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Wheels of Fire - Chap. 3

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Chapter 3: Chaos in Edolas


In Edolas, Natsu hid behind a broken bit of a low wall, crouched with Edo-Lucy beside him. She had a crossbow, and he held a flamethrower. Both of them were out of breath. The air was smoky from something burning, and Edo-Lucy kept coughing from the ash that swirled in the air.

"I hate this dumb piece of crap," Natsu yelled, punching the flaming device.

"Idiot," Lucy Ashley snapped, slapping his hand and forcing the flamethrower to point toward the ground. "That thing is volatile. Hit it too hard and it'll explode in your face."

"Good! Maybe if I eat the flames, I can use more of my magic."

"Get over that already!" the blonde screamed. "How do you think we got into this mess, huh?"

"Well, I managed to light a flame earlier," he pointed out proudly.

"A tiny one!"

Natsu looked stubborn. "It was still something. Whatever Mystogan gave me back then, it must still be working a little."

"After seven years?" she shouted.

"It wasn't seven years to me. Honestly, it seems like I was here less than six months ago."

"That's true," Edo-Lucy muttered. "So you guys lost time too, huh? No wonder you still look like a fucking kid."

"Yep. Seven years, then another three months while we were in the Spirit World." He grinned widely to her. "Mystogan's pill must still be in my system despite all that. I've still got a little bit of my abilities!"

"Shit yeah, enough for those bastards out there to realize you have magic, but not enough to actually fight them," Lucy Ashley yelled angrily. "Those assholes don't give a rat's ass whether you can breathe fucking dragon flames or barely light a cigarette. You have magic inside of you still, and that's what they..."

An explosion cut her off, and the ground nearby shook. Natsu grabbed her, covering her as dirt and rocks rained down on them. From the other side of the wall they heard a yell. "Watch out! Don't kill the magic user."

"What are you doing, pervert?" Edo-Lucy growled, shoving Natsu aside roughly.

"What else? Protecting you," he shrugged, not understanding what her problem was.

"Like I need that!" She dusted the debris off of her black leather outfit. "Fuck, we were doing just fine until you showed up."

Natsu yelled angrily, "Hey, you were the ones who brought me here. I want you to send me back."

"Oh, trust me," she laughed wryly, "I can't wait to get a bastard like you out of here." She slipped above the edge of the wall to take a shot with her crossbow. "You're nothing but trouble, Salamander!"

"Back at you, Ashley."

There were more shots, and one grazed Edo-Lucy on the shoulder. She cried out and slid back down the wall, grabbing the bleeding wound.

"Dammit, just what I need," she growled, pressing her head hard against the bricks to focus off of the pain.

Natsu saw blood dripping down her arm. "They shot you!" he yelled in astonishment.

"No shit, dipwad!" she growled. "Whaddya think they've been trying to do this whole time? Fucking bitch, that hurt!" she cringed, flexing her fingers to see if there was nerve damage.

Natsu smelled the familiar and hated scent: Lucy's blood. Whenever Lucy bled, the instinct to protect her surged in his chest. He knew this was not his Lucy, but seeing that face drawn up in pain inflamed his sense of justice. He glanced around the edge of the wall at the mob of cutthroats who had pinned them down.

"They just want me, right?" he reasoned. "And they want me alive?"

"Sounds like it," she hissed through the pain. "Dammit, where's Levy with the backup?"

"Stay there, and hold on to this," Natsu said, handing her the flamethrower. "Don't hesitate to burn me with it. It won't hurt me." Then he stood up with his hands raised. "All right, don't shoot," he shouted to the group of thugs.

"The hell are you doing?" Edo-Lucy hissed, yet with her bad shoulder she could not grab him and stop him.

The leader of the gang grinned. "So, you're the magic user. Surrendering already? Smart boy."

"Don't hurt these people," Natsu demanded. "I just happened to end up with them."

"Liar! I know that face," the leader chuckled. "I used to bet on his car races. It's the face of Fireball Natsu, except his eyes never looked so glaring and spiteful. You're from that magical mirror dimension, Earthland or whatever they call it. That damn Fairy Tail probably brought you here to power up their terrorist weapons."

