Chapitre 18: Gildarts Clive

Earth Land, Ishgar, Kingdom of Fiore, Magnolia.

July, x773

Exactly three minutes after the announcement, loud sounds of machinery could be heard from outside of the guild hall. Curious to see the Gildarts shift in action, Alfonzo and Elicia moved toward the guild's entrance, followed by Cana who did not want to be separated from the two.

When they looked out at the large wooden door, they could see all the buildings in the town rose from their spots on the ground. A moment later, the buildings began to move around. Although they could not see it, they knew that a straight path had been made from the guild to whichever town entrance Gildarts was entering from.

"He's not coming from the south." Alfonzo commented as he could see some of the buildings moving into the street that stretched from Magnolia's north to its south.

"Yeah." Elicia replied with a nod, looking at the town changing before her eyes.

Cana stayed silent. This was not the first time she had witnessed the Gildarts shift. However, she did not know that Gildarts was her father back then. On top of that, she was too young to know its significance.

"Well, let's go back inside." Alfonzo said after all the moving stopped. "He'll be here soon enough."

Nodding in response, Elicia and Cana followed Alfonzo back into the guild hall. When they returned to their table, though, Alfonzo was called by Makarov.

Making his way over to Makarov's usual spot on the bar, Alfonzo stopped when he was close enough to speak comfortably.

"What's up, Gramps?" Alfonzo asked.

"Alfonzo, my boy, could you whip up a couple of dishes?" Makarov asked. "Our strongest wizard, Gildarts... I've told you about him, right?"

"Yeah." Alfonzo replied. "Mom used to tell me stories about him and the other strongest wizards in the kingdom when she was still alive."

For a moment, rage clouded Makarov's expression. Just like any time Alfonzo's mother or Elicia's father was mentioned. But he got his emotions in check rather quickly before taking a deep breath.

"Well, Gildarts will be here soon." Makarov said, returning to the topic. "I'd like him to have a good meal when he returns."

Not really wanting to cook for a deadbeat like Gildarts, Alfonzo eventually nodded his head. But he would get the most out of this that he could.

"Well, since my shift is over, I'll be getting extra pay for this, right?" Alfonzo asked while holding up his right hand and rubbing his thumb and index finger together.

"*Sigh* Can't you give an old man a break?" Makarov asked.

"Oh, come on, Gramps." Alfonzo said with a smile. "Like you taught me, a wizard should be compensated for their work. And if they go above and beyond, they should get a bonus, right?"

"Why can't you be like the other kids and not pay attention to me when I talk about important things?" Makarov grumbled. "Fine, I'll add an extra fifty percent to your pay for these dishes."

"Deal." Alfonzo said with the smile of a greedy merchant.

'Ha, you're gonna have to try harder, Gramps.' Alfonzo thought as he walked into the kitchen. 'I ran a shop for six years in my past life, I know how to get my money.'

An hour and ten minutes later, Alfonzo set two plates with medium rare steak, scalloped potatoes, and broccoli covered with cheese on the top of the bar next to Makarov.

"Your timing is perfect." Makarov said with a smile while a bit of drool dripped from the corner of his mouth as he stared at the food. "Gildarts should be here in a couple of minutes."

"Okay, cool." Alfonzo said nonchalantly. "I got one more thing to bring out for Lici, Cana, and me. Then, I'm done. I left the money for the ingredients I used on the counter in the kitchen."

"Okay, go have fun." Makarov said, still eyeing the plates of food on the bar.

A few moments later, Alfonzo left the kitchen with a raspberry cheesecake and three plates in his hands. With the use of a magic oven and refrigerator, the cheese cake that would take at least four hours to prepare and be ready to serve was done in little more than an hour.

"Man, I love magic technology." Alfonzo said with a smile as he walked through the guild hall to the table Elicia and Cana were occupying. "Makes everything go so much faster."

Less than a minute later, Alfonzo set the plates in front of Elicia and Cana. Then, he placed the cheesecake on the table between them. Meanwhile, during his walk to the table, all eyes in the guild were focused on the cake that he was carrying. It was something that he had never served before, after all. But that makes sense, considering that he only cooks for the members of the guild during the breakfast rush.

"Fonzie, is that what I think it is?" Elicia asked with a smile.

"Yup, a raspberry cheesecake." Alfonzo replied, about to put down his own plate and sit down next to Elicia.

However, before he could sit down, Elicia gestured to Cana, who was looking at the cake curiously. Having forgotten about her nervousness for a moment.

