Earth Land, Ishgar, Kingdom of Fiore, Magnolia.
September, x781.
Shortly after the spar between Alfonzo, Gray, and Natsu, everyone had returned to the guild hall and resumed doing whatever it is that they liked to do In their free time. Meanwhile, Alfonzo headed to the kitchen immediately to fulfill his promise to Gray and Natsu. At the same time, the other young members of the guild sat around their usual table and chatted about the spar.
"Damn, getting hit by that last attack was no joke." Gray said while rubbing his chest, still feeling phantom pain from the strike.
"Yeah, it looked like it." Lisanna said. "But more importantly, you should put on your clothes, Gray."
"Damn it… Not again." Gray muttered as he started picking up his clothes.
"But seriously, for someone who hasn't fought in over half a year, Alfonzo is pretty impressive." Levy said.
"He's not that great." Jet said immediately after hearing Levy praise another guy.
"yeah, I bet Jet and I could have beat him if it were us." Droy added.
"Oh, you think so?" Mirajane said derisively. "Does that mean you could beat Gray and Natsu?"
"Yeah, of course." Jet and Droy replied simultaneously.
"Oh yeah?" Natsu asked while rubbing his right fist with his left hand. "Why don't we put that to the test?"
"The flame brain is right for once." Gray added, starting to get dressed. "We should see if you're all talk or if you can back up those lofty words."
"Ha! I can take them on my own." Natsu said. "I don't need your help, Ice Cube."
"Considering how fast Alfonzo beat you, I think you'll need all the help you can get." Gray shot back.
"At least I could move on my own after the fight!" Natsu shouted.
As Gray and Natsu's argument escalated, the rest of the young wizards could only look on in bewilderment.
"Weren't they supposed to be challenging Jet and Droy?" Elfman asked in a confused tone.
"Don't pay them any mind, Elfman." Elicia said with a smile. "Fire and ice never coexist together for long."
"More important than that, didn't Fonzie say he was going to take a quest?" Cana asked after chugging down half a mug of ale. "I wonder what quest he's gonna take and who he'll take with him?"
"If I know Fonzie like I think I do," Elicia said while supporting her chin with her right hand, "He'll take n A-Class quest and go alone."
"Aww… Seriously?" Cana whined. "It's been so long since I went on a quest with him."
"To be fair, it's been a while for everyone.'" Ultear interjected.
"Yeah, but Lici and Erza got to go on a quest with him before he got hurt." Cana said, a pout appearing on her face. "No one else has gone on one with him since last year."
"Well, I haven't been on a quest with him yet." Marin said with a shrug. "So, it's not that bad."
"Neither have I, ya see." Sun added.
Earlier this year, when Sun and Marin entered the guild, they were both tested to have a rank assigned to them. While Sun, who had been taught how to defend herself received a B-Class designation from Makarov, Marin was only given a D-Class designation.
Although Marin had quite the reservoir of magic power, on par with even elite B-Class wizards, she had no idea how to use it. So, she had to start with the basics. Luckily, she had everyone in the group to help her train. And now, eight months after joining the guild, she had raised her rank to C-Class.
"You really shouldn't worry about it." Elicia said with a smile. "Both of you are improving quickly. You'll be able to take quests with us in no time."
"Plus, with the way you're combining water magic with your swordsmanship, Sun, you'll be an A-Class wizard in no time." Erza said with a smile. "And when you master it, I'm looking forward to a spar."
"Yeah, the only issue that I can see is the rhythm of your breathing." Alfonzo said, approaching the table with two plates of food. "Once you get that ironed out, you'll really be a force to be reckoned with."
"Ah! The food is here." Natsu exclaimed, no longer bothering with Gray. "Oh man! I'm so hungry."
"You're gonna share, right , Natsu?" Happy asked while wearing a pitiful expression.
"Nope, I earned this with abut kicking." Natsu replied as he watched Alfonzo's every move.
"Natsu, you're so stingy." Happy said while flying into Lisanna's arms.
