What a Headache

Earth Land, Ishgar, Kingdom of Fiore, Magnolia. 

July, x788. 

Unsurprisingly, the confusion brought with Irene's appearance put a halt to the bedroom activities. Instead, everyone, especially Alfonzo and Rika realized that things were moving a bit faster than they were used to. 

So, everyone decided that they would stop there for the evening. Though, Elicia, and Erza, who were looking forward to a night of passion, were the most disappointed by the turn of events. 

After that, Irene, who was thoroughly embarrassed by her behavior that night was not seen at the guild for the next week, or so. Meanwhile, Alfonzo and Rika could be seen strolling around Magnolia on several dates in that time period to deepen their relationship and get to know each other better. 

Also, during that time, Alfonzo had to make it up to Elicia, Erza, and Shizuka for stopping part way that night. 

"*Sigh* Mother still refuses to come out of her house." Erza said in an exasperated tone 

"Well, not everyone has no shame like you do, Erza." Cana said after taking a swig from a bottle of liquor. "I'm sure she was completely embarrassed after being dragged along by the current like that." 

Currently, the ladies living in the Mansion on the Lake were all seated on the first floor of the guild hall. Alfonzo, on the other hand, was in the kitchen, cooking for those who had accumulated guild points during his extended stay in the Village Hidden in the Leaves. 

After hearing Cana's response, Erza tilted her head in confusion. 

"What does having no shame have to do with this?" Erza asked in a genuinely confused tone. 

"I think you rushed things a little bit, Erza." Marin said. "Remember, your mother was not in that kind of relationship with Fonzie. So, it makes sense that she's embarrassed." 

"Is that so?" Erza asked while tilting her head back in the other direction. 

"Anyway, I'm sure things will work themselves out." Mirajane said with her usual pleasant smile on her face. Then, she turned to Lisanna, who was quite visibly pregnant, and said. "Lisanna, are you sure you should be out here? Wouldn't it be better if you rested at home?" 

"I'm fine, Mira." Lisanna said with a smile. "Miss Porlyusica, Shizuka, and Ren have all told me that it's good to move around whenever I can. It's good for the baby, too." 

"I know, but…" Mira said, clear concern for her younger sister in her tone. 

"Anyway, what about you?" Lisanna asked. "Any progress yet?" 

"*Sigh* No, not really." Mirajane replied. "But I think it's too early to tell. We only stopped using the sigil last month. 

"I guess that's true." Lisanna replied with a smile. "Don't worry, I'm sure it will happen soon." 

*Bang!* 

At that moment, Natsu, who was participating in a brawl with the rest of the guild, slammed on top of the table where the ladies were sitting. And the worst possible outcome occurred. 

Not only did the slam cause Cana's bottle of liquor to fall over and shatter on the floor, but he crushed the piece of strawberry shortcake Erza was eating, as well. 

"*Sigh* You really should have gotten married earlier, Lisanna." Marin said while shaking her head sadly. "Because Natsu definitely isn't going to live through today." 

"It won't just be Natsu." Ultear, who had been silent the whole time, said. "Everyone involved in that fight will be in big trouble this time." 

"Ugh… Damn, that Gray really packed a punch this time." Natsu groaned as he picked himself up from the top of the table. "Huh? What is this?" 

After asking that question, Natsu raised the hand he used to support himself into a sitting position. Then, when he saw that it was covered in whipped cream, strawberries, and bits of shortcake, his face paled immediately. On top of that, he could smell the scent of alcohol coming from all around him, as if it had been poured everywhere. 

"Oh no…" Natsu muttered with fear swirling in the depths of his eyes. 

"Oh no, indeed." Erza said while exuding a dark aura. "Natsu, do you have any idea what you've done?" 

"Yeah, you made me waste a 7,500 Jewel bottle of tequila just now." Cana added. "And that's not good." 

Natsu was not the only one stricken with terror at that moment. Cana's and Erza's dark and menacing auras had already covered the entire first floor of the guild hall, causing the brawl to come a complete stop. And when the other members of the guild saw who was causing such an uncomfortable feeling, they, like Natsu, paled immediately. 

"We're all dead." Macao said while frozen in the position of throwing a punch at Elfman. 

"Yeah, those two monsters are going to kill us all." Wakaba added while lying on the floor after being thrown to the ground by Reedus. 

'Someone… Save us... Please…" All those involved in the brawl though at the same time. 

Meanwhile, at the east gate of the town, an abnormally small magic vehicle sped through the gates before turning sharply and drifting to a stop not long after entering. A moment later, the car broke into parts and stood up like a human. 

However, if one were to look closer, they would notice that the parts were all attached to the body of a person… a woman… a beautiful woman with long blonde hair and blue eyes wearing a beautiful lavender-colored dress and a cream-colored sash around her waist. 

"I think this is the first time I've ever been to magnolia." The beautiful woman, Jenny Realight of Blue Pegasus said while looking around. "But had no choice. Master Bob said that he heard from Master Makarov that Alfonzo was back. And that he wouldn't' be leaving for a while. Now is the best chance I have to get him to make me something I can add to my [Take Over: Machina Soul]." 

While looking around, Jenny caught sight of the large metal tower in the north. Knowing that was her first stop to find Alfonzo, she quickly started walking in that direction. At the same time, she dispelled her [Machina Soul: Huracán] [Take Over], as she flashed in white light. After that, her breath taking beauty was on full display, capturing the attention of every townsfolk she passed by. 

"Hey, isn't that Jenny Realight from Blue Pegasus?" A man headed out of the town to pick medicinal herbs asked while staring blankly at Jenny. 

