Earth Land, Ishgar, Kingdom of Fiore, Hargeon.
July, x784.
The day after Mirajane was reinstated as an S-Class wizard, Alfonzo, Elicia, Ultear, and Erza arrived at the port of Hargeon in Bobo's boat. Glad that the quest with the centipedes was finally over, all for of the Fairy Tail wizards looked quite refreshed.
"Hey…" Bobo said in a sheepish tone.
"What's up?" Alfonzo replied as he and the three girls turned their attention to Bobo.
"Do you think you could leave the engine on the boat?" Bobo asked hopefully.
Smiling apologetically, Alfonzo wasted no time replying.
"I could, but you wouldn't be able to use it." Alfonzo said while shaking his head. "That engine will only work with my magic power. On top of that, as soon as the magic power I supplied to it runs out, it will disappear."
"I see…" Bobo replied in a disheartened tone.
Seeing the crestfallen man in front of him, Alfonzo felt a little bad for him. So, he made a suggestion to counter.
"But, if you can gather 500,000 Jewels, I'd be willing to upgrade your boat with an engine and make it sturdy enough to handle the extra stress." Alfonzo offered.
"500,000? That's a bit steep." Bobo said while scratching his head.
"Sorry, that's the best I can do." Alfonzo replied with a shrug. "Materials alone cost that much. I'd be doing the rest for free."
"I see…" Bobo said wistfully. "I'll see what I can do. One more thing…"
"If you're talking about the fact that you and everyone on the island are a demons, don't worry." Elicia said, cutting off Bobo. "We'll keep that a secret. We all know you're all good people, and it would really suck if someone started hunting you down just because of the way you were born."
"That's right, your secret is safe with us." Ultear added with a nod.
"Indeed." Erza continued. "As comrades who have fought on the same battlefield, you and your kin are worthy of respect. Therefore, we would never do anything that would bring you harm."
Since the girls had said everything he could think of, Alfonzo simply shrugged his shoulders with a wry smile on his face.
"What they said." Alfonzo said.
This secret, which the citizens of Galuna had no intention of sharing, came out unintentionally when the villagers threw a farewell party for Alfonzo, Elicia, Ultear, and Erza. During the party, the alcohol naturally flowed like water. So, it surprised no one when more than a few of the villagers got drunk. And during their drunken merry making, a few of the men and women of Galuna Island dropped their [Transformation Magic], revealing the fact that they were winged demons.
Immediately, the atmosphere at the party got tense. Most of the warriors prepared themselves for a fight to the death. However, all that was in vein. Instead, Alfonzo's drunken behavior was what broke the tense atmosphere.
"Damn! That's so bad ass!" Alfonzo shouted after seeing the bat-like wings of the demons of Galuna Island. "Even though I can fly with magic, I wish I had wings. I'm so fucking jealous!"
Using Alfonzo's outburst as a chance to express that they meant no ill will, the party continued late into the night, with all the demons transforming back to their true forms.
"Thank you." Bobo said with a smile that stretched across his whole face. "On behalf of the people of Galuna Island, I thank you from the bottom of my heart."
With that, the group of five chatted for a little while longer. Eventually, both parties had to bid the other farewell as they all needed to return to where they belong.
Then, Bobo hopped back into his boat and began rowing away from the port. Meanwhile, Alfonzo, Elicia, Ultear, and Erza waved from the pier until Bobo was far enough that he could no longer see them. After that, they all piled into the Escalade and started making their way back to Magnolia.
On the way back to Magnolia, shortly after leaving the town, Ultear fell asleep in the back seat. A few minutes later, Erza joined her in the land of dreams. Although none of them were physically exhausted, all four of the young wizards were quite tired. Dealing with super-sized bugs was mentally taxing.
Naturally, Alfonzo had accumulated the most mental fatigue. Considering his aversion to bugs and insects, it was obvious that the quest would have taken a toll on him. As an example, Alfonzo, who usually drives when he and Elicia use the Escalade, was currently sitting relaxedly in the passenger seat while Elicia drove them home.
"I can't wait to get back home." Elicia said with a smile while tapping her right index finger on the steering wheel. "I really wanna take a bath in our nice big hot tub."
"Yeah…" Alfonzo said with a shiver. "Even though I know that all the centipedes are dead and we're back on the mainland, I can still feel them crawling on me every once in a while."
