"This place is gorgeous!" The golden-haired celestial mage was immediately taken with Artemyra. The two swordswomen smiled at Lucy's reaction.

Rose giggled and slipped a hand around her friend's shoulders. "I totally agree!"

Homes were expertly carved into the canyon rock with large tunnel openings between them. Some wires crossed from wall to wall in a simple network of tightrope bridges. Wind was perpetually cycling through the canyon, playing with their hair and clothes. The people around them were kind, greeting them with welcoming smiles. One thing they noticed was that the only people they saw were women; all of them having different shades of blond hair and red eyes. It was a strange phenomenon they'd never seen before.

Suddenly, the current picked up. A loud bird call echoed through the rock that made the girls cover their ears. Soon, a white bird came flying through one of the tunnels, landing before them with great flaps. It was easily the size of the Great Sakura tree that stands tall in Magnolia Central Park.

"Hello down there," Came a shout from the bird. A young woman with blonde hair and bright ruby eyes leaned over to look from her seat on the bird's saddle. She quickly dismounted and slid down the bird's tail. Her shining smile grew at the sight of their party. "You must be the diplomats from Fiore. Come, Her Majesty is waiting in the throne room!"

The girls were glad they'd thought to dress in their uniforms that morning. The navy and white trench coats were held together by wide leather belts. On the left breast of each coat lay the Fiore's symbol; a four-pointed flower with two leaves on each side of the stem and two curling lines on either side of the flower. Underneath the coat was a dress shirt of their choice and black leggings. Navy gloves matched their calf-high boots to complete the look. It kept them warm in the constant breeze as they followed the young warrioress to the palace.

"You have a beautiful country," Minerva complimented.

The girl giggled. "Thank you! We all work hard to keep it that way."

They spoke amiably until they reached the intimidating structure of the palace; they noticed it was at the highest point in the country facing toward the capital city and beyond. Several gleaming white pillars supported the main entrance, a wide, red bird painted on the front of the roof. It opened up into a two-story hall with small divisions branching toward them. Four guard towers complimented the structure, surrounding the much larger central area; each part was topped with a pale red dome made of brick.

The awed mages smiled and glanced between themselves. This country was full of rich culture and their palace was certainly one of the center points of it. Hopefully, the queen would be just as kind as her citizens were.

"Hello," their guide greeted one of the armored women standing guard. Her golden spear and helmet were shining brightly under the sunlight. "These young women are the diplomats from Fiore."

The guard smiled politely and nodded. "I'll take them in then," she announced with a turn. Her partner pushed open the door to let them inside. The mages thanked their guide and followed the guard inside. Their footsteps echoed through the hall as they became aware of the soldier's strong aura; she wielded powerful magic. Erza's and Kagura's eyes narrowed in suspicion, both slowly reaching for their sheathed swords. Rose moved to stand a bit close to Lucy who placed a hand onto her whip. Minerva stood a bit straighter, allowing her hands to drop to her sides so they'd be free for whatever was about to come.

The guard laughed at them as they came to a stop in the throne room. She slowly ascended the few steps to the empty gilded chair and sat down, smirking at their battle-ready stances. It was then that they realized the guard was actually the queen they'd come to see. Casually leaning on one hand, she remarked, "It seems you knew who I was before I revealed myself. No one has ever done that before."

"That's quite the test, Your Majesty." Kagura was still a bit frazzled by the queen's sudden announcement.

"Yes, I use it to feel out anyone who visits." Her smirk softened into a gentle smile. "It hasn't steered me wrong so far."

"Well," Lucy cleared her throat and stepped forward. "Your Majesty, we've come here from Fiore in hopes that you'd answer our queen's request for an alliance. While we've been working hard to readjust to this new world, Fiore is still unfamiliar with its new neighbors. We would be extremely grateful if Artemyra would lend us a helping hand.

The queen regarded them silently for a while. She took in their stances with a trained eye; they were relaxed, each carrying themselves with the confidence one could only get through battle. The women before her were warriors as well as diplomats and that immediately garnered her respect for them and their queen.

