Zrocker119: Hello, everybody! Been a while! I am absolutely loving the support I'm getting for this story! I'm having a blast writing it and am glad that so many of you enjoy reading it. A know a few of you have been looking forward to this fight so let's get to it!
-Chapter 4-
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"What is your type of woman?"
There was a pregnant pause. One that seemed to fall across the entire area as everything seemed to go silent at the question. This dragged on for several moments, reaching far past what one would consider suitable and into awkward territory.
At least, that was what it felt like from Gildarts perspective. And why wouldn't it? He was fighting for his literal life not two minutes ago. Then this stranger just hops in out of nowhere, completely tone-deaf to what had been going on, and thinks that now would be the opportune time to discuss their tastes in women.
Just what was this day?
And so, he felt completely justified when he responded with an oh-so-elegant, "What?"
Yuji's stance slackened a bit at the response. "What so hard to understand? I'm asking what kind of women you're into. Would it make you more comfortable if I shared mine first?"
What?
Gildarts began to shake his head. "T-That's not necessary-"
"Very well then!" Yuji continued, completely ignoring the mage's protest, "I like a woman that's tall, and with a nice, big ass."
The declaration was swift and without hesitation. As if it was a completely natural thing for him to say. And despite how much he didn't want to, Gildarts found himself admiring the man for his willingness to say it, and his taste.
"Alright then. Now it's your turn."
The image of a certain woman with long, brown hair and dark, yet caring eyes appeared in his minds eye. But just as quickly as the thought came to Gildarts mind, it was gone. Shaking his head to clear it of any distracting thoughts, the Ace of Fairy Tail fixed the man that stood across from him with a stern glare.
Flaring his now overflowing levels of magic energy, spilling out of him and through the immediate area like a geyser, causing any loose bits of his clothing to flare up as if caught in a hurricane. Armed with a level of strength that he had never felt before, Gildarts spoke with contempt.
"I fail to understand how that's any of your damn business."
Up until that moment, Yuji's expression had been like that of an excitable child that had found something new and interesting to occupy their time. But the moment Gildarts finished speaking, his carefree expression immediately fell.
"Oh."
His already relaxed fighting stance fell completely. Straightening, he stuffed one hand into a pocket while the other came up to rub the bridge of his nose. Letting out a sigh, Yuji's hand fell to his side and Gildarts was startled to see his expression of utter disappointment.
"I see then."
Gildarts didn't wait for him to finish. The ground shattering beneath him, he launched himself at the man, his fist pulled back and loaded to the brim with magic energy. He was on Yuji in an instant.
He brought his fist forward to deliver a mountain shatter punch. But when it was literal millimeters from making contact, something grabbed onto his coat from behind. His eyes widened when a voice spoke.
"I guess you're not as interesting as I thought you would be."
Even though Gildarts hadn't so much as blinked, Yuji had somehow managed to go from a completely relaxed and uncaring, to behind him. He wracked his brain to figure out when and how he had managed to do so, but he hadn't so much as seen the man twitch a muscle. The mage tried to shift his momentum, but before he could even begin to move, he felt the grip on him tighten.
Yuji, with an almost lethargic movement, swung his arm forward and released his grip, sending the man flying backward.
The sudden shift in direction and momentum caused Gildarts stomach to drop and nearly make him lose his lunch. Choking down the bile, he dug his feet into the ground, attempting to arrest his momentum.
A caught a glimpse of movement in front of him, followed by pain blossoming in his chest. Spittle flew from his mouth. He doubled over and saw Yuji in from of him, pulling his fist back. He had caught up to him already? Such speed!
His breath began to come back, but it left him just as quickly when another impact collided with his chest. He didn't even have a second to process it before Yuji was on him. In the time it took one to blink, Gildarts was struck over a dozen times, though to him it felt like twice as much.
It was painful. Immensely so. But the pain was something that Gildarts could deal with. Bringing an arm to his chest, he blocked one of Yuji's punches. A moment later, he felt a second impact that made his bones scream in protest.
'What the hell is his magic!?' Gildarts thought as he reinforced his already durable body with as much magic energy that it could withstand. He blocked another blow and experienced the same phenomenon.