"You just need something to take your mind off of it." Elicia said with a smile. Then, she licked her lips seductively before continuing. "And when we get back home, I have the perfect idea to help you with that."
In response, Alfonzo smiled expectantly. A moment later, however, his expression turned solemn. Then, he looked towards the back seat. After ascertaining that Ultear and Erza were sound asleep, he turned his attention back to Elicia.
"There was a lot more going on behind the scenes of that quest, Lici." Alfonzo said in a serious tone.
"What do you mean?" Elicia asked, furrowing her brows as she replied. "I mean, it's obvious those centipedes were not native to Galuna Island. But you sound way too serious for that to be all."
"Before I fought the Centipede King, I killed a half black and half white teddy bear." Alfonzo answered.
In her surprise, Elicia took her eyes off the road and stared at Alfonzo in disbelief.
Although it wouldn't be an issue if Elicia let the Escalade drive off the road, Alfonzo still reached over and gently turned the wheel, keeping the vehicle on the road.
"Oops!" Elicia exclaimed as she focused on the road once again. "Sorry about that. You really surprised me with that one."
"Yeah, I know." Alfonzo replied with a wry smile. "That little bastard really surprised me, too."
"Does that mean she's here, too?" Elicia asked, her expression growing solemn as well.
"Probably." Alfonzo replied. "Junko Enoshima, across all the worlds I know is the only one who would make a teddy bear like that one."
"That's true." Elicia replied with a nod. "But I wonder where she could be?"
"Who knows." Alfonzo replied with a shrug. "But wherever she is, she's plotting to leave the world fucked."
"Definitely." Elicia replied. "I guess we'll have to keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary, then."
"Yeah." Alfonzo said with a nod.
With that conversation done with, the two continued to chat about much lighter topics. They even wondered if Natsu and Happy still stole an S-Class quest after they left. Since Laxus was present when Mystogan put most of the guild to sleep, they figured that the chances were quite high.
In the end, they concluded that they would find out when they arrived at the guild hall.
Earth Land, Ishgar, Kingdom of Fiore, Magnolia.
A few hours later, Elicia parked the Escalade outside the guild hall. Shortly after she cut off the engine, Alfonzo, who had fallen asleep about an hour ago, Ultear, and Erza woke up one by one.
"We're home." Elicia said, sounding as energetic as ever. "Let's go inside. I kinda miss everyone."
"How do you still have so much energy after a quest like that?" Ultear grumbled as she wiped the sleep from her eyes. "I mean, giant centipedes are gross no matter how you slice it."
"Indeed." Erza said with a nod. "I sliced quite a few of them and they were still gross."
"That's not what I--- You know what, you're exactly right, Erza." Ultear said in an exasperated tone. "Anyway, let's go inside. I wonder if Mom is back from her quest."
"Yeah, it feels like forever since I've seen Aunt Ur." Alfonzo said with a smile.
*Bang!*
Shortly after Alfonzo spoke, and just as the four got out of the Escalade, the doors to the guild hall were kicked open. Standing in the now open doorway was Ur, glaring at Alfonzo.
"Hey, Ur." Alfonzo said with a smile. "Long time no see."
'Why the fuck does she look so angry?' Alfonzo wondered without changing his expression. 'There's no way in the nine hells that she heard me call her Aunt.'
"Mom, we're back!" Ultear said energetically as she waved at her mother.
"It's good to see you, My Tear." Ur said without looking away from Alfonzo. "You'll have to tell me all about your quest. But for now, I don't know why, but I have a strong urge to hit Alfonzo."
In response, Elicia, Ultear, and Erza looked at Ur with their eyes wide open. Then, they turned to Alfonzo with shocked expressions.
'Damn, her intuition is scary.' Alfonzo muttered internally.
"That's a pity, Ur." Alfonzo said while shaking his head. "Since I haven't seen you in a while, I was gonna cook something for you. But since you're gonna hit me, I don't think that's necessary."
Immediately, Ur's angry glare turned into a complicated expression. On the one hand, her instincts were telling her that Alfonzo really needs a beating. On the other hand, it has definitely been a while since she had Alfonzo's cooking. And she would be lying if she said she wasn't missing it.
