Interlude Cana - An Overheard Controversy

Year x778. Cana had wondered where the time had gone so fast. It had been a little over six years since she had joined Fairy Tail, and she still hadn't been able to reconnect with her supposed father.

"Everyone! I am a father! I am a father!"

Cana stared at Macao Conbolt, a scruffy, dark blue-haired man as he ran around the room, cheering and hollering from the top of his lungs about his baby boy. His energy swept everyone in the room into a flurry of cheers and drinks. The girl even saw Fairy Tail's newest S-rank mage, Laxus, lean over from the upper floors with a mug in his hands. The blonde teen found Cana's gaze on him, scoffed and turned away from the clear festivities.

The whole guild hall had transformed into one big party with people all over the place. Cana found the ever serious Erza in the corner of the room, smiling happily as everyone jumped around. Nearby, a girl in revealing, black leather clothes competed with one of the other members on who could drink the most. Behind her, a white haired boy trembled as he tried to stop his sister from drinking. In the middle of it all, was a dark-haired Gray and salmon-haired Natsu -with a blue cat- who forced drinks down Macao's throat with a childish glee in their eyes. Possibly one of the only times Cana had seen the two get along besides fighting or acting for Erza.

"Here," Cana turned to the last of the white-haired triplets, Lisanna, as the girl smiled and handed her a mug. "What are you doing over here?"

"...I can't drink–"

"It's juice." Lisanna chuckled, taking a sip as if to show her. Cana huffed playfully as she took the mug, cradling it close to her chest as she watched the younger girl.

"You don't seem to act your age, Lis. How are things with Natsu?" Cana said with a smile. She laughed as Lisanna's face suddenly grew a few shades darker.

"Everything's fine…" Lisanna answered demurely before she switched to a smile, grabbing Cana's hands. "However, don't think you can ignore my question like this, come and join everyone."

Cana carefully pulled her hands out from Lisanna's grip. She spared a quick glance over to Macao, but something in her didn't really feel completely into the celebration. "I… I'm okay. I think I am just cold. Its getting to the winter months, right? Maybe that's it."

"Hmmm?" Lisanna hummed and then simply sat down next to Cana. "Do you think its gonna snow, then?"

Cana blinked. "Uh, I don't know. Why?"

"Well, you know how Erza goes on those long trips to the city master Makarov forbids us from going to?" Lisanna started, and Cana nodded quickly.

Everyone had noticed when Erza had started going to Evermont. They hadn't thought it was that big of a deal until it became apparent that the redhead went pretty much every month to visit her supposed "sister." It sparked a bunch of people curious about the city, and it was only then that Cana had seen master Makarov, the diminutive and happy-go-lucky old man, get dead serious as he forbade anyone from going to the city.

Laxus was the only one who did so and came back with only a shrug of acknowledgement. In his words, the city wasn't worth anyone's time. Gray also seemed to share the sentiment, mumbling something about a crazy girl at times.

"Well," Lisanna continued. "Erza had said she and her sister had found snow in Evermont, so I wondered if we could get snow here in Magnolia. Do you think we can get some?"

Cana shrugged, wondering where the white-haired girl was going with this. Before she could respond, she froze. Out of the corner of her eye, Cana found a familiar figure who walked around the festivities, easily dodging people's attempts to drag him into the pile.

"Cana?"

"Sorry Lis, I gotta go." Cana placed her drink on the counter and rushed across the room. Bodies jostled her as she crossed through the sea of merriment, and the girl had to avoid Natsu or else the overly excited mage would easily drag her into the pile.

Quickly, Cana found herself in front of the guildmaster's personal workroom. Like she thought, there was hardly anyone around this section of the guild hall, and she hurriedly ducked down close to the door, crouching down to listen in on the conversation inside.

"... found a lead." Cana furrowed her brow as she heard master Makarov's voice. It was both familiar but foreign. Where she had been reminded of a kind grandfather whenever he spoke, this voice sounded more like the time he spoke about Evermont. A clear show of the gravity of the conversation.

