Well hi... it's been a while. I don't know about anyone else, but it feels like it's been AT LEAST 84 years since I last uploaded, but now, after finally finishing my most difficult chapter so far, I present the latest instalment for this story. I have a feeling that I'm going to sleep well tonight after staying up late to upload this, but that's not important.

What's IS important is putting this up here so you guys can read it. I'll not drag this out any longer, as I've already done that enough. So without further ado, please enjoy!

Heart of Fire
Wings of Light
I have withstood the harshest of winters
In this once barren heart of mine
Colder and emptier without you here
And yet my flame burns on

-February 12th X778-

With a flash of crimson, a massive concussive force struck the area. The ground was torn asunder by the explosion, sending fragments of stone and clods of dirt hurtling through the air with alarming speed. In a deafening cacophony of noise, the resulting shockwave swept past and the raining rubble sang a merry tune as it struck the ground.

Natsu Dragneel dropped to his knees, exhausted from expending so much of his magic in one attack. Breathing heavily, he wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, grinning as he gazed at the destruction around him.

"Oops, guess I overdid it," he said with just a hint of remorse. In response to his words, a slightly muffled, but very irritated female voice chimed in.

"Oh really? Bit of an understatement, since you could have killed one of us, but whatever."

Natsu looked behind him to his companion- or rather, he tried to. What greeted him wasn't his comrade, but rather a tall earthen wall.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"What does it look like?" the voice replied, clearly irritated. "I wasn't altogether eager to get brained by a stray rock, so I put up a shield just in case."

With those words, the wall disintegrated into a fine grit and collapsed, revealing the young girl who had taken shelter behind it. Though she was slim and of no more than average height for her age, she had a well-proportioned figure. As was usual for her, her current outfit made it fairly obvious that she was fond of dark clothing. She wore a simple dark grey shirt, which she'd tucked into her black pencil skirt. Her black suede jacket was left undone and its short sleeves failed to hide her delicate forearms and wrists. The calf-length black suede lace-up boots that she wore, once so immaculate, were now caked in dust and mud. Showing no sign of concern for her ruined clothes, the girl instead wore an expression of disinterest, her purple eyes studying the ravaged landscape around them.

"My god, you really don't know how to hold back, do you?" she said, exasperated. She scratched the back of her head with one hand, tousling her pink hair, which she wore in a chin-length bob. "It'll be years before this place fully recovers."

"I can't help that!" Natsu complained. "I needed somewhere to train and this was the best place for it."

Strangely enough, this wasn't just an excuse- this really had been the ideal place for him to practice his magic. Ever since he had arrived at the guild, he had felt the desire to train and to grow even stronger, so that he could be the best that he could be. Maybe deep down he had felt that this was what he needed, that this would somehow bring him closer to finding Igneel. Whatever the reason, he had set out to find somewhere where he could hone his skills. Unfortunately, due to the nature of his magic, training in the city would only put people in danger, so he was forced to search for a suitable training ground elsewhere. A few months ago, he came to find this place- a bleak patch of wilderness to the south of Magnolia. It was a place with little in the way of plant or animal life and was off the beaten track, yet easy to get to. Here, he could train in peace, confident that no-one would accidentally stumble into the metaphorical firing line.

At first, everything went swimmingly. Between jobs, he would come here on a fairly frequent basis and have a blast blowing things up. After some time, he started trying to experiment more with his magic, trying to push the limits of what he could do, forever pursuing something bigger. Some days he would train his fire magic, while on other days he would use lightning instead and before long, he started to notice a subtle progression of his abilities. The magic came easier to him now, his spells became more powerful and less demanding. All-in-all, it was very promising- and that was when he ran into his first problem. You see, when you make a habit of destroying things on an almost daily basis, eventually you'll run out of things to destroy. It was around six weeks ago when Natsu realised that he'd hit this point, as his training ground had been so thoroughly devastated that there was nothing left.

Following his setback, Natsu had happened to bump into the young lady next to him while he was at the guild. Her name was Alaya Esta and she was a practitioner of Matter Manipulation magic, which allowed her to alter the structure of practically any material. Amongst other things, this type of magic allowed her to mould a substance into any form that she wished, which was something that Natsu had found highly interesting. Somehow, he had gotten it into his head that this girl would be a good training partner- she could use her magic to form objects and he could then use said objects as targets. While she had been resistant to the idea at first, she'd eventually had enough of his grovelling and caved.

'Though, to be honest, it looks like she's already regretting it,' Natsu observed, watching her face closely.

Alaya sighed and muttered to herself. "Why am I out here babysitting this kid?" she asked the air.

"Probably because I buy you sweets afterwards?" Natsu answered.

Alaya's mood brightened considerably at the mention of her favourite treat. You see, she had a great love for anything sweet, with a particular penchant for baked goods. However, as she rarely went on jobs, she didn't have the dispensable income necessary to buy the food for herself as frequently as she liked. Once Natsu learned that he could bribe Alaya to train with him, it was game over. As long as he could afford to buy whichever treat she had a craving for at the time, he could get a few hours of training in before she had enough.

"In that case, should we carry on?" she asked. The anticipation in her voice was palpable and it was clear that her mind was already on her reward rather than the task at hand. Despite her distraction, she adopted a ready stance, sliding her left foot slightly forwards and out to one side, raising her hands parallel to the ground. Then, with an overly-dramatic air, she slowly lifted her hands further. As she did so, the fragments of rock that were scattered around them rose up, mirroring her movements, before coming to a stop. For a moment, it was like they were frozen in time, immersed in a heavy snowstorm- then by clenching her hands, she brought the moment to an end. In a tumultuous whirlwind, the stone fragments whizzed through the air, forming into large clusters. With a slight gesture, she sent the newly formed boulders gliding through the air, scattering them on the ground in front of Natsu.

"Wow... it's still as cool as the first time," Natsu said in a quiet voice, once again in awe of Alaya's magic. "But why the... er..." He trailed off, choosing instead to imitate her unusual gestures.

Alaya pondered the question for a moment. "I'm not sure," she said finally. "It just feels right. Plus, it helps me focus... as if it somehow makes it easier to control stuff."

"Ok... that kinda makes sense," he replied. Though in truth, he wasn't quite sure how or why it made sense. "Anyway, it's time to break stuff!"

Eager not to waste any more time, he dashed forwards, once again enacting his signature dance of destruction. He mixed in a series of punches and kicks, as well as blasting the boulders from a distance, using his fire and lightning interchangeably. Within minutes, he was down to his last couple of targets.

