(The port town of Hargeon, the year X781, 2:30PM)

Lelouch's POV:

It was a beautiful Monday evening when I pulled my ship the Avalon(wow the reference) into port. Once anchored a group of highly agitated, peeved, angered people were rushed down the extended gangplank with nothing but the cloths on there backs as a figure shrouded masked by the glare of the sun beating down scowled down on them.

"You can't do this to use!" yelled one of the motley crew furiously at the over looking figure.

"Oh but I can and I will! As my final act as you captain, I, Captain Lelouch Lamprouge, hear by discharge the lot of you ungrateful, mutinous swine effective immediately! You're lucky that I let you keep your dignity let alone your lives, you scurvy ridden scum!" I ordered in the same tone I used as Zero minus the voice distortion from the helmet with a grand sweep of my right arm from left to my right.

"Hold it right there!" Roared the voice of a approaching red haired armour clad re-quip mage I would soon come to know and view as a valued sister.

"Hmm...?" I hummed in curiosity as I turned my head ever so slightly to my left to see who decided to speak up from the crowed of on lookers.

"Hey, wait a minute... That's the Titania Erza from the fairy tail guild! What's she doing here!?" One of my former crew yelled announcing the identity of mystery mage with fear in his voice.

"So what if she is, it just one of her against two hundred and eighty of us! We have the advantage in numbers and man power, let's get her!" Yelled one of the more vocal of my former crew who was then kicked in the face a second later.

"Well now..." I said amused at the sudden turn of events. "This should be... Interesting to say the least." I then continued before leaning on the railing and watched the scoundrels I once called my crew tryed desperately to defended them selfs from the mage Known as Titania. Soon I grew bored and my mind began to reminisce the last twenty years since I came to this world.

[flash back]

As my body came to a halt sprawled out on the lower part of my imperial parade float after the person I once called my best friend Sazaku under the guise of the mask man of miracles "Zero" fulfilled his desire for vengeance by assassinating me as part of my last and greatest masterpiece and finale hour as the demon emperor. My senses and body heat fading fast. All I could do was say "I destroyed...the world...and created...a new..." And with that I finally slipped into the darkness where I belong.

When I regained contusnes I was back in the world of C's, this time as a transparent image of myself seconds before my assassination at the hands of my childhood friend turned enime.

"Lelouch Vi Britainia!" Belowd a loud imposing voice from ever direction. No doubt belonging to the collective consciousness. "Though you have brought the world in into a state of true peace, you have still spiller the blood countless innocents. Blood which still stands your hands even here. First, on behalf of those who have yet to exist and those who still do thanks to you sacrifice of you humanity and life, I thank you from th depths of my very being." Thanked the unseen collective known to all the liveing as "God". "Second, for your countless sins... I have no chose but to banish you from this world! But fret not, for you are not doomed to endlessly float bettewn worlds. No, for I will be sending you to another world were you will be able to stat over from the young age of six, how ever you will not be free from the horride legacy that haunts you in this one. Take head, for this is not an offer to sneer at for I shall only offer this once and once only." Offered the collective unconsciousness waiting for his answer patiently.

"... Will Nannaly be happy... With the world that I have left her, or at the very least safe from harm?" I asked worried for his sister's wellbeing even after my death.

"That has yet to be seen... But, I have every faith that the one called Sazaku will do all that is with in his power to insure her happiness and her safety. Dose that answer your question young one?" Answered the so called "God" of C's world.

"Huh, I suppose that's as good of an answer as any. Alright... I'm ready... I will take your offer "God"..." Answered I the demon emperor excepting the collectives offer.

"Then so it shall be done! I wish you well, Lelouch VI Britainia." Answere the collective counsiousness referred to as "God" before wishing me luck as the I began to disappear from this world interlay.

"Thank you... If only it was that easy..." Was all I could say before I disappeared from that world altogether in a bright light.

[somewhere on a small island on earthland]

when I next awoke, I was on a small patch of sand with a single Palm tree sticking out of the vast ocean that now surrounded me on all sides. When I tryed to get up I noticed that I had in fact been turned into myself as six year old. "Well... They kept there promise... That's something at least..." I mused to myself as I looked myself over. "Now what...?" I asked myself wondering what to do next.

