Makarov's office was a mess of paperwork, half-filled reports, and the ever-present smell of old ink. Normally, this was the place where the old man scolded us for our latest destruction bill. Today, however, the mood was heavier.
Ur stood in front of the desk, arms crossed, jaw tight. Gildarts leaned against the wall, unusually serious, while I stood by the window, staring out at Magnolia as if the view could settle the anger simmering inside me.
Because damn, was I still pissed about what we had learned last night.
Makarov exhaled slowly, eyeing the three of us. "So, you're certain about this?"
Ur didn't hesitate. "Yes."
Makarov rubbed his temples, clearly debating his next words. "Ur… I need you to understand what you're walking into. If your daughter was truly taken and experimented on, then the ones responsible—"
"—are the kind of bastards I'm ready to kill," Ur cut in sharply, voice cold.
Makarov frowned, but he didn't argue.
I turned from the window, crossing my arms. "This isn't just some dark guild operation. This is bigger. Something like this doesn't happen unless someone powerful is pulling the strings."
Makarov's eyes narrowed. "You think the Magic Council had a hand in it?"
I clenched my jaw.
Not all of them.
I'd spent enough time in this world to know the Council wasn't entirely corrupt. There were decent people among them—hell, Makarov himself had connections there. But even a single rotten branch could poison the whole tree.
Gildarts had told us last night about what he'd seen. About how some details in the mission report had been altered before reaching the official archives. About how things conveniently went missing.
That meant someone within the Council—or someone close to them—was involved.
My fingers twitched with the urge to summon a weapon. "The Council itself isn't the problem," I muttered. "But someone inside it is. Someone powerful enough to cover this up."
Ur's fingers curled at her sides, silent fury radiating off her.
Gildarts sighed, raking a hand through his hair. "Yeah, kid's got a point. We all like to think the Council's got the world's best interests at heart, but let's be real—they're politicians. They've got rules, and then they've got their real rules." He shook his head. "Something about this stinks."
Makarov's expression darkened. He wasn't refuting it.
Ur took a slow breath, steadying herself. "Then I have even more reason to find out the truth." She met Makarov's gaze, her voice unwavering. "Master, I'm going."
Makarov studied her for a long moment, then sighed. "…I won't stop you."
Ur's posture didn't change, but something in her eyes softened.
Makarov looked between the three of us. "And you two?"
I smirked. "Like I'd let her handle this alone."
Gildarts chuckled. "Not a chance. I'm in."
Ur glanced between us, lips parting slightly, then scoffed. "Idiots."
"Yeah, yeah, you love us," I said, waving a hand. "Try not to cry about it."
She rolled her eyes, but I caught the gratitude hidden underneath.
Makarov sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "This is the first time in my tenure as Guild Master that all of Fairy Tail's active S-Class mages are leaving on the same mission."
I blinked.
Huh. He's right.
Right now, the only active S-Class members were Ur, Gildarts, and myself. And all three of us were about to head off together.
Makarov exhaled. "If something happens to the three of you at the same time, do you have any idea what kind of nightmare that will be for me?"
I grinned. "Sounds like a future Makarov problem."
He glared.
I turned to Ur. "Speaking of S-Class, you never even had to take the trial, huh?"
Ur snorted. "Would've been a waste of time."
She wasn't wrong.
When Ur first joined Fairy Tail, there was some debate about whether she should go through the S-Class Trials like everyone else. That debate ended the moment she demonstrated her magic.
She didn't earn the rank of S-Class.
She was S-Class.
Gildarts chuckled. "Yeah, I remember that day. Half the guild was betting on how fast Makarov would give her the title."
Ur smirked. "Hope you made some money."
Makarov grumbled. "Not a single jewel. Damn brats."
I grinned. "Tragic."
Makarov waved us off. "Go, before I change my mind."
I gave a mock salute. "Yes, Master."
He threw a stack of papers at my head. I dodged.
—
I found Alma at the bar, nursing a cup of coffee—because unlike most of the guild, she had taste.
She looked up as I approached, arching an eyebrow. "So, today's the day, huh?"
I leaned against the counter. "You already knew that."
She hummed. "Yeah. You told me last night."
I smirked. "And yet, you still look like you have something to say."
Alma gave me a look, tapping her fingers against the mug. "You're not the one I'm worried about this time."
I blinked. That was unexpected. "Ur?"
