Fairy Tail: The Dark Swordsman

[X784, Magnolia]

— Gildarts —

The streets of Magnolia were practically glowing.

Colorful lanterns floated overhead like captured stars, laughter rippled through the alleyways, and the smell of roasted meats, sweet pastries, and festival brews drifted on the evening air.

Gildarts let out a satisfied sigh, stuffing his hands into his coat pockets as he watched the floats pass by. For the first time in a long time, he wasn't off somewhere getting into trouble or stuck in some far-off land chasing leads or doing missions. No, he made it back home—just in time for the Harvest Festival.

While the wanderlust is something he could never get rid off, for he enjoyed the life too much, there was a small joy in being where he's supposed to be.

And gods, it was good to see the kids having fun.

Gray and Juvia's float glided by first, the seamless blending of water and ice magic forming intricate, living sculptures—a phoenix of frost here, a blooming garden of frozen roses there. The crowd was eating it up.

Next came Mira and her siblings—each using their Take Over and Transformation magic to dazzle the spectators. A massive silver-scaled dragon roared over the floats before twisting into the sleek form of a nine-tailed fox, then a chimera of myth. Pure artistry.

Natsu's float was by far the most loud and eye-catching. Flames roared into the sky, mixing with Loke's light magic to create explosions of golden sparks, courtesy of Lucy. Somehow they hadn't burned half the town down yet, though Gildarts had no doubt that record wouldn't hold for long.

His eyes found Dannis among them. The once quiet, brooding kid, having joined Mira's float, decided to pretty up the parade by using his darkness to create some interesting magical effects. A shower of black sparks or even a small black moon. Just subtle wisps that enhanced the magical spectacle.

He intentionally didn't bring out any of his Wraiths since using that aspect of his magic is usually accompanied by the feeling of doom and gloom that's associated with death.

It was one of the Master's hard rules. Plenty of the S-Class mages have spells or powers that're too destructive to bring inside Magnolia itself. Erza has access to some pretty powerful armors, Mira's not allowed to bring out Lullaby ever, and the less said about Laxus the better.

Dannis' aura of oppression was something that could potentially turn lethal for those without magic to protect themselves, which made up the majority of the citizens in Magnolia. It was a similar rule that Gildarts was forced to abide by.

He could never participate in the Harvest Festival parades. Which was reasonable enough, he supposed, considering Gildarts could level a neighborhood by sneezing the wrong way.

The Miss Fairy Tail contest that morning had gone off without a hitch as well.

Unlike previous years, this year's contest had quite the competition. Almost all the women in the guild decided to participate, and that included Erza, Mira, Bisca, Evergreen, and even Levy. Even the new ones like Lucy and Juvia joined in, liking the idea of the popularity contest. The most interesting thing that happened was that Master Mavis was there as well.

Unlike the whole Harvest Festival, the Miss Fairy Tail contest was one held only for members of the guild. So there were no problems with the arrangement since everyone marked could see the First Master competing.

In the end, it took no one by surprise when Master Mavis ended up winning, with Mira being a close second. Though everyone agreed the true winner was Dannis, when he got pulled into a kiss by the She-Devil herself, right on stage during her performance.

Gildarts and everyone else had hollered at that, especially at the sight of the usually stoic and quiet Dannis Martell had his cheeks turn red. Gildarts had nearly doubled over laughing when Dannis pulled a fast one over Mira, holding her by the waist and intensifying the kiss by tilting her over his knee.

The whistles and cat-calls had forced them to stop, though there wasn't taking away the grins on their faces.

God, that was a good time. He really missed these kids.

It was approaching nighttime, the festival fully underway. Stalls were opened along the streets as the celebrations now turned to the people of Magnolia. There were bards and singers performing in the streets, a circus troupe coming in from the festival as they did many acrobatics that had people oohing and awing.

He even spotted Dannis and Mirajane spending some time together in a local ramen shop, enjoying themselves. Gajeel was being led by Levy here and there while Natsu and Happy were away doing whatever mischief they had planned for the night.

Gildarts even saw the guild's official non-couple, Alzack and Bisca, walking together somewhere. The sight made Gildarts shake his head. When was the last time he experienced something like that? 

"Gildarts!" 

He turned around to see Cana and Lucy, with the former being the one called him. 

"Hey Cana, Lucy!" Gildarts greeted with a smile. "Enjoying the festivities?"

Cana just gulped, looking quite nervous as she stared at him. That's when he noticed she was shaking slightly, and Lucy had a real serious expression on her face.

The sight of it instantly made him alert. Looking around, there didn't seem to be any trouble or threat. Whatever this was, they weren't here for small talk.

"Are you two alright?" He asked, brow creasing.

Cana's voice cracked slightly. "I… can we talk? Alone?"

He blinked, surprised, but nodded. "Of course."

"I'll leave you guys alone." Lucy smiled supportingly at Cana. "Good luck."

