The journey back from Cait Shelter was a quiet one, filled with a mix of somber reflection and hopeful anticipation.
By the time the familiar spires of the Kardia Cathedral came into view, the sun was high and bright, a perfect welcome for the newest members of the family.
Right now, Blake, Erza, Natsu, Gray, Happy, Wendy, and Carla were standing at the main door of the Fairy Tail guild hall.
The building was impressive, fully restored and even improved after the Battle with the Phantom lord guild, thanks in large part to Blake's funding and architectural input. To Wendy Marvell, who had spent her life in a small, illusory tribal village, it looked like a castle. She clutched her skirt, her small knuckles white, while Carla hovered anxiously over her shoulder.
"This is it," Blake said, his deep voice gentle. He stood at the front, his large hand resting on the heavy brass handle of the double doors. He looked down at the small Dragon Slayer. "Ready?"
Wendy took a deep breath, looked at Natsu (who was grinning), and nodded. "Y-Yes!"
Then Blake opens the door of the guild hall. The heavy wood swung inward with a groan.
Blake stepped aside, gesturing with a welcoming hand. "Welcome to Fairy Tail."
Wendy and Carla stepped over the threshold, expecting a scene of professional mages discussing quests, perhaps studying ancient tomes, or preparing for noble adventures.
But what Wendy and Carla saw inside the guild scared them.
It was a war zone.
"A MAN FIGHTS WITH HIS FISTS!"
"MY BEER! WHO SPILLED MY BEER?!"
Inside the guild hall, everyone was fighting. It wasn't an argument; it was a full-scale riot. Barstools were flying through the air like missiles. A table had been overturned and set on fire.
Elfman had Macao in a headlock. Wakaba was throwing cards at Alzack. Max was riding a wave of sand across the bar counter. It was a swirling vortex of violence, laughter, and magical energy.
Wendy let out a high-pitched "Eep!" and shrank back, hiding behind Blake's leg. Carla's jaw dropped.
"This... this is a guild?" the cat gasped. "It looks like a prison riot!"
Seeing her scared, Blake crouched down slightly, though he didn't look surprised in the least. He offered her a reassuring smile.
"There is no need to be scared, Wendy," he said calmly, ignoring a wooden mug that shattered against the doorframe inches from his head. "This is a daily thing in the guild. It's how they... communicate. It's just high spirits."
He tries to explain the situation, opening his mouth to elaborate on the guild's unique bond of camaraderie through combat.
"You see, in Fairy Tail, we believe that friction creates—"
"SILENCE!"
Blake was interrupted by Erza. She didn't just speak; she roared. The Titania stepped past Blake, her aura flaring red and terrifying. She looked at the chaotic brawl, her eyes narrowing.
"We return from a dangerous mission, bringing a guest," she bellowed, "and this is how you behave?!"
The guild, too loud to hear her, continued to brawl. A random guild member flew past Erza.
Erza's patience snapped.
"I SAID STOP FIGHTING!"
She didn't use magic. She used brute force. She waded into the melee like a force of nature. She shouted at everyone in the guild to stop fighting and hit anyone who was still fighting to stop them.
She grabbed Natsu (who had joined in immediately) and Gray by their heads and slammed them together with a skull-cracking thunk. She kicked Elfman through a partition. She grabbed Macao and Wakaba and threw them into the ceiling.
In the process, she broke a few tables and chairs, causing significantly more property damage in ten seconds than the brawlers had caused in ten minutes.
Within moments, the guild was silent. Bodies lay groaning in piles. Dust settled from the smashed furniture. Erza stood in the center, dusting off her hands, looking satisfied.
"There," she said calmly. "Now we can have introductions."
Seeing that, Blake had black lines on his face. The irony was palpable.
He looked down at a trembling Wendy. He tells Wendy that Erza is a type of disciplinarian here. If she is present, there will not be much of fighting.
But Gray, who was nursing a fresh lump on his head from Erza's "discipline," crawled over. He looked terrifying, beaten and bruised.
He murmurs from the side, "Yeah... she sure as hell will break your bones if you fight."
Hearing that, Wendy gets scared of Erza. She looked at the red-haired knight who had just decimated her own family. Wendy gulped and took a step back, practically vibrating with terror.
"S-Scary..." she whispered.
Then Blake placed a large, warm hand on her head. "Don't listen to Gray. He deserved it. You are safe here, Wendy. No one will touch you. Erza protects the weak. She only beats up the idiots."
"Hey!" Gray protested.
Then they all go inside the now silent guild. The members picked themselves up, nursing bruises, but their mood shifted instantly when they saw the returning team.
"Hey! Blake's back!"
"And the team!"
"Welcome home!"
Blake walked toward the center of the hall. Before he could reach the bar, a figure separated from the crowd.
It was Cana.
She wasn't holding a barrel this time. She looked radiant, her brown hair flowing, her eyes locked only on him. She didn't care about the crowd, the new girl, or the broken tables.
Then, Cana, upon seeing Blake, comes towards him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, standing on her tiptoes.
"Welcome home," she whispered.
She hugs and kisses him on his lips. It wasn't a quick peck; it was a deep, claiming kiss, full of relief and affection, right in the middle of the guild hall.
