Earth Land, Ishgar, Kingdom of Fiore, Magnolia.
July, x786.
A few weeks have passed since Alfonzo and Hibiki made their agreement. In the meantime, Fairy Tail was operating as usual. Today, however, they received a couple of visitors in the form of Izumi and Sig Curtis, led by Winry to see Izumi's apprentices.
"It's still hard to believe that those boys got their original bodies back." Izumi Curtis, a tall, fair-skinned woman with mid-back-length black hair worn in box braids and tied into a ponytail and sharp, black eyes wearing a sleeveless, long, white blouse with the top few buttons undone, revealing some cleavage and a Flamel tattoo on her left breast, a pair of ankle-length black pants, and a pair of black sandals, said while she followed Winry towards the Fairy Tail guild hall while holding her husband's hand.
"I know what you mean." Winry, with a smile on her face, replied happily. "I was there when it happened, and sometimes I still think I was dreaming.
"Even so, this is something worth celebrating." Izumi's husband, Sig Curtis, a tall, massively muscular middle-aged man wearing a green t-shirt, blue pants, and simple black boots, said in a deep voice. "On top of that, there could even be a chance for you to regain what you have lost as well, my dear."
Smiling hopefully, Izumi hugged her husband's arm while drawing nearer. Meanwhile, Winry was also smiling. However, her smile was closer to a wry smile than a happy or hopeful one.
"I don't know if that will be as easy as you expect." Winry said, though she did not want to destroy the hopeful atmosphere. "And there are a couple of reasons for that."
"What do you mean?" Izumi asked with her eyebrows furrowed.
"Well, for one, the Philosopher's Stone does not belong to Ed and Al." Winry replied. "It belongs to Alfonzo Marcus, an S-Class wizard of the Fairy Tail."
"You mentioned that before." Izumi replied with a nod. "Still, why would that make everything more difficult?"
"Well, since you are an Alchemist, you do things on the basis of equivalent exchange, right?" Winry asked, though it was more of a statement than a question.
"That's right." Izumi replied. A moment later, Izumi realized what Winry was getting at. "And what could I give that would be of equal value to a Philosopher's Stone...?"
"Exactly." Winry replied solemnly.
"What did the boys have to pay?" Sig asked.
"They had to join Fairy Tail until they retired." Winry replied. "And although there are many loop holes that could be used in that agreement, Ed and Al were determined to carry out the agreement."
"I see." Izumi said while lowering her head in thought. "But I'm only a housewife. I'm not cut out for the job of a guild wizard."
Hearing Izumi call herself "only a housewife," Winry could not help but roll her eyes. She had seen this woman throw Alphonse, while he was still an armor, over her shoulder with little effort, after all.
"Still, I'm sure I could work out something with this Alfonzo Marcus." Izumi replied. "Although I'm not suitable as a wizard, I--- *Cough*"
*Splatter!*
Before Izumi could finish, she stopped walking and coughed up a mouthful of blood that splattered on the path leading from Magnolia to the Fairy Tail guild hall.
"Kya~~~~~!" Winry screamed in panic.
"Honey!" Sig exclaimed as he held Izumi close. Then, with his free hand, he pulled out a bottle of medicine from the bag he was carrying, poured out a couple tablets, and fed them to Izumi. "Take these, they'll help."
Swallowing the pills, Izumi reached into one of her pockets and pulled out a handkerchief. Then, she wiped the blood from her face. Meanwhile, Sig reached into the bag he was carrying for a second time and pulled out a canteen, uncapped it, and handed it to Izumi.
Canteen in hand, Izumi took a few gulps of water before handing it back to Sig.
"Thank you, Dear." Izumi said with love in her eyes.
"Of course." Sig replied as he turned towards his wife. "Anything for you, my love."
With that, a pink aura engulfed the married couple as they slipped into their own world, leaving Winry to look on in envy.
'Ed and I will be like that one day.' Winry muttered to herself. 'Then, we'll make all the onlookers jealous and uncomfortable, too.'
