Chapter 30: Temporal Anchor
Albion POV
The early morning sunlight streamed through the windows of our house as I sat cross-legged on the floor with my [haven bag] open before me. After last night's emergency meeting, I'd barely slept, my mind racing with possibilities for how to delay or prevent the Anima event.
"Find anything useful, nya?" Kuroka asked from her perch on the windowsill, watching me sort through the various items Mom had collected.
"Maybe," I said, carefully examining a crystalline device that pulsed with soft blue light. "Mom really went all out gathering these items."
I'd already catalogued weapons, armor, magical components from various worlds, and several dimension-related artifacts. But nothing seemed specifically designed to counter something like an Anima—until I found a small, intricate device nestled in the bottom of the bag.
It looked like a compass, but instead of pointing north, its needle spun slowly in a complex pattern. Strange runes covered its surface, and I could feel powerful spatial magic emanating from it.
"What's that one?" Kuroka asked, flying over to examine it.
"I'm not sure," I admitted, turning the device over in my hands. "but the magical signature feels... familiar."
As I focused on the device, a small scroll materialized beside it—apparently a note from Mom explaining its purpose.
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Albion,
This is a Temporal Anchor, created by the Time Lord scientists of Gallifrey. It can stabilize dimensional rifts and temporal anomalies by anchoring them to a specific point in space-time. Use it only if you encounter something that threatens the natural flow of time and space.
The device has enough power for one use, and it will delay any dimensional event by exactly the amount of time the timeline was disrupted early.
- Love, Mom
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"A Temporal Anchor?" I breathed, understanding flooding through me. "Kuroka, this could work!"
"Work how, nya?"
"If the Anima is happening early because of some disruption to the timeline—possibly my presence in this world—then this device can reset it back to when it's supposed to happen naturally."
I carefully tucked the device into my pocket. Now I just needed to get to Mt. Hakobe and use it on that crystal before things got worse.
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Fairy Tail Guild Hall - Later that morning
The guild hall buzzed with activity unlike anything I'd seen before. Instead of the usual chaotic arguments and brawls, everyone was working together with focused determination.
"Levy, how's the research coming?" Master Makarov asked as I approached the table where she'd spread out dozens of books and scrolls.
"I've found references to dimensional phenomena in several ancient texts." she reported, pushing her glasses up. "But nothing as specific as what Albion described. Most are just warnings about 'tears in the fabric of reality' and such."
"That's better than nothing." I said, sitting down beside her. "What about defensive measures?"
"That's where things get complicated." Erza said, approaching us with several other guild members. "We can't exactly fight something that exists between dimensions."
"Maybe we don't need to fight it." I said thoughtfully. "Master, what if I told you there might be a way to delay the Anima event until it's supposed to happen naturally?"
Makarov's eyebrows shot up. "Explain."
I pulled out the Temporal Anchor, its crystalline surface catching the light. "This device can stabilize dimensional anomalies by anchoring them to their proper place in the timeline. If the Anima is happening early due to some temporal disruption, this could reset it."
"And how do you use it?" Mirajane asked, leaning in to examine the device.
"I need to get back to that crystal on Mt. Hakobe and activate it there." I explained. "The crystal seems to be the focal point for whatever's causing the Anima."
"That sounds dangerous." Lisanna said with obvious concern.
"It is," I admitted. "but it's better than letting the Anima happen when we're not prepared for it."
"I'm going with you." Erza declared immediately.
"So am I," added Natsu, flames dancing around his fists. "if there's a chance to stop this thing, I want to help."
"Me too." Gray said, ice crystals forming in his palms.
Soon, half the guild was volunteering to come along. I felt a warmth in my chest at their willingness to face danger together, but I shook my head.
"The fewer people near that crystal, the better." I said. "If something goes wrong, I don't want to risk everyone getting caught in a dimensional rift."
"Then who goes?" Makarov asked.
I considered it carefully. "Me, Kuroka, and maybe one other person for backup. Someone fast enough to get clear if things go badly."