Not long after I around midnight l believe, I noticed I was under the watchful gaze of someone or rather something big and extremely powerful, what ever it was I decided to wait the observer out at least till I got bored. "This should be of some fun... For a while anyway" About a few hours later I had knocked a coconut or two off of the tree for sustenance. I was about finished with the first one when I got bored of my own self imposed "waiting game". "You can come out now! No use hiding anymore, I know you've been observing me for at least.. ruoghly six hours now... Well what are you waiting for? A formal invation?" I mouthed off annoyed and arrogantly to my hidden watcher not knowing what was literaly waiting for me below the surface of the very water that isolated me from any possible civilisations this word had.

"My, my! You are a bold one aren't you my child... To call out to a stranger straight out of the blue like that. Either you're confident in your own skills, or you are just full of youself, but that has yet to be seen now hasn't it?" Echoed a loud yet soft and elegant motherly feminine voice that seemingly came from no where yet all around at the same time.

"Hmm? So you're female... Then again there was a fifty percent chance that you were male too. So now that that's out of the way, why don't you show yourself? You are going to, aren't you? It's only decent manors to do so when speaking to someone." I asked boldly I was and still am rather full of myself even to this very day.

"Like I said, rather bold aren't you my child? As you wish then..." Said the owner of the voice as a giant light blue, (the same colour as church's armor from Red Vs Blue) majestic, streamline, beautiful and graceful faint serpent like serpent rose from the water whos entire body was circling the island I was sitting on multiple time over, maybe one, two perhaps even perhaps even six hundred times over or so. Said being cloud only be described as a sea serpent or a blue water sneak like dragon with four sets of giant fins placed in evenly spaced sections across its body that split its body into fourths which also looked like they could double as wings. Well for all I knew at the time they might as well be able too(and they were), and two powerful T-Rex like arms that were big enough to actually reach her head (eat your heart out T-Rex's). "Let us talk face to face in a proper conversation instead of through my telepathy magic, shall we?" Asked the the massive creature answering my question with one of its own.

Of course apon seeing this my jaw hit the floor figuratively speaking of which I had to close it manually with my hands before answering the towering giant sea creature. "W-Well I guess I shouldn't complain, after all I did ask for this. didn't I?" I said after regaining some of my composure and looking the female serpent in the eyes or eye which where a bright pink pair of orbs.

"Hehehehe! My you are an interesting one aren't you?" giggled the blue giant as she lowered her head to be eye level with me. "I suppose you are wondering why exactly I am here, no? Well I'll tell you then. I was out hunting for food when I sensed a powerful surge of energy, which no doubt hasn't gone un noticed by the others, so I followed it back to here only to fined this huge light was floating over this tiny patch of sand and then as if by magic you appeared slowly as though you were sand gathering in the bottom of an hour glass. How strange, you wouldn't happen to know why that is, would you?" Curiously asked giant water snake with a visible tilt of her head.

I blinked once, twice, three times before I answered her with "That my dear is a long story..."

Soon I began to retell the event of my life up until my death and arrival here in this strange new would while the my listener careful listened to and dissected each and every word trying to see if I was lying or a bad story teller one of the two.

"And that's when I noticed you presence about six hours ago. Any question, Miss...?" I asked politely dispite not knowing her name even though I introduced myself first.

"Marinia, and yes actually I do have a few questions, but I suppose those will have to be asked directly to you old would's God now won't they? Anyway, allow me to properly introduce myself young one. I am Marinia, the Leviathan Dragon Queen. It is a pleasure to meet you you're majesty" Marinia introduced herself with a bow, or as close to one could get as a giant snake like dragon.

"The pleasure is all mine a assure you, Queen Marinia." I replyed bowing down on one knee taking her clame as royalty as law since I could not disprove it as much as she could not disprove my clame to be an exiled emperor from another world who has been the ruler of said world for only a little over a few months.

"Quite mature for your age aren't you? But if what you say is believed to be true then this isn't your true age now is it?" Complimented the Royal sea dragon in a refined, dignified and respectable manor which she actually ment every single word of it. Unlike the Britainian nobles who where nothing more then parasites, leaching off of those in power and steeping on all those they beamed beneath them especially the local residents of Britanian concurred countries which were then referred to as "Areas" from then on out. "I'm guessing you don't have a place to stay since your new here, hm? ...How about I offer you my residents in exchange for you becoming my pupil. Dose that sound good to you? Of course you will have to catch your own food though." Kindly offeredthe motherly dragon Marinia with a carving smile.