A few moments later, Winry dragged Izumi and Sig out of their self-created world. Then, she continued leading them towards the guild hall. And when they eventually arrived, the Curtis couple could not help but look up in awe.
"It looks even bigger up close." Izumi muttered.
At the same time, Winry could have sworn she heard Alfonzo say, "that's what she said." Something she knew was impossible because she knew he was all the way in Onibus working on Blue Pegasus' guild hall.
"Anyway, let's go inside." Winry said with a smile. "Ed and Al should be inside. They should have just finished going through a rehabilitation session with Miss Porlyusica."
Nodding in response, Izumi and Sig stepped forward. Then, just as Sig reached out to open and hold the door for Izumi, the Curtis couple's eyes widened when the doors slid to either side on their own.
Winry, on the other hand, smiled at Izumi and sig's reactions, as she had a similar reaction the first time she saw such heavy metal doors move on their own, as well.
At the same time, thanks to the guild hall's doors opening, many of Fairy Tail's wizards looked in their direction. Having grown familiar with Winry, most of them went back to what they were doing. Naturally, there were a few exceptions, though.
"Teacher!" A pair of male voices shouted loud enough to be heard over the hustle and bustle of the guild hall.
Looking in the direction of the voices, Winry, Izumi, and Sig saw a pair of golden blond young men standing up from their seats at a table. While the shorter of the two stood up with little difficulty, the taller of the two was using a pair of crutches to do so.
On top of that, the shorter of the two, Edward Elric, was wearing a short-sleeved, white t-shirt, and a black pair of shorts, showing off his arms and legs, which were completely made of flesh and blood.
However, Izumi and Sig's attention was drawn more to the taller of the two, Alphonse Elric, whose face they had not seen since he was a child, due to the [Human Transmutation] accident.
"Edward... Alphonse..." Izumi said emotionally as she slowly started taking steps towards her former apprentices. At the same time, Edward supported his younger brother to approach as well.
Meanwhile, seeing what was going on, the rest of the guild quieted down as they watched the reunion.
Eventually, the two sides met. And when they did, Izumi immediately pulled Edward and Alphonse into a hug before all three were engulfed in a hug by Sig.
"Teacher..." Edward and Alphonse muttered as they both cried quietly.
"Edward, Alphonse, I'm glad you're both safe." Izumi said while tears streamed down her face, as well. Then, she pulled away from the Elric brothers and took a good look at them. "Al, you're so much bigger than the last time I saw you properly. And Ed... even you've grown a little."
Hearing that, Alphonse, who stood at 5'7" smiled. Meanwhile, Edward, who had grown by nearly an inch and stood at 5', smiled wryly.
"Anyway, why don't we have a seat." Sig Suggested. "I'm sure this is not the most comfortable way for Alphonse to carry on a conversation.
Izumi immediately opened her eyes wide before remembering that Alphonse was using crutches when he approached. Then, she nodded her head as she and Edward helped Alphonse back to his seat.
"So, tell us, what happened when you got your bodies back?" Izumi asked once she, Winry, Edward, Alphonse, and Sig were seated.
As asked, Edward and Alphonse worked together to tell the story about their meeting with Ankhseram. After that, they explained the process of their rehab. They also talked about how scary Porlyusica was, as well. And they both shivered when they mentioned Porlyusica's broom.
Then, while they were in the midst of their discussion, the doors once again slid open, revealing Ultear and Meredy, who had just returned from a quest. And to everyone's surprise, Ultear was wearing a serious expression.
"Big news, everyone." Ultear said while holding a newspaper in her hand.
"Really, what's up, Tear?" Cana asked curiously. "Did Fonzie do something again?"
"No, this time it's not about him." Ultear replied as she stepped into the guild hall and headed for the usual table.
Unsurprising to Ultear, however, was the fact that Meredy was frozen in place just inside the doors.
"*Sigh* If you wanna go over there, then go." Ultear said while shaking her head. "Then again, I guess you don't know who you should talk to anymore, huh?"
Immediately, Meredy began to blush. Then, she glared at Ultear with a pout.
"Stop making fun of me, Tear." Meredy whined.
