Goodbyes and Battle Preparations

Earth Land, Ishgar, Kingdom of Fiore, Magnolia.

July, x785.

A week has passed since Alfonzo had his conversation with Edward and Alphonse. And in that time, not much of note has taken place. Gray, Ultear, Erza, Natsu, Happy, and Lucy did finish their quests and return during that week, though. And they, like the rest of Fairy Tail, had the opportunity to interact with the visitors, who they all came to like, in some capacity. Even Meredy, despite competing with Winry for Edward's attention, genuinely liked Winry, too.

One thing worthy of mention, however, was the fact that Alfonzo, Elicia, Erza, and Marin took an S-Class quest together and left Magnolia a day ago.

Other than that, today was the day that Winry, Edward, and Alphonse would be leaving Magnolia. So, they were currently at the train station waiting for their train to arrive. Standing on the platform with them were Cana, Ultear, Mirajane, Sun, Lucy, Maes, Gracia, and the little Elicia. Naturally, they were there to send them off.

"I'm gonna miss you, Big Sis." The little Elicia said tearfully while hugging Winry.

"I'll miss you too, Elicia." Winry said with a smile. "You'll have to show me your magic next time we see each other, okay?"

Hearing Winry mention her magic, the little Elicia's eyes brightened.

"I will." Little Elicia said with a nod. "I'll show you all my magic beast friends when you come back."

"I'm looking forward to it." Winry replied happily.

Hearing the two, the rest of the people on the platform smiled warmly.

"Come now, Elicia." Gracia said in a soothing tone. "You have to let Winry say goodbye to the others, too."

"*Sniff* Okay." The little Elicia said before reluctantly releasing Winry.

A moment later, Gracia pulled her daughter into her arms before addressing Winry.

"It was good to see you again, Winry." Gracia said with a smile. Then, she turned her attention to Edward and Alphonse. "And the same goes for you, too, boys."

"It was nice to see you, too, Miss Gracia." Alphonse said politely.

"Yeah, we'll make sure to come visit you again when we get the chance." Edward added.

"You can come by any time." Gracia replied. "The three of you are always welcome."

"That's right, you three." Maes added as he stepped forward to pat the Elrics on their shoulders. "Don't be strangers, alright."

"Of course." Winry replied with a smile.

After the Hughes family had the opportunity to say their goodbyes, they stepped back, allowing the young ladies of Fairy Tail to have their chance.

"Hey, Ed, you better not lose those clothes Elicia made for you." Cana said with a mischievous smile. "Otherwise, you won't like the consequences."

"Leave me alone." Edward replied in a huff.

"Although it sounds like Cana is just teasing you, Ed..." Sun said while smiling wryly. "... Lici can get pretty... intense when it comes to someone damaging the clothes she makes. If you don't believe me, ask Tear's mother about what happened after the S-Class exam."

Remembering Elicia's glare that made Ur stutter and lower her head in apology, after Elicia found out how Gray and Meredy destroyed the clothes she made specifically for Ur, was enough to make the ladies from Fairy Tail shiver in fear.

After seeing the expressions on Cana's, Ultear's, Mirajane's, Sun's, and Lucy's faces, Edward started to rethink his idea to throw the elegant, sleeveless, backless, evening gown Elicia made for him into the fireplace once he got back to Crocus.

"Well, it was nice meeting you all, Cana, Ultear, Mirajane, and Lucy." Winry said with a smile after remembering Edward in his dress. "And it was great to see you again, too, Sun. I'll definitely come to visit again."

"Yeah." Sun said happily as she approached Winry and pulled her into a hug. "And I'll make sure to come see you and Granny next time I'm near Resenbool, too."

Agreeing with Sun's sentiments, the other ladies said their farewells while exchanging hugs with Winry, as well.

"It's too bad Alfonzo, Lici, Erza, and Marin had to take that quest, though." Winry said, sounding a little disappointed. "I would have liked to see them one more time before we had to leave."