He was getting his ass kicked. For every blow he managed to either block or dodge, thrice as many struck a part of his body that he wasn't guarding. Divert a kidney punch? Several blows to the ribs. Dodge a leg sweep? Gets an uppercut to the jaw.
Scratch his previous assessment. He wasn't just getting his ass kicked, but having it handed to him on a silver platter! If he didn't think of something and think of it fast, then he was as good as done.
Pooling his magic in his chest, Gildarts decided to try something new and released a burst of Crush magic. Thankfully, his on-the-spot thinking worked as the pulse managed to push Yuji back. Though the feeling of success was fleeting as the pinkette turned it into a backflip and managed to land stylishly with his hands in his pockets, a sly smirk on his lips.
You know what? Screw this guy!
Loading his fist to the brim with magic, he drove it into the ground beneath their feet. The entire plateau shook before exploding outward into hundreds upon hundreds of square cubes that were the size of large boulders.
Even as his footing was lost, Yuji gave an appreciative whistle at the display of power before casually flipping backward and kicking off a nearby cube. He launched forward, breaking the sound barrier many times over, and tore through several of the still-flying cubes of stone.
Breaking through the last one that separated him from his opponent, he saw that the man had vanished. Smirking, he kicked off a passing cube, pushing him out of the path of Gildarts who had used the cubes to mask his approach from above.
A for effort, but F for results.
Gildarts had a moment to glare before Yuji twisted and delivered a textbook axe kick to his back as he passed him by, sending the taller man crashing into the ground.
Landing with a gentle "tap", Yuji placed his hands in his pockets and stared at the pile of rubble with an easygoing smirk. The pile suddenly exploded, sending shards of stone flying every which way. But the King of Curses remained unflinching and merely stared at a battered and bruised Gildarts who glared back at him.
Bringing a hand to his chin, Yuji developed a contemplative look even as Gildarts charged him. "I've got to say, I'm pretty disappointed." Yuji began, casually weaving around the man's assault.
"Shut up!"
Gildarts threw a haymaker that was dodged with casual ease and was rewarded with a quick jab to his side. But when his fist connected, Yuji was caught by surprise when the man only stumbled back a step before wrapping a hand around his wrist, holding him in place.
"Hehehe," Gildarts chuckled. "I figured it out."
His fist sailed forward and Gildarts felt an immense wave of satisfaction wash over him when it connected with the cocky bastard's face, bending him over backward as a visible concussive wave emanating from the point of impact. If there was one thing Gildarts had learned about fighting speedsters, it was that they could never take a solid hit. It only took one to put them out of commission.
But just as he was about to pull back, Gildarts realized that his opponent had yet to hit the ground. He was still bent backward, but he had stopped dead about halfway. And then, utilizing only the muscles in his legs and fist still in his face, the man began to push back.
Dread washing over him, Gildarts put all of his weight into it, trying to force the man back down. But it was all for naught. Yuji, as if it was the easiest thing in the world, rose till he stood straight.
Wrapping his fingers around the man's wrist, he moved it out of his face and raised a brow.
Gildarts saw the blow coming in slow motion. Saw where it was going to hit. But he didn't reinforce the area with magic. At least not yet. It had taken him longer than he would care to admit, but he now knew how Yuji's magic worked.
While his initial strikes were fast and powerful, every single one of them was followed by a delayed, second impact that carried the majority of the power of the attack. The reason he had been so seriously injured was that he had failed to properly defend against the following impact. But now that he knew what he was looking for, Gildarts could-
Gildarts doubled over, feet momentarily leaving the ground as spittle and blood flew out of his mouth.
"Let me guess. Up until now, all of my attacks have been followed up by a delayed, second impact." Yuji said dispassionately. Pulling his fist out of Gildarts stomach, he continued while the man fell to his knees in a coughing fit. "Well, allow me to let you in on a little secret."
"The Divergent Fist isn't a technique, but an accident created by my bad habits as a newbie Sorcerer."
"W-what the hell does that even mean," Gildarts asked, still gasping for air.
"Even as a child, I had always been faster, stronger, and more durable than everyone around me. And when I gained Cursed Energy, the stuff couldn't keep up with me, leading to the second impact that followed all of my attacks."
Yuji turned his gaze skyward, a fondness in his eyes. "It wasn't until a man that I would later consider a brother and one of my greatest friends should me the true way of manipulating Cursed Energy that I finally gained total mastery over it."