"I wonder why someone like her is in Magnolia." A woman of considerable beauty said in a jealous tone. 

"Do you think she came here to challenge Mirajane Strauss to a duel, or something?" A teenage boy asked with his eyes sparkling. 

"That's possible." A girl replied. "She did come in second in the Miss Fiore Pageant two years in a row, after all. I bet she wants revenge." 

The townsfolk continued to gossip about Jenny's reason for being in Magnolia the whole way. However, Jenny was so focused on finding Alfonzo that she did not notice. 

"Once I get some powerful magic items from Alfonzo, I'll be more than just a poster girl for the guild." Jenny said to herself in a resolute tone. "Then, I'll finally get the chance to participate in the S-Class Promotion Exam and help our guild reach new heights." 

While repeating these words to herself over and over, Jenny walked through the streets of Magnolia with steps filled with purpose. 

At the same time, at the entrance of a four story tower, Irene, who had isolated herself for the last ten days, or so, finally stepped out of her house. Following behind her were her two sentient swords, Heine and Juliet. 

"I've change so much since I regained my humanity." Irene muttered to herself after leaving her house. "To think I would be so embarrassed that I would run away from a problem like that." 

Listening to Irene's lamentation, Heine and Juliet exchanged glances. They were not present when Irene was dragged into Alfonzo's room that night. Irene did not tell them about it, either. So, they had no idea why their lady had been acting so strange for the last few days. 

"Irene, are we going to the guild hall today?" Juliet asked in a cheerful tone. "Will we be taking a quest? We haven't taken a quest together in along time." 

"Juliet, be more respectful when speaking to Lady Irene." Heine scolded. 

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Juliet replied nonchalantly. 

"You always say that." Heine said sternly. "But you never change." 

Listening to her subordinates bicker as they usually do, Irene could not help but smile. 

"Yes, we'll be heading to the guild hall." Irene replied. "I suppose taking a quest with the two of you wouldn't be so bad, either." 

Upon hearing Irene's words, the bickering duo stopped immediately. Then their eyes lit up in unison. The happy feelings they were experiencing were evident to anyone who was lucky enough to walk by and see their expressions. 

"Anyway, let's go." Irene said. 

'I probably won't run into him, right?' Irene thought as she led Heine and Juliet through the streets of Magnolia. 'It's past the time for training, so he probably went back to the mansion to spend time with Amar'e, right.' 

It did not take long for Irene, Heine, and Juliet to arrive at the Fairy Tail guild hall. When they did, however, they noticed that someone who was not supposed to be there was standing outside and staring up at the tall, metal tower. And when Irene noticed the guild mark on her left shoulder, she was certain that she knew who this person was. 

"That's Jenny Realight of Blue Pegasus." Irene asked rhetorically as she, Heine, and Juliet approached the guild hall. "She sure is a long way from home. I wonder what brought her here." 

"Maybe she has a message from Master Bob?" Heine asked curiously. "She is the poster girl of Blue Pegasus, after all." 

"I doubt it." Juliet said while resting her right index finger on her chin. "With Alfonzo's lPhones, sending messages like that is unnecessary. So, she must be here for something else." 

"You're probably right." Heine replied with a nod. "Still, I wonder why she's here." 

"Well, let's just ask her." Irene said as she drew nearer to Jenny. 

"It's so big…" Jenny muttered just as Irene, Heine, and Juliet approached. 

At the moment Jenny muttered her words, Gray came flying towards the door, causing the proximity sensor to open the door. As a result, her words, quiet as they were, drifted into the guild hall. 

"That's what she said!" Alfonzo shouted from the kitchen's entrance. 

Then, Alfonzo looked towards the door and saw Jenny standing in front of it with Gray lying at her feet. On top of that, Irene, Heine, and Juliet were approaching from behind her. 

"*Sigh* I get the feeling a headache is on the way." Alfonzo said as he shook his head. "Not even mentioning how Mira is going to react to Jenny being here, dealing with Irene after that awkward shit last time is going to be a pain in the ass." 

Just as Alfonzo muttered those words to himself, Irene also caught sight of him coming out of the kitchen. When she did, her footsteps paused for a moment. However, she still continued to walk forward. 

Jenny, on the other hand, heard Alfonzo's crude joke, and her eyes lit up when she looked in the direction of his voice. Then, she quickly walked into the guild hall, making a B-line straight for Alfonzo. 

"Damn it… Why is that little…" Mirajane muttered after seeing Jenny walking into the guild hall. 

"That's Jenny Realight, right?" Sun asked. "We met her when we went to the Blue Pegasus guild hall with Alfonzo two years ago. In fact, she clung to Alfonzo quite a bit back then, didn't she?" 

"Oh, did she?" Elicia asked with her eyes sparkling. "Tell me about it. Do you think we're gonna have a sister from another guild?" 

"Seriously, Lici. Not every girl is a potential harem sister, you know?" Marin said while shaking her head. 

By now, Mirajane had stood up and started walking towards Alfonzo, as well. On top of that, Irene, Heine, and Juliet were also approaching Alfonzo. And Irene was staring at him with so much intensity that Alfonzo thought she might challenge him to a fight to the death to wash away her humiliation. 

"Yeah, I can definitely feel a headache coming." Alfonzo muttered while he raised his hands to rub his temples. 

Adding to Alfonzo's oncoming headache, Cana and Erza were still rampaging after their liquor and shortcake were ruined. And the screams of the guild members sounded particularly piercing at the moment.