Wendy, seeing that, has a red face with steam coming from her ears. She covered her eyes with her small hands, but peeked through her fingers. "O-Oh my..."
Then Carla shouts at Blake, flying up to his eye level, her face indignant. "Shameless! There is a small kid here! Have some decency, you brute!"
Hearing that, Wendy peeked out from her hands, her embarrassment momentarily forgotten in favor of her indignance. She pouted. "Carla! I am not a child! I'm twelve!"
"You are a child to me!" Carla huffed.
Blake broke the kiss, grinning at a flushed Cana. He kept his arm around her waist as he turned to the bar.
"Sorry about that, Carla," he chuckled. Then Blake goes to Makarov.
The tiny master was sitting on the bar counter, swinging his legs, a look of relief on his face as he saw his children return safe.
"Master," Blake reported, his tone turning professional. "The mission is a success. Nirvana is destroyed. Oracion Seis is in custody. The alliance held."
Makarov let out a long, heavy sigh. "Excellent work. Truly excellent. You have saved the world from a great darkness."
"We didn't do it alone," Blake said. He stepped aside, revealing the small girl hiding behind him. "And I'd like to introduce Wendy Marvell. She..." Blake paused, his voice softening. "She will be joining the guild."
Makarov looked at Wendy. He saw the sadness in her eyes, but also the hope that shone through. He saw the strength of a Dragon Slayer. His face broke into a warm, grandfatherly smile.
"Welcome, child," Makarov welcomes her to the guild. "Fairy Tail is a place for those who have nowhere else to go. You are family now."
He hopped down. He stamps a Fairy Tail stamp on her right shoulder with blue colour.
Wendy looked at the mark, her eyes shining. "Thank you... Master."
The same is done for Carla, who requested hers in the same colour on her back, trying to look dignified despite her happiness.
Then Makarov introduces Wendy and Carla to everyone in the guild.
"LISTEN UP, BRATS!" Makarov shouted. "WE HAVE NEW MEMBERS! TREAT THEM WELL, OR ERZA WILL KILL YOU AGAIN!"
The guild cheered—a happy, non-violent roar this time.
Wendy and Carla introduce themselves to the guild members.
"I-I'm Wendy! Sky Dragon Slayer! I'll do my best!"
"I am Carla. Do not touch me."
The rest of the afternoon was a blur of introductions. Lucy introduced Wendy to Levy ("You both love books!").
Mirajane brought her a strawberry shake ("On the house, sweetie").
Juvia glared at her for two seconds before deciding Wendy was not a "love rival" and offering her a towel. Even Gajeel grunted a welcome, acknowledging a fellow Dragon Slayer.
As the excitement died down, Wendy turned to Blake, who was sitting with Cana at a nearby table. Her expression was serious.
"Blake-san..."
"Yeah, Wendy?"
Then Wendy asks Blake, 'Where is Jellal?' The one you told me about."
She remembered his promise in the forest. He had said the Jellal she hugged wasn't her Jellal, but that there was another one like him. The one who had saved her years ago.
Hearing that, Blake nodded. "I promised, didn't I?"
He closed his eyes. Blake uses his observation haki to search for him in Magnolia.
His senses expanded. He felt the magical signatures of everyone in the hall—Natsu's fire, Gray's ice, Makarov's immense light. He pushed further, scanning the streets, the cathedral, the outskirts of the town. He was looking for a specific, elusive magical signature—Anima magic, sleep magic, the feel of Edolas.
He scanned the entire city.
But he couldn't find him.
Blake opened his eyes, a small frown on his face. "He's not here."
Wendy's face fell. "Oh..."
"Don't worry," Blake said quickly. "That guy... he travels a lot. He rarely stays in the guild for long."
He patted her shoulder. "When he returns from the mission, I will take you to him. I promise. I will find him the second he sets foot in Magnolia."
Wendy nodded, though she looked disappointed. "Okay. I'll wait."
The mood was getting a little somber, and Cana decided she had had enough of serious talks and sad backstories for one day. She had her boyfriend back; he was a hero, and they hadn't had any "private time" since the Shadow Island.
Then Cana comes and drags him out of the guild. She grabbed Blake by the collar of his shirt, pulling him up from his chair.
She leaned into Blake, pressing her body against his, her voice dropping to a husky whisper that carried just far enough.
"I missed you, Blake," she purred. "And that hotel room in Crocus feels like a long time ago. I think we need to go home. To your house. To have some fun."
When Wendy heard what Cana was implying, she didn't understand the mechanics, but she understood the tone. She had a red face that rivaled Erza's hair. She squeaked, covering her ears, and was looking away from the couple, staring intently at a knot in the floorboards.
"Carla... adults are weird," she whispered.
"Yes, child," Carla agreed, covering her own eyes. "Yes, they are."
Blake, slightly embarrassed but mostly eager, let himself be led away. "See you all tomorrow," he called out over his shoulder.
As the heavy doors closed behind them, leaving the guild to its chaos, Blake looked down at Cana.
"My house?"
"Your house," she confirmed with a grin. "The pool needs testing."
They walked hand in hand toward the lake, leaving the noise of the guild behind for the quiet of their home.