She nodded, sighing. "She's tough, but… this is different. Finding her daughter after all these years—it's not just another mission, Aiden. It's personal. I just… hope she finds what she's looking for."
I studied her, noticing the way she turned her mug absentmindedly between her hands. She meant what she said. Alma was always sharp, always practical, but when she cared, she cared.
I reached out, brushing a knuckle against her cheek. "She will."
Alma's lips pressed together before she exhaled, some of the tension in her shoulders easing. "Then do your best."
I grinned. "Always."
She smirked. "Good. Because if you half-ass this, I'll know."
"Oh no, my terrifying girlfriend will judge me. Whatever shall I do?" I deadpanned.
She rolled her eyes. "Idiot."
I chuckled, but before I could step back, she grabbed the front of my shirt and pulled me into a proper kiss.
It was warm. Steady. A silent promise between us.
When she pulled away, she gave me a look that was softer than before. "Now go. Before Gildarts starts getting ideas about playing 'dad' again."
Speak of the devil.
A heavy arm suddenly slung around my shoulder, and I barely held back a groan.
"There he is!" Gildarts crowed. "I was just about to drag you off myself. Thought you might've gotten lost in your romantic farewell."
I scowled, shoving his arm off me. "I will end you."
He wiggled his eyebrows. "Aw, is that how you talk to your father-in-law?"
Alma snorted into her coffee.
I shot her a betrayed look. "Don't encourage him."
She smirked. "I would never."
Gildarts clapped a hand on my back, grinning. "Alright, lovebird, time to go. Duty calls."
I sighed, giving Alma one last glance. "I'll be back."
She raised an eyebrow. "I know."
And with that, I turned, heading toward Ur, toward Gildarts, toward the truth.
—
The hum of Avalon's engines thrummed beneath our feet as the massive Fairy Tail airship cruised through the night sky. Outside, the moonlight bathed the clouds in a pale glow, but inside, things were significantly less graceful.
"Alright, NIMO," I said, leaning back in the pilot's chair, boots kicked up on the console. "Give me the latest results."
A holographic screen flickered to life, displaying a moving map with a glowing red marker.
"Tracking in progress," NIMO's synthetic voice responded. "Tracing biological markers from subject's maternal DNA. Likelihood of accuracy—72%."
Ur, standing nearby with her arms crossed, frowned. "I have no idea what any of that means."
"Means we're getting closer," I explained.
Gildarts, who was lounging with his arms behind his head, raised an eyebrow. "Hold up. How the hell are we tracking her again? What's this 'D-N-whatever'?"
I blinked. "...You guys don't know what DNA is, do you?"
Ur scoffed. "Obviously not. Is that some weird magic?"
I sighed. Right. Fantasy world. No science. Explaining genetics to them would be like trying to explain taxes to Natsu.
"Uh… think of it like… a magical signature," I said, waving vaguely. "Except it's in your blood. And, uh, it makes you… you."
Ur narrowed her eyes. "That sounds made up."
"It's not made up," I groaned.
Gildarts scratched his head. "So what, you're sniffing her out like a bloodhound?"
"...Kinda?"
Ur shook her head. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard."
"Well, it's working," I shot back, pointing at the glowing red marker.
Ur huffed. "Fine. Where is she, then?"
NIMO flickered again. "Anomalous energy signature detected. Correlating with previous residual traces. High probability of target presence within a 150-kilometer radius."
The map zoomed in, highlighting a region in red.
"There," I said, tapping the screen. "That's our best lead."
Ur frowned at the glowing display. "So… how do we know it's really her and not some random dark wizard?"
"We don't," I admitted. "But it's our best shot."
Gildarts leaned forward. "And what's the plan? We fly over and politely knock?"
I smirked. "Option one: Gather intel, observe, and confirm if she's really there."
"And option two?" Ur asked.
I grinned wider. "Fairy Tail method—kick the door down and see what happens."
Gildarts laughed. "That's the one I like!"
Ur pinched the bridge of her nose. "Of course you do. You both think 'punch it until it stops moving' is a valid strategy."
I shrugged. "Hey, it usually works."
"That's not a justification!"
"Look, Ur," I said, "if Ultear's out there, we can't afford to sit around. We act fast, we hit hard, and we get her out."
Ur crossed her arms. "And if she isn't in danger?"
I hesitated.
That was the real question, wasn't it?
If Ultear was willingly staying away, what then?
