Earth Land, Ishgar, Kingdom of Fiore, Magnolia.
July, x784.
While Mirajane was showing the four rule breaking Fairy Tail wizards what an S-Class wizard was capable of, Alfonzo, Elicia, Ultear, and Erza were busy on Galuna Island, working in two groups. The first, consisting of Alfonzo and Erza, was working to repair the wall that Erza had all but destroyed the night before.
While the second, Elicia and Ultear, was performing a search and destroy mission. Their targets? The remaining centipedes on the island. And considering they were all rushing back to the cavern under the temple before Elicia and Ultear intercepted them last night, that was where they started.
In the end, the two groups spent the entire day completing these tasks. And when they did, they confronted Moka about getting their payment. Naturally, Moka paid them. Though it could not be said he did so without any hesitation. In fact, when handing over the 1.5 million jewels, Bobo had to physically pry his fingers off of the cash. They did, however, receive everything they were promised and planned to return to the port in Hargeon the next morning.
Back in Magnolia, as the sun was setting, Elfman and Lisanna, who had been out on a quest together for the past few days, returned to the guild hall.
Upon opening Fairy Tail's doors, the pride they felt after completing an A-Class quest without their big sister was evident. Not that this was the first time for either of them to complete an A-Class quest without Mirajane.
In fact, they had both completed A-Class quests alone in the past. Still, every time they completed one without Mirajane made them feel that they were getting closer to the point where they would no longer make their sister worry.
"Mira~~~! We're back~~~!" Lisanna shouted cheerfully, looking forward to hear her sister's words of welcome.
"Oh, Lisanna, Elfman, you're back." Makarov said, surprising the two as they were expecting to hear Mirajane's voice. "Mira is out running an errand for me at the moment. But she should be back before too long."
"That's rare." Lisanna replied while tilting her head as she approached the bar so that she and Elfman could report on their quest.
"It's nothing to worry about." Makarov said, waving his hand dismissively. "A few troublemakers broke the rules and stole an S-Class quest from the second floor. I just asked her to bring them back."
"If that's all, Mira should be back soon." Elfman replied with a nod. "She'll handle your request like a real man."
"But she's not a man, Elfman." Lisanna said sounding a little fed up with her brother's catch phrase. "Anyway, Master, who was it that broke the rules?"
"Who could it be but that hot head, Natsu." Makarov replied in annoyance. "He somehow even managed to rope Lucy and Gray, who I originally sent to bring them back, into this. The punishment waiting for them will be harsh, indeed."
"Oh, Natsu." Lisanna said, sounding somewhat worried about Natsu. "I wanna feel bad for you, but I know what kind of dangers can happen when someone does something they aren't ready for."
"Anyway, why don't the two of you tell me about your quest." Makarov said, noticing that Lisanna's mood was dropping. "I would assume the two of you completed it successfully if the expressions you were wearing when you came in are any indication."
Recognizing Makarov's intention to change the subject, Elfman and Lisanna exchanged glances. Then, with the pride in the work they had done returning, they both smiled and began happily recounting their experiences on their quest.
After an hour, Elfman and Lisanna's report ended and they decided to order themselves some dinner. And considering that they had done a good job, they decided to be fancy about it.
"Hey, Alfonzo!" Elfman shouted loud enough that he could be heard from anywhere on the first floor of the guild hall. "Lisanna and I wanna cash in some of our points to have you cook a dinner fit for a real man!"
Though it was not surprising that Alfonzo did not respond to Elfman's shout, both he and Lisanna found themselves a bit disappointed.
"Looks like you two are 0 for 2 today." Makarov said with a wry smile on his face. "Alfonzo is out on a quest. He left with Elicia, Ultear, and Erza yesterday."
"Aww man…. That sucks!" Lisanna said, pouting hard as she did so.
*Bang!*
At that moment, the guild hall's doors were flung open. Standing in the now open doors was Ur in her usual light brown leather jacket and black pants.
"Did I just hear that my daughter was out on a quest?" Ur asked as she strode into the guild hall.
"Ah… Welcome back, Ur." Makarov said after taking a swig from his mug of ale. "How was that 10-Years Quest?"
"Eh… Not much different from any other S-Class quest." Ur replied with a shrug. Then, she took a seat at the bar as she continued. "But then again, stealing a blizzardvern egg is no ordinary S-Class quest."
"Seriously?" Lisanna asked in surprise. "You stole a blizzardvern egg?"
"Stealing the egg was no big deal." Ur replied. "Fighting the blizzardvern was no problem, either. The real issue was getting it to stop chasing me. I mean, I didn't wanna kill it. I did steal its egg, after all."
"Then, what did you do?" Lisanna asked, excitement glimmering in her eyes.
"Well, the first thing I did was find a bunch of its droppings." Ur said casually.
Naturally, this confused and disgusted Lisanna slightly.
"After that, I got a bunch of those herbs they like to eat and lured it away from its nest." Ur continued, unbothered by Lisanna's expression. "After that, while it was going to get the herbs, I ran into its nest, wiped the egg down with its droppings to mask its scent, and got the hell outta there."
