Chapitre 458: Shizuka's Request

Earth Land, Ishgar, Kingdom of Fiore, Magnolia.

March 1, x786.

It took a few minutes to cheer up Shizuka after she found out that Alfonzo had not come back with Ultear and Juvia. During which time, a brawl started in the guild hall. However, the more levelheaded members of the group continued cheering up Shizuka.

"So, where is Fonzie?" Elicia asked curiously once Shizuka's smile was back on her face.

"*Sigh* We'll have to wait until Ultear and Juvia are done fighting to get an answer to that question.

At that moment, the elevator opened. And when it did, Gildarts and Ur, walking hand-in-hand exited the elevator. And upon seeing the ongoing brawl, Ur sighed audibly. Then, she let go of Gildarts' hand before making her casting gesture.

"[Ice-Make: Rose Garden]." Ur chanted in an exasperated tone.

In the next instant, a number of ice roses grew from beneath all the brawling wizards. Then, before any of the wizards could react, their stems coiled around them, stopping them from moving.

As soon as everyone was immobilized, they all looked in Ur's direction, knowing that she would only stop one of the commonly occurring brawls if something important was happening. Or... If the fight resulted in her spilling her wine.

"It looks like Alfonzo, Juvia, and my daughter have returned..." Ur said as she scanned the faces of those taking part in the brawl.

"Uh... Hey, Mom." Ultear said while smiling sheepishly.

"But the thing I wanna know is..." Ur continued, ignoring Ultear's greeting. "Why hasn't anyone come to report to me yet?"

With that, Ultear and Juvia looked away guiltily. However, neither had anything to say on the matter.

"Um... Actually." Elicia said, raising her hand so that Ur could see her.

"What's wrong, Elicia?" Ur asked in a stern tone.

"The thing is...' Elicia said hesitantly. "Well... Fonzie didn't come back with Tear and Juvia."

Hearing that, Ur froze momentarily. Then, she remembered the fact that the Magic Council had summoned Alfonzo.

"Oh, that's right." Ur replied casually. "Alfonzo won't be back until sometime after the fifteenth."

Hearing that, everyone in the guild hall opened their eyes wide in surprise.

"How did you know about that, Mom?" Ultear asked in a shocked tone.

"I received a message about it from the old man." Ur replied. "The Magic Council summoned him for some reason. In fact, I'll be meeting up with him in Era in about two weeks."

"Seriously?" Lucy asked in a dumbfounded tone. "But why would he have to see the Magic Council? Did something happen?"

Not only Lucy, but most of those present, other than Ultear and Juvia, wore similar worried expressions. And for the wizards of Fairy Tail to panic in a situation like this was not out of the ordinary. Despite the fact that the Magic Council had been completely rebuilt, most of the wizards of Fairy Tail still remembered how much the Council hated them. So, they began to think the worst.

Before the panic could fester for too long, however, a gloomy aura washed over the guild hall, drawing all eyes to its point of origin.

"How long have you known that Fonzie wasn't coming back to day, Ur?" Elicia asked in an eerily calm tone.

'Oh, shit, I forgot about Lici when I decided to keep this a secret from the guild.' Ur said to herself as her eyes opened wide. 'She can get kinda out of hand when it comes to her Fonzie.'

"For about three weeks, or so." Ur replied with cold sweat dripping down her back.

"And you didn't think to let us know?" Elicia asked, her eyes narrowing as she asked her question.

At the same time, in a burst of speed, a beautiful woman with a curvaceous figure, long, bright pink hair tied into a pair of buns on her head, green eyes, and a beauty mark under each eye wearing a flowing white and pink kimono with an oversized katana strapped horizontally across her lower back appeared behind Elicia with her right hand gripping the katana's hilt. On top of that, she was glaring at Ur with hostility.

"There's no need for that, Ikaruga." Elicia said as she waved her hand at the woman, Ikaruga, the former leader of Trinity Raven of Death's Head Caucus. "Besides, you're no match for her."

"Yes, Mistress Elicia." Ikaruga replied as she released the hilt of her katana. However, she did not stop glaring at Ur. And she would continue to do so for as long as Elicia was unhappy.