Naturally, Natsu paid Happy's complaints no mind. Instead, he was only concerned about the food that Alfonzo was placing in front of him. Shortly afterward, by the time Natsu had already started eating, Gray returned to his seat and Alfonzo put his plate on the table as well.
"Well, enjoy your meals." Alfonzo said before he walked away.
"Where are you going?" Mirajane asked with a slight frown.
"To take a look at the quest board." Alfonzo replied with a smile. "I still got rust to knock off."
"Can I go with you?" Sun asked. "I wanna take a quest together."
"We'll see." Alfonzo replied.
A few moments later, Alfonzo was standing in front of the quest board on the first floor. Unsurprisingly, Nab was also standing in front of it.
"Yo, Nab." Alfonzo greeted.
"Oh, hey, Alfonzo." Nab replied. "Good to see that you're all healed up."
"Yeah, sitting at home like that was a pain in the ass." Alfonzo said with a smile. "So, have you found the perfect quest for you, yet?"
"No, not yet." Nab replied. "I've taken a few that I thought were the one, but none of them were."
"Well, I really think you should take more quests." Alfonzo said while scanning the quest sheets. "I mean, you're still only at B-Class. But I know you're stronger than that."
"*Sigh* You just don't understand." Nab said without further explanation.
"I guess I don't." Alfonzo replied. "Well, even though Lici hasn't asked in a while, the off---"
Before Alfonzo could finish, a certain quest sheet caught his eye. In fact, no matter how hard he tried, he could not look away from it.
Investigate the Unknown Disease
Rank: A
Client: Pinako Rockbell
Objective: Investigate the cause of the disease afflicting the miners.
Location: Resenbool Town.
Notes: Recently, several miners working in the black iron mines have come down with a strange sickness. Their skin has been taking on a metallic hue. At the same time, their skin, muscles, and tissues have been hardening, as if they have been turning into metallic puppets. Then, after only a few days of showing these symptoms, they die after the condition spreads to their vital organs.
Reward: 1,000,000 Jewels. 500,000 Bonus for finding a cure.
'Damn, just how many worlds are packed into this one?' Alfonzo asked himself as he pulled the quest sheet off the board. 'Either way, a disease that turns people into metal? This sounds like a perfect quest for my come back.'
"Anyway, like I was saying, Nab." Alfonzo said as he turned around. "Feel free to join us when we train in the mornings. I don't think you'll miss that perfect quest of yours if you spend a few hours training with us."
With that, Alfonzo made his way toward the bar and showed the quest sheet to Makarov.
"Hey, Gramps, what can you tell me about this quest?" Alfonzo asked.
"Hmm…" Makarov hummed as he took the quest sheet from Alfonzo , stroking his beard as he read it over. "The only thing I can tell you is that it hasn't been up for long. A week at most."
"I see." Alfonzo replied.
"But why are you bringing it to me?" Makarov asked. "You're an S-Class wizard, you only need my approval for 10-Years Quests and up."
"Oh, because Sun asked me to take her with me." Alfonzo replied. "But I'm not completely sure about doing that."
"If Sun's coming with you, so am I!" Gozaburo shouted.
"No way in hell." Alfonzo replied without even looking in Gozaburo's direction.
"What did you say, Brat?" Gozaburo questioned angrily. "You think I'm just gonna leave my precious Sun alone with you?"
"Seriously, Old Man, shut the fuck up." Alfonzo said in an irritated tone. "I get that you love Sun. but all you ever do is cause trouble when she's involved. And I'll be damned if I'm gonna fail a quest just because you couldn't keep your shit together."
Before anyone could react any further, Gozaburo lunged at Alfonzo. In response, Alfonzo swung his left arm back, backhanding Gozaburo across the face with is prosthetic, causing the raging father to fall to the floor.
"That was just a love tap, Gozaburo." Alfonzo said, looking at Gozaburo coldly. "I still haven't said anything about the way you ruined Cana's birthday party. So, don't make me get serious."
"You little bastard!" Gozaburo growled in rage.