In response, Ultear could not help but laugh. Then, she started patting Meredy on the head.
"And stop treating me like a kid." Meredy said as she slapped Ultear's hand away.
"Okay, okay, I'll stop." Ultear said with a chuckle. "But seriously, you should make a decision. Unless you're trying to start a reverse harem, that is. But something tells me those two won't be okay with sharing a girl."
"Tear~~~~!" Meredy whined loudly as her blush intensified.
As it turned out, as soon as Meredy saw Alphonse's real body, despite the fact that he was basically skin and bones, she, like she had done with Edward, fell in love immediately. Naturally, because of this, she did not know who she should focus on. And Ultear has loved teasing her about it ever since.
"Anyway, you should go introduce yourself." Ultear whispered into Meredy's ear. "If I remember correctly, that woman is Izumi Curtis, Ed and Al's mentor. Basically, the closest thing they have to a parent."
With that, Meredy's expression turned resolute. Then, without another word, she started walking towards the table where the Elrics sat. Meanwhile, Ultear could only shake her head at Meredy's actions. Then, with the newspaper in hand, she continued to the table where her friends sat.
"So, what's the deal, Tear?" Elicia asked curiously. "What kind of news could get you so excited."
"Take a look at this, and you'll understand." Ultear replied as she put the newspaper down on the table.
Picking up the newspaper, Elicia read the headline aloud.
"A New Magical Competition to Crown Fiore's Strongest Guild." Elicia said with her eyes widening.
'I guess that means the Grand Magic Games are right around the corner, huh?' Elicia thought to herself as she read the rest of the article. 'Oh, their gonna start the Miss Fiore Pageant, too, huh?'
["Yeah, and this is all suspiciously similar to the Harvest Festival festivities are guild puts on, isn't it?"] Scylla asked as she read the article through Elicia's eyes.
'I know, right.' Elicia replied. 'I guess our guild was the inspiration behind the king's decision in this time line.'
["Yeah, but it would have happened anyway, now that I think about it."] Scylla said in a contemplative tone. ["I mean, in the canon, Jenny Realight was the reigning Miss Fiore in x791. On top of that, the Grand Magic Games had been going on since at least x789, since Sabretooth dethroned the previous year's champion."]
'That's right. Elicia replied. 'So, at the most, we only sped up the Grand Magic Games, rather than being the reason for them.'
["Right."] Scylla replied with a nod.
"Well, this could be fun." Elicia said as she put the newspaper back down. "And it looks like it will start on July 1 of next year."
"What are you talking about, Lici?" Marin asked curiously as she took the newspaper to read it for herself.
"Yeah, just tell us." Lisanna said with a smile. "Don't keep us in suspense."
"Well, it looks like---" Elicia began to say.
"No way!" Marin exclaimed. "Did the kingdom rip off our Battle of Fairy Tail tournament and make it a kingdom wide event?"
Naturally, Marin's loud exclamation drew the attention of everyone in the main hall. The more curious members of the guild even made their way over to the table to ask what she was talking about.
"Basically." Elicia replied with a shrug.
"And that's why I was so serious when I came in." Ultear said with a nod. "They plan on crowning the strongest guild in Fiore. And I think that crown belongs with us. So, we need to talk to Mom about this."
Hearing that, the guild hall was filled with battle intent. Then, Natsu, the most excitable member of the guild threw his head back and breathed a stream of fire towards the ceiling.
"Oh yeah! I'm all fired up!" Natsu shouted excitedly. "There will be so many people to fight. I can't wait.!"
A moment later, however, Natsu choked on his flames after feeling an intense glare land on him. And when he looked towards the glare's source, he almost wet himself in fear.
"Natsu, what have I told you about doing things that could damage the guild hall?" Elicia asked in an ominous tone. "Did you forget how hard Fonzie worked to build this for us?"
"Wait, Lici, I'm sorry." Natsu replied in a fear-filled tone as he took a few steps back. "I promise, I won't let it happen again."
"That's what you said last time." Elicia said as she ejected threads from the hand she stretched towards Natsu.