"Does that mean…" Lisanna started, finding Ur's method a bit incredulous. "… You carried an egg covered in poop back to the client?"
"Hehehe!" Ur immediately started giggling at Lisanna's question. "No, not all the way back. I cleaned it off after I got off Mt. Hakobe. Even if the client wanted the egg, I doubt they wanted anything covered in blizzardvern feces."
"That was quite the impressive plan." Makarov said in an approving tone. "To think no one had come up with anything like that in the past ten years."
"Well, I picked up a few tricks in my time on that mountain in Isvan." Ur replied with a smile. "Still, it's amazing how bad blizzardvern shit smells even in that kind of cold."
That comment drew a laugh from everyone who heard it. And with that, the newly returned members of Fairy Tail chatted, drank, and had their usual fun in the guild hall.
After another hour of partying, the doors to the guild hall were opened once again. This time, Lucy was the one who walked in. With her head lowered and her steps unsteady, it was clear that she was afraid of something.
Behind Lucy were three more people and a blue cat. Namely, Gray, Mirajane, Natsu, and Happy. However, Gray, Natsu, and Happy were obviously not entering the guild hall willingly. That was made quite obvious by the fact that Mirajane was holding Gray and Natsu by an earlobe each while a rope was tied around Happy's tail with the other end wrapped around Mirajane's slender right wrist.
"Master, I'm back." Mirajane said in a cheerful tone with her usual pleasant smile gracing her lips. "And I've brought back the rule breakers, too."
"Good job, Mirajane." Makarov replied with a malicious smile on his face while he glared at the four rule breakers. "Did they give you any trouble?"
"Not really." Mirajane replied as she dragged the three toward the bar with Lucy following closely behind her. "I did have to drag them to the guild from the train station, though."
Hearing that, Makarov's gaze sharpened. Glaring at the four rule breakers in silence made the four of them start to drip cold sweat. It got even worse when the rest of the guild fell silent as well, looking forward to the suffering they would receive.
"Well, before I get to punishing you, why did you do it?" Makarov asked. "Not that your reason will save you from your punishment. Still, I'm curious."
At that moment, Mirajane released Gray and Natsu's ears. Then, she stepped back and released Happy as well, allowing them to face Makarov unobstructed.
After a few moments of awkward silence, Natsu was the first to speak.
"I wanted to prove Laxus wrong." Natsu grumbled. "We're not weak. We just haven't been promoted to S-Class yet."
"Aye!" Happy chimed in.
Instead of responding, Makarov turned his attention to Gray.
"And you?" Makarov asked.
"Originally, I went to bring Natsu and the other two back." Gray replied. "But then Natsu tricked me and knocked me out. The next thing I knew, I was in Lupinus Town. Then, Natsu convinced me to help him defeat the Inferno Bear. *Sigh* I really don't have any excuse."
"Well, at least you're honest." Makarov replied without changing his expression. Then, he looked at the last of the four offenders. "I'm actually the most surprised by you, Lucy. Why would you go along with these fools?"
"Because… Part of the reward was a clue to where I could find another Golden Gate Key." Lucy replied with her head lowered. "I know what I did was wrong, but having those keys is the… well… key… to my growth as a wizard."
"I see." Makarov replied with a nod. "I can understand where you're coming from. But you still broke the rules of the guild."
"I know." Lucy replied, lowering her head even further. "And for what it's worth, I'm sorry."
"Well, now that I know your reasons, it's time to hand out your punishments." Makarov said in a sadistic tone.
"Just a moment, Master Makarov." Ur said, interrupting Makarov.
"What is it, Ur?" Makarov asked. "Keep in mind, even if Gray is your student, I won't be lenient."
"And I wouldn't ask you to." Ur replied while waving dismissively. "Gray deserves punishment for his actions."
At first, when Gray heard Ur cut in, his eyes lit up. Even when Makarov said he would not show leniency, he had hope that Ur would speak on his behalf. However, when she denied Makarov's assumption, he turned from hopeful to fearful instantly.
"In fact, I'd like you to allow me to conduct Gray's punishment." Ur said with a devious smile. "Recently, I came across a rather pissed off blizzardvern. I think it would be a good training partner for my disobedient disciple."
"Hmm... Permission granted." Makarov replied after a bit of consideration. Then, he turned his attention to the other three. "As for the rest of you… Natsu, you will be punished with… 'That'."
"'That'?" Natsu shouted in a horrified tone. "Gramps, you don't have to be so cruel, do you?"
"You think that's cruel?" Makarov asked, instantly growing into a giant and looking down on Natsu with his magic power flaring. "Not only did you break the guild rules and put your own life in danger because of it, but you convinced one and, all but, forced another one to accompany you in this foolishness."
The look in Natsu's eyes suggested that he understood that he was in the wrong for breaking the rules. However, he did not think that what he had done was bad enough to be punished with "that."
Noticing the look in Natsu's eyes, Makarov calmed down and shrank back to his normal size. Then, he looked at Natsu with a disappointed gaze.
"Natsu, I thought you of all people would have known better." Makarov said while shaking his head in disappointment. "You were there two years ago."