"That's enough!" Ren shouted angrily. "Alfonzo is right. All you ever do is cause trouble."
"Tch!" Gozaburo clicked his tongue after Ren's interference. "Fine… But if she's missing even one hair when you get back, you'll have hell to pay."
"Whatever, Old Man." Alfonzo replied dismissively.
"Ahem! Anyway, I think it should be fine to take her." Makarov said now that the tension in the air was gone. "With your magic, the danger level should be minimal."
"The way you say that makes me think you know more about this than you let on." Alfonzo said while narrowing his eyes.
"You're thinking too much, Kid." Makarov said, waving off Alfonzo's accusation. Then, he pointed at the notes section of the sheet and continued. "It's just because of the symptoms stated here."
Continuing to stare at Makarov skeptically for a few more moments, Alfonzo eventually took the sheet and walked away.
"If you're withholding information, gramps, that would be really uncool." Alfonzo said as he walked back toward the table where his friends sat.
In response, Makarov could only shake his head. Then, he turned his attention to Gozaburo.
"I have a child o f my own, Gozaburo." Makarov said as Gozaburo picked himself up from the floor. "So, I know how much you care. But if you keep this up, you're going to alienate her from your life."
Rubbing the side of his face where Alfonzo's back hand struck, Gozaburo took his seat.
"I know that." Gozaburo muttered. "But…"
"No buts." Ren interrupted. "If you don't get your act together, not only will you alienate Sun, but you'll lose me, too."
Immediately, Gozaburo looked up with disbelief in his eyes. But when he looked at Ren, he knew that she was deadly serious. Unfortunately, he was not sure if he could correct his behavior before everything spiraled into an irreconcilable mess.
Meanwhile, Alfonzo had just arrived at the table where his friends sat.
"Hey, Sun, get packed up, I'll take you with me." Alfonzo said with a smile.
Sun, on the other hand, looked at Alfonzo in worry. She, like everyone else at the table, saw Gozaburo antagonizing Alfonzo… again… And for the first time, Alfonzo retaliated. Though Sun had no question that it was her father that started the conflict, she was concerned about Alfonzo's condition.
"Don't look at me like that, Sun." Alfonzo said with a wry smile on his face. "He insinuated that I wouldn't be able to protect you on my own if I brought you with me. Combining that with the irritation I've felt for the last eight months or so being locked up in the house, I lost my temper a little."
"Are you sure?" Sun asked. "Should I go and scold my dad for what he did?"
"Don't worry about it." Alfonzo said while looking over his shoulder. "Judging by the expression on his face, I bet your mom already did."
Looking over toward the bar, Sun also saw the expression on Gozaburo's face. Then, with a nod, she stood up.
"Okay, let's go home and start packing for the quest." Sun said excitedly as she started walking toward the guild hall's entrance.
Seeing the enthusiasm in Sun's body language, Alfonzo could not help but smile. Then, he turned toward the table with the same smile on his face.
"Well, we'll see you all in a few days." Alfonzo said before turning around and following Sun.
Meanwhile, several people at the table were wore dissatisfied pouts.
"Why didn't he take any of us with him?" Ultear asked.
"Because you didn't ask." Elicia replied.
"Besides, don't you mean, 'Why didn't he take me with him?'" Cana added with a roguish smile.
In response, Ultear could only blush at how easily she was seen through. Meanwhile, Mirajane simply watched Alfonzo until he was no longer in view.
Laki, on the other hand, was planning something completely different for when Alfonzo returned.
1/2
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Comments, Reviews, and Power Stones are always appreciated.
Earth Land, Ishgar, Kingdom of Fiore, Resenbool.
September, x781.
Currently, Alfonzo and Sun, riding in Alfonzo's Vanquish, were approaching Resenbool, a rural, sheep-hearding town located int eh southeastern part of Fiore. Located on the banks of the Rain River, it was a quiet town with not much to attract visitors.
Considering that the town was not present in the version of Earth Land that Alfonzo knew, he had to look at a map to find its exact location. Otherwise, he and Sun would have been searching, to no avail, for days.