Shaking his head, he looked down and made a disgruntled sound when he saw that he had gotten blood on his shirt. Damn. It had been one of his favorites. Oh well. Grasping it with both hands, he tore the article of clothing from his body, shredding it in the process. Even while clad in nothing but swim trunks and sandals, the frigid weather seemed to have no effect on him.
"I didn't even realize that I was using Divergent Fist until you mentioned something. It's just that, I was so relaxed that my control over my energy slipped until now."
Even though he was in an excruciating amount of pain right now, Gildarts felt an all too familiar flame of anger ignite in his chest.
Through gritted teeth, he asked, "And why the hell would you be so relaxed?"
"Oh, that should be obvious. I was relaxed because."
Gildarts glanced up just in time to witness Yuji give an uncaring shrug.
"You're just that weak."
For a moment, nothing happened. Gildarts just stared up at him, unblinking. Unfeeling. He had no idea how long it took his mind to fully process the words that had just been spoken to him.
He had been called weak.
But…the notion was absurd! W-wasn't it?
Ever since he had first tapped into his magic over a decade ago, Gildarts had always been on the rise. Even Old Man Makarov, his Guildmaster and member of the Ten Wizard Saints had admitted that it would only be a matter of time before he surpassed the man who was rabidly approaching his twilight years.
All of these thoughts and more filtered through his mind in milliseconds. His pupils dilated to such a degree that they were barely perceivable. Something inside him snapped. And any form of restraint he once had fell to the wayside.
Yuji felt something in the air shift and sighed.
With rage fueling him, Gildarts lunged from his curled position with the intent to knock Yuji's head clean off of his shoulders. But before he could even start to move, Yuji's kicked him in the stomach with enough force to lift him off the ground, knocking the wind out of him once more.
Yuji brought his hands together above his head and brought them down onto the back of Gildarts head. The mage was sent crashing through the ground, burrowing through it before bursting out the side of the cliff.
Where Yuji was already waiting for him.
Catching him by the throat, Yuji planted his feet on the cliffside and ran down it, dragging a barely conscious Gildarts against it as he did. As they neared the bottom, Yuji, maintaining his iron grip, kicked off the cliff, twisted around, and threw his quarry so hard that he broke the sound barrier.
Gildarts felt himself sail through the open air, and for a moment, things were peaceful. But like all good moments, they eventually had to end. And in this case, abruptly and violently. The open-air was soon replaced by leaves and branches, and those by earth and stone. He crashed into the ground with earth-shattering force, and it was only due to how limp his body already was that he didn't suffer nearly as much damage as he rightfully should have.
But even with that being the case, he was barely clinging on to the land of the waking as is. And so, when the momentum ran out and his body came to an eventual stop, Gildarts could do nothing but lie there. Silverlining? At least he was lying on his back and facing the sky.
He tried to move, but all the strength that he had gained from the Black Flash and subsequent rage had ebbed out of him. In the heat of those moments, he had felt like the strongest being currently alive. And now? Now he could barely twitch a finger.
Something landed on his stomach, prompting him to gasp in pain. With a struggle on his part, Gildarts lifted his head just enough to see Yuji sitting there, just, staring off into the distance with a faraway look in his eye.
"I…I never stood a chance. Did I?"
"Nope."
Despite how much it hurt to do so, Gildarts chuckled and let his head fall back. Had the two of them met under any other circumstances, he would've thought the man a perfect fit for the Fairy Tail. But that hadn't been the case.
He was in bad shape. He didn't need an expert to tell him that. Even though he couldn't feel it, he knew that most of his bones were either broken or fractured. He definitely had some sort of internal bleeding, and he was pretty sure that at least one of his lungs had collapsed. He didn't feel any of the pain though as his body had long since gone into shock.
Gildarts was going to die here. His killer was just allowing him these last, fleeting moments of peace before the inevitable darkness took him.
"Brunettes."
That brought Yuji out of his thoughts. Shaking his head, he looked at the man that was slowly dying. "Come again?"
"Y-your question," Gildarts coughed up a splatter of blood. "I like brunettes. Ones with long, wavy hair, and a voluptuous figure with large breasts and curvy hips."