"I'll go." Jet volunteered immediately. "My speed magic could be useful for a quick escape."
It was a good choice. Jet's high-speed magic would let him get clear of any dimensional effects quickly, and his small guild team meant fewer people at risk.
"Alright," Makarov said. "but I want you to check in every hour. If we don't hear from you within six hours, we're sending the entire guild after you."
"Understood." I said, standing up. "We'll leave within the hour."
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As Jet prepared his equipment, I made my own preparations. I checked my ärm, made sure I had enough magical energy stored in my various enchanted items, and mentally reviewed everything I knew about the Temporal Anchor's operation.
"You sure about this, nya?" Kuroka asked as she settled on my shoulder.
"No," I admitted honestly. "but it's the best plan we have. And if it works, we buy everyone time to prepare properly for when the Anima does happen."
"And if it doesn't work?"
"Then we improvise." I said with a grin that was more confident than I felt.
Erza approached as I finished my preparations. "Albion, I want you to take this." She handed me a small lacrima crystal. "It's a communication lacrima keyed to the guild. If something happens to you, we'll know immediately."
"Thanks." I said, clipping it to my belt. "Don't worry—I'll be back."
"You'd better be." she said seriously. "Your mother would never forgive us if something happened to you."
Before I could respond, Mirajane appeared with a packed lunch. "For the trip." she explained with her gentle smile, though I could see the worry in her eyes.
"We'll be careful." I promised.
Lisanna gave both Kuroka and me a quick hug. "Come back safe, okay?"
"Of course." Kuroka replied. "Someone has to keep this guy out of trouble, nya."
Even Laxus approached as we prepared to leave. "Don't do anything stupid." he said gruffly.
"When do I ever do anything stupid?" I asked innocently.
"Do you want the chronological list or the alphabetical one?" Gray called out, earning chuckles from several guild members.
Despite the jokes, I could feel the weight of everyone's concern and support. These people had become my family in just a few short days, and I was determined not to let them down.
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Magnolia train station
As Jet, Kuroka, and I made our way toward the train station, I couldn't shake the feeling that this was a turning point. Either I'd successfully delay the Anima and buy everyone time to prepare, or something would go very wrong and change everything.
"The train's going to be rough again." Jet noted sympathetically.
"I'll manage." I said, though my stomach was already churning at the thought. "How's your magic holding up? We might need that speed boost."
"I'm at full power." he assured me. "Whatever that crystal throws at us, I can get us out of there fast."
The train station came into view, and I could see our transport already waiting. Part of me wanted to turn around and come up with a different plan—something safer, with less chance of accidentally making things worse.
But there wasn't time for safer plans. The crystal on Mt. Hakobe was still active, still building toward whatever catastrophe it was designed to trigger. Every moment we delayed was another moment closer to disaster.
"Alright," I said, steeling my resolve. "let's go reset reality."
"When you put it like that, it sounds almost easy, nya." Kuroka observed.
"Yeah, well, nothing's ever as easy as it sounds." I replied, boarding the train despite my dragon slayer motion sickness.
As the train lurched into motion, I closed my eyes and focused on the Temporal Anchor in my pocket. One way or another, this device was going to change everything. I just hoped it would change things for the better.
The countryside blurred past the windows as we raced toward Mt. Hakobe and whatever fate awaited us there. Behind us, Fairy Tail continued their preparations for a threat they couldn't truly comprehend.
And ahead of us, a crystalline anomaly continued its slow countdown toward dimensional catastrophe.
Time was running out, but maybe—just maybe—we could buy ourselves a little more of it.
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The train ride to Mt. Hakobe was every bit as miserable as I'd expected. Despite Jet's attempts to distract me with conversation and Kuroka's comforting presence on my shoulder, the dragon slayer motion sickness hit me like a sledgehammer the moment the train started moving.
"Just breathe," Jet said sympathetically as I gripped the armrest of my seat. "we're almost there."
"This is why I prefer flying." I muttered, my face probably several shades paler than normal.
"At least you're not turning green like last time, nya." Kuroka observed helpfully.
