POV: Elior
The afternoon training session had been going well.
Laxus and I were sparring while Erza practiced nearby, and Cana was sitting beneath a tree with Luna, occasionally shouting completely unnecessary advice.
"Hit him harder, Laxus!"
"I'm already hitting him!"
"Then hit him harder!"
I laughed.
"Don't encourage him."
"I'm encouraging the winner."
"You haven't even decided who the winner is."
"I have."
"Of course you have."
Laxus was about to charge again when the ground suddenly trembled.
We all stopped.
I looked down.
A faint vibration passed through the earth.
Then another.
Stronger.
Erza lowered her wooden sword.
"What was that?"
The trees began shaking.
Birds scattered from the forest.
Then the entire ground shifted.
BOOOOOOM!
The force rolled through the area like a gigantic shockwave.
Dust rose from the road.
The villa windows rattled.
Even Luna jumped out of Cana's lap.
I immediately spread my magical perception.
There was an enormous magical disturbance somewhere in Magnolia.
Not hostile.
Not an attack.
Just…
Absurd.
I stared toward the city.
"What the hell was that?"
Laxus's eyes widened.
Then he grinned.
"He's back."
"Who?"
"Gildarts."
Cana froze.
"My dad…"
She immediately stood.
"He's back?"
Laxus nodded.
"That was definitely him."
Cana didn't wait.
She took off toward Magnolia.
"Hey!"
I grabbed Erza's hand.
"Come on."
Laxus followed us.
By the time we reached the city, Magnolia was already in chaos.
The streets had shifted.
Buildings had been displaced.
People were standing outside their homes, looking around in confusion.
But the reaction wasn't fear.
It was excitement.
Because everyone knew what the strange phenomenon meant.
Gildarts Clive had returned.
We followed the noise toward Fairy Tail.
The guild hall was already overflowing.
Macao was laughing.
Wakaba was shouting.
Several veteran members were clapping Gildarts on the back.
Makarov stood near the entrance with an enormous grin.
"Gildarts!"
The red-haired mage laughed.
"Gramps!"
They embraced.
"You finally came back, you damn fool!"
"Missed me?"
"Not the destruction."
Gildarts laughed.
"I barely did anything."
"You shifted half of Magnolia!"
"Minor details."
The guild erupted in laughter.
I had heard plenty of stories about Gildarts.
Fairy Tail's Ace.
One of the strongest mages in the guild.
A man whose return could literally rearrange the streets.
Seeing him in person was something else entirely.
Irene had remained at the villa with the others, but even from there she'd felt his magical presence.
She had simply smiled.
"So that's Gildarts."
She had immediately recognized the sheer strength behind his presence.
Back inside the guild, the celebration continued.
Gildarts greeted old friends one after another.
Macao.
Wakaba.
Several other veterans.
Everyone had something to say.
Everyone had a story.
Everyone wanted to know where he'd been.
Gildarts laughed through all of it.
Then he turned toward the bar.
And stopped.
Cornelia was standing behind the counter.
She had been preparing drinks for the guild when the commotion began.
Her hand froze.
Gildarts froze.
The noise around them slowly disappeared.
Their eyes met.
For several seconds, neither moved.
Gildarts's smile faded.
"…Cornelia?"
Cornelia stared at him.
"Gildarts."
Neither said anything else.
Makarov looked between them.
He had never seen that expression on Gildarts's face.
Confusion.
Shock.
And something much deeper.
Gildarts slowly walked toward the bar.
"You…"
Cornelia swallowed.
"You came back."
"I did."
His voice was quiet now.
"You left."
"I did."
"Years ago."
"Yes."
"Without saying where you were going."
"I couldn't stay."
Gildarts looked down for a moment.
"I looked for you."
"I know."
"You knew?"
"I heard."
He laughed bitterly.
"Then why didn't you come back?"
Cornelia's eyes became wet.
"Because I didn't know how."
Silence.
Gildarts stared at her.
"Are you… alright?"
Cornelia smiled through her tears.
"Now I am."
His eyes narrowed.
"What happened?"
Cornelia took a breath.
"A lot."
Gildarts waited.
She told him about the illness.
The curse that had slowly consumed her health.
The years she had spent suffering.
The moment she met Elior.
How his Light Magic had healed her.
How she eventually found a home in Fairy Tail.
Gildarts listened without interrupting.
When she finished, he stared at her for several seconds.
"You've been through all that?"
Cornelia nodded.
"And you're alive because of that boy?"
She smiled.
"Yes."
Gildarts looked toward the guild entrance.
"Where is he?"
"He's not here right now."
Gildarts looked back at her.
"I'm glad you're alive."
Cornelia's tears finally fell.
"So am I."
Gildarts stepped closer.
For years, he had carried the memory of the woman he loved.
Not as someone dead.
Not as someone forgotten.