The King of Curses stared at Gildarts with an incredulous gaze before bursting out in laughter. He laughs for some time before getting himself back under control.
"Well then, you've certainly got an acquired taste." Leaning forward so that his elbows pressed against his knees, Yuji laced his fingers together before resting his chin on the back of them. "But I'm getting the impression that you're thinking of one woman in particular."
Well, he wasn't wrong. Gildarts was indeed thinking of a woman. One that he had married. For a few months at least before she left him. And it wasn't until now, as he lay there dying, that he realized just how much of a selfish bastard he had been.
"That's a look I know all too well."
Gildarts strained to look at the man. "What?"
"The look one has when they finally realize just how good their life was before fucking it all up." Yuji looked at him out of the corner of his eyes and Gildarts was shocked to see understanding within those brown orbs.
"Tell me, Gildarts. If you were given the chance, would you do your damnedest to correct those mistakes?"
"..."
Once again, Gildarts thoughts drifted to his former wife. But it wasn't just Cornelia that occupied his thoughts, but also everyone that was waiting for him back at the Guild and of how little time he had spent with them. And how much he wished that he had given all of them the proper time of day.
Nothing more had to pass through his mind before he spoke.
"I would."
"...Well then," Hands shoved into his pockets, Yuji stood and looked down at him with a knowing smirk. "Today is your lucky day."
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"Are you certain that was the wisest move?"
Yuji tried and failed to hold back a groan. His feet hadn't even touched the top of Hanami's tree for two seconds before being immediately badgered by his brother. He turned to glare at Choso who simply stared back at him with an unimpressed look.
"Really? Do you have to do this now?"
"Yes."
His brother's poker face was nearly enough to make Yuji chuckle. But he held it down and instead shoved his hands into his pockets and childishly kicked at an imaginary clump of dirt.
"Yuji." Choso began, his blank expression shifting to one of wariness. "You let that man walk free. Even though he came here with the end goal of killing Hanami."
Now it was Yuji's turn to send him a look. The two of them were more than aware of just how powerful Hanami and the others had become after their respective reincarnations all those years ago. And due to their nature as Curses, they became steadily stronger over time.
Gildarts Clive was an extraordinary Mage. One that Yuji knew would continue to grow stronger. Especially now that he had been blessed by the Black Flash. But compared to the nearly two millennia that the Disaster Curses had to ripen and hone their Cursed Energy, then even one as extraordinary as Gildarts would fall short.
Understanding this, Choso pressed on. "Whether or not he would've succeeded is a different matter. The fact is that he openly threatened to exorcise one of our friends. Our family. What's to stop him from coming back at a later date and trying again!?"
"How about the fact that he won't remember any of the events that had taken place? Or at least the true events."
Silenced passed between the two as Choso processed his younger brother's words. Stuffing his hands into his sleeves he gave him an impatient stare and spoke one word. "Explain."
"We made a Binding Vow."
"...I see." All of the tension in Choso's body seemed to vanish as he a sigh of relief.
Yuji gave him a pat on the shoulder as he passed him by. "I'm not the inexperienced and naive little brother anymore, Choso."
Choso offered him a small smile. "A fact that I seem to always forget." And it would be one that he would continue to forget. For no matter how much time continued to move forward, he was the elder of the two. And the older sibling would always watch out for the well-being of the younger ones.
There was a thrumming feeling from within him. Placing a hand to his heart, Choso felt a warmth spread from his chest and throughout the rest of his body. Yuji had paused, sensing the change, and now looked back over his shoulder.
"Bro? Everything alright?"
"More than alright."
Stuffing his arms into his sleeves, Choso took his place at his brother's side. Even thirty lifetimes after he had been forcefully merged with the souls of their younger siblings, they still held onto a spark of individualism. And time and time again, that minuscule spark proved to be more than enough for him to sense their thoughts and feelings every once in a while.
"Just got reassurance from our siblings is all."
Yuji stared at him as they made their way back to the border of Dagons barrier. As they were about to step through, Choso was stopped when Yuji grabbed him by the shoulder.
"And? What are they telling you?"
Choso answered with a smile.
"That I'm still walking the right path."