"Sigh* Welcome back, you four." Ur said in a defeated tone. "How did the quest go?"
"It was the worst quest I've ever taken." Ultear replied.
"Yeah, I'm never taking one like that again." Alfonzo added while nodding his head.
"Was it that difficult?" Ur asked curiously as the four started walking toward the open doors of the guild hall. Then, when they reached her, she turned around and started walking with the four as she continued. "It really must have been something if it gave the four of you trouble."
"Nah, the quest wasn't that hard." Elicia replied with a wry smile. "but fighting giant centipedes is disgusting no matter how you put it."
"Ugh… I understand." Ur replied with a slightly disgusted expression on her face. "but why do you look so drained, Alfonzo? Don't tell me a big strong man like you is afraid of bugs.""
"I'd rather not say." Alfonzo replied while looking away.
That response only made Ur, Ultear, and Erza more curious. Even though Ultear and Erza saw that Alfonzo was uncomfortable on the quest, they thought it was just the general disgust most people have for bugs. However, now it seemed that things were more complicated than they thought.
Meanwhile, Elicia could only giggle at the predicament Alfonzo found himself in. Naturally, she knew about Alfonzo's trauma from his past life.
Unsurprisingly, Elicia's giggle naturally drew the attention of the other three women.
"You know something, don't you, Elicia?" Ur asked with narrowed eyes.
"I do." Elicia replied straightforwardly.
"Then why don't you share with the rest of us?" Ultear asked, wrapping an arm around Elicia's waist as they walked.
"Nope." Elicia replied without hesitation.
"Why is there a need to keep secrets, Elicia?" Erza asked as she drew near.
"Because if I tell you, Fonzie won't cook for me… For a long time." Elicia replied with a bit of fear in her tone.
That reply caused the other three to look back at Alfonzo who was glaring a hole in the back of Elicia's head. Naturally, Elicia could feel the glare as well. And she knew what that glare meant.
'If I tell them his secret, I'm gonna be in trouble.' Elicia thought to herself. 'Fonzie's cooking might not be the only thing he takes away. I might not get any sex for a while as well.'
Those thoughts caused Elicia to shudder involuntarily.
Before Ur, Ultear, and Erza could try and coax the secret out of Alfonzo and Elicia, they were greeted by a blonde woman in a maid uniform.
"Welcome back, guys." Lucy said.
Seeing Lucy dressed in a sleeveless, black maid dress with a low-cut neckline, a white collar with a black ribbon tied in a bow, white cuffs, a white apron, black stockings, and black high heels, Alfonzo, Elicia, Ultear, and Erza were taken aback. A moment later, however, Erza's eyes lit up as she approached Lucy and started inspecting Lucy's outfit from every angle.
"I want one." Erza muttered as she continued to circle Lucy with fervor.
"Umm… Why are you dressed like that, Lucy?" Ultear asked curiously.
"It's part of her punishment." Ur replied.
"Punishment? For what?" Ultear asked, tilting her head in confusion.
"*Sigh* The day after you all left, she, Natsu, Hapy, and my foolish disciple did something stupid." Ur replied. "Happy stole an S-Class quest from the second floor. Then, the four of them tried to take on the quest in Lupinus."
Immediately after Ur spoke, Erza stopped in place. Then, she narrowed her eyes.
"It was Natsu's idea, was it not?" Erza asked in a tone that could cut iron.
"It was." Ur replied with a nod.
"Looks like he needs to be taught a lesson about following the rules of the guild." Erza said,, no longer concerned with Lucy's outfit as she marched toward the group's usual table.
"Natsu!" Erza shouted as she raised her right fist after walking behind Natsu.
*Bang!*
"How dare you do something like this.!" Erza continued to shout. "Not only did you do something that could have endangered your own life, but you dragged others along with you! I'll teach you a lesson about conducting yourself properly."
With that, Natsu's wailing and the sound of Erza's gauntleted fists striking flesh over and over echoed through the guild hall.
"Should we stop her?" Ultear asked.
"Do you wanna get in the middle of that?" Elicia asked while pointing a finger at Erza's rampage.
Just then, Erza hit Natsu so hard that he flew into Elfman, who punched Natsu as well. Unfortunately, Natsu flew into another guild member. Eventually, most of the guild was pulled into a brawl, like any other day in Fairy Tail.