Taking the hint, Alfonzo walked around to the other side of the table, put down his plate and sat down. Then, remembering that he had yet to cut the cake, he stood up again and created a knife with his magic. Then, after slicing the cake, he changed the knife into a spatula and served the cake to Elicia and Cana before serving a slice for himself.

Taking his seat again, Alfonzo realized that he had not brought any forks with him. So, once again using his magic, he created three forks that should last long enough for the three of them to have their fill of the cake.

Just as he handed out the forks to Elicia and Cana, Alfonzo, along with the rest of the guild heard a crash coming from the east wall. When everyone looked in the direction of the crash, a new, blocky, man-shaped hole was present in the wall. Standing in the newly created opening was Gildarts.

Gildarts was a tall man, standing at 6'2" (1.88 m) tall, with slicked back, shoulder-length, orange hair and a stubbly beard wearing a simple black high-collared cloak with armored shoulder plates, simple black pants tucked into a pair of simple black boots with a black belt and armor plates around his waist.

"Fairy Tail, I'm back home!" Gildarts shouted after looking around the guild hall for a moment.

Immediately, the members of the guild who were present in the guild hall cheered loudly. Meanwhile, Cana froze with her fork halfway between her plate and her mouth. Looking back at Gildarts, she was unsure of what she should do.

However, when Gildarts walked toward the bar, without even noticing her, she slowly put the cheesecake in her mouth with a dejected feeling. Tasting the cake, however, her eyes opened wide. Unable to stop eating, she continued to do so while watching Gildarts walk through the guild hall.

'I guess the cake was a good idea.' Alfonzo thought as his sight shifted between Cana and Gildarts. 'It seems to be combating the depression I'm sure she's feeling right now.'

Meanwhile, Gildarts had reached the bar.

"Master I'm back." Gildarts said, taking a seat in front of Makarov.

"I'm glad you're back safely." Makarov said with a smile. "You can give your report on the quest later. For now, why not have a bite to eat. We got a very talented cook since you left for the quest."

"Really?" Gildarts asked in surprise. Then, he looked at the plates of food sitting between him and Makarov. "Wow, this looks great."

"You'll never guess who the cook is, either." Makarov said with a smile.

"Who is it?" Gildarts asked curiously as he picked up a fork and began to dig into the food in front of him.

"Bianca's son." Makarov said, digging into his own plate of food. "His name is Alfonzo."

"Now that's a name I haven't heard in a few years." Gildarts said. "She retired... What...? Ten years ago?"

"Yeah..." Makarov replied while stuffing a piece of steak in his mouth.

"Man, I miss her. Orlando, too." Gildarts said while cutting a piece of steak. "How are they? Bianca used to always try to talk women out of sleeping with me... Those were good times. She even tried to convince Cornelia..."

"They're dead..." Makarov said in an angry yet sad tone. "They were killed by Zeref cultists. That's why their children are here."

"What!?" Gildarts shouted, gaining everyone's attention.

"Calm down, Gildarts." Makarov said sternly. "After you finish your food, I'll introduce you to them."

"Fine." Gildarts said, beginning to dig into the food fiercely.

About ten minutes later, Makarov and Gildarts were walking toward Alfonzo, Elicia, and Cana. As they neared, Cana became more nervous while Alfonzo patted her on the shoulder to calm her down.

"Alfonzo, Elicia, let me introduce you to a friend of your parents." Makarov said with a smile. "This is Gildarts Clive, the ace of the guild."

"It's nice to meet you." Alfonzo and Elicia said in unison.

"And this is our friend Cana." Elicia said with a smile.

"Nice to meet you three." Gildarts said with a strained smile. "I'm sorry to hear about what happened to Bianca and Orlando. We entered the guild at the same time back then. And they were my partners before we became S-Class wizards."

"Really?" Elicia asked, her eyes lighting up in interest.

"Who was stronger?" Alfonzo asked curiously.

Even though she was nervous, Cana found herself taking interest in the conversation since she was friends with Alfonzo and Elicia just like Gildarts was friends with their parents.

"I'd like to say it was me." Gildarts said with awry smile. "But Bianca's magic was too much for me."

"Bianca's [Dispel Magic] was too much for most people." Makarov added.

"Yeah, she used to smack Orlando and I around all the time." Gildarts said with a fond smile. She could throw a mean right hook."