"As generous as an offer as that is, I just have one question." I asked.

"Oh? And what might that be?" Asked Marinia curiously.

"What exactly will you be teaching me as you pupil?" I asked addressing the elephant in the metaphorical room.

"Why that's simply young one. I'll teach you how to read and write this words languages, its culture and above all else it's "Magic"!" Explained the the Leviathan dragon Queen as if she was talking to a child.

"... Why am I not surprised... If there's dragons then of course there's magic too..." I rhetorically stated.

From then on Marinia graciously took me under her wing, pun mostly intended, as she taught me to read and write in this worlds Language both modern and ancient as well as it's culture. She also trained me in a lost kind of magic known as dragon slayer magic, specificity Leviathan Dragon slayer magic, though it does requires me to exercise, something which I avoided like the plague, but the benefits of being able to eat my respective element of magic other then my own to regain lost stamina and defend myself was well worth the cost of exercising. For the next ten years I trained and lived with Marinia and developed my magic further under her watchful gaze. Over those years I began to see her as more of a second mother and ironically she began to see me as her son too. Each year on my birthday she would get me something that would be out shone be next years present, on my eighth birthday she got me an old enchanted cutless that lets me negate my opponents magic attacks by blocking or cutting through them as well as several tomes on how to use it and a type of magic known as re-quip magic, lucky for her I needed something to pass the time while she was out hunting. On my ninth, She gave me a set of powerful magic Flintlock pistols and several tomes on guns magic to study and learn from, which was lucky for me because I needed more reading material at the time and finally for my tenth Marinia gifted apon me a navel ship that could also run on the captains magic power all on with out draining too much of it in the prosses, only did I learn that years later that said ship was a navel ship of the same name as my brothers air ship that was taken by a dragon from the captain with all of his riches in exchange for his life and the life of it crew, (well at least you can't say she never did anything for him) all of witch I still use to this very day and lucky for me I don't experience motion sickness when on boats, ship, etc. Marinia explained that it is because of my magic element being water, the same substance which sea, ocean and any water fairing vessels float apon. (That and a fearsome pirate having motions sickness on his own ship is just ridicules)

The night before July 7th X761 was the last time I saw her before she disappeared from my life like many others. Never to be seen again. For the next eight years onwards I became the most feared and youngest pirate King to ever sail the seas around Feorie in under a year and earned the title of The black King Leviathan for my actions of pure brutality and my black zero themed pirate captains attire. During those long years I began to grow distant and cold towards all those around me almost as if I was once again the demon emperor Lelouch Vi Britania only this time it was not an elaborate act of some convoluted plan to change the world for I had forsaken the world, both world even for taking everything from me. It was only until on the same day on the second year after Marinias disappearance that I learned of Acnalogia the apocalypse dragon from several ancient texts I hade taken as my cut of the loot me and my crew had plundered from several different ships of the those two years and came to more then likely conclusion that Acnalogia had ambushed her while she was out humting for food and struck her dead in an one sided slauhter.

The events of that day afterwards were in a sence fuzzy. after accepting the likely fact she was long dead at the hand of that a cursed dragon I went to drown my sorrows at the local bar in the port town of Hargeon in a mug of aile, brandy or glass of wine, anything that would let me forget my grief which was ironically the first time I had any alcohol in this world Marinia refereed to as earthland since coming here. I woke up the next day alone in a hotel room bearly covered by the bed sheets as I wondered what the hell happened to me after I proceeded to get wasted(dispite having a massive head ache that threatened to split my head open at any second).

After I had washed up, got dressed and returned the room key to the receptionist at the front desk in that order I made my way back to my ship, thankfully my crew was waiting for me to arive so we can set sail for open waters. Shortly after we left port I retired to my quarters to sleep off my hangover and try to remember what happened last night in that order.

