After some time, the moment arrived for Gildarts to set out on another mission. Or rather, Cornelia got tired of his annoying presence and kicked him out so he could continue his adventures.
Two weeks had passed, and although Cornelia still used a wheelchair, she now looked much more energetic thanks to the treatments.
Meanwhile, Kara kept reading books about magic, but none truly captivated her. So, before Gildarts left for an S-rank mission, she decided to speak to him.
—Old man, teach me how to use your magic —Kara said seriously, looking at Gildarts just as he was about to leave.
—Not a chance —he immediately responded without even thinking, as he petted Cana's head while she clung to him, saddened by his departure.
—I want to be able to protect Mom and my sister when you're not here —Kara insisted.
Gildarts stared at her, noticing her determination. Meanwhile, Cornelia and Cana, who was holding Pico, watched the interaction with interest.
—No. Blee! —Gildarts childishly stuck out his tongue before dashing away.
Kara trembled with fury.
—That disgusting old man! —she yelled, watching as Gildarts cheerfully walked away, knowing he now had a family waiting for him at home.
A couple of months later…
As soon as he finished a mission, Gildarts would hurry back home to pester his daughters and Cornelia, with whom he was gradually mending his relationship.
Ever since they moved, it became normal for them to spend time at the guild, especially Cana, who loved waiting for her father there.
—My beautiful family, I'm home! —Gildarts announced as he walked through the door, with Cana sitting on his arm.
—I'm home, family! —Cana repeated, imitating her father.
—Cana, don't copy his nonsense… you might end up like him —Kara said, frowning.
—Gildarts, we have a problem… We don't have any plates or cutlery for you to eat with. No mattress for you either… Maybe we could borrow Pico's —Cornelia said, putting on an exaggeratedly worried expression.
—Ugh… their love is a little rough —Gildarts said, placing a hand over his chest as if in pain.
—Hahaha! —Cana couldn't stop laughing.
At that moment, Gildarts realized where Kara got her personality from. Even though she had relaxed quite a bit since they moved in front of the guild, she was still a very serious child.
He approached her and curiously asked:
—When will you call me "Dad" like Cana does?
Before answering, Gildarts gave Cornelia a kiss on the forehead. She stopped pretending and smiled happily.
—When you teach me your magic —Kara responded, staring at him intently.
—That's all? You should've said so earlier! —Gildarts exclaimed, pulling out a book and handing it to a surprised Kara.
—It was that easy? —she said, looking at the book in her hands.
—Of course. Now say "Dad" —Gildarts grinned, waiting eagerly while Cornelia and Cana watched him with amused expressions.
—P-Pa… Papa idiot! —Kara blurted out before dashing off to her room.
Gildarts burst into laughter as Cornelia and Cana enjoyed the scene.
When Kara opened the book, she realized it didn't just explain how to use Crash Magic but also contained Gildarts' annotations that made it easier to understand. Smiling, she immediately began studying.
Over time, Kara learned to use Crash Magic, though she had some difficulties, requiring magic cuffs to prevent her from destroying everything around her. Meanwhile, Cana learned card magic, as she liked knowing when her father would return.
Kara got used to studying magic at the guild since, with Makarov around, her magic didn't go out of control as much during practice. Plus, that way, Makarov could make sure she didn't accidentally destroy the city… after all, she was Gildarts' daughter.
However, despite spending time at the guild, Kara didn't get along with the other members. Or rather, there seemed to be a wall between her and the rest. She didn't try to make friends and only showed her emotions with her family… and maybe with Makarov, since he helped her a lot in controlling her magic.
One day, Macao approached and informed them:
—Kara, Cana, your mother is here for you.
Cornelia entered the guild with a smile. After two years, she had completely recovered. Although she would never be able to have more children or use magic again, she didn't mind. She had her two precious daughters, and she never knew what magic she had in the first place. Instead, she had started learning medicine from Porlyusica and now worked as a nurse at the guild.
—Let's go home. Your father should be back soon —Cornelia said sweetly, greeting everyone and calling her daughters.
—Cornelia, I don't know how you can still be with that fool —Makarov joked.
—Right? I should find myself a millionaire to support me —Cornelia replied with a smile.
The others in the guild laughed, knowing it was just a joke. After all, Cornelia and Gildarts were quite close, even if he was always traveling.
Cornelia had left Gildarts in the past after realizing how foolish he was… but now she understood how much she missed him every time he was away. She had almost raised her daughters alone, and the distance had made her realize how important his presence was.
—I heard you —Gildarts suddenly said, entering the guild… destroying the wall in the process.
—Idiot, use the door! —Makarov yelled, furious.
—That's weird… the bells didn't ring —Macao commented with amusement.
—You have to look outside —Wakaba said, pointing behind Gildarts.
Everyone turned and saw a trail of destruction in his wake. It seemed his "Gildarts Mode" hadn't activated this time, so he had simply walked through houses without realizing it.
—Sorry, I was in a hurry to get to my family, so I ran all the way here —Gildarts said, laughing.
Meanwhile, Makarov fainted, realizing the guild would have to cover the damages.
—Sigh… Looks like Magnolia's builders will get a nice paycheck —Kara commented as she gathered her things to head home.
Some time later, the new generation of troublemakers arrived to join the guild: Natsu, Gray, Erza, Mirajane, and her siblings.
Kara was sitting at the bar, while Cana had stayed home playing with Pico.
After a typical loud fight that involved the entire guild, Makarov smacked them all with his giant arm to calm them down. Then, he sat near Kara.
—Kara, you should relax a bit —Makarov said, watching the girl, who was always studying magic.
Her dedication was impressive, but also concerning. She always had to wear magic restraints to avoid destroying everything she touched.
—Why? —Kara asked, looking at him seriously.
—Well, because you're part of our family, and you're always buried in your books. You probably haven't even made friends with the other kids yet —Makarov said quickly.
—Family? Gildarts, Mom, and Cana are my family —Kara replied coldly.
—Well, yes… but when you got your seal, you also became a member of the Fairy Tail family —Makarov said with a smile.
—I'll think about it —Kara replied, not looking up from her book.
Meanwhile, behind her, Natsu was fighting with Gray, who, for some reason, was in his underwear.
Mirajane was looking for trouble with Erza, while her siblings tried to stop her.
Erza was happily eating her cake, while Levy played magic chess against Laxus.
Laxus hadn't yet developed that arrogant and annoying attitude since his father was still around. Although Kara found him unpleasant, he never approached Gildarts' daughters… he was far too afraid of the strongest Fairy Tail mage.
Still, it was obvious that guy never planned anything good.
The noise started to bother her, so Kara decided to go to the beach to practice her magic.
She placed three rocks side by side and tried to destroy only the one in the middle.
Luckily, at this point, her magic could only separate inanimate objects, which was the most basic form of Crash Magic, so there was no danger of hurting anyone.
After a while of practice, Kara smiled in satisfaction. She felt she was gaining better control over her magic. Soon, she might even be able to remove the restraints and stop fearing that her power would destroy everything she touched.
—You're Kara, right? Fight me! —a girl's voice suddenly said behind her.
Kara turned around and saw Erza looking at her seriously.
Erza had joined the guild recently and had never interacted with Kara until now.
—Why? —Kara asked, observing her.
—You're strong, right? You always wear those bracelets to keep your magic in check… So, fight me —Erza said with determination.
Kara remembered Makarov's words about relaxing a bit.
—Alright —she agreed without thinking too much.
Maybe, after all, Makarov was right.
—----------------------------
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