountains recently…"
"That's odd. Isn't the Taren Mountains filled with beasts and monsters? How could they base themselves there?"
"That's because Dannis Martell is a monster himself in human skin."
"Forget about that! I heard another group of outlaws have been harassing the outer towns…"
"King Faust said he wanted to do a demonstration next week about that massive lacrima that showed up in the city. I wonder what that's about…"
Furrowing his brows, Dannis thought to himself.
'A lot could happen in seven years. The first thing we need to do is find out the factions that still hold power aside from the Kingdom.'
After all, the fact that Faust had enough power with the Anima to swallow Magnolia whole was a level of power they didn't expect from the man.
He rose, leaving coins on the counter, and found himself drawn to a bounty wall at the edge of the market square. Rows of wanted posters glared back. His eyes fixed on one in particular.
[WANTED: Dannis Martell, Leader of the Black Band Rebellion. 5,000,000 Jewels.]
The picture underneath showed a face staring back at him that was his own, yet not. The hair was much longer, done in a ponytail. An eyepatch covered the right eye. But the features, the jaws, the cheekbones, were unmistakably his.
Burning the features to memory, Dannis turned and left the city.
The next day, their plan set in motion, Dannis, Levy, and Juvia trekked into the jagged wilderness of the Taren Mountains.
The mountains were a forest of spires that rose like stone knives. So tall they were that snow frosted their tips, while the valleys below twisted into a maze of canyons and valleys.
Levy and Juvia had the magical staves strapped through their backs. A recent discovery told them that the staves were very limited in use, having been reliant on the lacrimas embedded on the shafts.
However, the ones they managed to salvage were the military grade ones, which meant they were higher in quality than the standard ones people could find on the market.
Aside from the initial skirmish at the marketplace, they hadn't yet encountered the Edolas soldiers that were currently looking for them.
Halfway through a canyon pass, Dannis froze. He raised a hand as Levy and Juvia instantly went alert, brandishing their staves.
He had felt this kind of alertness before. They were being watched,.
The sound heavy footsteps had them turn to see a small horde of ape-like creatures rushing towards their position.
Vulcans.
There were Vulcans in Edolas.
That thought made him release a sigh. He genuinely thought that the so-called 'monsters' that the citizens in the royal capital talked about were some unknown beasts or monsters, not these all-too-familiar ape-beasts.
He didn't realize how much of a threat these things would be to people who couldn't use magic. Still, they rushed in with feral hunger, teeth bared.
"You two focus on long range support." He said to Levy and Juvia, who nodded. With that, he rushed forth.
Steel flashed, cutting through limbs and hide. The Vulcans of Edolas were weaker than their Earthland cousins.
Take-Over magic meant little when human magic was scarce here. Even without tapping into his greater arsenal, Dannis handled them cleanly. Explosions of light flared from Levy and Juvia's staves behind him, more for insurance than necessity.
He didn't need to pull out the big guns. Right now, Wraith Jellal was his secret trump card against the major powers of Edolas. No need to reveal that willy nilly.
Soon, the canyon floor was littered with corpses.
"What would drive a horde this big out of their territory?" Levy asked
Dannis sheathed his sword, focusing. Not a second later, the souls of the Vulcans rose once again as Wraiths. "Something worse spooked them. Whatever it is, it's nearby."
The sounds of more footsteps appeared as a group of people passed the rocky rocky ridge. Levy and Juvia turned, bracing themselves.
A group of figures descended from the ledge, weapons ready, their leader striding boldly at the front.
And there he was. The man who looked exactly like him. Longer hair. A rougher cut. The eyepatch.
"Well, well," the stranger drawled, his men fanning out behind him. "What do we have here?"
…
[X784, Edolas, somewhere North]
— Laxus Dreyar —
Crossing his arms, he blocked the attack, the sheer force hurling him backward. His boots carved furrows into the dirt before he dug in, sparks crawling across his body.
He swiped his arms outward, lightning scattering with the black flames that clung to him, and lifted his gaze to the madman across the clearing.
"What the fuck is a guy like you doing here in Edolas?" Laxus stated.