"Hey, Alfonzo." Sun asked in an excited tone from the passenger seat. "This is your first time here, right?"
"Yeah, none of my quests have brought me here." Alfonzo replied.
"That means you don't know much about it, right?" Sun asked, the excitement in her tone growing.
"That's right." Alfonzo replied. "Why?"
"Because it will be a real adventure." Sun replied. "we'll be able to explore a town that neither of us has been to."
In response, Alfonzo simply smiled. He had to admit, Sun's innocent, upbeat personality was nice. In fact, Sun was a lot like Elicia. The difference being that Sun was much more curious about the world around her.
"well, I'm glad you're having fun." Alfonzo said with a smile. A moment later, however, his expression became much more solemn. "but remember, we're on a quest. So, you need to stay alert."
"Yes, sir!" Sun said while saluting with a serious expression on her face.
'Damn, she's cute.' Alfonzo mused as he continued to drive.
About an hour later, the duo reached the town. Slowing down while they drove along Resenbool's roads, they did not see many people. That was something Alfonzo expected, however, since the sun was about to set.
Most of the town's residents were probably preparing for dinner, so the lack of foot traffic was nothing out of the ordinary. Luckily, Sun noticed a short, elderly woman, carrying a long tobacco pipe, with grey hair pulled into a strange ponytail that stuck out diagonally from the back of her head, deep wrinkles, and wearing a pair of round glasses, walking with a dog, that had a metal prosthetic replacing its front left leg, and quickly pointed them out to Alfonzo.
'Damn, it's really her.' Alfonzo thought as he looked at the old lady Sun pointed out. 'That's three series that shouldn't be here. I wonder what else this world has in store for us?'
Not letting his thoughts show on his face, Alfonzo approached the old lady slowly.
"Excuse me, Ma'am, we're looking for the Rockbell residence." Alfonzo said politely. "Do you think you could give us directions?"
Turning around with skepticism in her eyes, the old lady looked toward the magic vehicle. Then, when she made eye contact with Alfonzo, she narrowed her eyes. However, when she saw Alfonzo's prosthetic arm resting on the window frame of the vehicle, her expression softened.
"Are you looking for someone to help maintain your arm?" The old lady asked. "If so, you can follow me."
"No, not really." Alfonzo replied with a smile. "I do my own maintenance."
"I see." The old lady replied. "then, why are you looking for the Rockbell residence."
Upon hearing the old lady's question, Alfonzo turned away from the window for a moment. Then, when he turned back, he was holding the quest sheet he took from the guild.
"We're wizards from Fairy Tail." Alfonzo said. "And we're here to investigate the cause of the unknown disease. So, we need to meet with Mrs. Pinako Rockbell to learn the details."
Instead of responding immediately, the old lady raised the pipe in her hand to her mouth. Then, she gently inhaled. A moment later, she exhaled a cloud of smoke.
"I see." The old lady said with a nod. "Then, it looks like you found the person you were looking for. I'm Pinako Rockbell."
"Wow! We're really lucky." Sun said in an excited tone. "The first person we see after getting here is the person we're looking for."
Like Alfonzo had done before, Pinako also smiled at Sun's enthusiasm. Then, she turned away from the Vanquish and started walking.
"Well, you can follow me." Pinako said as she took short steps. "It's about time to prepare dinner, so you two are welcome to join us… My granddaughter and I, I mean, for dinner. We can discuss the details of the commission while we eat."
"Sure, that sounds great." Alfonzo replied with a smile. "And thanks for having us."
Less than ten minutes later, Alfonzo parked his Vanquish in front of a large, two-story, wooden house. As he and Sun stepped out of the magic vehicle, Pinako and the dog, who Pinako introduced as Den, during the short trip, were already standing in front of the door to the house.
"Well, don't just stand around." Pinako said as she pushed the door open. "come on in."
Nodding in response, Alfonzo and Sun followed Pinako and Den into the house. As soon as they entered, Den was waiting for them, and immediately began sniffing them like any other dog would.
