Fairy Tail: The Dark Swordsman

99 - Black Band Rebellion

AN: Gasp, it's alive! I genuinely apologize for how long this chapter turned out. Explanations (and excuses) will all be in the ending author's note so I hope you read that and forgive me :(

Aside from that, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Cheers guys!

...

[X784, Edolas, Taren Mountains]

— Levy Mcgarden —

"Well, well, what do we have here?"

The owner of the voice surprised them as he appeared. Levy and Juvia's eyes darted left and right, between the two versions of the same man.

They looked eerily similar, with only a few notable differences. The hair was done differently, as well as their way of dress. Where their Dannis was calm and composed, the other had a wilder look, his face hardened by scars.

Though, there was one glaring difference between the two. Where Dannis' red lacrima eye existed, Edo Dannis had an eyepatch that covered his left eye, the thin line of a vertical scar just visible beneath it.

A crow perched on his shoulder cawed sharply, its beady eyes flicking from one Dannis to the other as though amused by the mirrored confrontation.

[Edo Dannis Image]

Levy swallowed and glanced around. They weren't alone. Dozens of men and women had fanned out around them, clad in the same rough leathers and patched cloaks as Edo Dannis. They stood silent and watchful, gazing at Earthland Dannis with looks of awe.

The most notable piece of outwear that they had, was the strip of black cloth each wore tied around their foreheads or biceps.

'The wanted poster called it the Black Band Rebellion,' Levy realized, her fingers twitching nervously against her thigh. 'That explains the name.'

Edo Dannis finally broke the silence with a low snort, his single eye raking over his counterpart.

"So you're the other version of me? You don't look like much, do you?"

Earthland Dannis arched a brow. "I'm the one with two eyes. If anything, I look better than you."

Levy chuckled nervously. 'Not helping, Dannis.'

But Edo Dannis only grinned, wolfish and sharp. He nodded toward the sword strapped to his counterpart's side. "Can you use that thing, or is it just for show?"

"What do you think?" Earthland Dannis replied coolly, gesturing with his chin at the scattered Vulcan corpses littering the ground.

Another snort. "Quite snobby, aren't you?"

"I could say the same to you," their Dannis replied.

Levy quickly jumped in before the conversation dissolved into more posturing. "Um, Dannis-san... do you know what drove the Vulcans into such a rage?"

Edolas Dannis turned his gaze on her, and for a moment Levy had to force herself not to shrink back. There was certain wildness in his eyes that very much didn't fit the image of Dannis she was used to seeing.

It was the look of someone who'd lived far too long with war on his doorstep.

"Yes," he said simply. "A beast has appeared in these mountains. At first we thought it was just a rumor, but then... we saw it. A massive airship, unlike anything in Edolas, drifting through the skies. I assumed they came from Earthland. Commanding it was a man, though his presence made me feel like he was a monster in disguise instead."