A Birthday Party for Molly

[Gildarts]

Hah, now I finally have some time alone with you, the Malefactor’s voice said seductively, Come now, just one little kiss?

Gildarts rolled his eyes, he’d had women hit on him, but never this persistent.

“I KNEW it was you! I could smell it!” a voice squeaked while a little winged cat standing on two legs bounded for him, “Gildarts! Mrrow!”

Smell him? Good thing she's a cat, and hopefully it was a good thing. “Hello Piqui, good to see you,” he pretended the voice in his head wasn’t there, like usual. He pat the little Exceed’s head with a smile, greeting the kitten which had grown in just the little time they’d spent apart, “You’ve gotten taller… I think.” Hard to tell with a cat.

I won’t be gotten rid of that easily, Gildarts Clive. I’m still here, and the fleabag in front of you doesn’t know it, they don’t know the things I can do if I really tried, I could extend my power, flex your little hand and CRUNCH! Off with their little head. You don’t believe me? I’ll prove it to you, so I demand some love and attention right now, and maybe some innocent bystanders to kill. That would suffice. And those are your options, like them or not.

Gildarts felt his teeth grit, his eyes directed to where he best imagined her to be inside his head, Not here, not now, I’m tired and feel like a good nap. Plus, this is home, get used to it, or don’t. I generally go out on jobs anyway, life on the road suits me. Miss, Mister, Malefactor, whatever your gender is, you and I need to have a little talk about you not saying things about killing people. Honestly, it gets a bit tiring, I don’t kill people. And I’m and old man, you can see that, I’m forty years old (no one can prove nor deny that) and I’ve lived a long life. You don’t even have a body, yet you insist that you can move the one arm I have left and think you’re going to pull the cat’s head off or something? Guu was right to put you in your place, you need to chill, I would tell you to go out more, but well…

He smiled and Piqui assumed he was thinking about her and had missed her. The cat purred and squeaked, “So what’d you get Molly for her birthday?”

Gildarts Clive, when I finally do take possession of your body, you will regret you ever said those words to me. she hissed.

You’re an evil creature and it is both fortunate and unfortunate that you’ve taken up residence in my head. I can keep an eye on you, make sure you don’t kill anyone else, but I still have to deal with you attempting to prey on my mind. I don’t take lightly to that. If you had a body, I’m sure I’d punch you senseless. Gildarts responded.

But you wouldn’t kill me, right? The great and powerful Gildarts is just too noble for that.

“Her birthday? Is that what that pink card was? Her invitation?!” Gildarts felt his thoughts come back while he remembered the invite and how he’d even RSVP’d. “I uh, didn’t get her anything yet but I guess I could… Make her something?”

Piqui folded her arms together, “You’d think for a man on a million missions you’d remember the important ones.”

“All of them are important,” he responded slowly and deeply while his eyes clouded over with memory.

“So what do you think you’re going to get her?” Piqui brought him back. “Tomorrow is the party you know? Or did you forget that too.”

“O-oh, of course I knew that… Heh…” embarrassedly he nodded, but he wasn’t fooling anyone. Classic, oblivious, forgetful Gildarts. Good think he’d remembered to save Earthland a couple of times. “Do you think she’d like a new sword?”

“DUDE, she’s barely ten, why don’t you stick to something that a girl like her can actually use?” Piqui was outraged, the thought of Molly playing with a sword, she’d surely cut one of her pigtails off, it wasn’t worth the risk.

“Well Erza had a sword when she came to Fairy Tail, she’d summon them with her magic and over time she practiced and got better,” Gildarts muttered, attempting to justify his thought.

“Molly isn’t whoever Erza is, Gil,” Piqui reminded him.

“What do you think she’d like?” the Fairy Tail mage asked, his metal joints had begun to squeak while his real ones ached and creaked with every step.

“You mean other than you to be here for more than an hour?” Piqui had achieved Molly-level sass, it was CONTAGIOUS.

“Hey, that’s just not how I do things, if I stay in one place too long…” His voice trailed off. Camelot was a great example of this, but he had forbidden himself from ever bringing it up. He didn’t think of the consequences anymore. “So her present?”

“Ah yes, let us sit upon this bench and brainstorm.” Piqui leapt up, using her wings as better support.

Gildarts shrugged and sat down, welcoming the chance to give his old bones a break from this chaotic last couple of days. Guu had gone off to do princess things and he’d probably see them at the party later.

You wanted to buy a sword for a little girl? Maybe you’re more evil than I hoped! Hahaha, the Malefactor laughed, She’d probably rather have a unicorn or something useless.

Well, kids like toys, oh a unicorn could be great, she could ride it and it would protect her from monsters like you! Gildarts thought back, engaging with the invisible entity.

“What about a unicorn, she could ride it and they could be friends?” Gildarts asked to the little cat.

“Hmm, maybe take it up with Princess Guu, you’d have to make a place for it to sleep and stuff,” the cat’s whiskers twitched when it spoke.

Gildarts was silent and when Piqui looked over, she saw that his eyes were closed, his chin was tilted down, and he was sound asleep. Piqui moved his shaggy black cape over him like a blanket the best she could and curled up beside him.