Lucy patted Cana's shoulder before giving Gildarts a meaningful look—a mixture of encouragement and something that said 'be ready'. Then she slipped back into the crowd.

Gildarts watched her leave, confused as to what this was about. He followed Cana to a more secluded district of the city. The walk was quiet. They weaved through winding side streets, away from the bustling festival. The echoes of music and cheers dulled as they reached a secluded park overlooking Magnolia's moonlit canals.

The water rippled gently beneath the bridge. Lanterns drifted along the surface like glowing lilies.

Gildarts shoved his hands into his pockets, leaning against the railing. He waited.

The entire time, all he could focus on was how nervous Cana seemed. While Gildarts prided himself in having really good relationships with a lot of the next generation of mages, Cana was among the few that he spent one of the least times with. He wondered what she wanted to say.

Cana hesitated before speaking, her voice small—nothing like the bold, card-throwing girl he was used to. "When I first came to Fairy Tail… I wasn't just looking for a guild."

Gildarts tilted his head, curious. "No?"

She shook her head, swallowing hard. "I… I was looking for my father."

He nodded, wondering where this was going. "And did you find him?"

Cana gave him a resolute stare. For a moment, Gildarts just stared back, confused. Processing.

That face—those eyes. He'd seen them before, every time he glanced at Cana, but never put it together. 

'Cornelia?'

"Wait… you mean…?"

Cana nodded, eyes glassy. "Yeah… You're my dad."

The world tilted sideways.

Images of Cornelia flashed through his mind—her laugh, her stubbornness, her warmth. He could see her like she was right in front of him. The shape of her face, her nose, her hair. 

And now, standing in front of him, their daughter, carrying those same traits like a badge. And those eyes, oh they were Cornelia's alright. 

Denial, ignorance, maybe guilt surged through like a tide. 

Without thinking, he swept her up into a hug, crushing her into his chest as his throat tightened. Tears stung the edges of his vision. 

"I can't believe it," he choked out. "All this time… you've been right here…"

Cana's arms trembled as they wrapped around his back, her voice cracking. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner… I just—"

"No," Gildarts pulled back, gripping her shoulders, his eyes fierce and earnest. "That's not your fault. None of it is."

His voice softened. "I've been… gone a long time, Cana. Your mother was the woman I ever loved, the only woman I ever married." His thumb brushed away a tear on her cheek. 

"When I heard that she died, I—" He gulped. "I've made a lot of mistakes in my life, leaving her was one of them. No more. I promise, starting now, you'll never have to be alone again. I'll be the father I should've been… if you'll let me."

Cana's lips trembled, but a teary smile broke through. "Of course… Dad."

He hugged her again, tighter this time.

His life was one filled with regrets, but tonight… maybe he could start setting one of them right.

…

[X784, Fairy Tail Guild Building, A week later]

— Dannis Martell —

Dannis leaned against the balcony railing on the second floor, watching as Mira finished sketching out the organizational chart on the large board set in the middle of the guild hall.

From behind her, Lucy approached, curiosity lighting her face. "What are you drawing, Mira?"

"This?" Mirajane smiled softly, stepping aside to reveal the diagram in full. "An organizational chart of the active Dark Guilds. Master Makarov asked me to draw it for the coming announcement."

"Announcement?" Lucy tilted her head, clearly intrigued.

Mira's only response was a knowing smile. "You'll see."

Dannis' lips quirked at the edges. She doesn't even sound nervous. She's ready for this. Of course she was. Mira's calm in times like these was almost eerie, but it was one of the reasons he respected her so much.

The truth behind the announcement wasn't much of a secret among the S-Class. Makarov had briefed them all yesterday—finally, after years of watching the Dark Guilds stir the pot, the legal guilds would go on the offensive.

While they've been being decently proactive recently with Dark Guild subjugation missions being the norm in S-Class missions, all they've stopped so far were low-class nobodies from no-name Dark Guilds. The ones that truly matter were the ones at the top, the heads of the Balam Alliance.

Even right now, Master Makarov was in the regional meeting between Guildmasters, to discuss terms of creating their own alliance with the other guilds.

At this point, Mira's drawing had caught the attention of others, who flocked to the center of the guild.

"What're the three in the center there?" Elfman questioned, pointing to the three Dark Guilds all held in a circle where numerous other Dark Guilds branched out from.

"Juvia knows." Juvia's voice chimed in. "The Balam Alliance—the three most powerful Dark Guilds; Oración Seis, Grimoire Heart, and Tartaros. Every major Dark Guild answers to one of them as they basically control the underworld dealings when it comes to magic."

"Eisenwald is up there." Lucy noticed, gesturing to one of the guilds with large red 'X' going through it, indicating that they had been destroyed.

"Erigor's guild, the one Dannis defeated." Erza said with her arms folded.

"The one from the whole Lullaby fiasco, right?" Gray said. "So they were under Tartaros, huh?"