As previously mentioned, after Ikaruga was released from prison. Mostly due to her good behavior and the fact that she repeatedly mentioned that she wanted to serve Elicia. The Magic Council, under Makarov's insistence, released her on probation, hoping that Elicia would be able to reform her. And if that did not work, they knew that Elicia was more than strong enough to subdue her, should she revert to her old mentality.

"*Sigh* Because Alfonzo was supposed to appear in front of the Magic Council alone." Ur replied. "And I knew if I told you about it, you would want to follow him to Era."

In good conscience, Elicia could not deny Ur's statement. In fact, ever since Ur said something about Alfonzo being summoned before the Council, Elicia was thinking about going back to the mansion, hopping in her Z3, and driving to Era to meet up with Alfonzo.

"Does that mean no one can go with you?" Shizuka, who was also looking forward to seeing Alfonzo, asked Ur while looking at her with puppy dog eyes.

'Damn it.' Ur thought as she made eye contact with Shizuka. 'Why can a twenty-eight year old woman look so cute while making puppy dog eyes? It's not fair.'

"No, I'm allowed to bring one person with me to witness the proceedings." Ur replied while trying, and failing, to break eye contact with Shizuka. "And I was planning to bring---"

"Then, can I come with you?" Shizuka asked excitedly as she appeared in front of Ur in a burst of speed.

'What the hell?' Everyone in the guild hall exclaimed internally after seeing Shizuka's burst of speed.

At the same time, Shizuka grasped Ur's hands while looking at her with the light of hope shining in her eyes. Meanwhile, Ur, after seeing the look in Shizuka's eyes, felt her resistance start to crumble immediately.

Originally, Ur wanted to bring Gildarts with her. Using the trip as an excuse to spend some uninterrupted time with her new man. But that notion almost flew out of the window after meeting eyes with Shizuka.

"But what about your shifts in the infirmary?" Ultear asked softly as she finally broke eye contact with the ditzy nurse.

"Oh, you don't need to worry about that, Ur." Ren, with a mischievous grin on her face, replied before Shizuka could. "I'll pick up her shifts."

Immediately, Ur's head snapped in her friend's direction with a scowl on her face. Meanwhile, Shizuka looked at Ren with gratitude. A moment later, Ur sighed in defeat.

"Fine, you can come with me." Ur said in a resigned tone.

"Yay!" Shizuka cheered as she started jumping up and down with Ur's hands still grasped in her own. "Thank you, Master! Thank you very much."

'*Sigh* Why is it so hard to say no to her?' Ur thought to herself while shaking her head with a wry smile on her face. 'It's even worse than when Meredy and Wendy look at me with puppy dog eyes. She's on par with little Elicia.'

While those thoughts were running through Ur's head, the men in the guild were staring at Shizuka. More specifically, the way her breasts bounced as she jumped around in excitement.

"*Sigh* All the men in this guild are perverts." Chico said in a tone filled with envy. "Do they ever think about anything other than breasts."

"Why don't you say that when you can tear your eyes away from those things." Macao, who was still wrapped up in one of Ur's [Ice Roses] shot back while his eyes followed the bounce of Shizuka's breasts.

And just like Macao said, many of the women in the guild were also staring at Shizuka's chest. And while some of them were jealous like Chico, most of them were just mesmerized by the violently bouncing breasts.

At the same time, Ur, who noticed that Gildarts was among the men staring at Shizuka's breasts, freed one of her hands from Shizuka's grasp. Then, after making a one-handed casting gestured, caused a fist made of ice to form above Gildarts head.

*Bang!*

In response to getting hit by Ur's [Ice Fist], Gildarts did not even try to defend himself. Instead, he only looked at Ur apologetically.

Meanwhile, Ultear and Juvia, after seeing the display between Ur and Gildarts opened their eyes wide in surprise. And while Ultear smiled at her mother happily, Juvia looked mortified. Though, to Ur, Gray, and everyone else's surprise, she did not start boiling in anger.

Naturally, this caused Ur to look at Ultear questioningly. And Ultear mouthed: "I'll tell you later," in response.