She nodded and smiled at them. "I see no reason to turn you away. However, I would suggest you wait until Sindria accepts Queen Fiore's proposal."

The redhead frowned. "Why do you say that?"

"Well, before I explain that," a nostalgic glint entered her eye, "let me tell you the story of how I met Sinbad the Adventurer."

~oOo~

When they finally arrived at Sindria's western port on Thursday morning, everyone's mood improved. The prospect of exploring a new country after being cooped up on a ship for a straight month was something none of the mages were used to. More than once, they'd almost lost the ship to spar sessions taken a little too seriously.

That was quickly fixed when the crew almost drowned a fifth time.

Nerida sighed as she closed her suitcase and zipped it. Glancing around the room, she caught her reflection in the mirror. The spell keeping her human appearance was still working so she played with her hair and tamed it into a bun. Her caramel skin was covered by a black crop top, dusty pink jacket and black capris. The lavender of her guild mark sat proudly on the skin of her collar bone. Nodding to herself in approval, Nerida grabbed her suitcase and made her way to where the others were waiting.

Yukino smiled when she noticed the water mage. "Hey, Nerida-san. Glad to be on solid ground?"

"Well," she smirked at the celestial mage, "ships don't bother me. Only trains and carriages."

Laxus grumbled under his breath making the bluenette chuckle. If it weren't for the lacrima Anna made specifically for the dragonslayers, she was sure he would've been worse off. She gently pushed his shoulder and he rolled his eyes at her. A small spark got her forehead and the drakaina pouted. He smirked at her and she laughed. It felt good to see her brother smile so easily again.

"Are you the diplomatic party from Fiore?"

The mages turned to see a young white-haired man with calm dark steel eyes. A gilded band with a small ruby held the green headpiece on his head, the fabric falling over his shoulders and down his back. A cream white kimono-like top was parted to reveal a white dress shirt, its wide green bands patterned with black, interconnected diamond shapes. It was all held together with a black obi. His arms were crossed just slightly, keeping them hidden under his long, flowing sleeves.

It was clear to them that he had some kind of training from how quietly he'd approached them. None were truly alarmed though; they could sense his aura of magic. Both parties regarded each other silently for a moment before Yukino stepped forward with a polite smile.

"Yes. My name is Yukino and these are my friends Nerida," she nodded with a smile. "Wendy," the little bluenette gave an excited wave. "Rufus," the memory mage tipped his hat with a small smile. "Hibiki," the archive mage gave a slight bow. "And Laxus." He merely nodded his head, face stoic as ever. "We were sent by Queen Fiore to represent our country. We look forward to exploring this country and hope His Highness will accept her proposal."

The man smiled and finally introduced himself. "I am one of Sindria's Eight Generals and advisor to King Sinbad;" he gave them a slight bow that most of them returned, "my name is Jafar."

He gestured to the main road behind him. There, a cloth-covered wagon mounted with two horses was waiting. There were smaller cushions on the inside - likely for them to sit on - evenly spaced with plenty of room for their luggage to sit in the back.

"If you follow me, this carriage will take us to where you'll be staying." He turned toward the wagon, not bothering to look behind him. The mages looked at one another before they followed after him. As they loaded their things into the carriage, Jafar informed them, "His Highness is currently finishing a meeting and will join us later for lunch."

The mages decided to get themselves acquainted with the people and gather some information on how the world works. It would also be a good opportunity to get clothes that matched their environment a little better. Once rooms were decided, the group split off to roam the city.

It was a beautiful town paved by dirt roads. The shops varied from large establishments to small family-owned places. There was definitely competition among the shop-owners, but it was amiable; small nudges and teasing smiles were exchanged all around. Children laughed as they ran around people in the street. No one really complained about them even if they stepped on a toe or two.

From the fisherman to the vendors, everyone was either smiling or working diligently. There was a warmth in the air that reminded the mages of their guilds' hometowns. Everyone bustling around and working hard but still… happy. It was a bit startling to see outside of their own country, but not unwelcome.

Whoever this Sinbad was, he took great care of his nation and its people.

