October 11, x775

Laxus tried his best to be intimidating after I'd asked for help, -apparently the whole "Of course he's good at this, he's Makarov's grandson" thing had left its mark already- and he had almost managed it more than once.

But he was 14 years old, trying to intimidate someone who knew he would never seriously hurt a member of the guild, and had dealt with worse than a moody teen.

The fact his voice kept cracking didn't help him either.

I'd managed to wear him down with sheer determination, a small amount of begging, and a promise that if I got too annoying I wouldn't bug him about it again.

And you know what?

Laxus' teaching wasn't half bad!

He led me to the archives and grabbed a couple of books before letting out the most dramatic and theatrical sigh I'd heard in either of my lives. He then gave me a lesson on general magic theory of such high quality that if it weren't for his surliness, I was sure he would have been a great teacher.

He started with the basics, things I already knew, magic container growth, healthy practices for its expansion, and basic channeling practices. I let him go on for a few minutes before I finally managed to get his attention by raising my hand like a good student.

Laxus had smirked as he answered me, but to his credit, he had actually moved on to more advanced theory that I needed; things I hadn't had the chance to learn from either Master Flare or my parents. I requipped an empty notebook and pen, taking notes as he spoke, hiding my eye roll as he drew himself up importantly.

Sure, he was a bit of a prick when I asked a question, but he did know the answer to basically everything I asked, so I figured he got a pass.

Thankfully Laxus' lecture gave me what I needed along with the beginning of a friendship, and when I finally left the library a few hours later, a grudging acceptance to help me test out new attacks when I was ready to do so.

"Gramps would be pissed if I let you kill yourself trying to figure it out on your own." Pfft, he really was a softy deep inside!

I shook that thought from my head as I began flipping through my notes. Putting book knowledge into practical use is always a lot easier said than done, and it was no different with what I learned from Laxus.

My notebook was full of advanced magical theory and exercises. I would be busy for days studying and practicing them, but if I wanted to ensure I wasn't going to need luck to keep myself and my friends alive, then I had better get started.

October 17, x775

It had taken a few days of basically nothing but studying, training and meditating, along with sharing a copy of my notes with Cana and Gray to make them stop bugging me, but I managed to accomplish the simple, yet vital first lesson I'd been given.

Spell creation.

While I wouldn't be more magically powerful just knowing the basics of how to create a new spell, it was the vital first step I needed to take in order to move forward. If I wanted to get main character strength, I needed far more variety in my magic than the four or so attacks I had now.

Unlike Maker, or even Card Magic to an extent, Sun Magic wasn't as easily molded to the user's desires. It was structured in such a way that unless you approached it from a certain angle, all you would do is blow yourself up or waste a crapton of magic power for nothing more than a fancy flashlight.

Seeing as Laxus had known what I had needed when I asked, I assumed Dragon Slayer magic was similar.

As much as I wanted to jump straight into making more attacks, I decided that a more simple spell would work better as a first attempt, and it had come together quite well.

"Infrared" I spoke solemnly, solar energy gathered in my hands before floating into my eyes. I blinked a few times as I got used to the new sensation, and then took the time to appreciate my handwork.

Seeing as UV Light was a thing, I had long theorized that Sun Magic allowed the caster to filter certain parts of the light spectrum, and this had proven it.

I had secluded myself in a supply closet at the orphanage to test my spell, and instead of the pitch black I had seen before I cast it, I could now see everything in black and white. This would have been useful to have when we were fighting Grammy, but that was in the past. Now at least I would have a solution for any future encounters with mages capable of something similar that didn't also give my position away.

Making new attacks would have to wait though. Now that I had made some tangible progress, I could finally do what I should have been doing since I first noticed it was needed. Something far more important than this obsessive drive to improve that our last job had instilled in me.

Cana needed help.

Gildarts will return soon, and she needs mine and Gray's support more than I need to obsessively study.

She'd gotten more nervous as his return grew closer, and her sleep began to get more restless. More than once I would wake up for my exercises to find her sitting in the kitchen or in the yard with her chin on her knees as she stared at the ground. I'd not had much luck getting through to her the last few days, but I was hoping I'd manage before she ended up hurting herself beyond some sleep deprivation.