"Here we go!" he cried, rushing forward to deliver the final blows. He charged the first boulder and drew back his fist, before hurling a mighty punch. A split second before the moment of impact, his magic surged forth and his fist was engulfed in flame. His strike immediately disintegrated the rock around the impact site and caused fractures to race out across the boulder's surface. The flames poured through the cracks in the rock, ripping it apart and splitting the boulder into several large pieces. Without missing a beat, he spun around on the spot by pivoting on one foot and pushed off the ground, leaping towards the last boulder.

He arced through the air like a javelin in flight. As he neared his target, he tucked in his limbs and turned his movement into a flip.

"Down you go!" he cried, stretching out his right leg to drop a kick on top of the rock. "Fire Dragon Talon."

There was a blinding flash of light as his lightning-infused attack blasted the boulder, accompanied by a short, sharp crack and a mild thunderclap. The thundering sound rolled across the land, echoing ever so slightly as it faded into the distance. Having landed on his feet, Natsu took a step back to assess the damage from his attack.

"Huh..." he said.

"What?" Alaya asked.

"It's... still standing," he replied. Far from being destroyed, the boulder in front of him seemed relatively intact, much to his surprise. "It's weird," he intoned. "I smashed that last rock to pieces, but this one is fine."

Alaya stepped closer to take a look. Immediately noticing the stark differences between the two, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"You're right," she confirmed. "Strange... I wonder why?"

She paced around the second boulder, taking a closeup look at it. "Are you sure you even hit this one?" she asked finally.

"Of course I did!" he answered indignantly. "Wait... you weren't paying attention?"

"No, I was cloud watching," she retorted. "I find that far more interesting than watching you beat up a bunch of rocks."

"Tsk... some training partner you are," he grumbled.

Alaya looked at him with an expression of mock confusion. "Whatever do you mean?" she asked exaggeratedly. "I get to work on my modelling and you get to punch stuff. That sounds like the perfect partnership to me!" She dropped the sarcastic tone, instead, giving him an apathetic look. "In all seriousness now, where did you hit this thing?"

"On the top," he answered. Alaya merely grunted in reply and snapped her fingers. With a rush of magic, the ground underneath her started to bulge upwards, lifting her into the air. After a few seconds, she released the magic and the ground stopped moving, leaving her standing on a small mound. Now several feet taller, she placed both her hands on the boulder and leant forward to get a better look at the impact site.

"Ah, I see," she blurted.

"What?" asked Natsu.

"Looks like you actually did quite a bit of damage. It's just that it's less noticeable," she explained. She held out her hand over the boulder, indicating a spot on the top that he couldn't see.

"There's a pretty big hole right here and as far as I can tell-" she started, trailing off. She thrust her hand into the hole and then dived even further in, leaving her buried up to the shoulder in the rock. "Your attack almost bored a hole straight through this thing."

"Huh, why? I was trying to make it explode!" he complained.

"Hmm..." said Alaya thoughtfully. "If I had to take a guess, it's probably down to the fundamental differences between your two elements."

"What do you mean?"

"Come on Natsu, I know you're not so stupid that you can't tell the difference between fire and lightning," she scoffed. "Fire and lightning are both very powerful, but they have completely different properties, so you can't expect them to work the same in every situation."

She stepped down off her mound and gestured all around them. "If you don't believe me, you can just take a look around. All of this is your handiwork and nobody else's. You know what magic you used and you know the results. I'm pretty sure that you can tell just as well as I can that some of your attacks worked better than others. Now, it looks to me that you've trained your lightning magic enough that it's almost as strong as your fire magic. So, you need to ask yourself is why your lightning didn't work as well as your fire today."

Natsu looked at her blankly. When he failed to offer up any sort of response, Alaya cursed in annoyance. "Fine, I guess I can spell it out for you. Your fire has a lot of force behind it and is great at blowing things up, which is not something your lightning is particularly good at. Buuut, your lightning is good at piercing through stuff and is a lot more precise than your fire. Those are the main differences between the two."

"Oh," said Natsu, finally comprehending what she was getting at. "If my lightning isn't very good at destroying stuff, I guess it's useless. I'll just have to keep training my fire magic instead then."

Alaya sighed. "Clearly you didn't get what I was trying to say after all. But if that's your choice, so be it. Who am I to argue?" She took up her stance once more, ready to conjure up some more targets. Just like before, the various pieces of earth and rock began to float into the air- then they dropped to the ground.

Natsu looked at Alaya in confusion. Just as he opened his mouth to ask her what was wrong, he felt something. It was a cold pinprick sensation on his skin. A moment later, he felt the same sensation elsewhere, then again somewhere else. He looked up and saw the thick clouds that soared high above. Feelings the same sensation on his face, he realized what it was that he was feeling- raindrops. And from the looks of it, they were in for a heavy downpour.

Alaya relaxed, letting her arms drop down to her sides. Then she slowly and deliberately turned and walked away. "I've had enough for today, I'm going back to town." He knew better than to try and stop her, so he said nothing. However, she took a few more steps, before unexpectedly stopping.

"Listen Natsu," she said, still facing away from him. He turned to look at her and she continued on: "If you want to become a better wizard, you have to know your magic. You need to know what makes your magic effective and work out the best way to use it. Even more importantly, you need to find out where your weaknesses lie and find a way to make up for them. Brute force isn't enough to reach the top, so if you want the strength to succeed in this world, you need to learn to fight smart too."

She made as if to move on but stopped as something else came to mind.

"Also, about my compensation," she began.

'Oh, here we go,' Natsu thought.

"It's looking very likely that I'll get caught in this rain before I get back to town. And you know how much I hate rain," she said solemnly. "So, you owe me extra for that- I'm thinking the double chocolate brownie cakes from Maxwell's Patisserie... you know, that place down in the south-west quarter? I think it's the least you can do after today."

He grimaced with displeasure- the brownie cakes that she had mentioned were one of the more luxurious items on the menu and as such, had quite the hefty price tag. But if that was the price that he had to pay, then so be it.

"Sure, I can do that. But before you go..." he started.

"Hmm?" Alaya paused and turned her head towards him ever so slightly.

"Could you make me some more targets... please?" he asked politely.

She sighed ever so slightly and complied with his request, though this time without the theatrics. "There," she said. "I made you a few extras, so go nuts. And don't forget what you owe me." With those words, she left for real, leaving Natsu to his own devices.

'Heh, as if I'd ever be able to forget when you keep reminding me,' Natsu thought to himself. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he turned to focus on the targets once more. But try as he might, he couldn't bring himself to carry on with his training. He stood there for a long time as the rain started to pour down, while Alaya's words continued to circle around in his head.