In response to Den's attention, Alfonzo squatted down and began scratching the dog behind her ears, causing Den's tail to wag happily.
"So, you like Dogs, huh?" Sun asked while she watched Alfonzo interact with Den.
"Yeah, I love 'em." Alfonzo replied with a happy smile on his face. "Not a big fan of cats, though. But they seem to love me for whatever reason."
Just hearing the word cat caused Sun to shiver and her expression to pale slightly.
"I don't like cats, either." Sun said while shaking her head. "They're pure evil."
"So, that's why you never get too close to Happy, huh?" Alfonzo said with a snicker.
"Yeah, he looks at me like I'm food." Sun said with a shudder.
"You two, make yourselves at home." Pinako said, interrupting the conversation between the two. "Dinner will be ready before too long."
"Sure, thanks for having us." Alfonzo and Sun replied simultaneously.
Hearing Pinako's words, Den gently bit on Alfonzo's pant leg. Then, she pulled him toward the house's living room.
"You're trying to help us get comfortable, huh?" Alfonzo said, patting Den on the head one more time. "Okay, lead the way."
With that, Alfonzo and Sun followed Den, who led them to a couch before turning around as if presenting it to them.
Taking the hint, Alfonzo and Sun sat down. A moment later, Den laid down in front of their feet. Then, Alfonzo, Sun, and Pinako chatted casually while Pinako cooked dinner, denying Alfonzo's offer of assistance along the way.
After a while, the sound of footsteps descending a flight of stairs could be heard, causing Den's ears to perk up.
"Hey, Grandma!" The voice of a young woman called. "I heard you talking to someone, do we have guests? Are Ed and Al back?"
"Ah, Winry, yes we do have guests." Pinako replied from the kitchen. "But it's not the Elrics. They're wizards from Fairy Tail."
By that point, the footsteps could be heard from the same floor. And they would be passing by the door leading to the living room any moment now.
"Well, it's good that someone came to investigate that disease." The female voice, Winry, said as she walked down the hallway, and past the door to the living room. "But seriously, why haven't Ed and Al shown up to check it out? I swear, those two---"
Before Winry, a beautiful young woman with fair skin, dark blue eyes, and long blonde hair pulled into a ponytail that reached her waist wearing a light green jumpsuit that was pulled down to her waist, exposing her midriff and a black tube top, could get started on ranting about this Ed and Al, she stopped in her tracks. Then, she rushed back to the living room's doorway and stared at Alfonzo's left arm. A moment later, she rushed into the room and grabbed Alfonzo's arm with excitement glowing in her eyes.
"Oh my God! What is this beautiful creation?" Winry asked with equal parts curiosity and excitement. "Is this orichalcum? No that's impossible. Orichalcum is too heavy to be used on prosthetics. But what else could it be? And what about the internal workings? I've never seen anything like this! You have to tell me where you got it! And who made it!"
While Sun was taken aback by Winry's enthusiasm, Alfonzo could only smile wryly. He already knew that Winry was a total Automail nerd from his time watching the two Fullmetal Alchemist anime in his past life. But seeing it in person was more than he expected.
"Well, if you'll calm down, I'll answer your questions." Alfonzo said with a wry smile on his face.
Hearing Alfonzo's voice, Winry finally realized that the arm she had just been gushing over was connected to a person's shoulder.
"Oh, sorry about that." Winry said, the excitement in her eyes not diminishing in the slightest. "I didn't even introduce myself. I'm Winry Rockbell, and I make Automail prosthetics. And your arm is one of the most impressive pieces I've ever seen."
"Nice to meet you Winry." Alfonzo said, trying to gently pull his arm away from Winry to no avail. "I'm Alfonzo Marcus, a wizard from the Fairy Tail guild."
'Damn, how is this girl so strong?' Alfonzo thought to himself. 'I can't feel a drop of magic power from her. Yet, I can't pull my arm away.'