"I know what you mean." Mirajane said with a smile. "But they're wizards. Things like this can't be helped sometimes."

"Well, I'm glad that guy isn't here." Edward said with a huff.

"You're just mad he won your bet, Brother." Alphonse interjected. "Other than that, you didn't really have a problem with him. "

In response, Edward only looked away with a pout. However, he did not say anything to refute his brother's words.

{"The train bound for Crocus will arrive on platform six in two minutes."} A female voice said over the station's P.A. system. {Please make sure you have all your belongings and wait behind the yellow line until the train's doors have opened. I repeat..."}

Exactly two minutes after the announcement, the train headed to Crocus pulled up to the platform. Then, after another minute, or so, the doors opened, and passengers began to disembark.

"I guess that means it's time." Edward said as he picked up his luggage.

"Yeah, it was really nice meeting you all." Alphonse added.

"I'll definitely come and see you all again!" Winry said excitedly.

"You better." Cana said with a smile.

"Hey, Ed." Maes said just before the three boarded the train.

"Yeah?" Edward asked as he turned to face Maes.

"Tell Roy to come and visit me some time, okay?" Maes asked with a smile.

"Sure." Edward replied with a shrug. "But you know how he is. Getting him to take a vacation won't be easy."

"Just tell him while Lt. Hawkeye is around." Maes replied. "That's all I ask

With that, everyone said their final goodbyes before Winry, Edward, and Alphonse boarded the train. Then, after a few more minutes, the train's whistle sounded before it slowly pulled away from the platform.

Watching the train leave, little Elicia waved vigorously as tears gathered in her eyes. Then, when the train was no longer visible, she hugged Gracia tightly.

"Well, we should get going." Maes said as he picked up his daughter. "I'm sure we've all got work to do."

Hearing that, everyone turned towards the train station's entrance.

"It's a shame that Alfonzo, Elicia, Erza, and Marin couldn't be here to send them off, too." Gracia said as she walked alongside her husband.

While Gracia felt truly regretful that Alfonzo, Elicia, Erza, and Marin were unable to see Winry, Edward, and Alphonse off, the others, excluding little Elicia, exchanged glances. As official members of Fairy Tail, they were aware of where Alfonzo and the other girls were.

Earth Land, Ishgar, Kingdom of Fiore, Crocus.

As the train from Magnolia to Crocus was pulling away from the station, Alfonzo, Elicia, Erza, and Marin were gathered in a hotel suite in Crocus.

"Were the two of you able to find anything?" Marin asked while sitting on the couch in the suite's living room. "I really wanna show those homunculi why targeting me was such a bad idea."

"Indeed." Erza replied with a strong nod. "They need to be made aware of the folly of their ways."

"I found an entrance to a cave system that extends under most of the city on the city's outskirts." Alfonzo replied. "And if all the mindless chimera I sensed roaming the caves are any indication, I think it may lead to the place where my Techno Organic Metal was extracted from the one that can transform into other people."

"What about you, Lici?" Marin asked.

"Yeah, since Bradley was one of them, I searched his house." Elicia replied. "And I did find an elevator shaft that led deep underground in the house."

"I would venture a guess that the elevator leads directly to their hideout." Erza said sternly. Perhaps that would be our best option."

"I doubt it." Elicia replied while shaking her head. "Bradley's wife and son are still living in the house. Which would make it much harder to start the elevator and remain undetected."

"Indeed, that could be an issue." Erza replied with a nod.

"On top of that, Bradley's son, Selim, doesn't have a magic power signature, either." Elicia continued.

"Are you telling me he turned his own child in to a homunculus? Like he did with Org?" Marin asked with her eyebrows furrowed.

"I don't think that's it, Marin." Alfonzo replied as he started combing his fingers through Marin's hair to calm her down. "According to the information I was able to get from Ed and Al over the last couple of days, homunculi can't reproduce biologically. So, there's definitely something else going on."

