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Atop the lacrima island that was currently glowing bright orange as it came closer and closer to the intended target, stood two dragon slayers and two exceeds. The kingdom of Extalia was quickly approaching and Dealana wasn't sure what they would be able to do to stop it.

"Gajeel, Dealana!" Happy exclaimed with wide eyes as the floating island continued on its course. "Quick! Use your dragon slayer magic to shatter the lacrima and turn everyone back!"

"Can't," Gajeel instantly denied. "There's no time for that now. This puppy's speeding up."

And he was right. Even if Gajeel and Dealana could shatter the entirety of the lacrima and get everyone down to the ground with Dealana's clouds, there just wouldn't be enough time before the island collided with Extalia.

"There has to be something," Dealana said. She rubbed the scar along her nose as she ran through various scenarios in her head. Each one ended with a massive explosion, which was less than desirable. "I can use my clouds to try and slow it down. But then what?"

Shortly after Dealana began considering her options, a loud screech pierced the air. It belonged to a blue color flying beast with an odd appearance, though the sky-blunette was more interested in that fact that it rammed its head into the floating lacrima island in an attempt to slow it down.

"At least it's on our side," She muttered. But even with the extra force pushing against the island, she knew it wouldn't be enough.

"Screw this!" Dealana suddenly snapped to no one in particular. She ran forward and jumped off the island spreading her arms wide and leaving the remaining three in shock.

A small cloud took shape underneath Dealana's feet and she surfed against the floating island, focusing her magic energy. Closing her eyes and extending her hands, a massive magic seal appeared in front of her with a large, white cloud beginning to take shape.

She moved her arms a bit, manipulating the cloud's movements to help push against the floating island. If she was lucky, the cloud would also serve to cushion the impact on Extalia, potentially preventing the explosion that would kill everyone within the lacrima. Dealana figured that if she were going down, she would go down fighting.

"Dealana!" She could hear several voices exclaim, but she didn't let up. By now, her braids had finally completely escaped and her surprisingly long hair flowed wildly behind her in waves among the intensifying winds. She grunted with the effort of using the energy to push against the island.

They all could hear the familiar sound of Natsu's determined yelling and Happy flew over the edge to meet the pyro half-way. "Outta my way!" He shouted as he too began to push back against the floating island.

"Alright, temporary truce, furball," Gajeel smirked to Pantherlily, who had been too surprised by Dealana's show of magic to say much.

"Don't run from me!" Pantherlily shouted after the iron dragon slayer.

"Don't worry, we'll finish this," Gajeel called over her shoulder, "Just let me stop this thing first, then I'll beat you!"

"You can't!" Pantherlily denied. "Imbecile! Once it's begun, there's no way to stop it! This is the end. Edolas is about to change forever, and none of us will live to see the aftermath." He explained.

"Wrong!" Gajeel countered, pointing at the exceed. "We ain't dying and when this is over with, you're coming to Fairy Tail. You'll be my cat even if I have to drag you there!" He said before hopping over the edge of the island.

Dealana's wrist instinctively flicked in his direction and yet another cloud formed to give him a maneuverable platform to work with. The edges of Extalia began to crack and crumble even before the lacrima island made contact, but Dealana wasn't done, not when the lives of Magnolia were at stake.

A rumbling growl of will-power erupted from her throat as she pushed harder with her magic. Her eyes snapped open revealing a fierce heterochromatic gaze that flashed with the power of storms behind it. Dealana released a burst of an icy storm into the clouds. However, as the ice clashed with the fiery momentum of the Dragon Chain Cannon's attack, the blizzard either melted or evaporated.

But that was what she wanted. As the water vapor formed, Dealana pulled it all from the air and used it to continue building the now ginormous cloud pushing against the floating island, replacing every bit of cloud that dissipated with even more.

Her cloud spell was no doubt on of her trademark spells, and the one she used most often in or out of combat. It took little energy unless she was using it to heal, which was something she only recently learned about its capabilities. It was the current best choice in the desperate plan to save their friends.

Dealana was going to utilize every ounce of magic energy she had flowing through her body to create the largest cloud she had ever formed in order to save both Magnolia and Extalia, because she believed nobody should have to die for magic power to be obtained.

The lacrima island closed in on Extalia leaving only a small gap. Dealana was practically horizontal and filling in every crevice she could with cloud and ice to put a halt to both islands' destruction. Natsu pushed against the island as well, using his flames to propel his movements. Happy was right beside his best friend pushing against the island as well.

