"No way! This is even more impossible!" Natsu shouted, jumping to his feet and stomping furiously on the ground. "How could I be afraid?! I’m the one who’s supposed to save everyone! Give back my magic already! Argh, damn it! Why can Happy do it, and I can’t?!"
Rhodes shrugged slightly, calm as ever. "Then you’re probably the first type. You need ti to adapt to Edolas’s environnt."
Happy fluttered over and gently patted Natsu’s head with his paw. "It’s okay, Natsu."
Natsu froze for a second, then exploded.
"Don’t comfort !!"
Happy blinked, looking at Natsu with a weirdly sympathetic gaze.
"Stop that! Don’t look at like that!"
But Happy couldn’t help it. Realizing he was stronger than Natsu for once, he let out a tiny "Pfft," and turned away, snickering behind a paw.
"You laughed! I heard you laugh!"
"Nope. Pfft—"
"Damn it, co back here!!"
With a growl, Natsu bolted after him, while Happy zipped through the trees, wings flapping wildly. The two of them tore around the forest like a pair of oversized kids.
Wendy turned to Carla. "Carla, do you think you can try?"
Carla frowned, focused for a mont, then shook her head. "No... I still can’t."
Wendy didn’t hesitate. She scooped Carla up into her arms and smiled gently. "That’s okay. I’ll protect you, Carla."
"But you can’t even use magic right now..." Carla murmured, burying her face into Wendy’s shoulder.
’Was it unease?’ Carla wondered. ’Was it because I knew more than Happy did? Was that why I’m more afraid?’
Her small paw clutched at Wendy’s clothes. She had sworn to protect Wendy, to always be her guardian... and yet here she was, trembling in her arms like a frightened kitten.
Seeing this, Lucy stepped forward and gently encouraged her, "If Happy can do it, then you can too, Carla. Just take your ti, you’ll get there."
Lisanna added kindly, "Yeah! Just like Happy said, if you can work through the uneasiness in your heart, you’ll be able to fly again."
Rhodes smiled softly. "Even if you can’t right now, that’s okay. That’s why we’re here, for each other. It’s our job to help our friends through it."
Carla looked up slowly. Surrounded by so many warm smiles, sothing in her chest softened. "You guys..."
Wendy looked at her and said with shining eyes, "We’re all with you, Carla. So let’s work through it, together."
Just as Carla was starting to relax and show a little smile, suddenly, she clutched her head with a yelp of panic.
"It’s... it’s happening again!"
Everyone jumped.
"Huh? What is?"
"That information... About Edolas!" Carla’s voice trembled. "Ever since I arrived in this world, sothing’s been forcing knowledge into my mind. This ti, it’s a map! A route map... They just gave directions!"
To Carla, the sensation was like a voice whispering directly into her mind, urging her to complete a mission and lead everyone to a destination.
But to Rhodes, this was deeply unsettling.
Even soone like Hibiki, an expert in Archive magic, would always warn people not to resist ntal transmissions when receiving magical ssages.
Yet this... this was sothing else.
To force information into Carla’s mind from afar, without her consent or any safeguards, showed an overwhelmingly powerful form of magic. Could it be so kind of enchanted spiritual item? Sothing that bypasses natural resistance?
Carla clutched her head in discomfort, but after a mont, her gaze sharpened with determination. She straightened her posture and declared:
"I’ll say it again, Happy and I are spies from Edolas. If I do anything to betray you... please don’t hesitate to kill ."
"Carla!" Wendy gasped.
But Carla didn’t look at her. Her eyes were locked on Rhodes as she spoke.
Natsu and Happy were too reckless. Wendy, Lucy, and even Lisanna were too kindhearted. If it ca down to it, the only one she believed could follow through... was Rhodes.
Rhodes frowned slightly but didn’t flinch under her gaze. He looked at her seriously and replied, "Master once said, ’Anyone who endangers the guild, no matter who they are, won’t be forgiven.’ I stand by those words."
"Hey, Rhodes!" Natsu shouted, clearly surprised.
"Mr. Rhodes?" Wendy called, a little shaken.
"Mr. Rhodes?" Lucy blinked, confused.
"Brother-in-law?" Lisanna raised an eyebrow.
Rhodes calmly raised a hand to quiet them. He wasn’t truly suspicious of Carla, but he could tell her mind was in turmoil. It was best to let her say what she needed to say. He had been observing her carefully. So far, she hadn’t done anything out of line. And if this magic really was ant to control soone’s will... she wouldn’t be in such visible distress.
"All right then," he said gently. "Carla, where does this route lead?"