The blond haired mage opposite him held a manic grin, bloodshot red eyes locked on Laxus' figure. Black flames licked off his body that sent warning bells in Laxus' mind.
"I know you!" the man shouted, teeth flashing. "Laxus Dreyar, right?! I've been wanting to fight you for ages! Hehahah!"
Laxus narrowed his eyes but allowed a grin to tug at his lips. "Yeah, well, I won't say no to a good old brawl. But I've got business here."
"Ya ain't the only one!" the stranger bellowed, flames coalescing on his arm, black as night. "Master Hades is waiting for me back at base, so let's make this quick, yeah?!"
"Fine then."
Golden sparks arced around his frame as both surged forward, fists colliding with a thunderous boom that split the earth beneath them.
Truthfully, he had no business fighting against a mage of this calibre right now. He was here to find Dannis, Levy, and Juvia. Who he knew were trapped here in Edolas.
Then again, what the hell was Grimoire Heart doing here of all places?
'Did the Anima swallow more than just Magnolia?'
The thought made him grimace.
Just five days ago, he had woken up in a wasteland. The shock of it still gnawed at him.
One moment, he'd been preparing for a mission with the Thunder God Tribe. The next, Magnolia was being ripped into the sky by that enormous Anima portal. The roar of tearing space still echoed in his ears.
He had panicked then, thinking they were under attack. He had screamed himself hoarse calling out for Freed, Bickslow, Evergreen, Dannis, even Gramps. None of them answered.
But then right after, the other Dragon Slayers started popping out of the ground one by one. Natsu, Gajeel, Wendy. All of them had shown surprise, rage, and sorrow at the state of the guild.
Laxus had snapped them out of it and told them to focus. They can mourn later. For now, they needed to figure out what was going on.
Soon after came Lucy, who was protected from the magical phenomenon by her spirits. The cats followed right after, and then Mystogan.
What they learned right after was madness. Mystogan shared the story of his youth, a tale so crazy that Laxus had a hard time wrapping his head around it,
Another world called Edolas, ruled by a king obsessed with magic. Fairy Tail was held hostage as a massive lacrima fuel source, stationed in the Royal City, guarded by an entire kingdom's worth of soldiers.
That's when Master Mavis showed up, telling them that they were supposed to brief the guild that day regarding the state of Edolas. But it seems that King Faust had attacked first and caught them off guard.
That was when Wendy's cat, Carla—if Laxus remembered correctly—told them the truth of the Exceeds. Someway, somehow, Edolas had sent the Exceeds as spies to Earthland, implanting within them memories and orders to follow.
Happy had been surprised at that revelation, though Mystogan told them to not worry about that part right now.
He said then that Mystogan, Mavis, and Porlyusica were currently crafting a drug that would allow Earthland mages to utilize magic while on the other side. It was their only advantage against the magic-starved land and one that they needed to exploit.
Their mission was clear: find Dannis and his team. Mystogan claimed that they were the only ones currently alive, and to rendezvous with them to save the rest of the guild.
Mystogan lifted a staff and opened another portal to Edolas, the golden shimmering gateway sizzling in place.
"While this portal will take you to the other side, there's no telling where you'll end up. Once you get there, take the X-Ball and lay low." Mystogan stated. "Remember, do not regard the world with the logic of Earthland. You will sooner get caught by the Royal Soldiers if you do so. Our friends here in Earthland might just be an enemy in Edolas."
His words had everyone nodding. Everyone knew the stakes, they were prepared to rescue their friends.
Each of them were given a small bag of X-Balls to grant their allies once they got to the other side. Without further ado, the small team entered the portal.
That was five days ago. And now he was here, locked in a duel with a member of Grimoire Heart.
The forest sizzled and snapped under the clash of their magics. Black fire reduced trees to ash in seconds, and bolts of lightning shredded the air with deafening cracks.
Laxus zipped across the clearing, his form blurring as lightning coated his muscles. His fist reeled back, electricity surging down his arm.
"Raging Bolt!"
Zancrow ducked low as the lightning zipped past his head, magic power bubbling in his throat.
Laxus' eyes widened. He realized what was coming and reciprocated in kind.
"Fire God's Bellow!"