Several hours passed before Natsu finally decided to return to town. The rain- which until recently had been storming down- had eventually lightened off and come to a stop. The clouds had thinned out somewhat during the downpour, revealing hints of the sky above, now tinged with traces of pink and purple. As the rain had come down so heavily, much of the rainwater had been unable to drain away and had instead formed puddles. The dying light of the setting sun reflected off the water and painted the world a deep orange, illuminating his path in a vibrant display of colour.

Though the light was fading, Natsu walked the path back to town with ease, though still preoccupied with his own thoughts. He barely noticed when he left the dirt paths and reached the main road back to town. In fact, he barely noticed anything until he drew closer to town, where the sounds of some sort of commotion snapped him out of his meditation. He gazed into the distance, where he could just about see panicked figures rushing around near the city gates. His curiosity peaked, he burst into a run and raced back home.

Night had descended by the time Natsu passed through the city gates. As he trotted up the main street, he was greeted by many voices raised in anger. The long figures that he had seen before had formed a large crowd- from the looks of things, there were several hundred people gathered here now. The question was why.

Despite the chaos all around him, he managed to pick out a few snippets of information from people's conversations.

"Not welcome here-"

"Look at that arm..."

"...some sort of demon..."

The townspeople's voices were far from friendly. Their words were laced with fear and hostility, so Natsu could only assume that whatever it was that they were gathered around was something dangerous. If that was the case, then he needed to get in there and deal with the situation before someone got hurt.

"Excuse me!" he cried, trying to force his way through the crowd. "I need to get through!"

His words fell on deaf ears and he was ignored. Calling out all the while, he tried to force his way through the crowd. He managed to get past a few people, slipping into the gaps amongst the tightly packed group. But try as he might, he couldn't get any further. He was buffeted on all sides by the press of people and promptly ejected from the crowd.

Natsu gritted his teeth in anger. 'So, they're going to ignore me, are they?' he thought. 'Well, I'll give them something they can't ignore!'

He raised one hand with a devilish grin, pointing to the heavens above. Then he summoned up his magic, felt it surge through his veins. He started to feel a burning sensation build up in his body and the air around him started to crackle with energy. Some of the more sensitive townspeople felt his magic and turned to look at him worriedly, but most remained unaware of his actions. Excellent... what he planned to do would be so much more effective if no-one was expecting it.

As the build-up of his magic reached its terrifying peak, he unleashed it all. A golden lance of lightning streaked upwards with a deafening boom and a horrendous roar as it ripped through the air. The bolt reached up to the clouds themselves, where it set off a huge chain reaction. Lightning stretched across the sky, turning night into day and making the air tremble.

The townspeople recoiled and cried out, fearing a stray lightning strike might smite them down. A deathly calm fell over the crowd and seeing a perfect opportunity, Natsu spoke into the silence.

"Now that I have your attention... please let me through." Though his words were polite, his tone was that of a command, not a request.

He marched forwards and the crowd parted before him, eyeing him warily. He couldn't help but feel a little claustrophobic as the people rushed to fill the empty gaps in his wake, leaving him surrounded by a wall of people. But he didn't give any off any signs of his discomfort, instead, forcing an air of false bravado. He didn't feel as if he was pulling it off very well, but it was apparently enough to convince the townspeople that he knew what he was doing, as they seemed almost eager for him to step forward and deal with the situation. That alone was enough to give Natsu second thoughts, but before he had the chance to change his mind, the wall of people opened up and he was all but thrust forward into the open space beyond.

For the first time, Natsu was able to see what it was that the crowd had been gathered around. At the centre of the clearing, there were three small figures bunched together. The first of the three knelt on the ground hunched into a ball as if hoping that by making themself smaller, they could perhaps disappear entirely. It was impossible to tell what this person looked like, as they wore a dark cloak and had swaddled themself up so tightly that you couldn't see any of their defining features. The only thing that gave you a hint of their character was the ears sewn on their hood and the bedroll that they had slung over their back.

The other two, however, were an open book- one boy and one girl, both had the same white hair and appeared to be about Natsu's age. The girl's hair was cut short and in a severe manner, hanging just below her ears, while the fringe hovered just above her eyebrows. Though there was fear in her blue eyes, there was also defiance, with which she issued a silent challenge to those gathered around her. In contrast to her determined front, her outfit was rather delicate and feminine- a pale pink short-sleeve dress with a magenta collar and placket, as well as a dainty pair of red shoes.

The boy was more sturdily built, dressed in all formal attire. He wore a long-sleeve white shirt and a red string tie, with a grey waistcoat over the top. In a similar fashion, he also wore a pair of dark blue trousers and smart shoes.

Feeling somewhat let down after all his anticipation, Natsu turned to look at the crowd. "Really?" he asked harshly. "You got so scared because of these three?" He gestured to the three hooded figures, who he assumed were children not much older than himself. Three children that apparently evoked so much fear that everybody kept their distance. No-one would meet his eyes, but some muttered something in the way of a reply. Once again, he caught scraps of their words:

"...not human..."

"...a monster..."

"...evil in that arm..."

That wasn't the first time that Natsu had heard something about an arm. He eyed the three figures intently, noting that the one on the ground had shied away whilst the others whispered, wrapping their cloak more tightly around them. It was as if they were trying to avoid the prying eyes... or perhaps hide something.

He crossed the intervening in a flash and shoved aside the young girl who stepped forward to obstruct him. He grabbed onto the person's cloak with an iron grip and tore it off ruthlessly, prepared for the worst... but what he saw was not what he expected. A young girl, not much older than he was. Her long snow-white hair flowed like molten silver, tumbling down past her shoulders. Two long strands hung down past her collarbones and interestingly, unlike the rest of her hair, which was fairly straight, these two strands were gently curled at the ends. Though they were covered somewhat by her fringe, he could see her crystal blue eyes easily. Like the ocean, they had a depth to them that he couldn't even begin to fathom- so much so that he feared that he would drown if he gazed into them for too long. The rest of her features were remarkable too, from her long eyelashes to her flawless skin. She would have been beautiful, angelic even... if not for the haunted expression on her face. Though she was still breathing, there was no life in her body. She turned her empty eyes towards Natsu and shivers ran up and down his spine. Those eyes were devoid of all emotion and for that matter, anything even remotely human.

Transfixed by that stare, Natsu could barely breathe. Unable to wrench his eyes away, he remained frozen, until a peculiar sensation and a sharp cry snapped him out of his stupor.

"Leave our sister alone!"