~oOo~

Nerida hummed as she stretched her arms above her head. The day was already feeling long and it wasn't over yet. At least they had time to change into their formal attire before meeting the king. Sighing, the drakaina zipped up her coat and pulled on her gloves. A quick glance in the mirror and she was off to join Yukino and Hibiki.

The group finally opened their envelopes and discovered only the three of them needed to go see the king. Thankfully, they were quite knowledgeable about diplomacy and how to conduct themselves. Yukino and Nerida were also powerful powerful enough to handle whatever may happen.

"Ready to go?" She smiled at the general and nodded. "The others aren't coming?"

"No." The water mage shook her head. "Wendy is still a bit young and the others simply aren't comfortable with things like this."

Jafar nodded and led them to the main road. As they got closer to the palace, the girls gasped in surprise. The road turned into a sand yellow brick path with two flights of stairs farther in the distance. Long patches of grass followed the path on the sides, narrower walkways lining the outer edges of them. Where Mercurius stood tall, the Sindrian Palace was wide, two long wings extending out from the center of the building. Green brick domes roofed the three visible floors with match guard towers on either side of the cylindrical center. There were multiple additions on the left side extending into what they could see of the horizon line.

It was absolutely gorgeous.

Hibiki cleared his throat and the others turned to him. "You mentioned before you were one of eight generals. What are the others like?"

"That," Jafar smiled knowingly, "you'll have to see for yourself."

~oOo~

As the small group finally arrived in the dining hall, they were greeted with an interesting sight. Seven very different people were sitting at the long table with only a few chairs empty.

Going from left to right, the first person one of the largest men she'd ever met. Standing at over two hundred centimeters tall, the man had pale skin marred by various scars. Long, sky blue hair was done up in a ponytail that draped over his shoulder. With kind, shining white gold eyes and an arrogant smirk, it was obvious the man was a great warrior confident in his skills.

Beside him, a red-haired man built much like Laxus regarded them silently. Guarded, pale pink eyes fell over each of them before his lips quirked into a slight smile. He came across as a gentle giant, but the power in his aura could definitely be intimidating.

The young girl next to him was practically bouncing in her chair, startling fuschia eyes sparkling with excitement. Her blonde hair was cropped short with the exception of the braid hanging from the right side of her head. The red feather in her hair seemed to match the red headband on her forehead.

She reached for the young man next to her, who blushed adorably at the small touch. His flaming orange was straighter than Erza's, sharp bangs hanging over his left eye. Bue, platinum armor glinted softly in the sunlight, bringing attention to his choice of attire.

Beside him, on the other side of the empty chair, a woman about their age with periwinkle eyes smiled at them. Her hair was a few shades darker than Nerida's and two, golden horn earpieces protruded from her hair. She also wore a large witch hat. The man beside her was constantly whispering something under his breath, to her obvious annoyance.

The white-haired man had dark tan skin and steel green eyes. A golden chain starting from his ear looped around his neck a few times before trailing down the middle of his torso. He was proudly smirking at the woman's reaction to whatever he'd said.

What really surprised the mages, was the large drake finally joining them. A long, crimson cape draped over his shoulders in stark contrast to his chartreuse scales. They were lined around and down his head, coming up and out in long 'ears,' a single ruby earring dangling from his left ear. He gave them what they assumed was a polite smile.

The mages blinked owlishly, turned to each other, then smiled knowingly. The Eight Generals were certainly one of a kind, but nothing that truly surprised them.

"Everyone, these are the diplomats from Fiore."

There were various greetings as the trio settled in three of the open seats. Yukina and the others smiled, introducing themselves to the other generals. King Sinbad joined them shortly after that.

His long violet hair was tied back in a low ponytail. The decorative headpiece set above his forehead appeared like a fan with the two ends extending farther; blue and lime green were offset by the oval-cut ruby inlaid at its center. Around his neck were several necklaces of gold and silver, one falling down to his torso it was so long. The cuffs on his wrists didn't match but their extravagance was undoubted; the left one was gold and the right one was silver. Two rings adorned his right hand, one extending over his knuckle. A single belt of rope kept the sheathed sword at his wait from falling.

