When Gildarts announced he was taking on the 100-Year Quest, the guildhall went completely silent.
Even for someone like him—strong, fearless, borderline insane at times—it wasn't something people expected to hear out of the blue. That job had been sitting untouched for over a century for a reason. Nobody had ever returned from it. Not even to say goodbye.
I was leaning against the pillar near the guild board, arms crossed, watching as everyone processed the news. Laxus raised an eyebrow. Erza went stiff. Natsu actually stopped chewing on his skewer mid-bite, which might've been the most shocking reaction of all.
Then there was Ur.
She didn't say anything at first. Just stood beside Gildarts, eyes locked onto him, expression calm. But I could tell. The way her fingers curled slightly into the fabric of her sleeve, the tiny twitch of her jaw—she was holding it in.
They'd been together a while now. Living together, raising their son together, training together, arguing over furniture and getting caught in downpours on grocery runs. Domestic life somehow suited them, even if it came with the occasional crater in the backyard.
When everyone else finally broke into questions and shocked exclamations, I made my way over. Gildarts caught sight of me and gave that stupid grin of his. "Figured you'd say something sarcastic."
I shrugged. "Nah. I think you've finally outdone yourself in stupidity, and that deserves respect."
Ur shot me a look, part scolding, part amused.
Gildarts chuckled. "You gonna wish me luck or not?"
I sighed, glancing at Ur. "You sure about this?"
He nodded, serious now. "Yeah. It's time."
I looked back at Ur. She met my gaze and nodded too, but her voice was soft. "He's always chasing after something impossible. That's who he is. I'd never try to stop him from being that."
There was so much unsaid between them in that moment—years of trust, love, and silent promises.
"You come back alive," I said, clapping Gildarts on the shoulder. "Or I'm dragging your ass back myself."
He laughed, gave Ur a long, quiet look, then turned to head out.
The doors of the guild swung shut behind him.
And just like that, the biggest idiot I knew walked off to face something nobody had ever come back from.
Ur stood there for a while, unmoving. I walked up beside her.
"You okay?" I asked.
She didn't answer right away, then finally whispered, "I trust him."
"Good," I said. "Because so do I."
–
Gildarts' departure for the 100-Year Quest had left a noticeable hole in the guild. Ur had been understandably quiet, though she'd shown no signs of trying to stop him. But the day-to-day hustle of Fairy Tail continued.
I leaned against the bar, watching the chaos unfold as usual. Natsu and Happy were in the middle of some ridiculous argument over who could eat the most spicy food, while Lisanna tried (and failed) to stop them before they managed to burn down the entire kitchen again. Erza stood nearby, trying her best to maintain order, but even she was at her limit today.
"Can you two just eat like normal people for once?" Erza snapped, her patience fraying as Natsu and Happy laughed uncontrollably, tossing food at each other.
Lisanna was caught in the middle, laughing as much as she was trying to intervene. It was a scene that had become so typical, so familiar, that I almost forgot how different things could have been. Should have been.
Lisanna was alive. She hadn't died. Her supposed death, the one that had shaped so many things for Natsu, Happy, and the rest of them, had never happened. I knew it was a result of my intervention. A change I made in the timeline, one I hadn't hesitated to make the moment I had the chance.
But standing there, watching her laugh with Natsu and Happy, I didn't feel regret. Instead, I felt something I hadn't expected—peace.
In another world, another timeline, Lisanna was a memory. Her absence had been a turning point for so many people. Natsu's grief had driven him in ways that were sometimes reckless, and those moments had created the Natsu everyone knew.
Here, though, in this timeline? Things were different. Natsu wasn't as reckless. He still had that fiery, impulsive energy, but there was a subtle shift. Less burden. Less pain.
I took a long sip of my drink, leaning back against the bar as I watched the chaos continue when the door opened, and Irene stepped inside. For a moment, the room fell into a stunned silence.
Her presence was commanding, and the air seemed to shift. It had been months since she officially joined Fairy Tail, but her reputation had preceded her. Irene, once known as one of the strongest mages in history, had a past that made her notorious.