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Had Makarov known the amount of stress that came with the position as Guild Master, he would've turned tail and run for the hills. Or at least that's what he liked to tell himself. But deep down, if he had a chance to go back, he wouldn't change a thing. Because for as much of a pain in his ass that these youngsters were, at the end of the day they were his kids.
That being said, he wouldn't mind having a few more strands of hair on his aging dome.
Just as Makarov was debating whether or not burning the pile of complaints would be worth the headache, he heard the noise coming from the already loud Guild Hall hit a new record. He thought nothing of it, believing it was just another bout of members throwing fists. Or he did until someone knocked on his office door.
He glanced up, unsure if he had heard correctly, only to be reassured when whoever was on the other side knocked again. Setting the paper he had been holding aside, the diminutive Guild Master hopped over his desk, landing in front of the door.
Bracing himself for what he could only assume to be yet another headache, he was caught completely off guard when he opened the door and saw just who it was that stood waiting for him on the other side.
So surprised that he felt the need to blink rapidly and rub his eyes to make sure he was seeing correctly. And sure enough, despite his age, his eyes were not lying to him.
"Gildarts? What are you doing back here so soon?"
And why wouldn't he be confused? Gildarts, while a beloved member of the Guild, was rarely ever present. The longest he would ever stick around for was a couple of days at most and that time was usually spent recuperating before taking half a dozen, highly dangerous jobs and then disappearing for months, in not years before coming returning to restart the cycle.
But the Ace of Fairy Tail had only departed on his latest journey just under a month ago. For him to be back so early…
Makarovs fatherly instincts kicked into overdrive and immediately began to scan the young man over for any signs of injury, as incredulous as that may be given who exactly was standing in his doorway. Thankfully, nothing seemed to be physically wrong with him. His breathing was even and he didn't appear to be in any sort of pain. But that didn't mean he was as alright as he seemed.
"Can we talk inside? Would rather the rest of the Guild didn't listen in."
Looking past the towering man, Makarov's brow twitched in annoyance at the sight of several other guild members attempting to subtly eavesdrop, and spectacularly failing at it. Giving them all his signature stern glare he beckoned for Gildarts to step inside, shutting the door behind them.
"Ah, interrupted you during paperwork did I?"
"More like saved me from it," Makarov said with a snort. Hoping back into his cushioned chair, he waited for Gildarts to take the seat across from him but he remained standing.
"I'm gonna have to give these back." Reaching into his cloak, Gildarts retrieved a small stack of papers and placed them on the desk. Makarov didn't have to look twice to know exactly what was handed to him, for they were the Quest that Gildarts had selected to complete. And for him to be given them back meant only one thing.
"You couldn't complete them?" Makarov questioned with a skeptical expression as he went over the details. Many were standard S-Class quests, with a few 5-10 Year ones sprinkled in. Overall, nothing that a mage of Gildarts calibur and reputation couldn't handle. Although he did notice that one or two were missing. So he had completed some of them.
"More like I didn't attempt."
"Didn't attempt?" Makarov's brows creased, confusion clearly displayed across his features. He looked them over once more to make sure he had read them correctly. "But these shouldn't be nearly-"
"The last quest I did…I almost didn't come back from it," and like a switch had been flipped, the quiet calm, and confident swagger that Gildarts usually exuded ebbed out of him. Replaced by tiredness that Makarov had never seen in the man before.
His worry returned stronger than ever. Pushing the papers aside, he fixed Gildarts with a look of concern and simply asked, "What happened?"
Gildarts let out a long, drawn-out sigh and sat down.
"Remember the Quest I took involving all those disappearances? The one to the North East?" It took Makarov a moment to remember the Quest in question but recalled it in the end. At his nod, Gildarts continued.
"I did my usual. Asking locals for intel. Investigate the nearby areas for clues. That sort of thing. When I felt that I had gathered enough, I went to the forest that all of the victims were last reported heading towards. I figured that it was some sort of powerful monster or rogue mage."
"But I was wrong," Gildarts gaze became distant. "I was so, so, so wrong."
Sensing that this was something that wouldn't be easy for Gildarts to open up about, Makarov opened one of the drawers of his desk. Reaching inside, he retrieved two glasses and a bottle of whiskey that looked like it had barely been opened.
He filled both glasses, sliding one to Gildarts, who gave a silent thanks and took a sip. He gave a surprised cough as the alcohol burned its way down his throat.