"Anyway, Tear, Juvia, come to my office and tell me about your trip to Lamia Scale." Ur ordered after shaking off her confusion. "I'll get Alfonzo's version of the report when I meet with him in era."

As she spoke, Ur released all the wizards from her [Rose Garden] spell. Then, she turned around and returned to the elevator, leaving Gildarts on the first floor to interact with the rest of the guild.

As soon as Ur, Ultear, and Juvia disappeared into the elevator, everyone went back to what they were doing before the brawl started. At the same time, Shizuka, with a wide smile on her face, skipped back to the table where the others were sitting.

"I'm actually surprised that you didn't ask to go with Ur, Lici." Cana said after ordering a drink.

"*Sigh* I wanted to." Elicia replied. "I mean, I really wanted to. But I'm already pushing the deadline for the summer collection. And if I were to take a few days to go to Era, I wouldn't be able to finish in time."

Hearing that, everyone sitting at the table nodded their heads in understanding.

"Still, I wonder what the Magic Council wants Alfonzo for." Levy said in a curious tone. "I mean, we all know it's not because he destroyed anything. So, what else could it be?"

"Maybe it's to give him an award for everything his inventions have done for the people of Ishgar?" Meredy suggested.

"I doubt it." Mirajane replied. "They would have done that a long time ago if they were gonna do that."

"Actually, that's not so far outside the realm of possibility." Saya chipped in. "Don't forget, before the Magic Council was rebuilt, they really hated Fairy Tail. So, they weren't against withholding the praise members of the guild were owed."

Saya's analysis caused everyone to stop and think for a few moments. Then, she received nods from everyone at the table.

"Saya's right." Elicia said with a smile. "But I don't think that's it. Otherwise, Ur would have told us when she stopped the fight."

"If that's not it, then what could it be?' Rika asked curiously.

"Wizard Saint." Laki said with a smile.

Hearing Laki's suggestion, everyone looked towards her. And judging by the smile she was wearing, they all could tell that she was joking, which caused everyone to chuckle. However, if they only knew how true Laki's joke was, they would all be left with their eyes and mouths hanging wide open.

Meanwhile, at the best hotel in Magnolia, Edward and Alphonse were relaxing in their room.

"Winry will be here tomorrow." Alphonse said while sitting on one of the beds in the hotel room.

"Yeah." Edward replied absent-mindedly. "We'll pick her up from the train station in the morning. Then, we'll head to see Alfonzo at the guild hall."

"We'll have to wait until they finish training, though." Alphonse replied. "According to Winry's letter, her train will arrive in the middle of the morning."

"*Sigh* I know." Edward replied. "But since he got back from that job he was working on, there's a chance he might skip training, though."

"That's true." Alphonse replied with a nod.

"Al, I'm still not sure telling Winry about this before we've seen any results was such a good idea." Edward said, changing the subject. "I mean, what if Alfonzo's idea doesn't work?"

"I think she'll understand." Alphonse said. "Winry knows we've been looking for a solution to our problems for almost ten years. I don't think she'll take it as hard as you think she will, Brother."

"*Sigh* I hope you're right, Al." Edward said as he rolled over in bed. "I already promised that the next time I made her cry, they would be tears of happiness. And I really don't wanna break my promise."

Though Alphonse did not reply verbally, if he had a face, it would be split from ear to ear with a smile after hearing Edward's last statement. Unfortunately, Winry, Edward, and Alphonse would all be disappointed when they found out that Alfonzo had not returned to Magnolia.

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Chapitre 459: Road Trip!

Earth Land, Ishgar, Kingdom of Fiore, Akane Beach.

March 2, x785.

The next morning, Alfonzo, staying alone at the beachside villa on Akane Beach, woke up early. Then, after getting washed up and having a quick breakfast, he made his way out to the villa's backyard to train.

A few hours later, around noon, Alfonzo ended his training and returned inside to make himself lunch. Then, after filling his stomach, he sat down at the dining room table to plan out his new magic vehicle.