"So, we know how Lucy was punished, what about the other three?" Alfonzo asked curiously.
With that, Ur explained the punishments the other three received. Naturally, everyone shuddered when they heard that Natsu was punished with "That."
"What is 'That'?" Lucy asked, no longer able to hold her curiosity.
"Trust me, it's better if you don't know." Elicia said in a grave tone.
"Seriously." Alfonzo added. "It's the stuff of nightmares."
"Even the two of you are scared of it?" Lucy asked in genuine concern. "What kind of torture could it be?"
While Alfonzo and Elicia both nodded while wearing grave expressions, internally they were laughing at Lucy's reaction.
'How the hell are we supposed to know about "That"?' Alfonzo asked himself with an internal chuckle. 'Neither Lici nor I have ever broken the guild rules. We both saw how scared of "That" Natsu and Gray were in the anime. So, we wanted no part of that.'
'I'm really curious to know what that is, too.' Elicia mused. 'But I can't tell Lucy that. I mean, look at the expression on her face. It's way too funny.'
At that moment, Mirajane walked out of the kitchen with a tray in her hands. Clearly she was on the clock as a waitress. However, when she saw Alfonzo, her eyes lit up. Quickly looking around the guild hall, she noticed that the table she was supposed to deliver the dish to had been destroyed. So, she placed the tray down on the bar.
A few moments later, Mirajane had approached Alfonzo with a smile on her face. Then, she grabbed Alfonzo's hands in hers.
"Alfonzo, thank you for what you did two years ago." Mirajane said, tears starting to fill her eyes. "If it weren't for you, I could have lost the only family I have left. And because of the words you said afterward, I was able to better myself and atone for my mistake."
Hearing Mirajane's heartfelt words, Ur was not surprised, as she knew that Mirajane had been reinstated as an S-Class wizard just last night. Alfonzo, Ultear, and Elicia, however, were caught off guard.
"Last night, Master Makarov reinstated me as an S-Class wizard." Mirajane continued. "And I have you to thank for that."
"Nah…" Alfonzo replied with a smile. "You did that yourself. Everyone has seen how hard you've worked in the last two years. You deserve this. Congratulations, Mira."
Elicia, Ur, and Ultear all nodded in agreement with smiles on their faces. Meanwhile, Lucy, who did not know the old Mirajane, was still a bit confused. Even so, she was happy that Mirajane had redeemed herself.
"You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that." Mirajane said with a big smile on her face. "Those words give me the courage to say something that I've wanted to say for a long time."
With that, Mirajane paused to take a deep breath. Then, as she exhaled, her expression changed and became extremely serious.
"I love you, Alfonzo." Mirajane said. "IN fact, I have for a long time. At first, when you saved Elfman, Lisanna, and I with Elicia and Cana, I always wanted to say thank you. But I was too proud to do so. On top of that, I found you annoying… Like, really annoying."
In response, Alfonzo could only smile wryly. Still, Mirajane continued.
"But, my pride also wouldn't allow me to not thank you." Mirajane said with a smile. "So, I found myself watching you. At first, I was just looking for an opportunity to thank you. But that changed after a year or so. Then, for the next few years, I denied my feelings. Until you saved me and my siblings again."
With Alfonzo's hands still held in her own, Mirajane raised her hands to her chest and looked into Alfonzo's eyes lovingly.
"But I knew that I didn't deserve your love at that point." Mirajane said. "I had betrayed the guild's trust with my stupid actions. So, until I could redeem myself, I held my feelings inside. But now… Is the right time to tell you. Alfonzo, thank you for saving us twice and I love you. Though I'd rather have you all to myself, I'd rather share you than not have you at all. So, please, let me join you and the rest of your family."
"Of course." Alfonzo replied with a smile. "Over the years, I've fallen for you , too. That's why I was so harsh when I helped you two years ago. I knew you were better than that. And I wanted you to be better. And I'm happy to say that you've become even better than I expected. So, if you're sure about your decision, I'd be happy to have you walk with me in this life."
Immediately after Alfonzo's words ended, Mirajane lunged forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. Then, she pulled him down and planted a kiss on his lips.
Unfortunately, there weren't too many people to witness this heartwarming moment as the brawl in the guild hall was still going strong.