When we finally reached the base of Mt. Hakobe, I practically fell out of the train, grateful to be on solid ground again. The mountain loomed before us, its peak wreathed in the same unnatural blue-white flashes we'd seen before.
"The disturbances are definitely stronger." Jet noted, his enhanced speed giving him acute awareness of changes in the environment.
"And more frequent," I added, watching another flash illuminate the mountainside. "we need to move quickly."
The ascent was easier this time, knowing what to expect. We bypassed the terrified yeti family—still huddled in their hiding spot—and made our way directly toward the crystalline cave.
"The air feels different." Kuroka said as we climbed higher. "More... unstable."
She was right. The very atmosphere seemed to shimmer and bend around us, as if reality itself was becoming uncertain. Several times I saw double images—our world superimposed with glimpses of something else entirely.
"There," I said, pointing toward the cave entrance. "the crystal should be—"
I stopped mid-sentence. The cave entrance was no longer the torn opening we'd seen before. Instead, it pulsed with that same blue-white light, and I could see through it to what looked like a completely different landscape.
"That's not normal." Jet said with considerable understatement.
"No, it's not." I agreed. "But it means we're running out of time. The dimensional barrier is already weakening."
We go to the cave and find that its interior has changed dramatically since our last visit. The walls now seemed to exist in multiple dimensions simultaneously, showing layers of different realities stacked on top of each other. And at the center of it all, the massive crystal had grown even larger, its rotation creating visible distortions in the air around it.
"Stay close." I warned as we approached. "And if I say run, don't argue—just run."
The Temporal Anchor felt warm in my pocket, its own spatial magic resonating with the chaotic energies around us. I could feel it trying to synchronize with the crystal's frequency, preparing to fulfill its purpose.
"How does this thing work exactly?" Jet asked, eyeing the spinning crystal warily.
"According to the instructions, I just need to activate it near the source of the temporal disturbance." I explained, pulling out the device. "The Anchor should automatically calculate the proper timeline correction and implement it."
"Should?" Kuroka asked pointedly.
"Nothing's ever certain with time travel." I admitted. "But it's our best shot."
The crystal pulsed brighter, and for a moment I saw through the cave walls to a bustling town that definitely wasn't Magnolia. Somewhere in another dimension, people were going about their daily lives, completely unaware that their world might soon be invaded by an interdimensional catastrophe.
"It's now or never." I said, activating the Temporal Anchor.
The device began to glow with a soft golden light, completely different from the harsh blue-white emanations of the crystal. Slowly, deliberately, it rose from my palm to hover in the air between us and the massive crystalline structure.
"Temporal displacement detected." a voice spoke from the device—apparently it had more functions than just anchoring. "Calculating correction parameters... Timeline disruption: approximately four years, seven months, twelve days early. Initiating temporal stabilization."
The golden light from the Anchor expanded, enveloping the entire cave. Where it touched the crystal, the chaotic blue-white energy began to stabilize, its frantic pulsing slowing to a more measured rhythm.
"Dimensional anchor established." the device continued. "Resetting temporal coordinates to natural progression. Warning: brief reality fluctuation expected."
The world around us seemed to hiccup. For just a moment, everything—the cave, the crystal, even ourselves—flickered like a candle flame in the wind. Then the golden light intensified, and I felt something fundamental shift in the fabric of space-time itself.
"Temporal correction complete." the device announced. "Dimensional event delayed by four years, seven months, twelve days. Anchor established. Natural timeline restored."
The Temporal Anchor's light faded, and the device gently settled back into my palm, now dark and inert—completely drained of power as Mom had warned.
Around us, the cave had returned to normal stone walls. The massive crystal was still there, but it was smaller now, dormant, its chaotic energies reduced to a barely perceptible hum.
"Did it work?" Jet asked, looking around in amazement.
"I think so," I said, pocketing the spent device. "the crystal is stable, the dimensional distortions have stopped, and we're still here instead of being scattered across multiple realities."
"That's always a good sign, nya." Kuroka observed.