"Alright, I've made cars, trucks, S.U.V.s, and military transports." Alfonzo said as he drummed his fingers on the top of the table. "On top of that, I've got the designs for my airship in my workshop back at home. So, the only thing I haven't made yet is a motorcycle of some kind. Even so, I bet that would be fun to ride back to Magnolia."

Reaching that point, Alfonzo could not help but smile. A moment later, however, his eyebrows furrowed slightly.

"I've never driven a motorcycle, though." Alfonzo muttered to himself. "I never even considered getting one in my past life. Hell, if I had, Moms would have nagged me about how dangerous they are. She probably wouldn't have stopped until I sold it... If I ever had one, that is."

Once again, Alfonzo could not help but smile at the thought of his mother from his past life.

"Still, that doesn't change the fact that I've never ridden one." Alfonzo continued. "So, I'll have to be able to drive the damn thing without crashing it. Then again, with my magic, I can make sure that it never falls over. But that would take some of the excitement out of riding one, though."

Alfonzo then spent the next few minutes going back and forth about having a motorcycle. Eventually, he just shrugged his shoulders.

"Fuck it." Alfonzo said energetically. "I'll just use my magic until I get used to riding one. Then, I'll have all the fun I want. It's not like falling off a speeding motorcycle could hurt me at this point, anyway. I just don't wanna see the motorcycle get damaged."

With that, Alfonzo reached to the side for a sheet of paper to start sketching the design for his new motorcycle. However, there was nothing there for him to grab.

"Damn, that's right." Alfonzo said while snapping his fingers. "I didn't bring any drafting paper with me on this trip. Since I just planned to spend time with Tear whenever I wasn't working. *Sigh* I guess I'll have to go to the town to buy some supplies."

And just like that, Alfonzo stood up and made his way to the master bathroom to take a shower before heading out.

Earth Land, Ishgar, Kingdom of Fiore, Magnolia.

"I guess Winry's train is behind schedule." Alphonse said while glancing up at a wall clock.

Currently, Edward and Alphonse were waiting for Winry's train to arrive at the magnolia train station.

"Yeah, right." Edward replied in a huff. "I bet she ended up oversleeping and had to catch a later train. She was probably up late working on an order and lost track of time."

Hearing his brother, Alphonse began radiating the aura of someone smiling wryly. Especially since things like what Edward described had happened several times in the past.

"Edward! Alphonse! Sorry I'm late!" Winry, who just disembarked from the latest train to arrive in Magnolia, shouted as she quickly approached the Elric Brothers. "I lost track of time while trying to finish up a few orders and I overslept. So, I missed the train I wanted to catch."

Immediately, Edward looked in Alphonse's direction with a gaze that shouted: "I told you so." Meanwhile, Alphonse could only shake his head.

A moment later, Winry arrived in front of Edward and Alphonse. Then, the trio made their way out of the train station.

"So, is what you said in your letter true?" Winry asked excitedly while the trio walked the streets of Magnolia. "Did Alfonzo really say that he had an idea about how you could get your bodies back?"

"Yeah, but he said he would need to know the whole story, first." Alphonse replied.

"You shouldn't get your hopes up, though." Edward added. "I mean, he's not an alchemist. So, there's a pretty good chance that his idea wouldn't work at all."

Hearing that, Winry deflated slightly.

"But there is a chance his idea could point us in the right direction." Edward continued. "Still, I don't want you to get too disappointed if nothing comes of it."

*Sigh* Yeah, you're probably right." Winry said while shaking her head to rid herself of the negative thoughts. "Still, I hope he can help."

"Yeah, so do we." Alphonse replied, his tone laced with optimism.

"Anyway, how was the trip from Resenbool?" Edward asked.

Like that, the trio continued to chat until they reached the Fairy Tail guild hall. And when they entered, to no one's surprise, there was a brawl going on.

"Oh, hey boys." Maes shouted from the bar, trying to be heard over all the noise. "Oh, and Winry came with you, too."

"Mr. Hughes, hi!" Winry shouted back while waving at Maes. "How are you?"

"I'm great." Maes replied with a smile. "And I'm sure Elicia will be happy to see you, too."

"What are you talking about, Hughes?" Gildarts, who had been drinking for most of the morning, asked in a confused tone. "Lici went home right after training ended. She mentioned something about completing the summer collection for her shop, right?"