But now, she was here, part of Fairy Tail.
I watched as Erza turned to her, the smile on her face soft. "Mother."
"Erza," Irene replied, her voice gentle, a stark contrast to the coldness she had once carried.
It wasn't lost on me how far they'd come. Months ago, they were strangers to each other. Now, they seemed to move as one, a mother and daughter who had found their way back to each other. The distance between them had closed, and I could see it—no tension, no hesitation. Just… family.
Irene came over to me, sitting beside me at the bar, like it was routine now. She leaned into me, the quiet warmth of her body against mine something I had grown to look forward to.
There was still something lingering in me. A feeling of satisfaction that they'd found this peace.
For now, I simply let the moments pass, the sounds of the guild wrapping around me as I shifted my attention back to Irene. She clung to me a little tighter, and honestly, I didn't mind.
"Everything's alright," I murmured.
She gave a small nod, her head resting on my shoulder. "It's just nice, you know? For my life to be like this."
I glanced down at Irene, who had her head resting on my shoulder now, her fingers lightly curled into my sleeve. The comfort she found in this closeness wasn't lost on me, and part of me felt a strange sense of satisfaction.
It wasn't just about the peace she'd found in Fairy Tail, though. It was about how much had changed for both her and Erza—and how I had been there through it all.
"Everything's alright," I murmured softly.
Irene gave a small nod, her breath warm against my skin. "It's just nice, you know? For my life to be like this."
A part of me was content knowing that her journey had taken this turn—that the pieces had fallen into place.
Right now, everything is just as it should be.
—
The next morning came with that familiar haze of sunlight pouring through the guild. Fairy Tail was already alive with noise, the occasional crash from the back room where Natsu and Gray were probably wrestling over breakfast. Just another normal day.
But something in me felt… off. Restless.
Gildarts had been gone for a while now, off chasing his impossible 100-Year Quest. It had left a noticeable absence in the guild, sure but more than that, it had lit something in me. A spark.
I found myself staring at the old, weathered job board near the back wall. Most of the requests were standard—monster subjugations, village escorts, bounty hunts—but that one… the one tucked off to the side with age in its paper and weight in its words. The 100-Year Quest.
Still untouched. Still insane. Still calling.
Irene stepped up beside me, reading over my shoulder. "You're serious?" she asked quietly.
"Yeah," I replied, then turned my head slightly, catching her expression. "Wanna come with me?"
She nodded without hesitation. "Of course."
Of course she was.
We didn't need many words these days. It was a quiet sort of understanding, the way we moved together now. Not always in sync, but... aligned.
But before anything else, she turned—her gaze already locked on Erza, who stood across the hall talking to Mira. Their eyes met. Erza's expression shifted the moment she realized something was about to change.
I watched them from a few feet away as Irene approached her daughter.
Erza folded her arms, trying to look composed, but there was a flicker in her eyes. "You're leaving?"
Irene smiled gently, brushing some hair behind Erza's ear like it was second nature. "For a while. Aiden and I… we're going to take the 100-Year Quest."
Erza's brows furrowed slightly. "That's… a big one."
"I know." Irene's voice stayed calm. "But I want to. I need to. And he shouldn't go alone."
There was a long pause. Then, Erza stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her mother. It wasn't dramatic, not some tearful farewell—just warm and tight, the way you hug someone who's finally become important in your life.
"I'll keep everyone in line while you're gone," Erza said, her voice a little softer now. "Don't do anything reckless."
"I won't," Irene murmured, squeezing back. "And don't forget to eat properly. You always skip meals when you're stressed."
Erza huffed a small laugh. "You sound like a real mom now."
Irene pulled back, gently pressing her forehead to Erza's for a brief moment. "That's because I am."
When Irene returned to my side, she had a small smile on her face, and Erza was still watching her, strong, proud, but just a little teary-eyed.
"Ready?" I asked.
She nodded, holding the quest sheet. "Let's go."
And just like that, we walked out of the guild, side by side.
Not chasing glory. Not chasing destiny.
Just walking forward, together.
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