Episode 81

Fireball (ファイアボール Faia Bōru) is the 81st episode in the Fairy Tail anime. It first aired on May 28, 2011.

Lucy Heartfilia joins Natsu Dragneel's rescue group and they head to the Royal City with Lucy Ashley's and Natsu Dragion's help. Meanwhile, Gajeel Redfox meets his counterpart and seems to formulate a plan with him.

Synopsis
Lucy meets her Edolas counterpart, Lucy Ashley. They are both surprised at meeting each other when more knights from the Edolas Royal Army show up and attempt to capture them. At first, Lucy tells Natsu to take care of them but is quickly informed that she is the only one who can use Magic among them. In response, Lucy summons Aries to battle the guards who she quickly distracts with Wool Magic. With the guards occupied, the group escapes.

Out in the woods, the group discusses how Lucy managed to get to Edolas. She states that it was Horologium and Mystogan who saved her. It turns out Horologium protected her when he sensed the fluctuation in time-space. Mystogan himself briefly explained Edolas to her, gave her a strange pill and then sent her to Edolas. Edolas Lucy expresses her doubt in their abilities and how they would go against the kingdom, but some part of her believes that they can change the world.

In a hotel in Sycca City, the group looks at a map Wendy borrowed and look at how long it would take for them to reach the Royal City. Suddenly, the two Lucys show up. They goof around for a while, expressing their amazement at how their bodies are identical and how they act in sync. Lucy summons Gemini who takes on Lucy's form, creating three Lucies in perfect sync. Later, Edolas Lucy asks Lucy for a Celestial Spirit that can cut hair, so Lucy summons Cancer and chops off some of Edolas Lucy's hair so they may be differentiated. The next day, Lucy is outraged by the note left by Edo-Lucy, stating that it would take them three days to walk to the Royal City if they head east and that she wishes them luck because she would be returning to the guild. Edo-Lucy is later seen running, thinking to herself that if she really wants to change the world, she should do it herself. That's why she's going back to the guild, to encourage Edolas Fairy Tail to fight.

Later, Lucy is in high spirits after buying a book about Edolas History. While discussing the book, they see an airship and a bunch of knights from the Edolas Royal Army. They overhear that the lacrima extraction would occur in two days and that if they don't head there now they could miss it. Natsu's group realize that they won't make it in time if they travel by foot so Natsu plots to steal the airship. Lucy supports this, however, and proposes to take out the knights. She summons Loke, but instead Virgo appears in his place. Lucy's appearance to the knights causes them to go after her, and she panics because she figured Loke could beat them all, but Loke didn't appear. Natsu and Wendy jump in with their magic weapons, but are knocked out as well. Just as they thought they were going to be captured for good, a Magic Four-Wheeler with Fairy Tail's mark comes storming in and takes out the knights. Their redheaded savior tells them to hop in and they drive away with the four wheels on fire.

In a bar, Gajeel narrates his story to who turns out to be his Edolas counterpart, a freelance writer who writes about what happens in the world. Although none of his articles are fake, he gained many enemies because he sometimes writes about things that are not in the kingdom's favor. The counterpart chums who got along very easily walk around town. Gajeel later looks at some knights and says that a few of his buddies should be passing through and they'll be causing quite a commotion. They seem to have made an agreement for as Gajeel turns to leave, he tells his counterpart that he'll be counting on him and that they'll make their move based on what he tells him.

The redheaded man introduces himself as Fairy Tail's fastest man, Fireball Natsu, surprising the Earth Land Mages. He states that his four-wheeler will take them to the Royal City faster than the airship could. After a while, Edolas Natsu stops the four-wheeler and tells them that's as far as they go. If they take them any further, he won't make it back to the guild and tells them to get out. He adds that if they plan to fight the kingdom, they should just go ahead and do it as long as they don't get them involved. Natsu then drags Edolas Natsu out of his vehicle and asks him how he could handle transportation. To their surprise, Edolas Natsu suddenly acts like a wimp, starts tearing up and states that he doesn't know.

Fights

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

Magic used

 * (Summoned the Ram, Aries, the Twins, Gemini, the Giant Crab, Cancer, and the Maiden, Virgo)
 * Mimicry
 * Mimicry

Spells used

 * Wool Shot
 * Wool Wall
 * Wool Wall

Weapons used

 * Sealed Flame Blade
 * Air Shatter Cannon

Items used

 * Celestial Spirit Gate Keys
 * Magic Four-Wheeler

Manga and Anime Differences
In the anime, Wendy pushes Natsu and Lucy to the left to hide from the Royal Army soldiers, in the manga, she pushes them to the right.
 * Aries fighting the Royal Army is slightly extended with Aries using Wool Shot and Wool Wall.
 * Lucy's flashback of her arriving in Edolas is extended, compared to the manga.
 * The scene where Wendy brings up the Edolas map is slightly different from the manga, as the narrator tells that their in Sycca in the manga, however in the anime, Carla explains where they have been and where they are now.
 * Lucy is seen trying to cover Edo-Lucy's body in the manga, however in the anime, Lucy is merely shocked at what Edo-Lucy is saying.
 * The scene with Gemini and the "Who is the real thing?" quiz show is omitted in the manga.
 * When Edo-Lucy talks about Cancer about why he is a crab but says "-ebi", is omitted in the manga.
 * Both Gajeel's and his counterpart's appearance is omitted in the manga.
 * Lucy's flashback about her magic is omitted in the manga.