I didn't say anything as I sat down next to her, the early morning air chilling the both of us. Cana was staring at the grass, her hair was messy, halfway in a ponytail, half out, the skin around her eyes baggier than a college student near finals. She didn't acknowledge me when I sat down, but I was expecting that, to be honest. Cana had been ignoring Gray and I both the last few days, disappearing off to wherever she went to hide and be alone.

Cana might only be nine, but she'd been here longer than Gray and I, she knew Magnolia better than either of us. If she didn't want to be found, she wasn't going to let herself be found. If it weren't for the fact I was sure Cana would hate me, I was tempted to go to the Master or Macao and Wakaba, they'd been here longer than Cana had been alive, they were bound to be able to find her.

Thankfully, it didn't seem I would be needing to make that decision today, as she seemed content to stare at the grass as though it held all the answers in the universe. I sat next to her for a moment, waiting for her to speak first, but I'm fairly sure she just hasn't noticed me.

Well either that, or she's ignoring me.

"Cana?" I asked quietly, but she didn't say anything. I waved a hand in front of her face, she blinked. I poked her cheek, but she didn't say anything, so I went the whole way.

I tickled her.

Her facade was broken by a high giggle, followed by a smile breaking across her face as she fell over and her laughter rang across the backyard. With a smug smile, I pulled her back up to my side and threw an arm around her shoulders. "Now that I've got your attention, what's got you so worried, Cana?" Her smile quickly faded into a small frown as she leaned into me.

"Gildarts will be back soon." She said quietly. I nodded and gave her a slight squeeze.

"Yep. Have you changed your mind on telling him the truth?" Cana shook slightly, but she shook her head.

"I'm scared." She said in a small, broken voice, I noticed a tear going down her cheek. I pulled her into a proper hug and rubbed her back. "What if he doesn't want me?" She whispered quietly. Cana was worrying herself sick with this, and there wasn't really a lot that I could do to appease it. Comfort only helps anxiety so much, and I don't think she would take kindly to suggesting any sort of medicine to ease her nerves.

So I did the only thing I could do in my position.

I held Cana close and whispered assurances in her ear that Gildarts would love her. That she was worried over nothing, and that she didn't need to worry.

I don't know how much it helped, I could only hope it was enough. Cana's my best friend, and freaking her out like this wasn't my first choice. In the long run, it's better to do it now, rather than wait and hope that in nine years, Lucy can convince her.

If events would even fold out that way anymore. Lord knows what x784 will be like. I'm hardly going to fade into the background after I change this one thing. I had plans, plans that would make the canon timeline weep.

Those plans could wait though, because right now I had an armful of emotional nine year old, and she's way more important than whatever is happening months or years down the line.

Gray showed up a little while after I'd started comforting Cana. He tried to look like he hadn't been looking for us, but he did a terrible job of hiding it.

He chipped in his own two cents about Cana's worry, looking panicked when she'd gone from holding me like a limpet to shoving her face into his chest, but he recovered admirably.

"The whole guild's already family, who says Gildarts doesn't see you like a member of it? It'll be fine." He patted her on the head, stiffly at first, but slowly getting more relaxed. I rubbed Cana's back before she finally looked up, a small smile on her exhausted face.

"You guys are the best, you know that?" She asked, her voice sounding slightly choked. Cana reached around with one arm and tugged me into a group hug with her stuck in the middle. We stood there for a few minutes, Gray's grumbling conspicuously absent as we had our little moment. Finally, after what felt like both an eternity and yet no time at all, she let go and the moment ended.

"Gray, your clothes." She pointed out, the smile still in place as Gray panicked and looked for his shirt.

I smiled along with her. She'd get through this, she just needed her friends.

Huh. So this is what the main characters feel like.

October 18, x775

It was midday when it happened.

The sun had risen on another beautiful day in Magnolia, Cana had slept yesterday and most of the morning away before she had awoken, and we had just entered the guild together when we heard it.

A bell began ringing across Magnolia, louder and more resonant than the one in Kardia Cathedral. The guild went silent as the bell rang, all of them looking up and smiles breaking out across their faces.

"We are entering Gildarts Shift. I repeat, we are entering Gildarts Shift."

"He's here!" Gray shouted, a genuine smile on his face. "Gildarts is here!" He suddenly coughed and looked away. "The old geezer finally showed up. Took him long enough." I smirked at him.