"Don't give up! We can still push this thing back!" Natsu roared.

"Aye, Sir!" Happy shouted in response.

Gajeel joined Erza's side in pushing against the lacrima island, much to the redhead's surprise. "Gajeel! Why are you down here? You should be using your magic to turn the others back to normal, get back up there!" She told him.

"If you want to deal with the black cat then be my guest!" Gajeel shot back.

"We don't have time to worry about the lacrima or the cat, so just push!" Gray shouted. Lucy and Edolas Dealana were right beside the ice mage each pushing against the island with all their strength.

Dealana managed to catch the last of Pantherlily's words to Coco after she told him that she didn't want everlasting magic power anymore. "These people can't stop Extalia's destruction!"

"Don't be so sure!" Natsu countered. "If there's one thing Fairy Tail wizards always prove, it's that nothing's impossible!" The scarf-wearer shouted, his flames only intensifying further.

Dealana smirked, intensifying her own magic and producing more of an ice storm to help create more material for her cloud. Her plan seemed to be working as she could feel the lacrima island's momentum and energy being slowly nullified by the mass of cloud.

As Extalia cracked further, despite their efforts, Dealana did what she could to fill the gaps with more clouds. Sweat dripped down her face as she continued to exert as much magic power as she could.

"It's getting pretty tight here," Lucy grimaced as they continued pushing.

"Just keep pushing," Dealana's counterpart huffed. "We can still do this!"

"Use every ounce of power you've got left!" Erza shouted. Edolas Dealana's eyes widened as an idea came to mind. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see her mini-me continuing to producing double the amount of cloud for every bit that the island's momentum dissipated. But the speed at which she repetitively used her magic was no doubt tiring.

Shoving her shoulder into the rocky island, Edolas Dealana managed to move one hand to unsheathe her tanto blade, Thundersoul. "Oi, Mini-me!" She called out.

Earthland Dealana's eyes flickered briefly to the older version of herself and caught onto the glint of the magic blade. She realized her counterpart's plan and couldn't help the tired smile that made its way on her face. With a strained swipe of the tanto blade, Earthland Dealana devoured the purple-black lightning.

"Oh yeah," She chuckled, "That's exactly what I needed." the storm dragon slayer smirked and used every bit of the magic energy boost to keep pushing and creating more cloud. Also at that moment, Carla made her appearance and joined the effort to save both the people of Magnolia and Extalia, her and Happy's homeland.

"Carla, it's you!" Happy realized. Dealana's gaze flickered over to the white exceed and immediately noticed the lack of Wendy, which could only mean the sky dragon slayer still remained on Extalia. This knowledge only drove Dealana to continue pushing against the island with her cloud even more.

"I'm not giving up! I'll protect Fairy Tail and Extalia!" Carla yelled with tears in her eyes. "I can't just let my home be destroyed!"

The sound of another voice shouting and yelling caught their attention. Another exceed joined the fray and began to help the Fairy Tail wizards and company save the floating islands.

"Why are you here?" Carla questioned him.

"Because I want to protect my home as well," He replied. "Your courage inspired me." It wasn't long after the new exceed's appearance that more and more exceeds joined in the effort to save their home.

"They all came," Carla uttered in awe as she glanced back to see the approaching exceeds. Earthland Dealana only smirked wider.

"What did you expect, Carla?" She asked the exceed rhetorically, "You're a part of Fairy Tail and inspiring people to stand and fight is one of our specialties." Dealana watched as Carla's teary eyes widened at her words, a flash of gratitude appearing in her eyes.

The storm dragon slayer noticed that Wendy was among the incoming exceeds. She also observed how Pantherlily made the effort to save an exceed with only one wing. The white exceed seemed important from the way the older exceeds fretted about her. Dealana had a suspicion that this was their queen.

The voices of everyone shouting and urging each other on blended together. Pretty soon, the combined effort of the exceeds and humans began to overpower the Dragon Chain Cannon's efforts.

"This is it!" Dealana heard Wendy's shout amongst the sea of determined yelling, "Give it your all!" In response, Dealana practically roared as she exerted every last bit of her energy into cushioning the impact and pushing against the lacrima island.

The lacrima island was finally shoved back from Extalia. But it wasn't over yet. "What now?" Wendy questioned as a bright pillar of light lit up the sky.