"Wow…that's-"
"The Second Guild Master gave me that whiskey upon handing me the position as the Third Guild Master. I've only ever opened it twice before. And this seemed like an occasion to crack it open again."
Gildarts looked down at the glass held in his hand with a new level of appreciation. Several moments of silence passed before Gildarts spoke. "Tell me. What's the most difficult opponent that you've ever faced?"
"My wife when she was nearing the end of her pregnancy," Makarov answered immediately and without any sense of shame.
"So…a force of Nature."
"That's one way to describe it. Yeah."
"Well, that's what I found in amongst those trees." Gildarts took another drink, but one that was more measured. "It wasn't something that I could even see, let alone fight. It just existed. All around me at all times. Always watching and listening."
"And all the while, it made me see things."
Gildarts ran a hand through his hair, slicking it back, and took another drink. Deeper this time. He waited for the burning sensation to fade before speaking. "I saw everything I had done in my life up until that point. Every little decision I've made, and the ones that I didn't. Through it all, I felt my strength being drained from me and I couldn't do a damned thing to stop it. It wasn't until I was on death's door that I heard it."
Makarov was almost afraid to ask, but ask he did. "What did you hear?"
Gildarts stared into his glass before looking up at the man that he had come to see as a father. "A voice. Asking me if given the chance, would I correct my mistakes. And I answered yes."
Looking back to his glass, he drained the rest of it in one go. The burn did wonders to soothe his nerves. "Next thing I knew, I woke up on the outskirts of the forest."
The silence that followed was deafening. For several minutes no words were exchanged between them. Makarov was still struggling to come to terms with the idea of some unknown entity existing out there. One that was capable of taking one of his children and reducing them to a state of complete helplessness.
The rage that bubbled within his breast rose so quickly and unexpectedly that Makarov didn't even realize the feeling until the glass in his hand shattered. A flick of the wrist shook the whiskey from his hand and the Guild Master regained control of his emotions.
"What do you want to do?"
Gildarts pondered the question for a second and stood. Heading for the door he opened it and left, but not before saying over his shoulder. "There's someone that I need to go and see. After that? Well… depends on how things go…but I think I'll stick around the guild for a while. Take a load off."
Makarov nodded and Gildarts closed the door, leaving the Guild Master alone in his office once again. He took a deep breath and let out an equally long sigh. Sending a silent prayer to whatever god would listen for bringing one of his annoying, but beloved brats home, he turned his attention back to the pile of Quest and how he would word his report to the Magic Council.
So much for an easy night.
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Somehow, Gildarts found the prospect of this encounter even more nerve-wracking than anything he had ever experienced before. And yes, that included his very recent near-death experience. Did it make any sense? Probably not, but that's just how it was.
"Alright. Here goes nothing."
Raising a hand, he prepared to knock on the door to the house he had been standing outside of for the past ten minutes. But just as his knuckles were about to brush against the wood, he halted.
"...She probably not even home." Turning around, he made it exactly five steps before spinning on his heel. Staring at the door once again, he brought a hand to his forehead, dragging it down his face.
"Come on, Gildarts. You face down giant monsters and rogue mages on a daily basis! You can do this!" Silently thankful that this house was located on the outskirts of the town so that no one would witness him hyping himself up, Gildarts strode up to the door once again and brought his hand up.
Just as it came down though, the door opened and he ground to a halt.
Stood in the doorway, was a woman. She barely came up to his chin, but at that moment as she glared at him, she seemed larger than life itself.
The two stared at one another, one in surprise and the other unimpressed.
"Hey, Cornelia."
Cornelia Alberona, Gildarts' ex-wife, crossed her arms and leaned against the doorframe. "What are you doing here, Gildarts?"
The Ace of Fairy Tail, one of the most powerful mages on the continent, found himself struggling to find the right words. Even though it had been over a year since they had gone their separate ways. Even though she was glaring at him like he was little more than an annoyance, Gildarts couldn't help but find her to be stunningly beautiful.
Catching himself staring, he coughed into his fist. "I-I happened to be passing through and figured I would stop by and see how you were doing."
"Really? You stood outside my door for ten minutes…just to say high?" Sighing, she pushed off the door frame and grabbed the knob. "Well, as you can see, I'm doing just fine. So, if you don't mind."