Over the next four years I mercilessly plundered and sank countless merchant and wealthy noblemens ships on a weekly basis. By the time I turned twenty four my crew had turned mutinous and money hungry from all the raids on loot rich ships we were plundering. Soon after they turned on me wanting more money, specifically my cut of the loot we collected over the years and they wouldn't take no for an answer. When negotiations failed the charged me thinking they could out number and possibly kill me. Hehehe... That was there first mistake. There second mistake was thinking that I couldn't use magic since I never needed to over the last few years, and they were dead wrong, half of them any way. As soon as they were in range I unleashed my Dragon slayer magic that Marinia thought me all those years ago. Half of them drowned from my magic or from being tossed into the sea or from my guns magic tearing them apart (think Reaper's death blossom just with water instead of shadows and flintlocks instead of shotguns) while the other half surrendered with ease (pointing your guns at them usually works) after I had locked up the survivors and tossed the dead over board I set sail for Hargeon and thus lead to today's events.

[Flash back end]

I was brought out of my musings by an unfamiliar voice. "You are the captain of this vessel, are you not?" Asked a Mage with several large staffs on his back in a monotone voice, the only thing of his face that was visible were his eyes.

[third person POV]

"Ah... Let me guess you're Mystogan, Right? I've heard a lot about you young man. I admit I'm impressed, not many young mages can rise to your level in such a short time." Complimented young pirate captain with fake praise and a slow clap of his hands.

"..." The Mage known as Mystogan didn't reply he just stood there studying the pirate who was clearly the vessels owner and captain with watchful eyes, mostly his body language for one thing and his weapons. 'Those look like they've seen some use lately...' thought the mysterious Mystogan eyeing his conversation partners guns before repeating his earlier question. I'll ask again, you are the captain of this vessel, are you not?"

"*Yawn* Geez, I heard you guild wizards were the magic council's lapdogs, but I didn't think you were all so bland. Can't you bark a different tune? Perhaps a piece form one of Mozart's operas...? No? Oh well, not my problem now is it?" Mocked the pirate with a yawn. "But yes. You are correct in thinking I am the owner and captain of this ship good sir." He then said confirming that he was the ships captain.

"I could guess that much from your attire. I just wanted to be sure before I made any assumptions." stated Mystogan before drawing one of his staffs from his back.

"Oh? So you're a holder type Mage hm? almost like me, almost." Mused the pirate with his right hand on the hilt of his cutless.

"Almost? What on earthland is he talking about?" Thought Mystogan readying himself for combat.

"Allow me to introduce my self..." Siad the pirate captain as he drew his cutless from its sheath on his left hip and held it to the side. "I my dear guild Mage, am captain Lelouch Lamprouge of the ship Avalon. It's a pleasure to make your aquantice Mystogan." captain Lelouch introduced himself as he then held his cutless in front of him as if he was a fencer before a match with another fencer with his let arm behind his back.

'Where have I heard that name before?' Pondered Mystogan trying to recall that name little realiseing that in the captains open left hand were two small light blue magic circles one spinning clockwise and the one on top spinning counterclockwise.

"Shall we begin good sir?" Asked Lelouch sportingly.

"I hope you weren't trying to exclude me boys? Because that would be rather rude." Said none other then Diane Erza Scarlet stepping onto the deck of Lelouch's ship causing Lelouch to grin slightly for half a second unnoticed by all Mages present but Mystogan.

"Miss Erza, glad you could join us. I'd extended to you my hand in friendship, but I'm afraid we've ended up on the opposite side of the law as it were..." Smoothly said Lelouch as he gave a small bow in her direction.

"It would seem so." agreed Erza holding two identical swords in each hand.

"All though... Two against one... Correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't that come across as coweredly even for high ranking guild wizard such as yourself Daine Scarlet?" Lelouch cheekily, implying that the fairy tale mages where cowards who resorted to ganging up on people just to start a fight and succeeded in pissing off Daine Erza Scarlet.

"How dare you insinuate such slander against my guild! You have no right to pass judgement conciedring the fact that vile pirates like you have resorted to dirtier tactics then that just to steal from hard working and honest people, only to then run and hide so they can count their plunder!" Yelled an enraged Erza who fell for his taunting.

'Hook, line and sinker.' Thought Lelouch as he readied his spells. "First off, half of those "honest" and "hard working people" you mentioned we're corrupt nobles and greedy merchants and the other half are dark guilds and other pirates alike. Secondly..." he activated his spells. "You left you selfs wide open...!" stated the pirate captain with a dangerously dark smile as two magic circles appeared, one above Erza's head and one under her feet as he then snapped his fingers of his left hand, activating the individual spells simultaneously.