Hearing that, Natsu froze.
"You have seen what can happen when those who aren't ready for an S-Class quest go on one." Makarov continued. "I know you are strong. I do not doubt yours or Gray's strength in the slightest. But your minds… Your minds are not strong enough."
At that point, Natsu lowered his head and continued listening to Makarov's lecture.
"You were so easily provoked into taking an action that could have put you in danger." Makarov said. "On top of that, you dragged Happy and Lucy who are not ready for that kind of quest along with you."
"*Sigh* You're right, Gramps. I'm sorry." Natsu said after the entire guild hall fell silent for a few seconds. Then, he raised his head with desperation in his eyes as he pleaded. "I know I was wrong, Gramps! I promise to never do it again. So, please, don't' punish me with 'That'."
'They've mentioned "That" so many times!' Lucy shouted internally. 'Why do those three look so scared when it's brought up? Seriously, Would someone tell me what "That" is?'
"Sorry, Natsu, that's not negotiable." Makarov replied emotionlessly. "Now, Elfman, Alzack, Jet, Droy, Macao, and Wakaba, grab Natsu and take him up to my office. I'll carry out his punishment there."
Immediately, the six wizards Makarov called out rushed forward and grabbed Ntsu.
"NO! Guys, don't do this! Please!" Natsu shouted and begged as he was dragged up to the third floor. "Please, you know what kind of horrors await me if he does 'That'! How could you all be so cruel? No~~~~~~~~~!"
"Natsu, I would say this is gonna hurt me more than it hurts you." Macao said in a gloating tone as his voice faded up the stairs. "But Even I don't lie that blatantly."
Once again, the guild hall fell silent as Natsu's pleas echoed throughout the guild hall.
"Now, Happy." Makarov continued dishing out punishments without changing his expression.
"*Gulp* Yes, Master?" Happy replied nervously.
"For the next two months, you are prohibited from eating any fish." Makarov said.
Happy did not even protest Makarov's decision. Instead, he fainted on the spot.
Makarov then turned his attention to Lucy.
"And lastly, Lucy…" Makarov said.
Lucy, seeing the lack of expression on Makarov's face began to shudder. Since she had chosen to accompany Natsu willingly, she thought she might be subject to the same punishment as Natsu, even though she had no idea what it was.
'Wait, I haven't even been in Fairy Tail for two months.' Lucy thought to herself, scaring herself even more in the process. 'What if he kicks me out?'
Not giving Lucy the chance to scare herself any further, Makarov announced her punishment.
"You are prohibited from taking quests for the next month." Makarov said, still not changing his expression. "On top of that, you will be expected to work in the guild hall as a member of the wait and custodial staffs. Don't worry, you will receive wages for the time you work."
"Huh?" Lucy replied dumbly.
'That's it?' Lucy asked internally. 'I had almost convinced myself that I would be kicked out of the guild. *Sigh* What a relief.'
At that moment, however, Makarov's expression changed to something much more… perverted.
"And while you work, you'll have to wear this." Makarov said as he pulled an outfit from out of nowhere.
In Makarov's hand was a very skimpy black and white maid outfit. Although she couldn't be sure from just seeing it in Makarov's hands, she was pretty sure that a lot of her breasts would be visible. So too would her abdomen and the top of her butt.
*Smack!*
"I don't think so, you perverted old geezer." Ur said as she smacked Makarov in the back of his head. Then, she looked at the dumbfounded Lucy and continued. "You don't have to pay attention to the last part."
"Uh, okay." Lucy replied absent mindedly.
"Geez… Can't an old man have some fun and enjoy the last few years of his life?" Makarov grumbled as he rubbed the back of his head. "Anyway, now that the punishments are over, let's get to the rewards."
Naturally, everyone other than Mirajane was confused when they heard Makarov's last words. However, Makarov continued without minding that.
"Lisanna, go and call your brother down here." Makarov ordered.
Unsure of what Makarov was getting at, Lisanna quickly ran up to the third floor. A few minutes later, she returned with Elfman.
When the two younger Strauss siblings returned, Makarov turned his attention to Mirajane.
"Now, Mirajane." Makarov said in a solemn tone. "In response to your stellar performance on this task, not to mention the great amount of growth you've shown over the last two years, I, Makarov Dreyar, Third master of the Fairy Tail wizarding guild, return to you your rank of an S-Class wizard, along with all the rights and privileges it affords you."
Immediately after Makarov's announcement, Mirajane's eyes filled with tears as she covered her mouth with both hands. At the same time, Elfman and Lisanna opened their eyes wide in surprise. Then, responding faster than Mirajane, they both dashed to her and pulled her into a group hug while the rest of the guild began cheering happily.
1/2
Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy the story.
Comments, Reviews, and Power Stones are always appreciated.
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.
2/2
I know there were a lot of people who were dissatisfied with how I glossed over Ultear's confession 30 or so chapters ago. So, I put extra effort into Mira's. I hope I made up for it even a little.
You can read 5 chapters ahead on my Patr3on at:
https://patr3on.com/SixthSense1029
Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy the story.
Comments, Reviews, and Power Stones are always appreciated.