Whatever the pillar was, quite a few of the exceeds were beginning to be pulled into it as the lacrima island was enveloped in light, the clouds dissipating faster than Dealana could create more. She reached out to desperately hold onto a somewhat a spotted exceed with extra tufts on its ears but their grasp was ripped from Dealana's. She watched as the remaining exceeds were pulled into the light before a blast wave of magical force sent everyone flying backwards.

The storm dragon slayer managed to catch herself with the remnants of her massive cloud spell and gaped at the sight before them. The lacrima from the island was gone, in its place a large crater.

"The lacrima..." Erza breathed in disbelief. Dealana watched in slight horror as the island itself began to glow and disappear, seeming to dissolve into fragments of sparkling dust that reminded her of something. It reminded Dealana of how they got into all this mess with the Anima spell. She gasped and looked frantically around while everyone stared at the empty space in the air.

"It disappeared... does that mean..." Gray began to question.

"What happened to all of our friends?" Lucy wondered worriedly, "D-Do you think they're..."

"Don't worry," the voice of the person Dealana had been searching for said. "They're all safe and sound."

"I knew it!" Dealana said more to herself than anyone else. They all turned to see a white and dark blue colored beast like the one Erza and the rest had previously arrived on. Standing atop the beast was none other than Mystogan.

"You jerk!" Dealana greeted with a grin at the same time Erza spoke in shock saying, "Mystogan..."

Mystogan's lips twitched upwards slightly in amusement at Dealana's words before speaking, "Sorry for the delay, but finding an adequate Anima vestige to restore everything took a bit longer than we thought. Without your efforts, we never would have made it in time. You have my gratitude."

"You keep saying 'we', what does that mean?" Edolas Dealana muttered before a familiar face poked their head out from behind Mystogan. A girl about twelve years old with straight magenta hair and a slight side ponytail. Her crimson colored eyes shining in excitement. Both Dealanas' eyes widened. "Lorna?" Edolas Dealana questioned.

"Mhm! I couldn't stand by and do nothing now could I?" She grinned.

"Everybody's back to normal?" Happy questioned Mystogan.

"Yes. By passing through the Anima again the lacrima will return to its original form in Earthland. It's finally over." He explained causing all the exceeds to cheer while smiles broke out on everyone's faces.

Earthland Dealana let out a sigh of relief and the remainder of her clouds, aside from the one she was using to keep herself afloat in the air, dissipated. She let her shoulders sag in relief as she finally began feeling the aftermath exhaustion of exerting so much magic energy at once. It wasn't a bad feeling and Dealana had no regrets doing what she could.

She even still had a surprising amount left after her counterpart gave her the extra boost with the purple lightning, which she used a bit to create a cloud for Lorna to use and hug Edolas Dealana while Mystogan addressed Lily.

"Long ago, you saved my life," He began while reaching up to pull his mask and hood away, revealing his blue hair and red facial tattoo marking. "I'm glad that I could return the favor today."

"Yes," Pantherlily replied leaving Dealana with literally no context of what their words meant on a deeper level. "And I couldn't begin to thank you, my prince."

"Our long lost prince is home at last!" Coco cried happily. This caught Dealana's attention really quick, but Lucy was faster in her own exclamation.

"He's what!?" She shrieked. Dealana stared at Mystogan with wide eyes before realizing something. She'd been almost endlessly calling the apparent prince of Edolas stupid and a jerk in her head this entire time.

Her thoughts were cut off when a beam of purple light suddenly pierced straight through Pantherlily's chest, causing everyone's eyes to widen in shock and terror.

"No, not my cat!" Gajeel gasped.

"Lily!" Mystogan called to his old friend in worry. The panther exceed began to fall away revealing an army of beasts identical to Coco's in air with none other than Erza Knightwalker leading the charge with a new haircut to distinguish herself from her Earthland counterpart.

Dealana's eyes were still stuck on Pantherlily's falling form and her hand shot out to quickly form a cloud to catch him while Knightwalker shouted orders. "We're not done here! Destroy every last one of them!"

➵

I've been trying to decide whether or not to create a separate second book to this one after the Tenrou arc concludes. The beginning would be Dealana's years spent throughout the time skip before things got moving again, and the only reason I would do this is to further express the fact that by the time the Tenrou team returns, she'd no longer be underage. It's just an idea, and we are surprising not close to that part yet, which means it's not urgent... however, I would greatly appreciate your opinion on the matter.