Natsu looked over his shoulder and saw the little girl that he had pushed aside earlier. She was tugging on the back of his shirt, trying to drag him away from the other girl. Judging from the tears in her eyes, she must have been expecting him to do something drastic.

"Yeah, she hasn't done anything wrong!" the boy piped in. Though he was less aggressive in his challenge, he was just as resolute as the girl was. Natsu's eyes flicked between the three of them briefly and something clicked in his head.

'I see,' he thought. 'They must be related.'

That explained the similarities in their appearance, as well as the protective attitude the two younger ones were exhibiting. They saw him as a threat to their older sister. The question was, why?

Natsu's eyes drifted back to the eldest sibling, who had curled in on herself, clutching her arms across her stomach. With all the delicacy of a rampaging bull, he grabbed her by the elbow and dragged her to her feet. Immediately, the crowd drew back and a babble of noise rippled throughout. And for the first time, Natsu finally understood their fear.

The girl's forearm had transformed into something truly monstrous. What should have been skin was instead a thick and coarse material not unlike tree bark. Though Natsu gripped the girl's arm firmly, it didn't yield in the slightest. As firm as a rock, it seemed to him that it would have happily mocked his feeble grip if it had been capable of doing so. To make matters worse, it looked as if the substance was spreading further up her arm. Like a climber plant, thin tendrils stretched greedily outwards, invading her flesh and pulsating in a disturbing manner. The outer part of her forearm had many purple pustule-like crystals embedded in it, some of which looked like they were about to burst at any second.

Though he wasn't quite sure why Natsu had the awful feeling that there was something more going on beneath the surface. It was not something that could be heard seen or heard, but he felt it keenly- a distinct feeling of wrongness. He knew that he couldn't do anything in good conscience without further information. There was only one avenue left to him, one last thing that he could do to determine the cause of this transformation. With an overwhelming feeling of dread, he activated his Dragonsense and took a good look at her arm. It was a decision that he regretted instantly.

The girl's arm contained an incredible amount of magical energy, which simmered like a witch's concoction boiling over a fire. Traces of the same magic had spread throughout her body, although at a much lower concentration. That was terrifying enough, but it was merely a secondary concern for him at that moment. His Dragonsense may have revealed more information to him, but it also had its drawbacks. While he had been unable to perceive the nature of that magic before, it was now clear as day. That previous feeling of wrongness that he had experienced before was now amplified a hundred times over and with it came a sickening feeling that he couldn't quite explain. A feeling of death and decay, hatred and despair. An overwhelming amalgamation of every possible negative emotion and state of being.

It was a thing of pure evil.

Barely suppressing the urge to vomit, Natsu managed to utter just a few words.

"What is this?" he asked with horror. "It's like something from a nightmare."

In response to his words, the crowd began to yell once more and the little girl renewed her efforts to pry him away from her sister. But Natsu paid little attention to either- because now he had a decision to make and it wasn't one he couldn't make lightly. He hadn't the slightest clue as to what this magic was, but he was as sure as could be that it was something dangerous. Whoever this girl was, she was a potential threat to everyone around her, regardless of her intentions.

It was quite possible that her intentions were entirely pure. She and her family had come all this way, travelling from god-knows-where with next to no supplies. It was clear that they were desperate- perhaps they were searching for something or had come here to pursue a new life. If that was the case, shouldn't they have the right to do so?

On the other hand, turning her away would be the smart decision. Logically speaking, it was better to forsake one person- and by extension, her two siblings- if it would guarantee the safety of the town. It was the safest option… but was it the right one?

This was what he debated in his mind as he stared into the girl's eyes. Where before he had only seen emptiness, he now saw fear. It was the first time he had seen her express any human emotion- and it was all because of him. Because of the way he loomed over her, holding her in a vice-like grip. Because of the fierce, almost murderous energy that he gave off. Because as far as she was concerned, he was the avatar of the people's animosity and bigotry, the one who was to bring about her downfall. When he looked into those eyes, all he felt was pity. Pity for this young girl who was being persecuted for simply being the way she was, even though she likely had no control over it. So, he asked himself, was it right to turn her away? Did he have it in him to do such a thing?

No. He wasn't the kind of person that could heartlessly abandon someone in need.

"You guys look like you need some help," he said. "Let me give you a hand."

His words caused an uproar amongst the onlookers. The people hurled insults and threats, roaring at the top of their lungs, while Natsu looked on in dismay. These people were homeowners, shopkeepers and farmers- in other words, ordinary folk. But right now, they were an unruly mob out for blood. At that moment, their fear was the only thing holding them in check, but there was no telling how long that might last. Natsu had to do something and quickly at that, while he still had the chance.

And so, he tried to plead with the crowd, doing his best to make them see reason.

"It's pretty obvious that she's been cursed," he reasoned, though he had no proof on the matter. "We have a wizard guild right here in town. There's gotta be someone who can help her.

The crowd jeered and shot him down ruthlessly.

"You don't know anything!"

"We don't care, we just want her outside our walls!"

So much for the concept of charity for a stranger. The townspeople couldn't care less for three young children looking for a chance- they were merely looking out for themselves, everyone else be damned. Natsu tried again to plead with the crowd, but it proved to be a fruitless effort. The space around them began to slowly shrink as the crowd surged forward. He summoned up his lightning once more, hoping it would be enough to deter the advancing townspeople. The golden glow of his magic was enough to make the crowd hesitate... but emboldened as they were by their overwhelming numbers, their hesitation lasted only a few seconds. The three siblings huddled together defensively, but Natsu stood firm, facing down the mob.

This was an impossible situation. When you thought about it, these people weren't monsters or villains, just innocent villagers trying to protect their home. While he could probably fight this many people easily enough, he wasn't skilled enough to take them down without severely injuring them. But if he held back for fear of hurting them, they would eventually overwhelm him.

Just as these hopeless thoughts entered his mind, he felt something. It was like an earthquake, yet it came and went in an instant. The sensation came again a second later, then again and finally, Natsu recognised the sensation for what it was- footsteps.

Something was approaching… and whatever it was, it must be massive.

Within moments, the chaos subsided, leaving silence to rule in its absence. Everyone present was paralyzed by the sheer presence of this enormous entity as it loomed ever closer. Suddenly, the atmosphere changed drastically and the nervous energy of the crowd was so strong it was palpable.

Then, as if hearing an inaudible signal, the crowd turned. Like a swarm of rats, they fled in every direction, flooding down the main road, the smaller minor roads and the alleys alike. In less than a minute, the streets were deserted, bar Natsu and the three siblings. The four of them could hardly breathe, as fearful as they were. In the now quiet night, the monster's footsteps could be heard loudly and clear- slow, regular and drawing ever nearer. And heavy enough that Natsu's teeth rattled with every step.