With that, the group of five continued to chat. Gildarts told stories about his past with Bianca and Orlando with a smile on his face. Everything seemed to be going well. Until Gildarts brought up how Bianca used to try and protect innocent young women from his perverted claws.

While Alfonzo rolled his eyes and questioned if this guy was okay in the head for talking about this kind of thing with a couple of eight-year-olds and a seven-year-old. Elicia's thought to kick him in the nuts was being solidified. Cana, on the other hand, was becoming more and more uneasy by the moment.

"Bianca even tried to convince Cornelia not to marry me." Gildarts said in sadness. "I guess she was right in the end. I was so busy that I ended up neglecting her and she left me. *Sigh* I wonder how she's doing now."

At that moment, Cana could not take it anymore. She stood up and ran out of the guild hall in tears. Immediately afterward, Alfonzo and Elicia made eye contact. Then, Alfonzo stood up and chased after Cana while Elicia glared at Gildarts.

Makarov, who was sitting on Alfonzo's side of the table, and Gildarts, who was sitting next to Elicia, also stood up when Cana ran off. Though, they were completely confused.

"What's going on?" Gildarts asked, feeling that something he said set off the little girl.

"Are you stupid?" Elicia asked as she walked in front of Gildarts who was facing toward the entrance of the guild hall.

When Gildarts looked down, he saw Elicia winding her arm back. Then...

*Bang!*

Elicia swung her fist forward with all the force she could muster and punched Gildarts in the crotch.

Opening his mouth and eyes wide, Gildarts fell to his knees while covering his crotch with both hands. Meanwhile, every male in the hall covered their crotch due to phantom pain.

"She passed away at teh beginning of last year, and Cana's mother's name was Cornelia." Elicia said angrily. "I've seen a picture of her that Cana keeps in her room. They look almost identical to each other. She was your wife, how did you not notice?"

After that, Elicia ran out of the guild hall to chase after Cana. Unfortunately, Gildarts did not hear her explanation. He had lost consciousness, frothing at the mouth, shortly after he fell to his knees. However, he never fell over. So, Elicia did not realized that he was actually unconscious.

L’AVIS DES CRÉATEURS
SixthSense1029

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Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed the story.

Comments, Reviews, and Power Stones are always appreciated.

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Chapitre 19: Cana's Resolve

Earth Land, Ishgar, Kingdom of Fiore, Magnolia.

July, x773.

After Cana ran away from the guild, Alfonzo chased after her immediately. At the end of the short chase, Alfonzo caught up to Cana in Magnolia's park. Seeing her sitting under a tree hugging her knees to her chest. Seeing her like this, Alfonzo could only feel sadness for the girl.

'*Sigh* The logical part of my mind says that she should have expected this outcome.' Alfonzo thought to himself as he approached the clearly depressed Cana. 'But at the same time, I can't help but think Gildarts is an asshole. I mean, he was thinking about Cornelia and Cana was sitting right in front of him. How did he not put two and two together with them looking so alike?'

At the same time, Although Cana heard the approaching footsteps, she did not look up to see who was approaching. As Alfonzo was thinking, Cana was expecting that Gildarts would not recognize her. That said, it did not make it any easier.

"Cana." Alfonzo said gently when he was just in front of the younger girl.

Hearing her name, Cana flinched. However, after she registered the owner of the voice, she looked up hesitantly. Sighing in relief when she saw Alfonzo, Cana then lunged forward and hugged Alfonzo while continuing to cry.

Hugging her in return, Alfonzo chose to stay silent and rub Cana's back while running his fingers through her hair tenderly. He knew he did not have the skill to console a crying girl, in fact, Elicia had always said he sucked at it, so he chose to simply give her a shoulder to cry on.

"*Sniff* Does he... *Sniff* not want me?" Cana asked after crying for a few more minutes. "Is that why... *Sniff* he didn't recognize me?"

Wanting to sigh, Alfonzo swallowed that feeling quickly. He knew that was the wrong action to take in this situation. So, he took a moment to think of an answer. He was unsure what would lift her spirits in this situation.

"Cana." Alfonzo said softly while raising Cana's chin so that he could look into her eyes. "You and I both know that's not the reason... Right?"

Instead of replying, Cana averted her eyes trying to look away. However, Alfonzo was still holding her chin, so she could not turn her face away.

"Up until the point we left the guild, Gildarts didn't even know he had a child." Alfonzo continued. "So, it's not that he didn't want you. But he didn't know about you."