"And this is why you should cut down on the alcohol, Gildarts." Maes said in an exasperated tone. A moment later, he reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. Then, he pulled out a picture of his daughter, Elicia, and shoved it in Gildarts' face. "It's obvious I was talking about the perfect little angel that is my daughter, Elicia."

For the next few minutes, Gildarts could only smile wryly while Maes gushed over his daughter, telling him that she was the cutest thing this world had ever seen and using what he called scientific facts to prove his theory.

Meanwhile, Winry, Edward, and Alphonse were left standing by the entrance and smiling wryly.

"Do you think he forgot we were here?' Edward asked.

"Probably." Alphonse replied.

"That's not important." Winry said. "We need to find Alfonzo."

"Yeah." Edward and Alphonse replied in unison.

With that, the trio moved towards the table that Alfonzo, Elicia, and their friends usually occupied. And when they did, Winry caught sight of a familiar face.

"Sun!" Winry shouted excitedly.

In response, Sun, who was watching the ongoing brawl, quickly turned her head in the direction from which she heard her name. And when she caught sight of Winry, she smiled brightly.

"Winry!" Sun shouted back in return as she stood up from her seat at the table. "What are you doing here? I didn't think I'd see you so soon. I thought the next time I'd see you was when Alfonzo and I came to visit in June."

While speaking, Sun sprinted over towards Winry, Edward, and Alphonse with that bright smile still plastered all over her face.

"Huh? You were planning to visit in June?" Winry asked in a confused tone.

Immediately, Sun slapped her hands over her mouth after realizing she let the surprise slip.

"Uh… Um… Anyway, what brings you to Magnolia?" Sun asked while her eyes swam around the room, avoiding eye contact with Winry.

Seeing Sun's adorble reaction, Winry smiled brightly. Then, she pulled the younger girl into a hug.

"I'm actually only here to see Ed and Al." Winry replied. "But they came to see Alfonzo. They said something about him knowing how to fix their problems."

With that, Sun's eyes lit up with the light of understanding. Then, she looked at Edward and Alphonse with an apologetic expression on her face. And the Elric Brothers did not miss it.

"Sun, is something wrong?" Alphonse asked apprehensively.

"Don't tell me he was just pulling our legs." Edward said in an agitated tone.

"Although Fonzie can be a little… very playful," Marin, who followed Sun to meet the visitors at a much more leisurely pace, said in a solemn tone, "he doesn't joke around about things like that."

Hearing the discontent in Marin's tone, Edward looked in her direction. And when he made eye contact with her, who was clearly upset at Edward's insinuation, he almost took a step back out of reflex.

"Seriously, Ed." Winry said in a reprimanding tone. "Stop jumping to conclusions."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm sorry." Edward replied in a dismissive tone. Though, it was clear that Marin's glare was bothering him.

"So, why did you look at us like that, Sun?" Alphonse asked curiously. "It looked like you wanted to apologize to us for something."

"Well… yeah…" Sun replied while still wearing her apologetic expression. "Alfonzo isn't here right now. He got called to Era by the Magic Council. He's supposed to meet with them on the fifteenth."

Sun's explanation caused Winry and Edward to open their eyes wide in surprise. And had Alphonse had any eyes, Marin and Sun had no doubt that he would have done the same, as well. A moment later, however, Edward furrowed his eyebrows after fully processing what Sun just said.

"Wait a minute." Edward said in a tone of slight confusion. "If he's supposed to meet with the Magic Council on the fifteenth, why isn't he here now? I mean, it only takes a few days to get from Magnolia to Era, right?"

"That's right." Marin replied with a nod. "That's if you go by land. But Fonzie decided he didn't want to go by land. Especially since he was already in Akane Beach. So, instead of coming back home, he decided he would leave from there on his ship."

While Edward and Alphonse nodded their heads in understanding, Winry's eyes lit up when she heard the term Akane Beach. Then, she turned her glowing eyes in Edward and Alphonse's direction.

"Hey, Ed, Al." Winry said energetically. "If you really wanna talk to Alfonzo as soon as possible, I wouldn't mind taking a trip to Akane Beach."

