10 minutes later:

Shiho's PoV:

"GAH!" shouted a male voice, and she felt the weight in her arms suddenly disappear.

Natsu had awoken.

"NATSU!" cried both girls in surprise, life instantly returning to both of their eyes. They rushed at Natsu, hugging him for all that he was worth. He was so disoriented that he fell on his rear the moment they embraced him. They didn't show an ounce of care, going down to the floor with him.

"I'm so glad you're okay!" sobbed Maho into his chest, gripping him tighter than before..

"Me too, Natsu!" stated Miho, just as tearful. Natsu was now hugging them protectively, releasing silent tears of his own. It almost seemed as if they were separated for years, finally reuniting after a long period of no communication.

"It's okay, Maho, Miho…" soothed Natsu, feeling them calm slightly. "I'm here."

All he remembered was the brief, yet overwhelming agony when the dagger pierced his body, and his life slowly fading…

But… he was still standing there, alive! Just how did he survive?

"H-How…?" he asked softly, catching their attention.

"H-How w-what, Natsu…?" Maho inquired frantically, dreading the question that came next should her suspicions prove correct, something that she begged the Gods of Earth Land would negate.

"H-How am I s-still alive?"

'N-No, please don't do this…' Maho pleaded silently.

Shiho stood there, confusion written all over her face, and not a small amount of curiosity. What did Natsu mean with that question?! He didn't die, right?

No, he couldn't have! He was standing there, with them, speaking clearly!

"Please, Maho," pleaded Natsu, a desperate look on his face. "I need to know!"

She shook her head multiple times, unable to describe the monster Natsu became after his "death". There were just no words in existence that fit the hellish being. She would not, for the sake of him, place another extremely heavy burden on his vulnerable mind.

She continued shaking her head, refusing to comply with Natsu's request.

He could only wonder why. What happened that had her so scared? What did he do that had her avoiding all eye contact with him?

"Allow me…"

Suddenly, a blinding flash of memories assaulted Natsu, detailing just what happened after he was stabbed. He cried out in arduous pain, grabbed his head with his right hand, and fell backwards.

Then, his eyes widened in absolute horror. His body began to shake tremulously, as the things he did became clear.

Crystal clear he could hear the agonising cries that the man who tried to rape Maho emitted when he literally tore him apart. Crystal clear he could hear the fearful shouts of everyone as he decimated them all single-handedly.

Crystal clear he could see the man's blood staining his hands, finally bringing sense to the earlier image.

Worst of all, though… was the unbridled look of fear he saw in her…

That sealed the deal. Tears, full of so many emotions he couldn't even discern, flowed like a river, his body ransacked by sobs. He curled onto himself protectively, effectively sealing himself from the three that were watching him with increasing degrees of sorrow.

Miho had begun to cry seconds after he broke down, wanting to comfort him in any way possible. Maho's mind was clouded with far too many emotions to count, preventing her from bringing forth any coherent thought… except one…

'He c-can't possibly r-remember… can he?' The dread that assaulted her knew no bounds, relentlessly striking her, freezing her on the spot. It was only due to sheer will that she was able to move a few seconds later.

Tears beginning to fall, both young girls gently touched his hand, but he suddenly jumped back, almost as if he were burned, shocking them in the process.

"N-Natsu…?" Maho whispered brokenly, succumbing to her own sobs. A sharp pain stung at her chest, forcing her to bring her hand to it. It wasn't physical, though… Her heart was aching, longing to bring an end to his pain. But… how?

Shiho didn't know what to do. She didn't know what to think. The scene unfolding before him brought up many more questions than answers. It was obvious that the children were traumatised by what happened. But, that didn't seem to be the thing that had them in this terrible state, especially Natsu and Maho. Something happened to them both that scarred them beyond description.

"A-Am I a m-monster?" he asked the brunette, a dead look in his eyes as tears continued to flow unhindered.

The ache in her heart was at its strongest in the brunette, as her mind barely had the coherence to process that question. She backed away, her blood as cold as ice, her hands flying over to her mouth, her body shaking worse than ever before.

'Please… tell me this isn't happening. Oh, God, please!' she begged, futilely. There was no denying it now.