"No!" the blonde yelled, but Natsu waved her to stay there.

"You're coming with us," the leader insisted.

"Promise you'll let her and the others go," Natsu insisted, slowly walking forward.

"Promise?" the gang leader chuckled. "Yeah? Or what? I was a soldier back then; I read the reports from seven years ago. You Earthland people can't use your magic here, although it's still within your body. So what's a helpless thing like you gonna do if I hurt that little blondie?"

Natsu walked right up to him and glared into the tall man's face. "Hurt you right back." He punched the leader in the stomach, then swept his foot at the guy's legs, knocking him flat on his back. "Just because I'm a wizard doesn't mean I can't fight. How about I give you a little flicker of that Earthland magic?"

"Don't you dare show them, you asshole," Edo-Lucy hissed, but it was too late.

Natsu held his hand out and snapped his finger. The flame was tiny, truly pathetic. The pill Mystogan gave them had slowly worn off. If it had truly been like seven years, likely he would be helpless, but for Natsu's physical body, only a few months had passed. He was glad he had at least a little something to use in this strange world. Besides, a flicker was all it took to set the bandit leader's cloak on fire, and within seconds he was engulfed. Some of his men worked fast to put out the fire while the other cutthroats pulled out guns and swords.

"Now, Lucy!"

She whipped around the edge of the wall, gritted in worry about hurting him, but she trusted this Natsu knew what he was doing. She fired the flamethrower, and with a battle cry she swept a fiery arc at the enemies. Most of them caught ablaze and screamed while rolling on the ground to put out the fire. The others quickly ran away. Edo-Lucy could have kept firing and killed them all, but she hurriedly turned off the weapon, terrified about Natsu.

"Salamander!" she screamed with horrified eyes.

In the middle of the flaming field, she saw the fire swirl and suck in. In amazement, she watched Natsu eat the fire around him, which likely saved the lives of all the people caught by the flames.

"Thanks for the meal," he smiled, licking his lips. "A little too chemical for my taste, but not half bad."

"You're a monster," Lucy Ashley gawked.

"How rude! I'm a dragon slayer. I eat fire. Nothing monstrous about that," he said with a casual shrug. "Now, let's get out of here."

He grabbed her hand to yank her out of being stunned by what she had just witnessed. Natsu laughed as he pulled Edo-Lucy along, running fast over the arid ground of the abandoned village and out to a desert of stones and stubby dry bushes.

"Hey Ashley," he called out as he grinned back at her. "You look kinda cute like that."

"What!" she roared peevishly. "Cute how?"

"Looking shocked. You almost look like my Lucy. I saw Lucy give that same expression when we first met," he told her. "I grabbed her hand and dragged her along to Fairy Tail, too. Seems like history is repeating itself."

"Don't get cocky," Lucy Ashley warned. "This is my Fairy Tail we're heading to. Gah, I can't wait to send you back. I miss my Natsu."

He pouted. "Oh, come on! I just saved us."

"We're only in trouble because of you," she yelled back. Then she cringed as the running jarred her injured shoulder. "Dammit, where's that bitch Levy?"

They heard clopping like a stampede, then Edolas' Levy, Jet, and Droy rode up on strange animals, something like a cross between a rabbit and an emu. It had a cotton tail, pale lavender fur coat, gecko-like feet, tiny front arms with three short fingers, bright red lips with pudgy cheeks, and it shook its head from side to side fast. They pulled up beside the two fleeing on foot.

Edo-Levy grinned down at them. "Need a ride?"

"About time, you bastards," Lucy Ashley growled.

"We were trying to find more tanchimos. We only have one spare, but it's Natsu's tanchimo, Yusō," she said, pulling on the reins to another one of the odd rabbit-emu animals. Unlike the others, this one looked wild and balked against its restraints.

"You idiot!" Edo-Lucy roared. "No one can ride that stupid beast but Natsu. That animal is psychotic!"

Yusō stopped rearing backward and hobbled over to Natsu. He looked at the weird creature straight in its beady black eyes, not the least bit scared, only curious. Yusō sniffed him, gave the dragon slayer's head a lick that made his pink hair stand straight up, then the beast bowed its head.