A dry throat and stiff muscles- both signs of nervousness, or fear. Natsu cursed inwardly for allowing himself to feel such an emotion and stepped forward, facing in the direction of the approaching monster.

"Alright, guess you must be pretty big, huh?" he muttered. "About time… I was lookin' for someone who could give me a real fight. Bring it on!"

With those words, his fire emerged, rushing out over his body. Covered by his cloak of flames, he took up a defensive stance, ready for battle. He stood defiant, as the footsteps drew nearer and nearer… then stopped.

"...Huh?"

With a tilt of his head and a puzzled expression, Natsu peered into the shadows. Then, he finally saw the 'giant' that he had been expecting.

Walking with a purposeful stride, one lone figure emerged from one of the side streets. This figure happened to be rather familiar to Natsu, though the man's outfit was not one that he usually wore. Clad in a white cloak with a white fur trim at the neck and sleeves and bearing an ornate wooden staff, he radiated an authoritative, almost regal air. So great was the contrast from the man's usual attire, that for a moment, Natsu was rendered speechless.

"Master Makarov?" he spluttered finally.

"Good evening, Natsu," Makarov replied breezily. "I must admit, you caught me by surprise. I didn't expect to see you here, of all people."

"Really? Who were you expecting?" Natsu replied. It wasn't the most urgent question on his mind, but shocked as he was, he wasn't able to think of any others at that time.

Makarov mused over the question for a moment. "An interesting question, my boy. Suffice to say, there are a number of people that I had anticipated seeing, just not yourself."

Noting that Makarov hadn't really answered the question, Natsu simply nodded.

"Now, my boy," the old man continued. "Tell me if I'm wrong, but this doesn't look like the sort of place where you'd spend your free time, especially at this time of night. Care to let me know what's going on?"

Even though he didn't know much about the situation himself, Natsu explained to Makarov what had happened to the best of his ability. Starting from the time when he first realized that something was going on, to when the crowd ran off, he left nothing out. Makarov didn't say much during his explanation, only asking a few brief questions for clarification occasionally. He listened intently, but gave little in the way of a reaction, up until Natsu mentioned the girl's arm. All he did was raise his eyebrows slightly, but that was enough for Natsu to know that he had the man's undivided attention.

"I see," said Makarov. "Your curse theory is definitely plausible. I would very much like to take a good look at the girl's arm later, but first things first, let's make sure they're alright, shall we?"

With those words, he turned his attention to the three siblings. Unsurprisingly, the two younger children were eyeing both Natsu and Makarov warily. The other one, however, was once again staring at the floor with a fixed, distant gaze. They approached the trio carefully, similar to how one would approach a startled animal.

"Don't be scared, children," said Makarov gently. "You're safe now."

The girl flashed him a look that was half hopeful, half sceptical. "Who are you?" she asked.

"My name is Makarov Dreyar. I am the guild master of the local wizard guild, Fairy Tail," he answered. "This young man is Natsu," he added. "He is also a member of Fairy Tail. Would you care to provide me with your names?"

Suddenly, the girl clammed up. Similarly, her brother was also disinclined to answer. It appeared that Makarov had expected as much, as he simply nodded slightly.

"I can see you don't want to answer that question. So here another, arguably more important question. What brings you here, to Magnolia?" he asked. "Given what Natsu has already told me about your sister's condition, I can surmise what has happened, more-or-less… but I would rather hear the story from your own lips. The nearest town is quite some distance away and as far as I can tell, you don't appear to have an escort. So what drove the three of you to travel this far, with little more than the clothes on your backs?"

"...I guess there's not much point in hiding it," the boy answered. "And you did help us after all. If you listen, I'll tell you the whole story."

If a man must be strong, then I am no man
My family is my only crutch
For without them, I will fall
Oh how I wish to be strong
To protect the ones that I love
But I fear that is a hopeless dream

-January 10th X778-

It was a dark and dreary day. It was to be expected- the weather in Fiore was always rough at this time of year. But over the last few months, Winter's reign had proven to be a particularly brutal one and it appeared that the cold temptress wasn't yet ready to relinquish her hold on the land. Great hulking rain clouds hung menacingly overhead, drenching the earth with light, but persistent showers. Biting winds swept past, tousling the trees. If you were to compare the world to a canvas, then this would be a monotone painting, devoid of all colour. The weather was most fitting for the solemn occasion that was taking place at that moment.

In the midst of all this, a small group of people were gathered here. Though their dark formal clothes were wet through and the biting wind stole what little warmth they had left to them, they stood unmoving. One man, who wore long robes, was attempting to deliver some form of ceremonial speech, yet the winds snatched away his words and- in truth- nobody was really listening. Their eyes were fixed on the ground, heads lowered in a show of respect, whilst at the same time, they wished for this to end so that they could return home. Amongst that small group, there were three figures who stood out- three young children, who all had the same white hair. Their sorrow was greater than any other and they struggled to hold back tears, as pallbearers lowered two caskets into an open grave.

Indeed, the weather really was most fitting. It set the perfect tone for a funeral.

As the gravediggers began to fill in the grave, the children turned their eyes to the grave's headstone. It wasn't anything elaborate- just a plain marble block with simple carvings, suitable for a family that wasn't well off. The words that were engraved on it weren't fancy, but there were a few on there that drew their attention.

"Here lies Tobias & Carmen Strauss"

It was just a few simple words, but it shook their world to the core… for this was to be the grave of their parents.

The youngest child started to cry softly. Seeing her younger sister cry, the eldest put her hand on her shoulder and pulled her close in a comforting embrace.

"Now now, Lisanna," she said gently. "You know how much mum and dad hated to see you cry. You need to put on your brave face for them now."

The young girl named Lisanna gave something resembling a smile, even as the tears still streamed from her eyes. Wiping her snotty nose with the back of her hand, she clung to her big sister tightly.

"What are going to do now, Mira?" asked the boy.

The eldest squeezed his hand reassuringly. "I'm not sure, Elfman," she responded. "But whatever happens, I'll look after you. Things may be hard at first, but in the end, it'll all work out."

The three of them said their final goodbyes to the parents who had raised them, each making a promise. When the ceremony ended, the three of them left without looking back. There was no going back- all they could do was look to the future.

Until the untimely death of Tobias and Carmen, the Strauss family had lived happily in a small, but well-maintained cottage on the edge of the village known as Orleta. It was a very isolated place, as it was built in a valley surrounded by mountains. With only five hundred residents, it was a closely knit community where everyone was at the least able to recognise the faces of everyone else living there. As the village was far from affluent, the people here put great stock in looking out for each other in times of need.

