POV: Elior
For a while, nobody said anything.
Ur still held Ultear tightly, as if letting go might somehow make her disappear again.
Ultear cried against her shoulder, years of anger and loneliness finally breaking apart now that the person she had spent so long believing had abandoned her was standing right in front of her.
"I thought you were dead," Ur whispered again.
"I thought you didn't want me," Ultear replied.
Ur pulled back and held her by the shoulders.
"Never."
Her eyes were still filled with tears.
"I searched for you. I went back to the facility after you disappeared. They told me you had died."
Ultear stared at her mother.
"They told you I was dead?"
"Yes."
Ur's voice shook.
"I believed them."
Ultear lowered her head.
"I didn't know."
"I know."
Ur gently wiped the tears from her daughter's face.
"I should have searched longer. I should have questioned them. I should have—"
"Mom."
Ur stopped.
Ultear gave her a small, trembling smile.
"You're here."
Ur's expression softened.
"So are you."
They hugged again.
I looked away for a moment.
There were some things even Light Magic couldn't fix.
A broken bone could be repaired.
A wound could be closed.
A damaged body could be restored.
But years of loneliness and misunderstanding were different.
That required people to talk.
It required forgiveness.
And most importantly, it required both sides to actually be there.
Unfortunately, not everyone was feeling quite as peaceful.
Ur slowly pulled away from Ultear and looked at the injuries covering her daughter's body.
Her expression changed.
"Who did this to you?"
Ultear's smile disappeared.
"The facility."
Ur's eyes narrowed.
"What did they do?"
Ultear hesitated.
"They experimented on me."
Her hands tightened around the fabric of her clothes.
"They said my magical power was too great for my body. They kept trying different methods to make me handle it."
Ur's face became colder.
"Different methods?"
"They used me as a test subject."
Silence.
Even the air around us seemed to become heavier.
Ultear continued quietly.
"They kept saying it was necessary. That they could make me stronger. That eventually my body would adapt."
Laxus' fists clenched.
I didn't need to look at him to know exactly what he was thinking.
He had lived through something similar.
Too much magical power.
A young body unable to contain it.
Someone deciding that instead of protecting the child, they would experiment on them.
Ur's magical pressure suddenly surged.
The trees around the clearing trembled.
Gray and Leon stopped what they were doing.
Gildarts' eyes narrowed.
"They experimented on a child because she had too much magic?"
Ur's voice was dangerously quiet.
Ultear nodded.
"They told me my body was defective."
Ur clenched her fists.
"Your body wasn't defective."
She looked directly at her daughter.
"They were."
Her magical pressure rose again.
"I'll kill them."
"Ur," Gildarts said.
Ur turned toward him.
"They took my daughter."
Her voice shook with anger.
"They hurt her, experimented on her, and then lied to me about her death."
Gildarts' expression hardened.
"I know."
"No, you don't."
Ur looked toward the jungle.
"I left that place believing my daughter was dead."
She swallowed.
"And all these years, she was alive somewhere, suffering because of them."
Gildarts didn't answer immediately.
Then he said quietly, "You're right. I don't know what that feels like."
He looked toward Ultear.
"But I know what I'd want to do to the people responsible."
Laxus stepped forward.
"So do I."
Everyone looked at him.
Laxus' expression was unusually cold.
"If someone did that to me, I'd want the place destroyed."
I glanced at him.
I knew there was more behind those words than he was saying.
He understood Ultear better than most people could.
I nodded.
"Then we'll destroy it."
Ur looked at me.
"You're serious?"
"Absolutely."
Ultear looked surprised.
"You would do that?"
"After our mission."
Ur frowned.
"Why wait?"
"Because Deliora is still heading toward Brago."
I pointed toward the mountains.
"We came here for that mission first."
Gildarts nodded.
"Elior's right."
Ur looked frustrated, but she understood.
"Fine."
She looked toward Ultear.
"But we're going back there."
Ultear nodded.
"Together."
I smiled.
"Sounds like a plan."
The tension eased slightly.
Then Gildarts suddenly clapped his hands.
"Alright."
Everyone looked at him.
"We've dealt with the depressing part. Now how about we actually introduce everyone?"
Ur blinked.
Gray looked confused.
Leon looked equally confused.
Ultear wiped her eyes.
Gildarts pointed toward the two boys.
"You've met them already, but apparently we've skipped the formalities."
Gray stepped forward.
He looked at Ultear for a moment before scratching the back of his head.
"I'm Gray."
Ultear nodded.
"I'm Ultear."
"I know."
Gray glanced toward Ur.
"She told us."
Leon stepped forward next.
"I'm Leon."
Ultear gave him a small smile.
"Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too."
Gray looked at her again.
"So… you're really Ur's daughter?"
Ultear nodded.
"Yeah."
Gray thought for a moment.
"Then I guess we're family."
Ultear's eyes widened slightly.