The trip down the mountain afterward was uneventful—a welcome change from our previous experiences. The yeti family had even emerged from their hiding spot, looking confused but no longer terrified.
"The animals can sense it too." I noted as we passed several mountain creatures that seemed much more relaxed than before.
"So what happens now?" Jet asked as we made our way back toward the train station.
"Now we wait," I said. "the Anima will still happen eventually—it's apparently a natural part of this world's timeline. But we've bought ourselves years to prepare for it."
"And in the meantime?"
"In the meantime, we get stronger. We learn more about dimensional magic. We figure out how to protect people when the time comes." I paused, considering. "And we make sure that when the Anima happens, we're ready for it."
The train ride back to Magnolia was mercifully shorter than the journey up, though no less nauseating for me. By the time we reached the station, I was eager to get back to the guild and report our success.
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Fairy Tail Guild Hall - Evening
The guild hall was unusually quiet when we returned. Instead of the typical evening chaos, most of the members were gathered around tables, discussing preparations and contingency plans in hushed tones.
"Albion!" Levy called out the moment she saw us. "How did it go?"
"It worked." I said simply, and the entire hall seemed to exhale in relief.
Master Makarov approached us with quick steps. "Report."
"The Temporal Anchor successfully delayed the Anima event." I explained, addressing the guild as a whole. "It's been reset to its natural timeline—approximately four and a half years from now."
"Four and a half years?" Erza asked. "That's very specific."
"The device calculated that the event was happening much earlier than it should have been." I said. "Possibly due to timeline disruptions caused by... well, by dragon slayers coming through the Eclipse Gate."
"So we caused this?" Natsu asked, looking concerned.
"Not exactly," I said. "the Anima was always going to happen. We just... accelerated the schedule slightly. But now it's back on track."
"And in the meantime?" Mirajane asked.
"In the meantime, we prepare." Master Makarov said firmly. "We have been given a gift of time—time to research, to train, to develop countermeasures. We will not waste it."
"What kind of preparations?" Gray asked.
I thought about everything I remembered from the original timeline. "We need to understand dimensional magic better. We need to find ways to protect people who might be transported to other worlds. And we need to make sure that those who remain behind can handle whatever force is powerful enough to create interdimensional rifts."
"That's a tall order." Cana noted.
"We have four and a half years," I said. "and we have each other. I think we can manage it."
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Later that evening
As the guild settled back into its normal evening routine—though with notably less chaos than usual—I found myself sitting with Kuroka at our usual corner table, finally able to relax.
"You did good today, nya." she said, curling up beside my cup of tea.
"We all did," I replied. "but this is just the beginning. When the Anima does happen, it's going to change everything."
"You really think people will be ready?"
I looked around the guild hall at my newfound family. Natsu was arm-wrestling with Elfman while Happy cheered them on. Gray and Lyon were having an animated discussion about ice magic techniques. Levy was already back to researching dimensional phenomena, but now with a much more relaxed demeanor. Erza was reviewing the guild's defensive capabilities with Mirajane.
"Yeah," I said with genuine conviction. "I think they'll be ready."
"And what about you?" Kuroka asked. "Are you ready for what's coming?"
I thought about that question seriously. In the original timeline, the Anima event had been chaotic and unpredictable. People had been separated, transported to dangerous worlds, forced to survive with limited magical abilities. But that had been when no one knew it was coming.
This time would be different. This time, we had a warning. We had time to prepare. And we had the bonds of Fairy Tail to hold us together, no matter what dimensions we might be scattered across.
"I'm ready." I said finally. "Or at least, I will be by the time it happens."
"Good," Kuroka said with a satisfied purr. "because something tells me we're going to need all the preparation we can get, nya."
As the evening continued around us, I felt a sense of accomplishment I hadn't experienced in a long time. We'd faced an impossible threat, found a solution, and bought ourselves the time we needed to prepare for what was coming.
The Anima was still out there, waiting in the future. But now it was a future we could plan for, prepare for, and face together.
And that made all the difference in the world.