Relaxing slightly now that he had acknowledged her plea, Carla focused on the images that had been forcibly imprinted in her mind.
"Once we leave the forest, we head that way..." She pointed off to the left, her tail flicking with tension. "Then after crossing a ridge—"
"Lisanna," Rhodes interrupted, glancing at her. "Isn’t that the direction of Sycca City?"
"Yes," Lisanna nodded, slightly surprised. "I was planning to take everyone that way anyway."
She paused and looked around. "But now I wonder... Are we being watched?"
"Not likely," Rhodes said, pointing upward. "The wraith scouts I summoned are floating over the forest. If soone was close, they’d alert us."
Lisanna asked, "Then... do we still head toward Sycca City?"
"We do," Rhodes confird. "But we’ll need to disguise ourselves, at least a little. Lucy especially, change your hairstyle, and cover up the Fairy Tail emblem on your hand."
"In other words, play it safe," he added.
This world was teeming with wild beasts, far larger and more aggressive than those of Earth Land. With the danger level so high, people rarely lived outside cities. Even if soone tried to keep watch overnight, it would take the strength of at least the three strongest fighters just to respond to the constant threats.
They still had at least a full day’s journey ahead, and most likely more battles waiting along the way. If they were worn down by beasts before even reaching the enemy, it would be a disaster.
Better to reach Sycca City and uncover the enemy’s next move before they were forced into another fight.
"Leave the disguises to !" Lucy suddenly stood up, full of energy, and drew a Celestial Spirit Key from her belt. "Open, Gate of Cancer!"
With a flash of golden light, Cancer appeared, scissors in both hands and his usual calm smile on his face. "What’s your hairstyle request today?"
"Uh, wait, let think," Lucy tapped her chin, completely distracted by the idea of what style would match her outfit best.
"Don’t think about it. Just follow my lead." Rhodes stepped forward before Lucy could say anything more and turned to Cancer. "Everyone with long hair, cut it short. Everyone with short hair, make it long. Total contrast, as dramatic as possible."
"Oho~ that’s a bold challenge~" Cancer’s eyes sparkled. "Let’s start with Miss Lucy!"
"Wait, wait, wait! I didn’t agree yet!!" Lucy panicked, but the scissors were already flying around her head with dazzling speed.
Snip-snips echoed in the forest as Cancer worked his magic. Lucy sat perfectly still, eyes wide with terror.
A few minutes later, her long golden hair was gone, replaced by a neat, chin-length bob. Cancer had even added a light curl at the ends that gave her a stylish perm-like flair.
"Done~" Cancer sheathed his scissors with a flourish and handed Lucy a mirror. "I’ve been wanting to try this style for a long ti~"
"Seriously! What kind of Celestial Spirit just does what they want?!" Lucy snatched the mirror from his hands, glaring, but when she saw herself, she blinked in surprise.
It actually looked... really good. Her overall vibe had shifted. She looked cooler, more confident.
"Next up, this blue-haired girl~" Cancer cheerfully pointed his scissors at Wendy.
In the blink of an eye, Wendy’s trademark twin tails were replaced with a clean bob cut just past her ears. Though she was still petite, the new look gave her a slightly more mature air, although the contrast was a little funny.
Then Cancer completely let loose.
Natsu’s hair suddenly grew long, tied neatly at the ends in a style reminiscent of Freed’s. "Ahahaha! This actually feels kinda cool," he said, striking a mock-serious pose.
With a stern face, he looked almost like a noble young master... until he grinned like a goofball and ruined the illusion completely.
Lisanna’s hair, on the other hand, was transford into flowing white locks tied high into a spirited ponytail.
She admired her new look in the mirror and laughed, "I look like Mira-nee now!"
Then she lifted one foot onto a rock, puffed out her chest dramatically, and pointed at Natsu. "’Natsu! You took Lisanna fishing yesterday, didn’t you?!’" she said in a pitch-perfect imitation of her older sister. "How was that, brother-in-law? Pretty close?"
Rhodes chuckled. "Your sister doesn’t really act like that anymore... well, most of the ti."
As he spoke, his own hair began to grow out, and Cancer worked quickly to style it. In just monts, Rhodes found himself staring into the mirror at a tall pompadour.
"A pompadour?" he muttered, blinking in disbelief.
Natsu and Lucy doubled over laughing, while Wendy and Lisanna tried to hold it in, unsuccessfully.
Rhodes laughed too. "Is this karma for stealing the Sugarboy’s Sword?"
Happy fluttered up and touched Rhodes’ newly styled hair with one paw, only to be caught midair.
"Alright, you’re next."
"Wait, I don’t want an afro—!" Happy shrieked.
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