In response, Natsu engulfed his body in flames. Unfortunately, that had no effect on the threads Elicia was using to immobilize him.
"Why aren't they burning?" Natsu asked in a horrified tone.
Before he could receive an answer to his question, however, Natsu was wrapped up from neck to toe. At the same time, Elicia used another bundle of her threads to open the elevator and thew Natsu in before sending him up to the tenth floor.
"Now, when the elevator gets back, we should go and talk to Ur about this." Elicia said as if nothing happened.
"That ability to add threads of different attributes to your magic almost feels like cheating." Lucy said as she stared blankly at the elevator doors.
2/2
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Earth Land, Ishgar, Kingdom of Fiore, Pegasus Village.
July, x786.
Around the same time Ultear arrived at the Fairy Tail guild hall with the newspaper, Alfonzo, after finishing his work for the day was sitting in a hot spring pool at Blue Pegasus exclusive hot spring, Pegasus Village. However, instead of just relaxing, which he was, he was also designing the phones that would be used with his and Hibiki's [Archive Magic] telecommunications network.
"Alright, using the sigils I use to give a sense of feel to Automail, I can make a nearly perfect touch screen." Alfonzo muttered to himself while drawing on an [Archive Magic] screen. Then, after sliding the screen design to the left, he began drawing the phone's battery. "And if I use the self-sustaining sigils, I used for Edolas' miniature Anima, they shouldn't need charging... *Sigh* I'm gonna have to put a shit ton of effort into the security, though. Last thing anyone needs is a Dark Guild with a means of collecting power like that."
With that, Alfonzo made a note on the design. Then, he dismissed his [Archive Magic]. After that, he stretched before sinking into the pool and letting the water reach his shoulders.
"*Sigh* In my head, this was a lot easier." Alfonzo muttered as he closed his eyes. "But there really are a lot of working parts. On top of that, we'll have to set up relays for the [Archive Magic] all over Ishgar. *Sigh* So much work."
After his words fell, Alfonzo fell silent for a few minutes while contemplating how he would make this project a reality. Eventually, however, he exhaled a sigh before splashing the water in the hot spring on his face.
"Well, we can only take it one step at a time." Alfonzo said. "For now, let's just worry about getting the network working in Fiore."
Nodding at himself, Alfonzo's eyebrow rose after hearing a series of footsteps. A moment later, however, he relaxed once again. His [Magic Power Detection] let him know exactly who it was, after all.
A few moments later, the door to the hot spring pool he rented was forcefully pulled open. Standing in the now open doorway was Sun, who was blushing from exertion and excitement, while holding a copy of the newspaper.
"Alfonzo, big news!" Sun shouted after closing the door. Then, she quickly approached the hot spring.
Before she could get too far, however, Sun stopped. Then, she realized that Alfonzo was in the hot spring.
"What am I doing?" Sun asked herself, which caused Alfonzo to turn his head in her direction.
With that, Sun put the newspaper she was carrying in one of the baskets used to store clothing. Then, she began taking her clothes off. And once she was naked, she picked up the newspaper before walking towards the hot spring.
A moment later, after checking the temperature of the water with her toes, Sun stepped into the water, waded towards Alfonzo, then took a seat in his lap. All while making sure the newspaper did not get wet.
Once Sun was comfortable, she nodded happily to herself. Then, she held the newspaper up so that Alfonzo could read it.
"Big news, Alfonzo." Sun said excitedly. "Fiore is gonna have a tournament for all the wizards in the kingdom!"
As Sun exclaimed, Alfonzo could not help but smile at her excitement. Then he raised an arm out of the water before starting to comb his fingers through HER hair. At the same time, he also started reading the article that Sun was holding up for him.
"Hmm.... the king basically ripped oFf our Harvest Festival festivities." Alfonzo muttered while reading. "But a nationwide beauty pageant should bring out all the most beautiful girls from around Fiore. And the Grand Magic Games should be fun, too."
Eventually, Alfonzo finished reading. When he did, he wrapped his arms around Sun's waist and pulled her closer himself. Then, he released a sigh.