Continuing to comb his fingers through Cana's hair, Alfonzo could feel the tension leaving Cana's body. After noticing she was calming down, Alfonzo released her chin. But Cana maintained eye contact as if she had not realized it.

"I've spent a little over a year with you, so I know you're a brave girl." Alfonzo said with a smile. "So, if you want Gildarts to know about you, you have to tell him. Even if the thought of rejection scares you."

Hearing that, Cana clutched Alfonzo's shirt tightly and buried her head in his chest.

"But... What do I do if... he doesn't want me?" Cana asked in an almost inaudible voice.

A moment later, Cana could feel that Alfonzo's fingers were no longer running through her hair as he took a few steps away from her. Losing the comfortable feeling, Cana looked up with a discontented pout on her face. However, she almost started laughing when she saw Alfonzo's current position.

Standing in front of Cana, Alfonzo was performing various body builder poses, flexing his still developing muscles as hard as he could.

"If he doesn't accept you, then Lici and I will beat him up." Alfonzo said in a confident tone. "Either way, whether he accepts you or not, Lici and I will be your family. Just like everyone else in the guild, right?"

Hearing those words, Cana could feel tears welling up in her eyes again. However, instead of a sad and depressed expression, she was smiling brightly. Over the past year, she had grown to see everyone in the guild, even Laxus and his friends as family. So, she knew that she was not alone. It seemed that she just needed to hear those words from someone else to get her thoughts in order.

"Thank you... Fonzie." Cana said with a slight blush on her face as she used Alfonzo's nickname.

Widening his eyes in shock, Alfonzo used all his will power to not frown at the use of his nickname. Even though he had gotten used to Elicia saying it, he actually hated being called that way. Unfortunately, he was never able to get Elicia to stop in this life or the last one.

"Fonzie~~~~! Cana~~~~! Where are you?" Shouted Elicia from the distance.

With the atmosphere broken, and the chance to tell Cana not to call him Fonzie gone Alfonzo simply sighed. Then, he held out his hand toward Cana with a smile.

"Let's go." Alfonzo said. "I bet Elicia is on the verge of tears already. If we don't find her quickly, she might flood the town soon."

Smiling in response, Cana reached out with both hands and held Alfonzo's hand tightly. Then, she approached even closer and snuggled into Alfonzo's side with a slight blush on her face.

"Okay." Cana said with a beautiful smile on her face.

At the same time, a glint of determination sparkled in Cana's eyes.

'I'm sorry, Lici.' Cana thought to herself. 'I know you like him, too. But I'm gonna take Fonzie for myself.'

If Alfonzo knew what Cana was thinking, he would have a headache brewing. On top of the nickname, Fonzie, being firmly etched into his identity in Cana's mind, he could only imagine the drama that would come with Elicia and Cana fighting over his attention.

Meanwhile, back at the guild, Gildarts was laying in one of the infirmary beds. A moment later, his eyes shot open. His instincts were telling hm that he was in the process of losing something very important to him. Unfortunately, he had no idea what that something was.

A few seconds later, Gildarts looked around the room he was in. Immediately recognizing that he was in the guild's infirmary, he pulled away the sheet covering his body and tried to stand up. However, as soon as he began moving his legs, he felt a sharp pain from his crotch.

"Gah!" Gildarts cried out, almost falling unconscious again due to the pain he was still feeling. "What the hell is up with this pain? Did I get kicked in the nuts by a horse?"

"Not a kick, and not by a horse, either." Makarov, who was sitting on the adjacent bed, said in a mirthful tone. "To think that an eight-year-old girl would be the first wizard to knock out the great Gildarts Clive in close to a decade."

After making that statement, Makarov began to laugh uproariously. Meanwhile, Gildarts looked at him in annoyance. However, he started to remember what led to the pain in his balls.

"So, Orlando's little girl punched me in the junk, huh?" Gildarts asked, rubbing his head in confusion. "But why?"

Stopping his laughter, Makarov looked at Gildarts sternly.

"Because you made the other little girl who was sitting with us, Cana, cry." Makarov said in a solemn tone. "And based on what Elicia said after you passed out, though I'm sure she was unaware that you were unconscious, you deserved that punch."

"What do you mean?" Gildarts asked, frowning with incomprehension.

"*Sigh* Although Fairy Tail has the strongest wizards in Fiore, they aren't the sharpest tools in the shed, are they?" Makarov muttered with a bit of sadness in his tone."