Almost immediately, the trio of mages took in his distinct aura. It was certainly powerful; the sheer strength of it rivaled that of the eighth ranked wizard saint. From the cluster of Rukh hovering around his jewelry, they could tell he had several Metal Vessels. But there was something else…

"Welcome to Sindria," he smiled charmingly. His golden eyes seemed to capture the drakaina's gaze and it took everything in her not to blush at the playful light she saw in them. Oh, this man was dangerous.

She cleared her throat. "Thank you, Your Highness. It's a beautiful country."

"Yes, your people are amazingly content," Yukino complimented. She beamed at him and Hibiki nodded his agreement.

From there, they were served lunch. It was an amiable affair, the trio describing lacrima and the like to the best of their ability. This in turn moved the conversation into trade, which led to an explanation of the Seven Seas Alliance. The Fiore diplomats were a bit surprised to hear that so many countries agreed to it. When it finally came time to address the issue at hand, the Fiore diplomats spoke to each other briefly in their native language.

"Should we include the tidbit about the shift in our geography," Nerida inquired.

Hibiki thought for a moment before shaking his head. They didn't need Sindria thinking their new ally was too weak to recover from war. The mirror image effect could be something to mention, though. "Not all of it, at least."

"Right." They looked to the celestial mage. "I think we should make it seem like coming here was the cause instead of the Alvarez War."

"Alright."

Caramel fingers laced together as Nerida took a calming breath and looked directly into the king's eyes. Now that her initial fluster had passed, she could sense that something about him felt...intimidating. No, not intimidating exactly, but… off. It was almost like there was a strange darkness in his aura. One that wasn't all-consuming, but it was present nonetheless. The bluenette decided to make a note of it and put it in her report later.

"As I'm sure you read in our queen's letters, Fiore was abruptly pulled from our homeworld and into this one. From what we've gathered so far, it was the result of various ancient and vast magics clashing in mixing with the atmosphere over the last decade."

Her gaze shifted to Yukino and the Celestial Mage nodded. "For reasons we're still trying to determine, our country's geography was altered upon arriving here. We've been slowly remapping and getting accustomed to this world in the last several months. Queen Fiore reaching out to other nations for help is a large part of this."

"This world works a little different than we're used to," Hibiki continued. He reached for a journal he'd been writing since their journey started and opened to the page he was looking for. "Metal Vessels, for example, are a foreign concept. It is our hope that by sharing some of our resources and devices, perhaps we could make this into a mutually beneficial relationship between our countries."

Everything was silent for a moment as the purple-haired king and his advisor spoke in hushed tones. The drakaina caught a few words and resisted a grateful smile. They were speaking in favor of the proposed alliance. Though, she had her doubts. Sindria seemed a little too perfect for her liking. And while Nerida knew they could trust him, she couldn't stop her unease from growing.

"Very well. I, King Sinbad of the Kingdom of Sindria, recognize Fiore as a country and offer up an alliance under a few conditions."

The three negotiators glanced at each other and smiled in relief. None noticed the triumphant smirk of the king across from them when they silently agreed to hear him out. They were sure Queen Hisui would be fine with whatever they settled with. With that in mind, the three mages turned back to Sinbad and Yukino voiced their question.

"What are the conditions?"

Jafar leaned forward to answer. "The alliance will create a trade agreement between our five countries and Fiore. Also, should something happen, and you need aid, those of the Seven Seas Alliance will help. Fiore would be expected to return the favor." Then he motioned to the Eight Generals behind them. "Like each of them, one of you will stay behind as a representative of your home country. We will need your advice and direction in maintaining good relations with your country."

Hibiki nodded in acceptance and glanced at the two ladies beside him. Yukino and Nerida smiled at each other before nodding at the archive mage. Considering how this could've turned out, Fiore was getting an excellent opportunity for allies. There was no way they could reject this proposal.

"Then it seems we will be joining you," the drakaina finally responded.

Sinbad smiled cordially at them. "Excellent. This will be put in writing shortly to send back with you. Now," he stood from his chair with an eager smile, "I'd like to see some of those devices you mentioned."