"What's wrong?" Sun asked curiously while turning her head to look at Alfonzo. "I thought you said it would be fun. So, why are you sighing like that?"
"Because I probably won't be able to participate for the first couple years." Alfonzo replied. "I still have to do that job for the Village Hidden in the Leaves, remember?"
Hearing that, Sun's eyes lit up. Before she could put her thoughts into words, however, the sound of two more sets of footsteps could be heard approaching the hot spring pool from the corridor. A moment later, Mirajane and Erza opened the door to the private room.
"Seriously, Sun." Mirajane said in an exasperated tone. "It's not like he would have missed the news if you had waited for us."
"Indeed." Erza added. "Now, we missed his reaction."
Immediately, Sun's expression turned to an embarrassed one.
"Oops... Sorry." Sun said while lowering her head to hide her blush. "I was just so excited."
"Yeah, I guess I can understand that." Mirajane replied as she started taking off her clothes. "Still, I wish I could have been here to see Alfonzo's face when he found out about it."
"Indeed." Erza added as she [Requipped] out of her clothes. Then, she started walking towards the hot spring. "I'm sure seeing his eyes light up would have been nice."
"*Sigh* That's so convenient." Mirajane muttered as she continued stripping out of her clothes and putting them in one of the free baskets.
Meanwhile, Erza, like Sun had done before, tested the temperature of the water with her toes. Then, she stepped into the pool and took a seat on Alfonzo's right.
"Ah~~~~!" Erza exhaled in comfort as she leaned on Alfonzo. "You were right, Sun. This is truly wonderful."
"I know, right?" Sun replied while puffing out her chest proudly. "Hot springs are the best."
By now, Mirajane had also stepped into the pool. Then, she, too, sat down and leaned on Alfonzo's other side.
"Yeah, they really are." Mirajane said in a relaxed tone.
Alfonzo, on the other hand, was not complaining about the situation he found himself in. However, he could not help but pat himself on the back for renting a private hot spring.
["Yeah, because I'm sure they wouldn't have stopped if you had chosen to take a dip in the men's bath."] Bedlam said while shaking his head.
'Probably not.' Alfonzo replied while mentally shrugging. 'And I can only feel sorry for any guys that were already in there or came later. Because I'm certain they would have dealt with them in the Fairy Tail way. And all before any of them could see their bodies.'
["Oh, there's no doubt about that."] Bedlam said with a smile.
"So, Sun, how did Alfonzo react to the news?" Mirajane asked before leaning over and kissing Alfonzo on the cheek.
"You could have just asked me, you know?" Alfonzo asked in an incredulous tone.
In response, Mirajane smiled before pecking him on the cheek again. And that kiss started a chain reaction, as Sun turned around and pecked him on the lips before Erza pecked him on the other cheek.
Immediately, any protests Alfonzo had, playful or otherwise, disappeared. At the same time, Sun started explaining Alfonzo's reaction to the article, which earned him a pinch on the waist from the Jealous Mirajane. However, he did not mind that. Instead, he thought about what he knew of the Grand Magic Games.
'So, the only thing I know for sure is that Sabertooth, led by its twin Dragon Slayers, won the x790 Grand Magic Games.' Alfonzo thought to himself while the girls chatted happily. 'Other than that, I don't know when it actually started in the canon timeline. On top of that, there's a pretty good chance that with all these crossover characters, Sabertooth won't win in x790. Still, I would love to see the look on Jienma's face when Sabertooth is dominated. I think I'll stop him from taking Minerva and joining Tartaros, too.'
Like that, the group of four continued enjoying the hot spring until they were ready to leave.
Earth Land, Ishgar, Kingdom of Fiore, Mermaid Heel Headquarters.
August, x786.
After the news reported on the upcoming Grand Magic Games, All of Fiore was excited, looking forward to the competition between the wizards of the legal guilds. Unfortunately, there was no news reported about the format of the tournament. As a result, Sorcerer Weekly had a lot of articles that interviewed, so called, experts about their speculations.