Cana looked scared, but there was a cord of steel in her stance. She may have been nervous, but she looked determined to go through with it, no matter what. I threw an arm around her. "It'll be alright Cana, you've got this." Gray placed a hand on her shoulder and nodded.

"Look! You can see him now!" Someone cried out. The guild began pushing and crawling over one another trying to get to the front of the crowd to see for themselves. Gray and I both dragged Cana through the crowd, dodging elbows and clamoring guildmates to reach the front.

And indeed, they weren't lying. There, slowly ambling his way towards the door was Fairy Tail's strongest wizard, and at the moment, its only S-Class mage.

Gildarts Clive.

Our guildmates started cheering as he got closer and we could properly make him out beyond a silhouette. His head was bowed, and he was lugging a sack over his shoulder. He lifted his head once he reached the final approach and looked around, confused, before he spoke.

"That's new." He tapped on one the giant concrete slabs currently holding Magnolia above his reach and cringed as bits of it crumbled. He rubbed the back of his head before he spotted the guild staring at him and waved a hand at us all.

"I'm back!" He declared with a grin.

The entirety of Fairy Tail was quiet for but a moment.

" WELCOME BACK GILDARTS!" The silence was broken with a deafening cheer as he walked towards the doors.

"Ah it's good to be home." He grinned.

I should have seen this coming, considering just how much the guild loved Gildarts. What I had hoped would have been a quick welcome followed by Gildarts being mobbed by the guild before being free turned into one of the biggest parties I'd ever seen. Everyone was clamoring over themselves to talk to him.

Gildarts was eating it up too. He was sitting at the bar, talking seamlessly between Master, Macao, Wakaba and flirting (terribly) with Enno. Macao was somehow managing to happily talk to Gildarts while simultaneously shooting him a venomous glare whenever he began speaking to Enno. Wakaba was laughing at him even while speaking to Gildarts.

"I dunno what you're laughing about Wakaba, weren't you the one that got abducted by Circus Night because you wanted to mope around and get drunk?" Macao shot at him with a smirk. Wakaba went pale as Gildarts snorted a mouthful of beer through his nose.

"You got captured by Circus Night?!" He laughed, "Oh that is rich, Wakaba! How did they manage that?" Wakaba's face was red, but he muttered an explanation all the same.

"They ambushed me while I was drunk! I was talkin' to Gray and some other kid and they beat the crap out of all of us." He grumbled as he downed his drink and waved for another one from one of the servers. Gildarts' smile went from sly to surprised.

"Gray? That little punk made it here?" He beamed around the guild, "Hey Gray! Where are ya? Get over here!" I saw the opening, even if I had no idea what they were talking about, and pulled a frozen Cana behind me as Gray jumped onto the bar and started arguing with Gildarts.

"Who are you calling a punk you old geezer?!"

"You know, for all your disrespect, you seem to have followed my advice." Gildarts gave him a shit eating grin and laughed. He reached over and began ruffling his hair, ignoring Gray's protests.

"Screw you Gildarts!" Gray was blushing while everyone was laughing at him, Enno saying something about being adorable. Gildarts quit patting Gray's head and looked around, pausing as he noticed Cana and I staring up at him in awe and nervousness.

Three guesses who had what emotion.

"Hey little Cana! Good to see you again!" He patted her on the head, and she lit up like a traffic light. Her nervousness was replaced with what looked like pure bliss before he stopped and leaned down to look at me. "You're new, aren't ya?" He smiled at the two of us as I nodded eagerly.

"Yessir! I'm Helio Dart! I joined Fairy Tail a month ago!" I answered excitedly. It was apparently my turn to get headpats. Gildarts' hand felt odd, heavy yet gentle, his strength just barely contained.

"Nice to meet ya Helio!" He grabbed for his mug and chugged the rest of it down. He seemed to be about to start paying more attention to Master, we wouldn't get a better chance!

"Wait! Gildarts!" He paused halfway through a sip, raising an eyebrow. "Cana needs to talk to you, it's really important!" He raised his eyebrows, before setting his mug down. Cana looked like a deer in the headlights, her eyes were wide and she was shaking like a leaf. I threw an arm around her and tried my best to support her.

To his credit, Gray was only a second behind, scrambling off the bar and standing on her other side. "Yeah! It's super important! You have to know!"