The Strauss family weren't particularly liked within the community, but regardless, there were a few well-meaning neighbours who were willing to help look after the three orphaned children. But unfortunately, their good intentions weren't enough- looking after three children is a difficult thing and the poor villagers weren't able to care for the children for long. As such, the siblings kept getting passed back and forth from one neighbour to another, unable to settle anywhere for more than a few days. After two weeks, there was no-one left who was willing or able to offer them shelter.

Except for one person- the local priest.

It was unusual for such a small village to possess a church, yet for some reason, someone had decided to build one here. The priest in question, who ran this small church by himself, had recently requested permission from his superiors to start up an orphanage. Evidently, his superiors had accepted his request, as one evening, the priest had extended an invitation to the three siblings.

The following morning, they made their way to the church, which was located near the edge of the village. Elfman trailed absentmindedly behind his sisters as they walked down the cobbled street, almost bumping into the two of them when they stopped suddenly.

"We're here," said Mira softly.

He looked up, seeing that they had in fact arrived at the building. While he had walked past the church a few times before, this was the first time that he had taken a good look at it.

It was a simple-looking building, with little in the way of outside decoration. It was long and thin, with a steep gable roof made from grey tiles. White wooden cladding covered the outer walls in horizontal stripes, interrupted only by a few tall, arched windows. There were a few steps leading up to the front entrance, where there was a small porch area. Just above that stood a short bell tower, where the priest would no doubt ring to call people to service.

Even though this was to be their new home, Elfman could hardly think of this place as such. There was just something about the building that didn't feel homely.

At this point, he realized with a start that Mira and Lisanna weren't at his side anymore- they were already traipsing their way up to the church steps. Not eager to be left behind, he lurched after them. Together, they stepped through the open doorway.

The room that they stepped into was rather bare. The plaster walls were white, just like the vast majority of the building's exterior. The floor was made using dark polished wood, either oak or walnut. There was also very little in terms of furnishings- rows upon rows of wooden pews and a long rug that ran up the centre aisle. At the far end of the room, the floor was somewhat raised, with two steps leading up to the platform. The altar was located upon this raised area, directly in front of the doors and there was a lectern towards the left wall. Just behind the lectern, on the left side of the back wall, was a doorway that presumably led to areas that were off-limits to visitors.

They paused just inside the entrance for a moment, taken aback by the emptiness before them. They hadn't expected the church to be busy at this time of day, but shouldn't there be somebody around at least? If not the villagers, then surely the priest should be nearby.

"Hello," called Mira gently. "Is anyone here?"

She waited expectantly for a response, but none came forth.

"Strange," she muttered. She walked slowly forwards, towards the altar. Elfman and Lisanna both followed her closely, albeit more nervously.

"I don't like this, sis," Lisanna whimpered.

"Yeah, me neither," Elfman agreed. "Something about this place doesn't feel right."

"You two sure like to exaggerate," chuckled Mira lightheartedly, though in truth, she also felt that something was a little off. "You're just imagining things, now come on."

She walked a little further up the aisle and called again, a little louder this time. Still no response. They waited impatiently for a few minutes, but no-one came out to greet them. Mira huffed in frustration and all but marched up the aisle to the door at the back left corner. She rapped her knuckles against the wood and listened intently for any sound of movement beyond the door. A minute or so passed and still, she heard nothing, so she tried again, a little harder this time. She waited two minutes this time, yet she still heard nothing.

"Tsk, what kind of priest doesn't keep an eye on his church?" she scoffed.

She tried the door handle and gave the door a shove, but it wouldn't budge an inch… it must be locked. She gave the door a hard kick to vent her frustration- and promptly clutched her aching foot, wincing. Was this door made out of wood, or iron?

"Mira?"

The distressed tone in her little sister's voice caught her attention instantly. She flicked her head to the right and latched her eyes onto Lisanna, who was stood in front of the altar, turned away from her. The little girl just lifted her arm slowly and pointed towards the right wall.

"H-He's… just lying there," she stammered.

Confused beyond all belief, Mira walked to her sister's side slowly, circling around the altar- then, she finally saw what her sister had spotted. She herself had missed it when she'd walked past, as she had beelined straight for the door, but just before the front-most pew on the right side lay a limp form, dressed in black robes.

"Oh my goodness," she gasped. She ran over to the man, who lay prone, face down on the floor. "Are you alright?" she asked, shaking his shoulder gently.

When the man didn't respond, she turned to her siblings, who stood there with shocked expressions.

"Quickly," she said. "Help me turn him over,"

The three of them turned him over as gently as they could, doing their best to avoid exacerbating any injuries he may have had. Then they saw his face and recoiled.

The priest's face had turned ash-grey and was contorted into an expression of absolute terror. His reddened eyes bulged in their sockets, seemingly about to pop out at any moment and beads of dried blood had accumulated around his eyelids. Mira's eyes trailed down to his throat, where she saw strange marks around his throat, as if he'd been strangled with a thick cord. With her heart in her mouth, she put her hand to his neck, checking for a pulse.

"H-he's gone," she said, shocked. Lisanna and Elfman whimpered at her words, feeling even more unnerved than before.

"Any idea what happened to him?" asked Elfman with trepidation.

"No… Honestly, I'm not sure why anyone would target the priest, of all people," Mira answered. She shuddered, then continued. "But I wouldn't want to meet the person that did this."

Something clicked in her head and she stood up suddenly. "We need to leave- now." She ushered her younger siblings back up the aisle, though they were just as eager to leave as she was. The growing sense of dread that she now felt only grew stronger with each step. She wasn't sure what was causing her to feel this way, she only knew that she absolutely had to get out of there while she still could.

They had almost reached the exit when the doors abruptly and inexplicably slammed shut, dashing their hopes of escape. The three siblings froze in shock, but after a moment, Lisanna ran forward and tried the door, to no avail. Somehow, they had been locked in here. That alone was enough to confirm their fears. Something was amiss and while they couldn't say for sure as to why it was the case, they felt as if they were not alone in the room.

They stood back to back in the centre of the room, eyes scouring every corner, yet they saw nothing out of place. Their shallow breathing and the gentle whispers of the wind outside was all that could be heard within the otherwise still chamber. Despite straining every sense, they couldn't detect the source of their anxiety.

They were so focused on looking for the perpetrator, that at first, Mira ignored the dust motes that drifted down in front of her face. She sneezed as the dust tickled her nose, startling her siblings.