"I'll be damned," Lucy whispered. "I guess you stink as bad as that grease-monkey does. Well, let's get you up on him."

"What?" Natsu exclaimed in horror. "No way! I can't ride."

Lucy began ordering them around. "Droy, sit behind him since you're the skinniest. I'll take your tanchimo."

"Come on, mate," Edo-Droy said, yanking Natsu straight up into the saddle and then sitting behind him. "Yusō is Fireball Natsu's favorite tanchimo, raised him and broke him in himself, and he seems to like you so the ride should be smooth."

"Oh...oh no," Natsu moaned, already feeling sick just from the wobbling that the animal's natural head-shaking was causing. "Not transportation!"

"You better hold him tightly," Edo-Lucy warned as she climbed into her saddle with one arm. "Remember, he's the opposite to our Natsu. This kid gets sick on transportation."

"Seriously?" Edo-Droy frowned. "Rather useless, isn't he?"

Lucy Ashley chuckled as she remembered what she had seen with Natsu lighting the bandit leader on fire and eating the flames. "He's got some strong points. Now, let's ride! Heeyah!" She kicked the sides of her animal, and all three rode over the dusty plain.

For poor Natsu, it was many leagues of misery, with the super skinny Edo-Droy holding him up. The tanchimo named Yusō was surprisingly smooth to ride, but not even that helped Natsu. By the time they reached Fairy Tail, the sun had set and Natsu was pale green. He collapsed off of the animal and laid sprawled out in the dirt.

"Kill me now," he moaned loudly.

"Don't tempt me," Lucy Ashley sneered. "Now get up and drag your ass inside. I don't want anyone else realizing you're not Natsu."

"I am Natsu!"

"I mean our Natsu! Shit, this is confusing," she grumbled. "Droy, get the tanchimos into the stables. Don't you dare let one escape again. Jet, you're on lookout." She suddenly tripped over a squeaky toy in the shape of a pink Exceed. "Dammit, this is why I hate kids! Bisca, Alzack!"

From inside the guild, Bisca shouted, "Don't you dare say my name along with that two-timing jerk."

Alzack yelled back, "If you hadn't been spreading your legs for half of Traia, maybe I wouldn't have had an affair that one time."

Lucy burst into the tree-shaped guild and silenced the bickering divorced couple. "Shut up, both of you! Asuka left her toys out in front of the guild again. She belongs to both of you, so until you settle your stupid custody battle, you are both in charge of making sure she picks up after herself."

Bisca rose up and stormed out the door. "Once I win full custody, I swear I'm leaving this guild to give Asuka a better life."

Alzack followed right behind her. "I didn't think street whore was a step up from being in a dark guild."

"Shut up, Alzack!"

Lucy shouted, "Both of you shut up. God-fucking-dammit!"

"Lucy," Bisca called back. "That mirror universe Natsu just puked on Asuka's toy."

"Deal with it!" she screamed, then Ashley sighed in weariness and rubbed out a headache. "Like we don't have enough issues with the royal guards chasing us, now we have to deal with this fool."

Edo-Levy followed her in. "Why not just dump the brat off somewhere?"

"I'd've let him run away, but you said we might need him so we can exchange him and Natsu," Edo-Lucy muttered. "You have no fucking clue what you did to Natsu, do you, Levy?"

"Hey, don't blame me," the blue-haired girl yelled back. "It's not like I zapped him on purpose."

"Then what the fuck did you do? It sure as hell wasn't anyone else in this guild who zapped him. It's your machine, you're the only one who knows how the damn thing works, and you were the one at the controls when it activated. I know you don't particularly like Natsu, but shit! Zapping your own guild mate into another dimension?"

"It was just supposed to be running a hardware diagnostic," Edo-Levy sneered. "The stupid thing wasn't supposed to fire randomly like that."

"Which means it's another failure."

"Don't say it as if all of my inventions are failures," Edo-Levy yelled irately. "More than half of them work. That's way above the average success rate of the king's royal scientists."

"Then build something that works at getting Natsu back," the blonde barked. "Dammit, this brat is here one day and I already can't stand him. Gimme back my Fireball!"

