Episode 82

Welcome Back (おかえりなさいませ Okaerinasaimase) is the 82nd episode in the Fairy Tail anime. It first aired on June 4, 2011.

The Earth Land group arrives in the Royal City, finds the lacrima containing Magnolia Town and formulates a plan to approach the king of Edolas. However, this plan fails as they are captured and Happy and Carla are called as Exceeds and are welcomed home.

Synopsis
Edolas Natsu trembles in fear in front of Earth Land Natsu. This makes Natsu ask if he's really the Natsu from before and Edo-Natsu replies that he is and that people tell him his personality changes when he's behind the wheel. Edo-Natsu repeatedly apologizes. He says that he won't go further because that's where Lucy Ashley told him to go. They all realize that they've already arrived in the Royal City. The Earthland Team starts to move out and head for the city. Natsu thanks his Edolas counterpart and Lucy tells him to give her regards to her counterpart.

The group is surprised upon entering the Royal City. The atmosphere is merry, lights shine everywhere and people laughed and smiled, much different from the previous cities they've been to. Wendy notices a crowd by the side and so squeeze through to see what holds the crowd's attention. It is a gigantic lacrima guarded by the Edolas Royal Army, most likely the one that holds all of the citizens of Magnolia Town and Fairy Tail. Carla notices that a chunk of the lacrima has been cut off, meaning the lacrima is incomplete.

From a balcony in front of the lacrima, the king appears. The king announces that the kingdom has created ten years' worth of Magical Power and they should celebrate. He adds that he will soon be able to obtain Magic Power that would make the Magic in the lacrima look like trash and hits a part of the lacrima with his staff, breaking off a small chunk. Natsu is shown to get angrier by the second. He walks forward, most likely to intervene, when Lucy prevents him and tells him to keep control of himself and that everyone feels the same way.

The group stays in a hotel with their moods down. Carla sits on a table and starts writing something on a piece of paper. She tells them that he should wait a little longer and that they need a plan. Since they don't know how to revert their friends to their original form from the lacrima, she proposes a plan that would let them approach the king. She shows them an illustration, informs them of a secret tunnel that the king uses to exit the city and suggests they use that tunnel to reach the castle's basement from the outside. Wendy asks her where she had the information from and Carla claims that bits and fragments of information pop in her head since they stepped onto the land of Edolas.

The group heads out later that night and they arrive at the mouth of the tunnel. Lucy manages to find and light some torches so they can explore the tunnel. They walk through the caves and come to what seems like a dead end. A stone wall is covered by planks of wood and a code "KY-2c" is engraved on one of them. They realize the wall is quite thick and that it's coated with Magic. Lucy summons Taurus to break through the wall. After giving it a few punches, the wall collapses and reveals a path, just like Carla said.

The group navigates the twists and turns of the tunnel through Carla's assistance and they soon arrive in a bright clearing which Carla claims is connected to the castle's basement. Lucy tells Carla she doesn't know how she did it, but she saved the day. Carla replies that she doesn't know either, information just keeps popping up in her head. Suddenly, Lucy is wrapped around by a strange gel. Soon, Wendy and Natsu are as well. Erza Knightwalker appears with the Royal Army. She orders the army to take them away. Happy and Carla were not caught and they attempt to go after their captured friends when Knightwalker steps in their way and calls them Exceeds. The army bows to them as well as Erza. Erza welcomes them "home" and thanks them for leading the intruders in their hands. Carla looks shocked as if she just realized what she has done.

Fights

 * Lucy Heartfilia, Natsu Dragneel & Wendy Marvell vs. Edolas Royal Army: Rematch (started and concluded)

Magic used

 * (Summoned the Golden Bull, Taurus)

Abilities used

 * Precognition
 * Hand-to-Hand Combat

Items used

 * Celestial Spirit Gate Key
 * Magic Binding Gel

Manga and Anime Differences

 * The Royal City is shown differently from the manga.
 * In the anime, the podium King Faust was standing on was higher than in the manga.
 * Gajeel's appearance was omitted in the manga.
 * After Faust's speech, Coco was seen in the manga, in the anime, she was omitted in this scene.
 * The scene where Natsu and co. run to the abandoned tunnel is omitted in the manga.
 * The scenes where Natsu and co. trying to make torch flames before going into the tunnel was omitted in the manga.
 * The scene with the magic-coated wall was shortened in the manga.
 * Taurus leering at Lucy was omitted in the manga.