"Oh," Cana perked up as she heard her father's voice. "That slaver what's-his-face actually turned up something good?"

The girl's lips curled into a frown. What were they talking about, she wondered. Why did they need a slaver for help?

"Apparently, Locki and his guild used him after we caught the guy." Cana mumbled the name "Locki" to herself, finding her memories come up blank.

Behind the door, her father scoffed derisively. "I figured it would be something like that… The whole situation puts a bad taste in my mouth."

"It doesn't sit well with me to do things like this, too. But, they have been the ones to actually give us information over the past year after all our avenues came up empty." Master Makarov said with a heavy sigh that followed a brief bout of silence. "Besides, you should have realized what would happen when we got into agreement with someone from Evermont."

Cana felt her little brain churn with all this information. Not that she could put everything together or why her father and master Makarov needed to deal with a slaver for whatever reason. Still, she felt she had gleaned something rather surprising.

"Doesn't mean I can't like it. So, what does the kid want us to do?"

"There has been a rather large series of shipments of people that mysteriously gets empty out at sea."

"So, they think the place is an island. Great. That does nothing to narrow it down."

Master Makarov tapped something loud enough for Cana to hear it. "Which I had said as well, but Locki said they were going to recruit someone who knows the area, hoping to make things easier. He said he was already in Hargeon Port with his guild to find her, and all we need to do is meet up with them when everyone is gathered."

"Someone who knows the area? You're talking about all of The Calm Sea. No way one person can do that; the sea borders Minstrel, Bosco, and Fiore. They'd be crossing the inter-kingdom borders every day. Wait, they're legal, right?"

Master Makarov sighed long and hard, as if he needed to prepare himself as well. "They are talking about a woman who goes by Pirate Queen Rebecca. It's a weird name, but they're not exactly legal in a sense."

"Pirates? What's next, drug dealers?"

"Well, Locki does live in Evermont…"

Cana heard an aggrieved groan from her father and the creak of a chair. "Fine, but I am only doing this because they're after Erza and the other girl for some reason… Those girls don't deserve to live their lives being hunted down by maniacs."

Cana clenched her fists as she listened in. A spark of excitement lit up within her as she realized they were talking about probably saving a bunch of people. She knew it! Her father was doing some heroic job again without looking for any recognition. It was amazing, inspiring, and, and…

She deflated instantly. The girl knew she shouldn't have listened in. Cana couldn't help herself when it came to her father, and every time she wanted to say what she wanted to him, she got scared. Her mother always told her that her father was a hero and a great man, and as much as she wanted to, Cana knew she couldn't get angry at her father. But, more than anything, she wished she could open the door and say something.

Instead, she felt a sense of shame as she stared at the door.

"You're in the way."

Cana jumped up, spinning around in a flurry as she found Laxus stare down at her. The blonde teen glanced at her dismissively before he yanked open the door, startling master Makarov and Cana's father, Gildarts.

"Laxus, you were listening in…" Master Makarov said, eyes freezing as he found the still Cana right behind the spikey blonde. "Cana… how much did you hear?"

"I didn't sense her…" Gildarts whispered curiously, looking over Cana as she trembled under their gazes.

"The shrimp has been here since the main parts of your conversation started." Laxus revealed as Cana shot him a look of deep betrayal. The blonde didn't pay her any attention and just looked at Gildarts and the guildmaster. "I want to join this mission."

"Absolutely not. This is not something I can allow anyone other than Gildarts to take on; there's too many dangerous elements involved." Master Makarov answered quickly.

Laxus uncrossed his arms to jerk a thumb in Cana's direction. "I've figured out how to increase my detection range with my magic, and I was able to listen in on your secret talk with it, too. I can help find this island. Let me go."