"The Dark Guild, Raven Tail, the one that Laxus destroyed is also up there. They were under Oración Seis." Evergreen noted.

Dannis snorted at that. Ivan and his guild were finished. Raven Tail was quite up there in the chain of command that works for Oracion Seis, but all of that came crumbling down the moment that Laxus captured Ivan and destroyed the rest of the guild.

The interrogation for Ivan fell to Laxus, who insisted on doing it personally. Master Mavis accompanied him since she was quite surprisingly adept in interrogation. She knew how to ask the right questions to get the most information. Combined with Levy's Truth magic, every stone had been overturned.

They knew everything now. Oración Seis' objectives, Nirvana's real purpose, and more. Right now, the Master was simply informing the rest of the Guildmasters to figure out their next move.

Speaking of the Master, a presence entered the edge of his Dannis' senses. 'The master's back.'

Below, the conversations were still going strong.

"Isn't Oracion Seis only made up of six mages?" Jet said, looking at Droy for confirmation.

The Plant mage nodded. "It's the smallest guild I've ever heard of."

Cana spoke behind them then, a barrel of beer in her hand. "Yeah, but with just those six members, they're still considered to be one of the strongest Dark Guilds. You shouldn't underestimate them based on numbers alone."

"About that actually," the doors opened then as the old Master strode through in his formal Wizard Saint robes, a stern expression on his face. The chatter quieted instantly. "We'll be taking the fight to them!"

"Ah, welcome back Master!" Mira greeted Makarov, stepping aside as all eyes turned to him.

Erza stepped forward. "So it's happening, Master?"

Makarov nodded, folding his arms. "In the Guildmaster meeting, Oración Seis was the topic. Their movements are becoming bolder—reckless, even. With the information we've obtained, action is no longer optional. They must be stopped."

Gray sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Let me guess… we drew the short straw again?"

Natsu cracked his knuckles, eyes blazing with excitement. "Finally! I'm getting all fired up!"

"Not alone we're not." Makarov shook his head. "No, this time the enemy is too great. If we were the only ones to come after them, then the entire Balam Alliance would retaliate. That's one guild against hundreds," He looked into the faces of everyone seriously. "And so, we've decided to form our own alliances!"

Gasps and murmurs erupted among the members. Dannis could understand their surprise. Alliances between legal guilds were uncommon, given that a lot of Mage Guilds compete for the same work. The competition for jobs made actual alliances difficult to keep without one side losing out on quests. Most legal guilds ended up simply being polite to another if they ever crossed paths.

"Fairy Tail, Blue Pegasus, Lamia Scale, and Cait Shelter," Makarov listed, voice steady. "Four guilds, united. Together, we'll crush Oración Seis."

"We need four guilds to work together to take down just six people?" Lucy's eyes widened, unease creeping into her voice. "Just how strong are these people?"

Levy squeezed her shoulder gently. "It's not just about the six that the master is worried about Lucy. It's that every subordinate guild that works for Oracion Seis would be there as well." 

"Master is worried about the repercussions." Erza said with a nod. "Though that does beg the question. Who is gonna be going, Master?"

"We'll be sending the best we can offer." Makarov said. "Gildarts' presence here in Magnolia calms me down somewhat since he's enough of a deterrent for a majority of the Dark Guilds out there. With Gildarts and myself, we should be enough to hold down the fort, as it were."

"Which means the other S-Class mages will be going." Mira finished.

"That's right. Dannis will be the leader of the Fairy Tail contingent, leading Team Shade, Team Natsu, and Team Mira to act as our representatives." Makarov completed, looking up to the balcony straight at Dannis, who nodded.

They've already talked about this before so Dannis wasn't surprised by the announcement. With so many S-Class mages being mobilized, they needed a few others to remain behind to pick up the slack in their tasks and missions.

That's what Mystogan and Laxus will be doing. All S-Class mages have duties and responsibilities as the most powerful mages in the guild. With him, Mira, and Erza going out to combat Oracion Seis, their duties will largely be shared between the two.

Mystogan is smart and capable enough to take over Dannis and Mira's day to day duties in acting as the trainer for the younger mages as well as helping Master Makarov with the administration of the guild.

Laxus however, is much more suited in taking Erza's disciplinarian duties, as well capable enough to take over Dannis' regular missions. He had made it his mission after all to take most of the Devil and Demon hunts, Laxus will be doing them in his stead.

Wakaba whistled. "That's quite the lineup."

Macao chuckled. "Tell me about it. Oracion Seis won't know what hit them."

Dannis' eyes narrowed as he leaned forward on the balcony railing.

They wouldn't just take the fight to Oración Seis. This was the beginning of dismantling the Balam Alliance—piece by corrupt piece.

…

AN: Here we go, the start of the Oracion Seis arc. Things will be going quite differently than Canon, so stay tuned!

Hope you enjoyed the chapter, cheers!