"Hi, I'm Sun Seto." Sun said, also introducing herself. "I'm a Fairy Tail wizard, too. And Alfonzo's fiancée."
Sun's voice finally caused Winry to register that there was another person in the room. And when she heard that Sun was Alfonzo's fiancée, she felt rather awkward. She could only imagine what Sun was thinking when she saw another woman tightly holding onto her fiancé's arm.
"Haha… It' snice to meet you, Alfonzo and Sun." Winry said, feeling a bit embarrassed by her own behavior while reluctantly letting go of Alfonzo's arm. "So… You're here to investigate the disease, huh?"
'Oh my God, this is so embarrassing.' Winry thought as she could feel her face reddening by the second. 'I'm glad Ed wasn't here to see that. Wait, why does it matter if Ed saw me like that or not?'
"Yup, that's why we're here.' Sun replied energetically, snapping Winry out of her thoughts.
"Yeah, but we can talk about that over dinner." Alfonzo said, combing his fingers through Sun's hair to calm her down a little. "For now, I can answer your questions about my arm."
Immediately, Winry's eyes started sparkling again when the topic was about to change to Automail.
"To answer your first question, the surface of my arm is made of orichalcum." Alfonzo said with a smile.
"No way… But how? It should be so heavy." Winry asked curiously.
"Weight reduction sigils." Alfonzo replied simply.
"Ah… That makes sense." Winry replied with a nod. "Since I can't use magic, I would have never even considered that… Wait, you said the surface. Then what's inside?"
"Most of the arm is hollow, actually." Alfonzo replied with a shrug. "The skeleton and frame are made of adamantite while the nerves are made of mithril. Oh, and the bearings in the joints are…"
Like that, Winry asked every question she could think of while Alfonzo answered them all. Meanwhile, Sun had no idea what most of the conversation meant. It was not like she could not understand the individual words. However, when they were strung together into sentences, her head started to hurt, while her eyes spun in confusion.
"I guess all the technical talk was too much for you, huh?" Alfonzo said, pulling Sun to rest her head on his lap. Then, he started combing his fingers through her hair as he continued. "Sorry about that, I didn't mean to leave you out of the conversation."
"Yeah, I'm sorry, too." Winry added with a sheepish smile. "I can get pretty worked up when I'm talking about Automail."
"It's okay…" Sun replied, sounding quite dazed. "Don't worry about me…"
"Actually, I only have one more question." Winry said, looking at Alfonzo excitedly. "Who made your arm? And where did you get it?"
"Uh.. That's two questions." Alfonzo pointed out, causing Winry to blush in embarrassment. "But I'll answer them anyway. First, I made it. And, I guess I got it from Master Goldstein's workshop, since that's where I build it."
After Alfonzo answered her first question, Winry did not even hear the answer to her second question. Why? Because she was too busy gawking at Alfonzo in amazement. Then, after a few moments of awkward silence, Winry finally registered the name, "Alfonzo Marcus."
"Wait! You're Alfonzo Marcus? The one who revolutionized the way prosthetics are built?" Winry shouted as she stood up explosively and pointed the index finger of her right hand at Alfonzo's nose.
"It sure took you long enough to realize that." Pinako said as she stepped into the living room. "Anyway, you can talk about that later. For now, let's sit down for dinner."
2/2
So, I think I'm gonna start going through the Reviews, And no atter how good or bad they are, I'm gonna delete the ones that aren't actually reviews. Meaning, they don't tell any potential readers what they can expect from teh story.
Oh, and if anyone decides to leave a review in the future, I'd appreciate it if you let me know how far you read. That way, I can have some idea what you were seeing when you left your reviews.
P.S. While I was going through the coments after scheduling this chapter, I noticed that one of the complaints about my story was that the fight scenes were too short and not detailed enough. If anyone else feels that way, let me know in the comments. If enough people say so, I"ll try to do something about it in the chapters after 102, because they are already writeen.
Read 6 chapters ahead on my Patr3on at:
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Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy the story.
Comments, Reviews, and Power Stones are always appreciated.
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