Gray shrugged.
"I mean, if you're her daughter and we're her students… that's probably close enough."
Leon sighed.
"You make family sound like a mathematical equation."
"What's wrong with that?"
"Everything."
Ultear couldn't help laughing softly.
It was probably the first genuine laugh we'd heard from her.
Ur smiled as she watched them.
I could tell she was relieved.
There was still a lot they needed to work through, but at least they were talking.
Gildarts pointed toward Laxus.
"And this is Laxus."
Laxus gave a simple nod.
"Hey."
Gray looked at him curiously.
"You're the Lightning Prince, aren't you?"
Laxus frowned.
"Who told you that?"
"People talk."
I grinned.
"Looks like your reputation has reached the middle of nowhere."
"Don't start."
Gildarts laughed.
"And finally, you've already met Elior."
Gray looked at me.
"The famous Saint Elior."
I smiled.
"It's nice when people recognize greatness."
Laxus rolled his eyes.
"Here we go."
Gray laughed.
"Are you always like this?"
"Unfortunately," Laxus answered.
"Hey!"
Even Ur laughed quietly.
The atmosphere had changed completely.
Only a short while ago, the clearing had been filled with anger and tears.
Now, for a few moments, it almost felt like an ordinary family gathering.
Then Gray's expression became serious.
He looked toward Gildarts.
"You said Deliora."
Gildarts nodded.
Gray's smile disappeared.
"That monster is the reason my parents are dead."
Ultear looked toward him.
"You lost your parents?"
Gray nodded.
"Deliora attacked our village."
His fists tightened.
"Ur saved me."
Ultear looked at her mother.
Ur's expression softened.
"I couldn't save everyone."
Gray looked toward the mountains.
"That's why I want to go."
I could already tell where this was going.
"I'll fight with you."
"No."
Gray looked at me.
"Why?"
"Because this isn't your fight."
"It is."
His voice became angry.
"That thing killed my parents."
"I know."
"Then why are you stopping me?"
"Because you're not ready."
Gray's expression hardened.
"I can fight."
"Against normal enemies? Sure."
I stepped closer.
"But Deliora isn't normal."
Gildarts nodded.
"Elior and Laxus are being tested because they're strong enough to have a chance against it. Even then, we're not assuming this will be easy."
Gray looked toward Laxus.
"You really think you can beat it?"
Laxus answered honestly.
"I don't know."
Gray looked surprised.
Laxus continued.
"But I'm going to try."
That seemed to affect Gray.
He looked at me again.
"I want to see it."
I considered him for a moment.
"That's different."
I glanced toward Ur.
"If Ur agrees, you can stay somewhere safe and watch."
Ur immediately understood.
"I can protect them."
Gray's eyes lit up slightly.
"But you stay where I tell you."
Gray nodded.
"Fine."
I looked toward Leon and Ultear.
"You two as well."
Leon nodded.
Ultear looked toward the mountains.
"I want to see Deliora too."
"Then you'll see it from a safe distance."
Ur stepped forward.
"I'll make sure of that."
Gildarts nodded.
"That works."
He looked toward Ur.
"And since you're already involved, there's something else."
Ur raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
"Come with us."
Ur looked surprised.
"You want me there?"
"As long as you don't interfere with the examination."
Gildarts pointed toward Elior and Laxus.
"This is their S-Class exam. They need to fight their own battle."
Ur nodded.
"I understand."
"But if things go completely wrong, protect the children."
"I will."
I smiled.
"Then it's settled."
For a moment, everyone was quiet again.
Ultear stood beside Ur.
Gray and Leon stood nearby.
Laxus was studying the map.
Gildarts was looking toward the mountains.
And I could feel the enormous magical presence somewhere far beyond the jungle.
Deliora.
The reason we had come this far.
I looked at Ur.
"One more thing."
She turned toward me.
"After the mission?"
Her expression immediately became fierce.
"The facility."
I nodded.
"We destroy it."
Ultear looked between us.
"You really mean it?"
Gildarts smiled.
"Kid, after what you've told us, I don't think anyone here is going to let that place stay standing."
Laxus nodded.
"Definitely not."
Gray raised a hand.
"I want to help."
I looked at him.
"You can help by staying alive."
He frowned.
"That's not very exciting."
"Neither is dying."
Gray muttered something under his breath.
Ultear smiled faintly.
For the first time, she wasn't alone.
She had found her mother.
She had met the two children she once thought had replaced her.
And somehow, in less than a day, she had gained several people willing to stand beside her.
I looked toward the mountains again.
First Deliora.
Then the facility.
One problem at a time.
Laxus folded the map.
"Ready?"
I nodded.
"Let's go."
Gildarts started walking.
Ur followed with the younger children.
I walked beside Laxus, both of us looking ahead.
We had come here for an S-Class examination.
But somehow, this mission had become much more than that.
Now we had a family to protect.
And a monster to stop.