"Look out!" shouted the S-Class wizard known only by the name of Mystogan as he pushed Erza out of the way and took the hit from the spells in her stead.

"MYSTOGAN!" screamed Erza as she watched in horror as her fellow guild mate was repeatedly blasted with two towers of scolding and freezing water, one from above and the other from below, one straight after the other.

"Hmm... Well at least I got one of you fairy bar flies, that something to show for its self..." mused Lelouch as he watched his handy work first hand with a dark smile before turning to Erza. "At least I'll still get a fight out of this, who knows... This might prove to be of some value of entertainment..." he said darkly as he raised his cutless at his red haired opponent.

"How could you...?" lowly hissed Erza.

"Hmm? You say something?" mockingly asked Lelouch even though he heard her with his advanced dragon slayer sense of hearing.

"HOW COULD YOU!" yelled Titania at the top of her voice. "How could you do this to another human being? Have you no shread of human decency!?" asked the queen of the fairies burning holes into his blackened soul.

"Hmm...? I think that died off when I was twelve.. Maybe?" mockingly answered Lelouch."As for why, it's because I can and I will."

"I don't know who you are, but promise you, I'll make you pay pay for this outrage!" righteously roared Erza scarlet re-quipping into her heavens wheel armor.

"Hehehehehehe, hahahahaha!" Lelouch laughed evilly at her promise of pain.

"What's so funny!?" asked an offended Titania glaring at him.

"You want to know who "I" am?... Fine I'll tell you then... I lady scarlet, am none other then the black King Leviathan Lelouch Lamprouge! The youngest pirate King to ever terrorise the seas surrounding this fair land. That is who I am Lady Titania." Lelouch oh so dramatically proclaimed like one of the villeins out of a super hero movie(the good ones, not the bad ones).

"Os that so..." Said Erza. "Looks like I'll also be riding the seas of one less infamous pirate King." She added even more determined to take him down then before.

"Big words for the queen of the bar flies..." Said Lelouch insulting Erza even more. "But can you back it up?" He then challenged her openly.

"Let's find out then, shall we!" Was all she said as the two then clashed swords for the next few hours which now was taking place in the town square.

"Your not bad, for a soft guild wizard that is..." Half heartedly complimented Lelouch blocking another of Erza's powerful blows.

"You're skill with a blade is not bad, for a criminal..." Half heartedly replyed Erza continuing her offensive. "But you're not that strong for a pirate... I thought pirates were excellent swords men, or was I wrong?" She added after another powerful blow.

"Fisical strength was never my forte. I prefer brain over might myself..." Answered the black King Leviathan as he took a huge jump back sheathed his cutless and drew his flintlock pistols from the holsters on the inside of his pirate coat and fired them off continuously (imagine Reaper from Overwatch with infinite ammo in his shotguns) forcing Erza to use her swords to block his hail of gun fire.

(Though Lelouch's main magic is his Drago slayer magic, he also excels at both Re-quip and Guns magic. Just like Erza and her Re-quip, Lelouch has a rare kind of guns magic called instent reload that lets him instently reload his magic firearms instently by engaging the next round when the clip is depleted but suffers a reduced damage penalty of half for every second reload.)

"Thats enough!" Yelled the voice of an old man as a giant fist slammed into Lelouch sending him flying into a near by fish stall next to the towns only magic shop.

"Master!?" Gasped Titania not expecting to see her guild master here of all places. "What are you doing here?" She then asked the diminutive old white haired man.

"Mystogan sent me a telepathic message that you were fighting one of the most dangerous pirate King of this era, Lucky for him I was finished my visit with an old friend who lives here in Hargeon when he called me." Answered the old man in a wizard saints coat and a serious tone in his voice as he walked over to his guilds S-Class wizard.

"So... You're Makarov dryer? Wizard saint and guild master of fairy tail. I never thought I'd meet you on the same day as miss Scarlet... Or Mystogan for that mater..." Said Lelouch rhetorically freeing himself from the rubble of the former fish stall and dusting him self off. "Must be my lucky day..." He added now numbered, again.

"So... Your the infamous black King leviathan I've heard so much about.. I must say I was expecting more from someone of your reputation." Said third Master Makarov with a pleasant smile on his face and tone in his voice hiding his anger.