"Lightning Dragon's Roar!"
The twin breath attacks collided midair, detonation ripping outward in a shockwave that flattened the last of the forest. Dirt and splinters rained down.
Laxus landed hard, his eyes locked on the still-grinning pyromaniac. "A God Slayer? Is that what you are?"
"Hehahah! That's right!" the man roared, spreading his arms as black fire coiled like serpents. "Flames of darkness that burn even the divines themselves! This is my power!"
'That explains it.' Laxus realized. All slayer-type magic was special in a way that they held unique properties.
The Dragon Slayers held an innate magical resistance, as well as granting them an enormous boost to their physical capabilities. It was the reason why the Anima wasn't capable of swallowing and transporting them into Edolas.
Devil Slayers like Dannis could counter the curse power of the Etherious, even if Dannis himself was a walking contradiction, being an Etherious himself.
God Slayers, it seems, were unique in the way that no outside force could manipulate their magic power. Or perhaps it was their bodies that weren't shifted to follow the natural laws of the land.
Their power warped the rules of the world itself, forcing it to follow them rather than the other way around. Which meant this psycho could fight without restrictions, even in Edolas.
Troublesome didn't begin to cover it.
Ideally, he'd much rather nip this threat in the bud right here and now. But the longer this dragged on, the less time Fairy Tail had left.
They didn't know how long they had until the lacrima turned to pure ethernano permanently. A single second was precious.
Then another presence joined them.
Laxus' ears twitched. He turned as a figure dropped lightly from the canopy behind his opponent. A woman, raven-haired, with a hand already gripping his shoulder.
"Zancrow," she said coolly. "Master Hades is waiting. We need to leave."
"Piss off, Ultear! I need to beat this guy!" Zancrow barked, shoving her hand away.
Laxus recognized the name. The former Wizard Saint who destroyed the Magic Council headquarters, as well as Yajima's killer.
"Believe me… I want nothing more than for the Thunder God Laxus to die…" she murmured, her voice dripping venom and was filled with so much hatred that Laxus had to cock an eyebrow. "But this takes priority."
"Tch, fine!" Zancrow spat, but not before pointing a blackened finger at Laxus. "This ain't over, Dreyar!"
The two turned to leave. But Ultear lingered for one last moment, her gaze burning into him.
"One day, you and I will meet in battle. Pray that day never comes, Laxus Dreyar."
Laxus scoffed, crackling with residual lightning as he straightened.
As the two vanished into the distance, he turned, cloak billowing in the smoke of their ruined battlefield. His jaw clenched, but his eyes hardened with renewed resolve.
Whatever Grimoire Heart was scheming here in Edolas, it was one more reason to finish this mission fast.
While he didn't know what he did to earn that woman's ire, he wasn't one to back down from a challenge.
If Ultear wanted a fight?
She'd damn well get one.
…
AN: Edolas officially kicks into gear!
Coming next, the meeting between Earthland Dannis and Edo Dannis, the man regarded as the worst criminal in all of Edolas! Laxus arrives in Edolas alongside the other Dragon Slayers, immediately meeting the first convergence I've decided to take from Canon.
The Grimoire Heart is here. I have pretty big plans for these guys, especially with their whole inability to use magic in Edolas.
I also took this chance to give the God-Slayers some love. On god, they were so under utilized back in canon. The power to defeat gods and not a single plot or arc revolved around them. It was a butchery of potential.
I lowkey initially believed that the God-Slayers were the key in defeating Zeref, since his whole curse of killing everything was due to Ankhseram, the God of Death.
But apparently, in typical Mashima manner, Zeref was defeated by love instead. Don't get me wrong, I loved the ending. Zeref and Mavis dying in each other's hands was poetic, but still.
Anyways, this is my way of giving them the love they deserve. The way I designed it is that God-Slayers, with their 'godlike' physique, are capable of ignoring certain natural laws of the world. Which means, Zancrow is one of the few people that can use magic in Edolas.
The Laxus and Zancrow fight was something that's been a long time coming anyway. It was something I've teased way back during the Tower of Heaven arc.
I hope the chapter was fun! Cheers guys!