"What do I need to know?" He sounded so confused. Wakaba, Macao and Master Makarov all stared down at us as well. Cana was shaking with Gray and I on either side in support. "Cana? Are you okay?" He was steadily looking more worried, and the rest weren't much better.

"Remember, we're all here for you." I muttered to her. Gray patted her shoulder and nodded.

Cana took a deep breath and seemed to reach some inner peace as she looked Gildarts in the eye and uttered the one phrase Gray and I had worked so hard for her to say.

"Gildarts, I'm your daughter."

A mug fell to the floor, and beer began soaking into my shoes.

"Y-you're my what?"

"You're my Dad."

Gildarts looked stricken, staring down at Cana with a look of utter terror, but he rallied himself admirably."This is a joke right?" He asked with a weak smile, "Gray put you up to this, right?" He actually sounded nervous! Gildarts Clive was nervous! Cana grit her teeth.

"No. It isn't." She was glaring at him now, but Gildarts seemed to finally realize this was serious.

"Y-your mother…" His gaze intensified as he looked at Cana, as though he'd never seen her before. "Cornelia was your mother, wasn't she?" He gave Cana a much closer look, getting off the stool and lowering himself to his knees, directly into the puddle of beer. Cana nodded sadly.

Then, faster than almost anyone could see, Gildarts grabbed Cana and pulled her into a hug, clinging to her like some precious jewel. "She never told me." He said slowly, his head laid on top of his daughter's.

The guild had gone quiet, having noticed Gildarts' movement.

"What's up Gildarts? Cana? Is something wrong?" Someone asked.

"Cana, you alright?"

"Gildarts, you guys okay?"

Gildarts looked up from the embrace with his daughter, "Everything's perfect you guys!" He grinned, sweeping Cana up in his arms and presenting her to the guild. "This is my daughter! Isn't she awesome?!"

The guild went silent again.

"WHAT?!"

October 19, x775

After Gildarts' announcement of the news, there had been a whirlwind of explanations and exposition on his ex-wife. He told everyone about Cornelia and how she'd left him because of how busy he was with work. The whole time, Cana had been on his lap or beside him with an arm around her. She'd looked a mix of shell shocked, over the moon, and as Gildarts began to wax lyrical about his daughter's strength and how adorable she was, horribly embarrassed.

The party that kicked off from that announcement made the one from Gildarts' return look like an introvert's birthday party in comparison. I woke up in the guild hall the next morning hanging from the rafters. I remembered a lot of sweets and what looked like pixie sticks being mixed into an energy drink, and then it all went blank.

Sugar hangovers are officially the worst thing ever.

The rest of the guild didn't look much better. All over the hall, they were either passed out or groaning quietly from their hangovers. Macao was in a tangled heap with Enno, both snoring away in each other's arms. Wakaba was upside down, hanging from the second floor's bannister. Cana was being held by Gildarts who was snoring like a buzzsaw. Gray was passed out on top of the bar, laying in some kind of puddle. Master Makarov was snoring away on one of the benches, a tankard on the floor beneath him. Hell, even Reedus had partied too hard! He was covered in paint, and it looked like he had passed out painting the scene if it was done by Picasso and M.C Escher. The guild hall was in a hell of a state, it looked like someone had set off a lot of bombs in the middle of the guild.

Chairs and tables were in splinters, pillars -that I really hoped weren't load bearing- had chunks taken out of them, and light fixtures were busted, showering the debris with a light sprinkling of lacrima dust.

I laid my head against the rafter I was on, a smile crossing my face despite the headache and dry mouth. Cana had told Gildarts the truth, and he had accepted her with open arms, like I knew he would. Things were pretty darn good.

Mission accomplished.

Now how the hell do I get down from here?

A/N: And so ends the first proper arc of Helio in Fairy Tail and his first big change.

Circus Night and Wakaba being kidnapped by them is from the Fairy Tail omake/sidestory, Ice Trail. It's a good read, highly recommend it.

I've gone back and edited the older chapters, 1-7, to bring them in line with the newer ones, sorry about that guys. I didn't realize how much I'd diverged from the earlier versions of this story!

Thanks again to FFN User: obliviousss for his help with brainstorming and for reading this chapter early so he could give me his opinion!

See y'all next time!