"Hey, are you calling me stupid, Old Man?" Gildarts growled in irritation before wincing in pain.

"You're damn right I am, Brat!" Makarov shouted. "What other guild has to fork out a fortune to remodel a whole town because its strongest member can't be bothered to walk around the buildings in his way?"

Looking away with a sheepish smile on his face, Gildarts decided to stay quiet regarding this topic. There was no point in starting a battle that he could not win, after all.

"Hell, if it weren't for the stipend I receive from the country as a member of the Ten Wizard Saints, this guild would have declared bankruptcy a long time ago!" Makarov shouted agitatedly. Then, with tears running down his face, he continued. "I'm gonna skin those cultists who killed Bianca and Orlando alive! Ever since they retired, there hasn't been a single Fairy Tail wizard who tries to avoid property damage!"

With his instincts telling him that things could get dangerous for him if this topic continued, Gildarts quickly spoke up to change the subject.

"Master, what did you mean when you said I deserved to get punched in the dick?" Gildarts asked, wincing at the mere memory of that punch.

Taking a few deep breaths to calm down, Makarov looked at Gildarts sternly again.

That girl, Cana, is Cornelia's daughter... with you." Makarov said solemnly. "At least, that's what Elicia said before she ran off to find her."

'Cornelia's daughter... with you.'

Those four words echoed loudly inside Gildarts head. He now understood why Elicia punched him. And as Makarov said, he felt he deserved it. On top of that, he also understood why Makarov called him stupid. How could he be anything else when he did not notice the similarities between Cornelia and Cana.

A moment later, ignoring the pain he was feeling and with resolve burning in his eyes, Gildart stood up from the bed, as his paternal instincts kicked into overdrive, and he ran through the infirmary's door... literally.

"Cana~~~~~!" Gildarts shouted as he ran away from the infirmary. "Daddy's coming~~~~~!"

Meanwhile, Makarov sat in the infirmary with a dumbfounded expression. A moment later, however, his dumbfounded expression turned into a smile. However, after another moment, his smile morphed into a frown as he saw the state of the infirmary's door and its surrounding wall.

A few moments ago, on the path leading to the guild hall, Alfonzo, Elicia, and Cana were walking back to the guild. With Alfonzo in the middle Elicia and Cana clung to his left and right arms, respectively. And while Cana was smiling brightly, Elicia was pouting.

"You're so mean, Fonzie." Elicia said in a pitiful tone. "How could you leave me like that? Do you know how worried I was about Cana?"

"*Sigh* But if I had waited for you, I would have lost Cana, too." Alfonzo said in an exasperated tone.

"Hmph! You should have waited for me and kept track of Cana." Elicia pouted. "Stupid Fonzie."

Meanwhile, Cana could only giggle while watching the interaction between her two best friends. Eventually, the trio reached the doors of the guild. Then, just as they opened the doors...

"Cana~~~~~! Daddy's coming~~~~~!"

Gildarts roar of paternal love rang out through the entire building. A moment later, Alfonzo, Elicia, and Cana saw Gildarts running toward them with the light of his [Crash Magic] coating his entire body.

Paling in fear, Alfonzo and Cana knew that they were not fast enough to avoid the incoming threat. Elicia, on theother hand, acted quickly. With her right hand, she wrapped her threads around Alfonzo and Cana's waists, she simultaneously shot threads from her left hand at the Fairy Tail sign above the doors. Then, with all her might, she pulled the three upward.

A moment later, barely missing the three kids, Gildarts charged through the guild hall's front doors, completely destroying them in the process.

Before he could get too far, however, a giant fist came flying through the now destroyed front doors of the guild hall and punched Gildarts into the sky.

"Damn it, Gildarts! Stop destroying the guild!" Makarov shouted in a deep menacing voice. His tone changing with the use of his [Giant Magic]. "When you come back, the town better be intact. We're not implementing the Gildarts Shift. And any damages will be paid by you!"

With that, Elicia lowered herself, Alfonzo, and Cana back to the ground as the trio watched Gildarts shoot off into the sky before disappearing past the boundaries of the town. Then, they simply turned around and entered the guild hall as if nothing happened.

"Well, I guess you'll have to wait a little while before you can have that talk with Gildarts." Alfonzo said to Cana with a shrug.

Unfortunately, the wait would be longer than expected. Upon landing, Gildarts landed crotch first on a tree branch, causing him to lose consciousness again after stacking the damage he took with that of Elicia's punch.