"Actually, from the information I was able to pick up, Selim was adopted." Elicia said with a shrug. "Apparently, he's a relative of King Bradley's who lost his parents in some kind of accident. And with no one else to take care of him, the Bradley's adopted him."

"Actually, I find that weird." Marin said, tilting her head into Alfonzo's hand as she spoke. "Why would a homunculus have a family?"

"Probably to appear more human." Alfonzo replied with a shrug. "I mean, they're posing as humans, after all."

"I guess…" Marin said, though she still found it strange.

"Anyway, we should probably move tonight." Alfonzo said. "I'm sure they already know we're in the city."

"I agree." Erza said. "I'd rather not have innocent people caught up in our inevitable battle."

"I'm actually surprised they haven't attacked us already." Marin said with a content smile on her face as she laid her head on Alfonzo's lap while enjoying the feeling of his fingertips brushing against her scalp. "I mean, it's not like we snuck into the city, right?"

"Oh, that's because I put all of us and the Escalade under the effects of [Hiding in Plain Sight], shortly after I noticed we were being watched." Elicia said cheerfully as she started patting Marin's head from the other side of Alfonzo. "So, I'm sure they've been trying to find us the whole time."

"Then, why are you so sure they'll attack us soon?" Marin asked curiously.

"Because I saw people running around and checking hotel registries while I was heading to Bradley's house earlier." Elicia said.

"That means they will find us eventually." Erza continued. "And I would be willing to wager that it will be soon."

"Probably." Alfonzo replied with a shrug. "Actually, we probably shouldn't wait until tonight to start moving."

"Why?" Marin asked as she made herself more comfortable.

"Because it would be easier to catch them off guard." Alfonzo replied. "They definitely don't think we know where their hideout is. Otherwise, they would have definitely tried harder to get rid of us. So, if we just stroll in, they won't have as much time to prepare."

"I guess that makes sense." Marin replied. "Then, when are we gonna leave?"

"Now." Alfonzo and Elicia said with the flames of revenge burning in their eyes.

"Seriously?" Marin asked as she looked up at Alfonzo and Elicia. "But I just got---"

Before Marin could finish, she made eye contact with Alfonzo and Elicia. And when she saw the emotions in their eyes, she shut her mouth. Then, she sat up with a determined expression on her face.

"Yeah, let's go." Marin said. "We'll make them pay for what they did to your parents and Erza's village."

Not only Alfonzo and Elicia were burning with the desire for revenge. But after seeing the projected [Transmutation Circle] on a map that Hughes marked, Erza found out that her village, Rosemary Village, was one of the massacred villages that were part of the large [Transmutation Circle] needed to create the Philosopher's Stone.

"We can't just charge in, though." Alfonzo said as he calmed himself forcefully. "We need to come up with a strategy."

Hearing that, Elicia, Erza, and Marin all nodded in agreement. Then, the quartet began discussing the best way to infiltrate the enemy hideout.

Meanwhile, under the city, in the cavern with the dragon skeleton, Father, Envy, Gluttony, and Greed were gathered, discussing the arrival of Alfonzo and the others.

"Have you still not been able to find them?" Father asked, sounding a bit impatient.

"I'm sorry, Father." Envy replied. "Although one of our informants saw them enter the city in their magic vehicle, they lost them shortly afterwards."

"It must be that one chick's magic." Greed said with a shrug. "When Wrath and I fought her after the execution, she just suddenly appeared at one point. It's probably some kind of [Stealth Magic]."

"We've already gathered as much." Father replied. "It's potent enough that it can even fool Gluttony's nose."

"You want me to go look around for them, Pops?" Greed asked. "I'm sure I can do a better job than a human."

"That may be a good idea." Father replied while stroking his beard. "I'll allow it."

'Hell yeah!' Greed exclaimed internally. 'I finally get the chance to get out of this shit hole. And I'm never coming back. I just gotta make sure to get outside the [Transmutation Circle] as fast as possible, so that Pride can't find me. But I bet he'll be too distracted to care about me soon. So, I'll be able to get out Scott free.'