But as someone who had simply disappeared from his life.
And now she was standing in front of him again.
Alive.
Gildarts pulled her into his arms.
Cornelia immediately hugged him back.
Neither cared that the entire guild was watching.
Gildarts closed his eyes.
"I missed you."
"I missed you too."
"I'm sorry."
Cornelia shook her head against his chest.
"Don't."
"I should've been there."
"You didn't know."
"I still should've."
They held each other for a long moment.
The guild had gone completely silent.
Even Macao and Wakaba didn't dare interrupt.
Makarov quietly looked away.
Some reunions didn't need an audience.
Eventually, Gildarts and Cornelia separated.
Gildarts wiped his eyes.
"So…"
Cornelia smiled.
"So."
"You really came back here."
"Yes."
"And you're working behind the bar now?"
She laughed softly.
"Someone has to keep these idiots alive."
From nearby, Wakaba shouted,
"We heard that!"
Cornelia laughed.
Gildarts smiled.
For the first time since entering the guild, he looked genuinely relaxed.
Then footsteps came from outside.
Fast footsteps.
The doors burst open.
Elior, Laxus, Erza and Cana entered.
"What happened?" Erza asked.
"We felt the whole ground move!" I added.
Cana wasn't listening.
She had already seen him.
Gildarts turned.
His eyes landed on the four children.
Then they stopped on Cana.
Something about her face caught his attention.
He stared.
Cana stared back.
She had imagined this moment for years.
She knew exactly who he was.
But seeing him standing there was completely different.
Gildarts looked at Cornelia.
Then at Cana.
Then back at Cornelia.
"Who is she?"
Cornelia's eyes filled with tears again.
She stepped out from behind the counter.
"Gildarts…"
Cana slowly walked forward.
Nobody else understood what was happening.
Makarov looked confused.
Laxus looked between them.
Erza looked at Cana.
I already knew.
I'd known for a long time.
But even I felt my chest tighten as I watched the moment unfold.
Cornelia stood beside Cana.
Then she gently placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder.
"This is Cana."
Gildarts's expression changed.
"Cana?"
Cana nodded.
Her eyes were already shining with tears.
"Hi, Dad."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Makarov's eyes widened.
"…Dad?"
Laxus stared.
"Wait."
Erza looked shocked.
"Cana's father?"
Gildarts couldn't move.
His eyes never left Cana.
"My…"
His voice broke.
"My daughter?"
Cornelia nodded.
"Your daughter."
Gildarts looked at Cana again.
She smiled through her tears.
"I've wanted to meet you for so long."
He took one unsteady step forward.
Then another.
"Cana…"
She ran to him.
Gildarts dropped to one knee and caught her in his arms.
Cana buried her face against his chest.
He held her tightly.
"I'm sorry."
Cana shook her head.
"You didn't know."
"I should have."
"You didn't know."
His eyes filled with tears.
"I missed everything."
Cana hugged him tighter.
"But you're here now."
Gildarts closed his eyes.
For the first time in years, the legendary Ace of Fairy Tail looked completely broken.
Not from an enemy.
Not from a mission.
From happiness.
Makarov stood frozen nearby.
He slowly looked at Cornelia.
"You were pregnant?"
Cornelia nodded.
"I didn't know when I left."
Makarov looked at Gildarts.
Then Cana.
Then back at Gildarts.
"How did I not know about this?"
Wakaba whispered,
"I don't think anyone knew."
Macao nodded.
"Definitely not me."
Laxus looked at me.
"You knew?"
I nodded.
"Yeah."
"And you didn't tell us?"
I shook my head.
"It wasn't my secret to tell."
Laxus looked at Cana and Gildarts.
Then nodded quietly.
"Fair enough."
Erza smiled softly.
"I'm happy for Cana."
I looked at them.
At Cornelia.
At Gildarts.
At Cana.
At the entire guild standing around them.
This was going to change things.
Gildarts had spent years away from Fairy Tail.
Cornelia had built a new life here.
Cana had grown up without knowing what it felt like to have her father around.
But now they were finally standing in the same room.
Gildarts eventually pulled away from Cana and looked at Cornelia.
"I need to hear everything."
Cornelia smiled.
"You'll have plenty of time."
Gildarts glanced at Cana.
Then around the guild.
He looked at Makarov.
At Macao.
At Wakaba.
At the people he'd known for years.
Then back at his daughter.
"I think…"
He paused.
"I think I've been gone long enough."
Makarov smiled.
"Then stay."
Gildarts looked at Cana.
She was still holding onto his hand.
His expression softened.
"Yeah."
He smiled.
"I will."
And just like that, Gildarts Clive came home.
Not for a mission.
Not for glory.
Not because he had nowhere else to go.
He came home because, after years of being away, he had finally discovered that he had a family waiting for him.
And judging by the way Cana refused to let go of his hand, he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.