Meanwhile, Alfonzo continued his work at the Blue Pegasus guild hall. And with only a few weeks left until September, he was nearly finished with his work. ON top of that, Alfonzo and Hibiki were able to get the initial version of the [Archive Magic Network] ready for deployment.
Unfortunately, things were not as easy as Alfonzo expected. Because the range of the magic was limited, it meant he would have to place relays all over the kingdom, and eventually the continent. That, however, could be solved by issuing quests.
But Alfonzo's idea went a step further than just issuing quests to the Legal Guilds in Fiore. And because of that, Tsunade received a letter asking about the process to make mission reports for the Shinobi of the Village Hidden in the Leaves.
"*Sigh* What is that kid up to now?" Tsunade asked while rubbing her temples. Then, she picked up a sake cup from her desk and took a sip before once again reading the letter.
"What do you mean, Lady Tsunade?" Shizune asked curiously.
"Alfonzo must be planning something big if he's asking about what he needs to do to create a mission for the ninjas of the village." Tsunade replied.
"Isn't that a good thing?" Shizune asked in apparent confusion. "If someone of his stature wishes to employ the village, it should bring in quite a bit of revenue, no?"
"You're not wrong, Shizune." Tsunade replied while shaking her head. "But it makes you wonder... He's a member of the strongest guild in the kingdom. So, what would he need help with that his guild can't help him with."
"I think you're looking at this the wrong way, Tsuna." Retsu, who was seated across the desk from Tsunade, said after taking a sip from a cup of tea.
Hearing that, Tsunade shifted her attention from the letter to the former Mermaid Heel guild master.
"How so?" Tsunade asked as she put the letter down on the desk.
"Perhaps it's not that his guild is not strong enough." Retsu replied. "Instead, he probably needs the manpower that your village can provide. There are thousands of shinobi housed in your village, correct?"
With that, the light of realization flashed in Tsunade's beautiful, hazel eyes. Then, she lowered her head, supporting her chin with her right hand, as she thought about Retsu's conjecture.
"You're probably right." Tsunade said after thinking about it for a few moments. "Still, I'm curious, why not just post a quest for all the Legal Guilds in the kingdom instead of using the village."
"If had to guess, it has something to do with the upcoming Grand Magic Games." Retsu said with a gentle smile. "More than likely, after the news came out, the guilds who intend to participate in the event will focus on growing in strength. Especially because the title of strongest guild in Fiore is at stake."
"I see." Tsunade replied while rubbing her chin. "That makes even more sense. Still, I'm curious to know what he's up to."
"Well, then you should ask him." Retsu replied while continuing to smile. "And as it happens, I'm supposed to pick up something from him when he's back in Magnolia. So, why don't you accompany me?"
"*Sigh* I suppose you're right." Tsunade said. "It's not like I could figure out what a kid like him is thinking, anyway. So, when are we leaving? And what do you want to pick up, anyway?"
"I intend to leave on the thirty-first." Retsu replied, her smile widening as she did so. "And as for what I'm picking up, it's not more than an item that I recently gained interest in."
Hearing Retsu's words and tone, as well as seeing the smile on her face, Tsunade had a bad feeling. However, she needed to talk to Alfonzo. Not only about the mission, but also as the liaison for the village about his overhaul of the training grounds.
"Then, I'll be ready to leave on the thirty-first." Tsunade said, though she sounded quite apprehensive. A moment later, she turned to Shizune before continuing. "Shizune, you'll be in charge while Master Retsu and I are away. Make sure those girls train hard. We're aiming to be the champions of the Grand Magic Games, after all."
"Yes, Lady Tsunade." Shizune replied in a resolute tone.
Nodding at her disciple, Tsunade turned her attention back to her paperwork. Though, she did glance at Retsu once more beforehand.
'*Sigh* I'm just glad I survived... If dying several times and being revived can be called surviving... Master Retsu's discipline training.' Tsunade thought to herself as she picked up her pen. 'I have no idea how she can call that torture training. But I guess it worked. I get the feeling any time I'm about to go overboard drinking or gambling Master Retsu's face will pop up in my head. Then, I'll be too scared to go too far.'
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