"Waitwaitwait," Gildarts stuck his foot in the way before to door could fully close. It opened again and he saw her looking at him with furrowed brows. "Listen, I…can we talk?"
Cornelia shrugged, a hard look in her eye. "What's there to talk about that we didn't already discuss? I wanted a quiet life and you wanted adventure. It's pretty straightforward."
"Please-"
"No. I already put myself through this once before-"
Before Cornelia could say more, she was interrupted. But it wasn't Gildarts that was the cause but the sound of a baby's cry. One that was coming from within the house behind her. She turned around and marched inside until she reached her bedroom. Throwing open the door, she made a beeline for the crib that sat near her bed and reached inside.
"Shh, shh. There there, Cana. Mommy's here." Holding her child close to her bosom, Cornelia gently rocked her daughter from side to side.
"Cornelia?"
Sighing, she turned around to see Gildarts standing in the doorway. His eyes were wide in shock and mouth slightly open at the sight of the baby in her arms.
"Is-is that?"
"Yes." She began. A bite in her tone, "This is my daughter."
Gildarts gaze hardened. A look she returned in equal measure. "We both know that's not what I meant. Is she mine?"
She averted her gaze and that was all the confirmation that he needed.
"When?"
"...I found out that I was pregnant a couple of weeks after we broke up."
"A couple of weeks-and you didn't feel the need to tell me!?"
A bitter laugh escaped her lips before she rounded on him. "Really? Tell you? And how, exactly, was I supposed to get in touch with you being gone on Quests for months, possibly years on end?"
The edge in her tone caused Gildarts to step back as if he had been struck. He opened his mouth to speak, to defend himself, but no words came forth. How could he when she was right? If he had to guess, the baby in Cornelias' arms was only a couple of months old.
If she had stopped by Fairy Tail at any point during her pregnancy, he wouldn't have been there.
"Why did you come by?"
"...My last job…I almost didn't come back from that one." He walked past her, stopping at the bedroom window, and stared out of it. "Being at death's door made me realize just how much I had missed throughout my life. How much of it I had taken for granted."
"And everything that I fucked up." Rubbing the back of his neck, Gildarts looked back at her. There was a defeated look in his eye. Something that she had never seen nor ever expected to.
"I'm sorry."
Those were words he should've said much, much sooner than now. And what killed him inside was the idea that, had he not almost died, he probably would have never said them at all.
Still rocking Cana, Cornelia forced herself to look away. "What were you hoping to accomplish by coming here?"
Gildarts chuckled. "In a perfect world? I was hoping that you would be willing to give us another shot."
"But now? Now I would settle with having the opportunity of being a part of our daughters' life. Even if it means that we don't get back together."
Cornelia bit her lip. Looking down, she saw that Cana had settled down. Turing her attention back to Gildarts, she walked over and stood in front of him. Holding out Cana, she watched as he carefully took hold of her.
The feeling that washed over Gildarts at that moment would forever be one that would be ingrained into his memory until the day that he died. And when his daughter opened her eyes and looked up at him with those innocent, brown orbs, he felt tears well up in his own.
"What's her name?"
Cornelia couldn't hold back the smile that spread across her lips as she watched their daughter giggle up at him, taking a hold of his finger. "Cana."
"Hey, Cana. I'm your Papa." Gildarts laughed as she tugged on his finger. She had a strong grip.
"One week."
Blinking away the tears, Gildarts shot Cornelia a confused look. "What?"
"If you want things to work out between us, then that's the longest you ever get to be away from home on a Quest." Cornelia crossed her arms and fixed him with a stern look. "Any longer and we won't be there when you get back."
She let out a cute "eep" when she was enveloped by his massive form. Though he took care not to squeeze too hard so as not to cause harm to Cana. And after a second to fully process everything that had happened, she returned the gesture, a smile playing on her lips.
"You'll be lucky enough to have me out of the house for two days!" Letting her go, Gildarts laughed, tears of joy falling from the corners of his eyes.
He hadn't come here with the intent of being a father. Hell, the fact still hadn't completely sunk in just yet. But even so, he wouldn't run away from this. He had been given a second chance and he wasn't about to let it slip through his grasp.
.
.
.
-End-