I didn't answer right away. Instead, I deactivated the map and stood up. "Then we'll cross that bridge when we get there."
Ur wasn't satisfied with that answer, but she didn't argue.
Gildarts clapped his hands. "Alright, let's get moving!"
As Avalon shifted course toward the marked location, I exhaled slowly.
We were finally closing in on Ultear.
—-
Avalon drifted smoothly through the night sky, cutting through the clouds like a silent predator. The only sounds were the faint hum of the ship's engines and the occasional beeping from NIMO's interface. Gildarts had wandered off to grab a drink from the small storage compartment, leaving just me and Ur in the main cabin.
She stood near one of the large windows, arms crossed, staring out at the vast darkness beyond. She hadn't spoken in a while.
I didn't push. Some silences weren't meant to be broken.
Eventually, she exhaled. "I still don't get it."
I glanced up from the console. "Get what?"
She turned slightly, her expression shadowed. "How any of this happened. How my daughter—my own daughter—was taken from me, and I never even knew."
Her voice was steady, but I could hear the crack in it.
I leaned back. "You were told she was dead."
Ur let out a dry, bitter laugh. "And I believed it." Her fingers tightened around her arms. "I should've known. I should've felt it. A mother should know when her child is alive."
I didn't respond right away. What could I say to that?
She shook her head. "It's been years. And I still don't know who to blame—myself, the people who took her, or the bastards who fed me that lie."
Her voice wavered at the end. Just slightly.
I stood up and walked over. "You're blaming yourself for something you had no control over."
Her jaw clenched. "That doesn't make it hurt any less."
I stayed quiet, letting her talk.
"I think about it all the time," she admitted. "What kind of life she lived. Whether she was happy. Whether she hated me for not being there." She scoffed. "Of course she'd hate me. Why wouldn't she?"
I frowned. "Ur—"
She turned sharply, eyes flashing. "Tell me the truth, Aiden. If it were you—if you were in her place—wouldn't you hate the mother who abandoned you?"
That hit harder than I expected.
I inhaled slowly. "No."
She blinked, caught off guard.
"If I had a mother," I continued, "and I found out she wasn't there because someone took me away? I'd be mad. But not at her. I'd want to know the truth. I'd want to understand why." I met her gaze. "Ultear deserves that chance, too."
Ur looked at me for a long moment. Then, she looked away. "I don't know if I deserve that chance."
"That's not up to you," I said simply. "It's up to her."
The room fell into silence again, this one heavier than before.
Gildarts, ever the perfect timer, walked in with a bottle in one hand and a half-eaten snack in the other. He took one look at us and paused. "...Am I interrupting something heavy?"
"Yes," Ur muttered.
"Got it," he said, still taking a swig.
Ur sighed, rubbing her temples.
Gildarts plopped down into a chair, raising an eyebrow at me. "So, you finally convinced her she's not the worst mother in history?"
I smirked. "Work in progress."
Ur shot both of us a glare but didn't argue.
For the first time since we'd left, she seemed just a little lighter.
Ur's voice was quiet, but the weight behind her words was crushing.
"What kind of life do you think Ultear had without me?"
I exhaled, leaning against the console. That was a loaded question. One that had no right answer.
Gildarts, for once, didn't crack a joke. He just watched, letting me take this one.
I met Ur's eyes. "A hard one."
She flinched but didn't look away.
"She was lied to," I continued. "Manipulated. She grew up believing you abandoned her, that you chose to leave her behind. And she carried that pain for years."
Ur swallowed hard, fingers curling into fists.
I hesitated, then softened my tone. "But she was strong. Too strong, maybe. She survived things that would've broken most people."
Her voice wavered. "Was she happy?"
I didn't answer right away.
Because the truth? No. Ultear's childhood had been hell. She was raised in a place that used her, twisted her, turned her into something she was never meant to be.
But I couldn't just drop that on Ur.
Instead, I settled for, "She found her own path. It wasn't easy, and she made mistakes, but she kept going. And no matter how much she tried to deny it—deep down, she wanted to know the truth about you."
Ur turned away, pressing a hand to her face. Her shoulders trembled slightly.
I gave her space. Gildarts did, too.
After a long silence, she whispered, "I want to see her."
"You will," I promised. "And when that time comes… you'll finally get to tell her yourself."
Ur took a shaky breath, nodding. But she didn't say anything else.
—----------
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