He remembered…

"N-No…!" she managed to choke through her sobs of absolute, crushing despair, looking at him straight in the eyes. Her composure was lost for a few more seconds, before she spoke again. "Y-You're not a monster, N-Natsu!"

"B-But I killed t-them all!" Natsu shouted, prompting a wide-eyed look of shock from Shiho. "I died and came back to life! I scared YOU!"

Maho recoiled back in shock, her eyes wide and tearful. She shut them tightly, gripping her head and shaking it negatively, as if that were her only lifeline. Her body was further wracked by heart-breaking sobs.

What could she say? What could she do? She had witnessed everything! Him dying, coming back to life, becoming that monstrosity and killing all of the invaders… everything! There was no denying it!

"You're no monster, Natsu," spoke Shiho seriously, earning the inquisitive attention of the three distraught children. "If you were a monster, you wouldn't have done all you did to protect my daughters and for that you have my deepest gratitude. From what I can hear, you went as far as to kill for their protection. That is something only few have done, especially a child like you."

"W-What…?" Natsu inquired in a whisper.

"You did whatever it took to protect them, even died and came back to life, and transformed into whatever you became, to protect them. That alone makes you more human than almost everyone.

"That's right, N-Natsu!" exclaimed Maho suddenly, regaining her composure, standing up and looking at Natsu with passionate, tearful ferocity. "You're no m-monster! Y-You are the son of I-Igneel, Fire Dragon K-King! You're a Fire D-Dragon Slayer, and my best friend!"

A orange-haired bullet slammed into Natsu's chest, sending him reeling to the ground. It was Miho, and she was gripping him as if he were her lifeline. Her body was shaking slightly, accompanied by occasional sniffs, a clear sign of what the girl was feeling.

"A m-monster is scary and mean, and doesn't have cool m-magic like you! You're not m-a monster, Natsu! Please d-don't t-think that!" she declared softly, yet clearly. "You're my new big brother!"

That snapped him out of his steadily deteriorating thoughts. The power the words had made him see that he was still, after all he unconsciously did, human. They were further aided when Maho tightly embraced him, not showing the fear she held of that.

Natsu Dragneel was no monster… He was human.

Crying in unison, the children sunk further into themselves, Natsu towering slightly over them in a protective fashion.

With a small smile on her face, Shiho only watched, proud that she played a role in saving this poor child from insanity. She stood up and faced away from them, giving them time to themselves.

A few minutes passed in this fashion before silence reigned. Shiho then turned around, expecting to find them sound asleep, when she was met with Natsu looking straight into his eyes. The two girls had fallen asleep in his arms, gripping his shirt tightly.

Shiho, kneeling once again in front of Natsu, noticing that he had calmed… somewhat. "You want me to carry one?"

Shiho knew, by the way the pink-haired Dragon Slayer held her, that he wouldn't release Maho. Hell, he wouldn't release the two girls unless they were pried off his dead body. But, seeing the child's logical mind at work, he knew he would not be able to carry them both.

"Please, carry Miho," said Natsu, standing up and positioning the sleeping brunette snugly onto his back. "Are we going now?"

"Yes, it's time to go home?" replied Shiho softly. They walked back to the house in silence.

At the house, night:

"Alright children, it's time for bed." Said Shiho.

"Umm, can we sleep with Natsu please?" asked Maho nervously.

"Of course, you can, you can sleep where you feel safe," said Shiho quietly.

The children nodded once again, entering Natsu's room with a collectively whispered "Good night" that made her smile.

It almost seemed as if the children lost the ability to speak. It was understandable, of course. There existed no words to fully describe the state the three children were in. Though, it was far more apparent in the two older ones.

They gasped when they felt his thin, yet strong arms envelop them in a powerful embrace. Returning the embrace with equal fervour, they basked in the warmth and protective feelings that only he seemed to emanate.

When they released each other, their eyes fell upon the only bed in the room. Communicating with just their sight, Natsu climbed on the bed first, settling in the middle. The girls quickly followed, Maho settling to the left of him, and Miho to the right. Almost in complete synchronisation, they laid their heads on him.

"Good night," whispered Natsu, his eyes drooping shut. The girls snuggled deeper into his chest, feeling their consciousness slip into the realm of dreams.

"Good night…"