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Shanks POV
Warmth. That was the first thing I felt when my head cleared. Warm sheets, the smell of old wood and herbs. Something heavy pinned my arm down.
I blinked at the ceiling. The guild's infirmary. I turned my head and found Cana curled up next to me, face half buried in my blanket, still clutching my arm like it'd vanish if she let go.
A rough voice made me shift my eyes. Makarov sat near my feet, arms crossed. Beside him, Porlyusica was busy packing away jars, pretending she didn't care.
"You finally awake?" Makarov asked. His tone sounded gruff but his eyes said something else.
I tried to speak but my throat was dry. "How long?"
Porlyusica shot me a glare. "Two days. Next time you drain your magic like that, patch yourself up. I'm not your personal maid." She stuffed a jar into her bag and walked out before I could thank her.
Makarov chuckled under his breath. "You gave her a scare. Don't let her fool you." He leaned in closer. "You gave us all a scare, you know."
I looked at Cana, still out cold. "She stayed here the whole time?"
"Only time she left was to drag Gray and Lyon in to glare at you too. They've been pacing around like lost puppies."
I let out a breath. "What happened… after?"
Makarov's smile dropped. He looked tired for a second. "After the tower fell, a team from the Magic Council found everyone. Rob… he bought you time. I know you didn't know him well, but he always talked about you when he dropped by the guild. Said you reminded him of the old days."
I let that sink in. I'd only heard Rob's name in passing, but the weight of what he did wasn't lost on me.
Makarov kept going. "They had a meeting about the kids. Some wanted to ship them off to council homes. I told them what really happened. Told them you were the reason any of those kids are alive to argue over. I said Fairy Tail would take them in if they wanted it."
He looked at Cana and back at me. "They agreed. A few of the kids asked if they could stay. Looks like you picked up some new family."
I shifted my hand to rest on Cana's hair. She mumbled something in her sleep and grabbed my arm tighter.
Makarov gave my shoulder a small pat. "Rest a bit, then come out. They're waiting."
Guild Hall — Later
I barely stepped into the hall before Cana dragged me the rest of the way.
It was warm. Loud. Familiar. Macao shouted something I didn't catch, too busy laughing with Wakaba. Reedus fussed over plates of food.
Gray spotted me first. He didn't say anything, just walked up and punched my shoulder. Not hard, but enough to make Cana flinch.
"Took you long enough, big bro," he said with a crooked grin.
Lyon stood next to him, arms crossed but his mouth twitched. "Try not to scare Cana like that again, big bro. She almost bit my hand off when I told her you'd be fine."
Cana stuck her tongue out at him, hugging my side like she owned me.
"Next time," Gray said, "you're dragging us along too. I'm not letting you hog the trouble by yourself."
I snorted. "Sure. We'll see who keeps up."
Makarov called something over the crowd but I didn't really hear. The noise was good. It made my head feel clear.
Then I saw them near the back.
Erza stood there, half hidden behind some older kids. Her hair was a mess, her bandages fresh. Beside her was a boy — blue hair, quiet eyes. Jellal. A few other kids I didn't know hovered close behind them.
Erza stepped forward first. She stopped just in front of me, eyes big and searching.
"…Thank you." Her voice was small but steady.
Jellal looked away but gave a small nod too. The others followed, clinging to each other but watching me like they weren't sure if they were allowed to smile yet.
I reached out and rested my hand on Erza's head. She flinched at first, then leaned into it.
"Welcome home," I said.
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