Edo-Levy folded her arms. "If I can figure out what the personal trans-dimensional ray did the first time, maybe I can reverse engineer it to work again. It'll take time, Lucy. I can't wave a magic wand, ya know!"

She pointed a finger hard into the shorter girl's chest. "I'll give you a week."

"I'd need at least a month for a proper diagnostic alone!" the bluenette protested.

"Dammit, Levy, we don't know what happened to Natsu. This bastard Salamander said he was in the middle of some big fight. For all we know, Natsu was killed, or he's severely injured, or...or who knows!" she cried out emotionally. "He's trapped in another dimension filled with those psychopathic wizards, a world where everyone is magical except him. A weak guy like Natsu can't survive in a world like that."

"Sure he can," came another voice.

The two women looked over. Natsu Dragneel had crawled into the guild building and was slowly recovering from his ride.

"Your Natsu is stronger than you think. My Fairy Tail will protect him. They're probably trying to figure out how to get me back, too. You guys may be the polar opposite of my world, but Fairy Tail always cares for its own, no matter what dimension you're in. He'll be fine. Until either you guys or my guild can figure out how to switch us back, I'll keep a low profile, okay? I don't want to cause you guys trouble."

"Too late for that," Lucy Ashley huffed.

"Lucy!" The doors burst open and Jet ran in fast followed by Droy. "More gangs! Looks like three of them coming from different directions. They'll be here in a few minutes."

"Shit, word has spread," the blonde sneered. "That's it, we're getting out of here. Levy, you better pray that damn transporter will work and not zap all of us into another dimension."

"I'm not finished with the testing," Levy protested.

"Screw that! We have to get out of here."

Levy looked like she was ready to explode and just barely keeping a lid on her angry. "Fine! But it'll take two minutes to calculate the wormhole coordinates."

They heard an explosion, and the guild building shook.

"Cannonball!" Macao shouted.

"Shit," Lucy Ashley sneered. "Levy, you have less than one minute!"

"Not happening, Lucy," she said, already at a console and typing furiously. "If I don't make the calculations, we very well could end up materializing halfway in a mountain."

Another cannonball hit the guild and blew apart one wall. Natsu barely had time to grab Edo-Wendy and yank her to the floor, saving her from getting smashed by the metal ball. They fell to the floor together as smoke and bits of shattered wall rained down on them. Natsu rose up onto his hands and looked down at her.

"You okay?" he asked worriedly.

The voluptuous older Wendy grinned seductively up at him. "Oh yes, perfectly fine. You're quite brave, Salamander." She ran her hands up his arms. "Strong, too."

Natsu blushed and rolled off of her. "Ah, it's...it's nothing."

Edo-Lucy coughed as dust and smoke filled the guild building. "Now, Levy!"

"We can't!" Edo-Levy gasped. "Gajeel is still outside."

"Fuck him. Oh wait, you do that every night anyway," Edo-Lucy smirked, making the blue-haired girl leap at her in rage. "Look, Gajeel can take care of himself. If we don't go..."

"No! Gajeel said..."

"Screw that, we're out of time!" Frustrated, she punched a button on Edo-Levy's console.

Outside, the attackers were stunned when the guild building wavered and vanished. Then the three gangs noticed one another, and instead they decided to attack each other to fight off their frustration at losing their prey.

To the side, hiding behind some distant trees, Edo-Gajeel had been keeping notes on the attacks, jotting things down in his little notebook. When the guild building vanished, his mouth dropped a little.

"Levy," he whispered. The sadness was banished fast. He shoved his glasses up his nose in determination. He was a reporter, and now was the time to report. "The King must be told about this."

End of Chapter 3


A/N: Tanchimo was the name of the weird creature used for transportation in "Rave Master," Hiro Mashima's first manga. I honestly have no clue what he was supposed to be, besides having "a rabbit-like appearance and walks like an emu." Yusō 輸送 is Japanese for "transportation." Edo-Natsu isn't very original when it comes to naming animals.

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mick1234567890's avatar
I like the story but I think the E/Lucy and the E/Natsu should be together you are a good writer and I will be reading this to the end