"Sorry," she muttered apologetically.

She turned her attention back towards the search, but once again, she was distracted by falling dust. With an irritated sneer, she looked up towards the rafters high above- and caught a glimpse of an indistinct figure, poised like a snake prepared to strike.

"Look out!" she shrieked. She grabbed hold of her siblings and leapt to one side, just before the thing threw itself towards them, crashing to the floor where they had been standing. The impact threw her off balance and she fell to the floor, momentarily stunned. However, she recovered quickly and sprung to her feet, facing the repulsive creature that had flung itself at them.

The creature before them was like something out of a nightmare. It was vaguely humanoid in appearance, but its body consisted of a muddy-looking brown bark. Clusters of purple pustules were scattered over its forearms, head and neck, while its midriff was covered in thick green moss. There were a multitude of holes over its form, giving one a clear view directly into its body. It was apparent that this thing didn't possess any internal organs- it was simply a hollow husk, a mere imitation of a living being with no capacity for reason. And it had its sights set on the three of them.

Mira stood slightly apart from her siblings, holding the creature's attention for a moment, but as Elfman and Lisanna struggled to their feet, the creature turned slightly towards them. She immediately noticed that the creature also had a tail. It was long and thin, but appeared to be formed of bone. As its tail flicked back and forth in a serpentine manner, she thoughts jumped to the priest and his injuries.

'This thing is what killed the priest,' she thought. 'It must have strangled him with its tail. It's already killed once… if I don't do something, we'll all die here.'

"Hey, you!" she barked, drawing the thing's attention. "I'm guessing it's you who killed the priest? What did he do to deserve that?"

"What are you doing, Mira?" Elfman hissed.

"Getting its attention," she replied, in an equally hushed tone. "I'll keep it busy, the two of you need to find us a way out of here."

He attempted to argue, but with one look, she shut him up. To anyone else, it would have looked like a simple glance, but he knew differently… to him, it conveyed more than any words could. That one look contained all of her fear and desperation, but above all else, her resolution to see this through. Such is the bond between siblings, that he knew her intentions from the simplest gesture.

'You've always been so much braver than me, big sis,' he thought wistfully. 'Will I ever be strong enough to protect you, like you protect me?' He lowered his eyes in shame and nodded. He took a hold of Lisanna's hand and skulked back to take shelter behind a pew, while Mira addressed the creature once more, keeping its gaze fixed solely on her.

"Do you normally kill so casually?" she demanded. "Or did he just catch you on a bad day?"

The creature cocked it's head to one side, as if contemplating her question. Then, with no obvious reason, it's face contorted into a snarl and it unleashed a banshee-like screech that left her ears ringing. It was obviously hostile because immediately afterwards, it dropped down on all fours and charged straight for her.

Mira gave a short shriek of surprise and dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the beast's strike. Time seemed to move in slow motion as the beast's claw-like fingers scythed through the air, missing her by inches. Its momentum carried it past her and it scrabbled on the smooth wooden floors as it tried to change direction. As soon as it stopped, it came at her again, though a little slower this time. Mira dashed down between the pews, then, as she felt the beast draw close behind her, vaulted over one of them. She wasn't able to see the beast lash out at her, but she felt the rush of air as it struck at her back and missed. She heard the sound of wood splintering as the pew took the brunt of the impact, felt the splinters of wood that showered over her. It was much too close for comfort.

She leapfrogged over several more pews, putting a little distance between her and the monster as it awkwardly clambered over them to get to her. Now that she had a little more breathing room, she was able to spare a second or two to assess the situation. The beast, while incredibly fast, didn't appear to be very agile, so as long as she could keep it off balance, she could stay one step ahead of it. She spared a quick glance around the room and caught a glimpse of movement- it was Elfman and Lisanna, sneaking their way up the back of the room. She watched in dismay as Elfman tried the door at the back of the church.

'No, Elfman, that door is locked,' she thought. 'Did you not see me try it earlier?'

He stubbornly tried again, but he mustn't have been conscious about how much noise he was making, because the door started to rattle. Loudly enough that the monster was able to hear it.

As the monster turn and started to stalk towards the two of them, Mira cursed inwardly.

'Damn it,' she thought. 'You were supposed to be sneaky!'

The monster burst into a run and Mira sprinted after it as it converged on her vulnerable sibling.

"Elfman!" she screamed. "Look out!"

At her cry, Elfman turned just in time to come face-to-face with the monster. It drew itself up to its full height and raised one arm, preparing to strike him down. In a desperate attempt to prolong his life, he raised his arms to cover his head, shielding himself from the monster's attack. He didn't even attempt to run, or fight back… he was simply prepared for death.

'Don't worry, Elfman… I won't let you die here,' Mira thought. No matter what, she was determined to save her brother and sister, even if it meant doing something reckless. So when a particularly reckless idea popped into her head, she jumped on it quickly, before she could have any second thoughts.

She grabbed hold of the monster's tail and yanked it as hard as she could, pulling it off balance. Enraged, the beast turned on her and swatted at her with the back of its hand. The blow was hard enough to throw her to the floor and she slid for a few feet before coming to a stop, winded. But the monster didn't stop there- instead, it came for her again and slammed one hand down onto her chest, pinning her to the floor.

"Mira!" screamed Elfman.

Mira struggled with all her might to escape the monster's grip, using both hands to try and pry its hand off of her. Though the pressure it was exerting on her made it hard to breathe, she managed to croak out a few words.

"Go… run away."

"No, I won't leave you!"

The monster's jaw gaped open in a silent snarl and a noxious purple mist poured out of its open maw. Mira tried to avoid breathing it in, but try as she might, she couldn't live without oxygen. She took shallow breaths, but still, she felt a horrendous burning sensation as the mist travelled down her throat, like molten lava.

"Don't worry about me… just run," she begged. "I'll catch up to you, I promise."

Despairing in his own helplessness, he conceded to the horrible truth that there was nothing he could do. Grabbing Lisanna's hand, he ran back to the door once again. Throwing all caution to the wind, he battered against the door with his shoulder, repeatedly ramming it as hard as he could. Behind him, Mira began to scream in agony. Her pain echoed in his heart as he gave one last hard shove, breaking the flimsy latch and bursting through the door. They emerged into what appeared to be a small storage room. There were a number of boxes, baskets and barrels scattered around and a single door on the right wall. In other words, there was only one way to go. With a heart heavy from guilt, he snatched Lisanna up in his arms and ran through the open door. As he did so, there was a blinding flash of light from behind him and the monster bellowed loudly. But driven by blind panic, he didn't stop to look back. Instead, he fled into the next room, which appeared to be the priest's living quarters and ran over to the first door he saw. He shouldered it open and relief washed over him as he stumbled through the door, sunlight bathing his face.