Hearing Winry's suggestion, Marin and Sun's eyes lit up as well. Although they knew that Alfonzo would be back after his meeting with the Magic Council, they planned to just wait until he came back.

"Oh, and if you're okay with it, we can drive you out there." Marin said with a smile. "And if Lucy is either willing to go or let us use her magic vehicle, Even Al will be comfortable on the trip."

"Yeah, Lucy's car is really big!" Sun said excitedly while spreading her arms for added emphasis.

A moment later, the eyes of all three ladies were focused on Edward and Alphonse, who could only smile wryly.

"I get the feeling we don't have a choice in the matter." Alphonse said.

"Me, too, Al." Edward added while smiling wryly. "But it's not so bad. I mean, we'll get to talk to Alfonzo a little sooner."

"Great!" Sun said while clapping her hands happily. "Then, Winry, let's go back to the mansion. I'm sure you didn't bring a swimsuit, right?"

"Ah! Now that you mention it…" Winry muttered.

"We'll just get Lici to make you one." Marin said with a smile. "You brought some money, right?"

"Uh… Yeah, I did." Winry replied.

"Good, then let's go." Sun said as she grabbed Winry and pulled her towards the sliding doors. A moment later, she looked over her shoulder at the Elric Brothers as she continued. "You guys should pack up, too. Then, we'll pick you up from your hotel."

With that, Marin and Sun dragged Winry to the mansion on the lake. Meanwhile, Edward and Alphonse exchanged glances for a moment. Then, after shrugging their shoulders, they also left the guild hall to pack their belongings and check out of their hotel.

Meanwhile, at the mansion on the lake, Lucy was in her bedroom, lying spread-eagle on her bed with her eyes closed and her [Soul Armament] coiled on her stomach. However, something about her [Soul Armament] which took the form of a whip, was changing.

For one, the tip of the whip was morphing into what appeared to be a white, four-pointed star. On top of that, it was changing in color, from black to midnight blue with the handle turning midnight purple. And last, but certainly not least, a key hole opened up on the base of the handle.

Then, as soon as the changes to her [Soul Armament] were complete, Lucy opened her eyes excitedly with a brilliant smile on her face.

"I finally did it!" Lucy shouted excitedly. Then, she sat up and held her [Soul Armament] happily. "I can't wait to show you off to Alfonzo, Zodiac."

Meanwhile, in Lucy's inner world, which appeared to be the void of space with stars shining in all directions, a beautiful young woman with long, silver hair that appeared to be sprinkled with starlight, glowing orange eyes, fair skin, and a slim curvaceous figure with large breasts wearing a two-toned black and white t-shirt, a black skirt with silver trim, and a pair of silver high heels smiled at Lucy's exclamation while floating in the void.

"Of course you need to show me to Alfonzo." Lucy's [Armament Spirit], Zodiac, said proudly. "And let him heap praise on my name and ability. It's just too bad he can't set his eyes upon the beauty that is me."

"And I bet it won't surprise anyone that you came from the vain side of my personality." Lucy muttered, though she did not lose her smile.

*Knock!* *Knock!* *Knock!*

"Hey, Lucy!" Marin's voice sounded from the outside of Lucy's room. "Sun and I were gonna take Ed and Al to see Fonzie in Akane Beach. And we were hoping you'd wanna come with us. I mean, your 1500 would make transporting Al a lot easier. But even if you don't wanna go, can we use your truck?"

Hearing Marin's question, Lucy's smile widened even further. She had just been thinking about showing Zodiac to Alfonzo. And just like that, the opportunity presented itself in front of her.

"Sure, I don't mind driving." Lucy said, her tone making it clear to Marin that she was smiling. "Just let me pack a few things and I'll be ready soon."

"Okay, but you don't have to rush." Marin replied as she turned away from Lucy's door. "Winry commissioned a swimsuit from Lici. So, we won't be leaving for at least an hour."

"Got it!" Lucy shouted in response.

Then, wasting no time, Lucy sprinted into her closet and started picking out what she wanted to bring with her on the trip to Akane Beach.