"Laxus n–"

"Let him go, Makarov." Gildarts cut off the guildmaster, shaking his head. "We can't take Macao like you wanted; the man just got a son, and Laxus has proven himself strong enough to handle himself."

"But still…"

"I am also going to take the shrimp." Laxus revealed, causing Cana to snap her head in his direction.

"W- wha- Wha?" Cana stuttered.

"No, I'm not going to babysit a kid." Gildarts said before Makarov did, but the old man seemed to nod his head, agreeing with the Crash Mage. Cana felt a sting of pain at the instant denial even if she knew the reason.

Laxus just shook his head, smirking at the two men with a vicious grin. "And yet, she could listen to your conversation without getting found out. I could barely sense what she did, but she hid her magic signature in the floor, door, and parts of the walls. She could be useful."

Cana blinked at Laxus' words. She didn't even notice she did that, and she hadn't thought of anything beyond the desire to not be noticed. If only someone could explain it to her.

"Even if she could be useful, I can't let Cana go on such a danger–"

"I wanna go!" Cana announced loudly, blushing as she felt their gazes turn to her. She shrunk down, shoulders slumped as she wondered if she was too hasty. However, there was no better time to try and talk with her father who always seemed to go on missions without end.

With that thought, the girl grit her teeth. "I– I want to go. I can help."

Master Makarov's features softened. "This is a dangerous mission, Cana. I can't let you, in good conscience, go. Maybe when you get older, you can go on dangerous missions like this."

When you get older. Cana had always told herself that. When she got strong enough to show him who she was. When she could proudly say that she was Gildart's daughter. Everything was just another excuse that she piled up inside her, pushing down her desire with more cowardice.

And it was fine. Gildarts normally wasn't around the guild often, and if he was, he quickly left with another mission. Cana always would try to psyche herself up to talk to him, but she would shrink back when the time came, leading him to leave long before she gained enough courage again.

This was her chance, and Cana couldn't miss it.

"I've practiced some Holder Magics, and I've gotten good at taking care of myself. I even completed a couple missions by myself… I- I can take care of myself." Cana blurted out, reaching for any reason she could think of.

"Cana…" Master Makarov tried again, but the girl shook her head again.

Cana pointed over at Laxus who looked on at the interaction with a disinterested stare. "He said I could put my magic into the items around me, so that means I am needed to sneak around and do stuff, right? I can be sneaky."

"We can't just attack an island of people." Laxus stated with his arms crossed. He jerked his chin in Gildart's direction. "What if they have someone stronger than him?"

Gildarts scratched his chin. "They probably don't…" he looked over at a silent Makarov. "Do they?"

Master Makarov closed his eyes, frowning. "Locki said they might be related to a group of Dark Guilds, so they might have some reinforcements… No one they can mobilize themselves, though."

"But it is a possibility." Laxus pressed.

"Why are you being so insistent on this?" Makarov glared at the blonde.

Laxus shrugged. "Just because. She could be helpful."

"I am!" Cana assured.

Gildarts huffed, shaking his head with a wry smile. "She hid from us, after all. That's gotta be something. At least very talented in Holder Magics."

The old man looked like he had aged as he finally acquiesced. "Fine, fine… She can go, but you have to make sure she stays safe, Laxus. No going off on your own. And if things get too dangerous, get out of there. That is an order. Am I clear?"

"Sure." Laxus said, putting his headphones over his ears and walking out of the room. "I'll be upstairs. Tell me when we're leaving."

"Looks like we'll be going on a mission together." Gildarts smiled down, and Cana quickly looked away, shy. "Its been a while since I've teamed up with other mages, so I hope I don't make too many mistakes. You'll forgive me, won't you?"

"O- of course!" Cana squeaked out, hiding her face as she realized how high-pitched her voice became. However, her heart was doing somersaults as she realized she finally got a chance to finally tell Gildarts what she wanted.

Hopefully, the mission would go easy so that she could focus on what really mattered to her.