Prologue

"What was that?" Gajeel asked as he looked over to the other two Dragon Slayers hovering around the Request board. Just like them, he had sensitive hearing. Natsu, turned and looked over to where Gajeel was sitting with Pantherlily. While Wendy held the request that had gained Gajeel's attention. Natsu simply grinned and headed over to the Iron Dragon Slayer, Wendy not really knowing what else to do, followed her fellow Dragon Slayer.

"So you heard?" Natsu grinned, turning to Wendy as he extended a hand, Wendy smiling happily as she offered the request sheet before Natsu turned once more and showed it to Gajeel. "Someone is looking for three Dragon Slayers to carry out a job for them."

"Three Dragon Slayers?" Carla questioned heading up to see what was the commotion, Happy tagging along with her and both standing on the table Gajeel was sitting at with Pantherlily. "Who could possibly need that much firepower?" Knowing all too well just how destructive a single Dragon Slayer could be.

"What Kind of job is it Natsu?" Happy questioned, honestly curious what had his best friend so excited.

"No idea!" Natsu laughed as he scratched the back of his head with one hand and held up the request sheet showing it to them. "But it pays Ten Million Jewels! So I'm in!"

"Ten million Jewel?" Gajeel snorted. "It's just a scam no job lower than an S-class offers that kind of jewel. Forget about it Salamander it's not worth the time or effort." He remarked.

"But…" Wendy began causing Gajeel to hesitate slightly. "What if they really need our help and we're the only ones that can?" She questioned, the look in her eyes made Gajeel grit his teeth. Being a good guy sucked if it got you into this much trouble.

"And if it turns out to be, the reward money split three ways would be enough to cover several months of expenses." Lily added. "Not to mention cover any current tabs or debts that one might have." He said knowingly. Gajeel was up there with Natsu when it came to destruction of public property. Not to mention that tab he had with Mirajane for eating the guild's utensils and kitchenware.

"So much Fish!" Happy exclaimed, already salivating at the thought of how much fish he could buy with the reward.

"So how about it?" Natsu asked with a grin, looking between Gajeel and Wendy. The Sky Dragon Slayer smiled happily and nodded, wanting to do the request even if it turned out to be fake then they at least knew that there was no real trouble.

"Tch..." Gajele clicked his teeth in annoyance, not the slightest bit impressed he'd be going on a job with Natsu and the shrimp of the Dragon Slayers. "Stay out of my way Salamander and we'll get the job done without much fuss." Gajeel huffed as he rose to his feet.

"Huh!" Natsu glared as the two butted heads with one another. "How about you stay out of my way! Infact! Stay here! Wendy and I can deal with it ourselves!"

"You're the one who asked me to come along Moron!" Gajeel roared back as the two grappled with one another, Wendy trying to calm the situation down.

It took a few more minutes with the help of the exceeds to calm the older Dragon Slayers down before they headed off on the request after letting the guild know that they would be disembarking on a job together.

"Shrimp, you sure you're reading that map properly?" Gajeel huffed as he trekked through waist deep water. Lily flying over head keeping an eye on their surroundings.

"I have to agree. Wendy, this doesn't look at all where we're supposed to be." Carla added as she followed behind the trio of the Dragon Slayers alongside Happy, both flying behind the group.

"We're fine, Wendy's doing fine." Natsu laughed as he raised his hand higher, using his flames to illuminate the darkness of the forest. Wendy currently sat on Natsu's shoulders with a map in hand that came with the request form.

'Thankyou Natsu." Wendy smiled down at him before looking back at the map. "We should be coming out of the swamp in a little bit." She assured.

"She's right, I think I see a clearing up ahead." Lily agreed.

The request that they had accepted, led them from the city of Magnolia and into a dense forest where there seemed to be no living soul, there was even a severe lack of animals present. Which in it's own way was unnerving for the Dragon Slayers.

"I wonder why they brought us all the way out here." Wendy asked as they exited the swamp, grass once more underneath their feet. Now that they were out of the water, Natsu let Wendy walk on her own again.

"Considering our whereabouts, who knows." Carla added. "Be on your guard Wendy, it might be some kind of trap." She warned.

"It'll be okay Carla, we have Natsu and Gajeel with us."

"It's got to be some kind of strong monster." Natsu grinned, brimming for a fight. "With a reward as high as ten million, it's gotta be strong right!?"

"For it to request Dragon Slayers maybe it's a Dragon." Gajeel mocked, however the ever dense Natsu missed the sarcasm.

"Really! You think it's a Dragon? What are we waiting for?!" He shouted before charging forward, missing the shouts of his fellow Dragon Slayers before they chased after him. Natsu barged out of the tree line into the clearing that Lily and spotted and came to a stop as he sniffed at the air, there was a new scent in the air.

His eyes scanned the clearing revealing that the surrounding area was an overgrown ruin of some kind. Wendy and Gajeel soon breached the tree line, Gajeel already about to shout at Natsu however stopped upon seeing the ruins. Wendy looked around curiously sniffing at the air cautiously.

"I don't like this." Carla concluded. "Not one bit, Wendy we should leave."

"Come on Carla, I'm sure we'll be fine." Wendy smiled at her. Natsu and Gajeel already started to head towards the ruins, Wendy following after them with a slight jog to catch up, she didn't want to be left behind. The grass beneath their feet soon turned to stone, patches of moss and grass overgrowing it but still it could be felt beneath their feet.

"Dragon Slayers!" A bounding voice resounded around them as they entered into a massive courtyard. Gajeel and Natsu turned their attention upwards, their heightened senses pinpointing exactly where the voice came from as Wendy followed their lead, still not fully tuned to her senses like the older two were.