"Yes. Yes I am. Sorry I don't live up to your expectations good Sir." Answered the offended pirate King as he picked up his weapons and holstered them. 'I might need to use my actual magic for this one.' Thought the dragon Slayer as he readied himself for any thing.

"Mystogan told me of the events leading up to this little "Spat" of yours..." stated Makarov as he took a few steps forwards.

"And...?" Cautiously asked Lelouch.

"And I have one thing to say to you young man..." Old man Makarov said as his expression drastically changed. "I can not and will not stand idly by as someone brings undue harm to any of my persious children. With that siad, I ask that you cease this act of violence and leave now or suffer the consequences of your actions young man. Warned Makarov sternly.

"I'm afraid I literally can comply with your wishes Master Makarov, besides I'd rather go down fighting then ruin me reputation by running from a fight." answered Lelouch.

"Then you leave me no choice my boy." Answered Makarov regretfully yet respecting his resolve before throwing the first punch literally, a taitan sized one at the pirate captain who seemed to disappear with a sly grin on his face before the punch connected with his face.

"He disappeared!? Show yourself cowered!" Demanded Erza as she looked around for him only for him to appear be hind her with both guns pointed at her.

"Be careful what you wish for Titania..." He said before shooting her with a none lethal shot from both weapons sending her flying into a near by fish stall (karma's a bitch, huh?). "You might just get it, but not as you exsepcted." he then added with a sinister smile in Makarov's direction while twirling his pistols around his index fingers.

"Damn brat!" Yelled a taitan sized Makarov swinging another punch at the young pirate King who dodged it by turning into a large body of water and reformed a few feet away from the taitans reach.

"So that's how you dodged my last attack... With a puddle!? That would mean you're a water Mage as well as a guns mage... Interesting." said Makarov intereged by this development.

"To be more precise, I'm an ability and holder type Mage! I'm sort of a "rarity" as it where?" said Lelouch with a double meaning and a hint of pride in his voice.

"So you are..." siad Makarov agreeing with him in his head before Lelouch blocked a punch from Erza now it her usual armor with his cutless and be pushed back a bit.

"Thanks to you my heavens wheel armor is going to smell like fish for mouths!" Roared Titania throwing a few dozen more punches at the pirate King only for him to block each of them and be forced back even more. "I'll never forgive you for as long as I live!" She yelled as she throw one last punch and sent Lelouch flying into the front of local bar destroying the front wall.

Lelouch got up slowly and dust himself off noticed his surroundings. "Damn those fairy tail mages and there history of extensive propriety damage. This is my favourite bar!" fumed the pirate King furiously as he then adjusted his pirate captains hat and readied one of his dragon slayers spells.

(Meanwhile with Erza and Makarov)

"MY MONEY!" yelled a distressed guild master pulling at the last of his hair over the amount of Jewel the guild will lose for the repair costs.

"How could I be so careless... I apologise profusely Master! Please hit me!" apologiesd Erza as usual.

"Leviathan Dragon's Roar!" Yelled Lelouch from the rubble as a torrent of water blasted an off gaurd Erza into the bay not far away(poetic ain't I?).

"He's a Dragon Slayer!?" Yelled Makarov as he watched Earz free falling into the ocean.

"Leviathan Dragon's Tailon!" Yelled Lelouch once again as he jumped up into the air, did a forward front flip, gave Makarov a black eye with a downwards kick with his left foot and used his right to push off of him with a back flip and landed a few feet from the third guild Mastser of fairy tail Who was now nurseling his bruised right eye.

'This battle is taking too long...' Thought Lelouch analytically. 'I managed to land a blow to the old man when I took him by surprise, but that won't hurt that chance again, the rumors I heard were right they are strong... I'm almost impressed, almost.' He smiled to himself. 'should finish this quickly while he's distracted from the black eye I gave him.' He concluded as moved to attack but before he could he was dealt a powerful blow by Makarov that was too fast for him to react to slamming him into a wall and knocking him out cold.

"Damn that smarts!" yelled Makarov now back to normal holding a hand to his right eye before turning to the unconscious Dragon Slayer. "For what it's worth, you would have made a great wizard in any guild of your choosing, maybe even S-Class..."

After the fight the magic council's soldiers arived and took the unconscious Lelouch into custody and charged with all of his crimes, while Fariy tail was forced to pay though the nose for all the repair costs for everything that was damaged and destroyed in the fighting.