Standing above on a platform was an elderly man that peered down at them. His age was unknown to them but if they were to guess he was pushing sixty, possibly older but he looked to be in good shape.

"We're members of Fairy Tail responding to a job Request." Natsu called up to him producing the request sheet he had taken from the request board.

"I was sure that it would be you." The man smiled, almost relieved to see the Fairy Tail insignias they showed to confirm their guild. "The Dragon Slayers." He bowed his head respectively. "The only ones capable of saving my Empire!" Natsu tilted his head… they were suppose to save an Empire? Where was the monster that they were supposed to fight?

"Look old man, explain it properly!" Gajeel growled. "What the heck do you want us to do here!?"

"You will see in time." The man recalled, still not having given any kind of self introduction. "I know that after you witness what has become of my Empire, you will know what to do." The three Dragon Slayers glanced at one another unsure of what the man was saying. "Do you agree to accept the job?" He asked.

"We do." Natsu immediately responded, he'd never turn down a job and tarnish Fairy Tail's reputation. Gajeel smirked and nodded as Wendy smiled happily. They would do whatever was needed to help.

"Very well." The man stood straight before clapping his hands together, the echo of the clap vibrated throughout the ruins. The Dragon Slayers looked around before feeling a massive force of magic beneath their feet. Looking down, cracks in the ground began to illuminate in a purple glow. Natsu's eyes widened as he stepped to the side, looking all around him to see the glow surrounding them completely in a massive magic circle the covered the entire courtyard.

"What the hell is this!" Natsu shouted in anger.

"Don't be afraid." The man called down. "This is not a one way trip, you will be able to return after your job has been completed." Natsu grit his teeth as his eyes narrowed up at the man.

"Natsu!" Wendy called causing the older Dragon Slayer to look back only to follow the gaze of Wendy and Gajeel who were looking up into the sky above. A massive black orb of power was beginning to form.

"Get out of the magic circle!" Natsu ordered, immediately Carla grew her wings and latched onto Wendy and shot for the closest side of the magic circle as Natsu and Gajeel dashed to opposite sides of the circle.

"It's already too late my friends." The man's voice echoed.

"WENDY!" Carla screamed catching Natsu's attention as he turned back to see Wendy ripped from Carla's grip the exceed reaching out for her but an unknown force battered her away out of the magic circle. Natsu grit his teeth as he skidded to a stop before launching across the magic circle in a single leap colliding with Wendy mid air stopping her from being taken by whatever was the black orb that was drawing them in.

Natsu landed with Wendy wrapped in one arm, grabbing onto a ruined pillar for support with the other feeling the pull of the black orb trying to drag him in.

"Natsu! Get out of there!" Happy cried, Natsu turned to his friend to see him safely out of the magic circle but he was trying to get back in but some kind of field was stopping him from re-entering.

Gajeel was in a similar position, Lily was in his larger form holding his arm trying to pull him out of the magic circle but the pull of the black orb in the sky was becoming too strong.

"N-Natsu! I'm slipping!" Wendy cried as she was jolted from Natsu's arm by a strong pull, the Dragon Slayer catching her by the wrist feeling his feet start to lose traction as the orb in the centre of the magic circle.

"I've got you Wendy!" Natsu grit his teeth, his muscles straining as he tried to pull her back towards him.

"Gajeel!" Lily shouted as he was forced to release Gajeel who shot straight for the black orb in the sky.

"IRON DRAGON'S CLUB!" Gejeel roared throwing his transformed arm towards the ground intending to impale the ground however the orb sent out another pull to counter making him miss his mark.

"GAJEEL!" Natsu roared as he the Dragon Slayer disappeared into the orb.

"Natsu!" Wendy cried, Natsu's grip lessening on her wrist as he tried to pull her back. "I'm scared!" She cried.

"It's okay Wendy!" Natsu grit his teeth knowing he wouldn't be able to hold on much longer and the pillar he was holding onto beginning to crumble, his glare focusing on the man on the platform looking down at them. "I'm right behind you." He assured her. "You're strong Wendy! Don't let whatever's on the other side of that thing bring you down!" He told her. As Wendy nodded her head as another pull, more forceful than the last almost ripped her arm from it's socket, Natsu released her just in time so it didn't cause her any damage. The pillar Natsu had a hold of crumbled under the straight of the pull of the orb and Natsu's strength sending Natsu straight for the orb.

With that, the three Dragon Slayers were gone from Earthland.

Lily felt it first, the field surrounding the magic circle was gone and he stumbled as he had been pushing against it, immediately he exchanged glances with Happy, both knowing that the only thing stopping them now was gone. Wings burst from both of their backs, as they shot towards the black orb that was beginning to shrink.

Carla seeing the other two Exceed shoot towards the black orb she pushed herself through the fact that she had lost Wendy, wings sprouted from her back and she shot forth after Happy and Lily, her mind was frantic as she felt her gut sink as she watched as the orb shrank further, Happy shot through the orb first disappearing into the darkness, Lily was forced to shrink in size to be able to fit.

"Faster! Faster!" She screamed mentally but the orb shrunk once more and just as she reached it, it disappeared. Carla shot across the courtyard, wings disappearing as her magic failed her. She hit the ground and skidded across it. TEars already leaking from her face. She was to slow to catch up to them.

"W-Wendy..." Carla whispered looking around, hoping it had just be some horrible vision but no the clearing was empty, Wendy was gone. "Wh-Where are you?" She asked again but there was no response. Her eyes drifted to where the man once stood atop his platform but he too was gone. "WENDY!" She cried out her turmoil to the now empty ruins.