They had escaped… but likely at the cost of their sister's life. Even now, she fought for her life inside that church. There was nothing that they could do- they didn't have the strength to fight something like that. All they could do was wait… wait and pray that Mira would fulfil her promise.

The normally serene village of Orleta had become a hive of activity. Strange lights and noises had been emanating from the church for the last half hour, which was something that the villagers found highly disturbing. Most of these people had decided to take shelter in their homes, believing they would be safer there. However, there were some who decided to stand by and watch the strange events taking place.

Amongst this rather small group of people, Elfman and Lisanna stood side by side outside the church's main entrance. They watched on tenterhooks as the strange situation unfolded before them.

"That light…" muttered Lisanna. "It's the same as the one we saw when were escaping. Do you think it means Mira's still fighting that thing in there?"

He couldn't help but notice the hopeful tone in her words. "I don't know. Maybe," answered Elfman neutrally. He had spoken those words very carefully… after all, he didn't want to get her hopes up too high.

Lisanna smiled gently, not taking her eyes off the church. "She can do it," she said, making Elfman look at her in surprise. "This is Mira we're talking about… she promised she'd come back to us. And sis always keeps her promises."

Elfman nodded begrudgingly. "Yes… she does."

Inside the church, the monster bellowed once again. But something about its cries caught their attention this time- where before there had only been blind rage, there was a note of some other emotion: unease, or- dare they say- fear. Through those tall arch windows, they saw the now familiar purple light, but this time it didn't manifest as a short flash. Instead, it was a consistent glow that gradually increased in intensity to dazzling proportions. Then, when it seemed that the light couldn't grow any brighter, the light flared up suddenly. Immediately afterwards, an intense explosion shattered the windows, sending shards of glass flying outward.

Those spectating cried out in surprise, but Lisanna and Elfman's response was much more extreme. While the others recoiled from the explosion, the two of them both took a half step forward.

"Mira!"

Lisanna's scream was all but drowned out by the sound of the prolonged explosion. One final boom emanated from within the church and the light vanished, as if it had never existed.

The two siblings stood as still as statues, eyes searching wildly for signs of motion. They weren't the only ones either- the villagers watched the church just as intently. Time seemed to stand still, for just a moment. Then the church doors slowly creaked open.

Everyone grew visibly tense, unsure whether to stay or leave. In their decision, they teetered on the edge of action and inaction… but then a figure stepped through those doors. A figure of a young girl, battered and bruised. She had a nasty gash on her forehead that was bleeding profusely. The blood gradually trickled down the side of her face and over one eye, coating her eyelashes like a layer of paint. She held one arm across her torso delicately and was somewhat hunched over, as if she was in great pain. Her other arm hung loosely by her side, but there was something wrong with it, something… unnatural. Unlike the other arm, which appeared normal, this one had instead morphed into something grotesque.

The villagers gasped and whispered, some even going as far as to mutter prayers under their breath. Their expressions were almost exactly duplicated on Elfman and Lisanna's faces… because although the girl before them appeared bizarre, she was still unmistakably-

"...Mira?"

The horror in Lisanna's voice was unmistakable. It was mirrored in the eyes of every person present. Mira took one look at their expressions, saw the accusing glint in their gaze and visibly shrunk. Unable to bear their stares any longer, she turned and ran as fast as she could, quickly disappearing into the distance.

Still shocked by their sister's appearance, the two of them didn't react at first. But their hesitation only lasted a few seconds. They followed their sister, running as fast as their feet could carry them. However, they weren't fast enough to keep up with her and eventually, they lost sight of her. They split up and wandered around for a short while, trying to catch sight of her again, but saw neither hide nor hair of her.

Eventually, Elfman and Lisanna reconvened back where they had last seen Mira. They couldn't be sure where their sister had gone, but they could put their heads together and take an educated guess. It didn't take them long to come up with a complete list of places where Mira could have gone to, as there weren't many places for them to go in this small village. And there was only one place where she was likely to go.

Having agreed on their course of action, the two siblings nodded resolutely and started making their way to that place. The place that was the source of so many happy memories:

Home.

When Elfman and Lisanna finally arrived at the house that they had been born and raised in, they found the door unlocked. It was a promising sign, as the building had been locked up when they had left this place… and Mira carried the only key.

With shallow breaths and shaking hands, they pushed the door open slowly and crept into the dimly lit room beyond. Their home didn't have an entryway, so the door simply opened up into a kitchen-diner. The afternoon sun streamed through the two windows on either side of the door, illuminating some parts of the room and casting shadows over the rest. Their eyes scoured the room, glancing over the dining table and chairs, the worktops and cupboards and the simple wood-burning stove. Everything in here was simple, as it was all their parents had been able to afford, but it was still home. It felt as if an eternity had passed since they had last visited this place, yet the lack of dust was evidence on the contrary. The place was just as they had left it and that had a lot more impact on them than they cared to admit. But they had not come here to be sentimental… there was something else they needed to focus on right now.

They turned their attention to one shadowed corner, where a cloaked figure squatted beneath the coat rack. The figure was swaddled up tightly with their hood up, so only their lower face was visible. Even so, the two of them had no doubts as to the person's identity.

Lisanna approached the figure and knelt by their side. She drew back their hood, revealing the pale and drawn face of their sister.

"Mira," she said softly.

Mira didn't respond immediately, but after a moment or two, turned to look at Lisanna. She had a strange expression fixed on her face, as if she was being tormented, whilst simultaneously being completely detached from reality.

"Lisanna?" Mira replied. She sounded slightly puzzled, as if she was surprised to see her little sister. "Why are you here?"

"I should be the one asking you that question," Lisanna said with a tense chuckle. Then she sobered up and asked, "Are you alright, sis?"

"I'm fine."

"Don't lie to me, Mira," Lisanna scolded gently. "You can't convince me you're fine if you're covered in blood."

While Mira had clearly tried to clean the blood off of herself, she hadn't done a particularly good job. Dried streaks of the red substance still covered her face and specks of it had settled on her collarbones.

"You're hurt, aren't you?"

"It's fine, my injuries are healing right now,"

"What are you talking about? You can't heal that fast."

"Lisanna…" Elfman interjected.

"What?" Lisanna asked.

"I think she's right. Her forehead was bleeding before…" he observed.

It was true. Even though the wound on her forehead had been bleeding badly before, there was barely a trace left of the injury.

"Impossible…" Lisanna muttered. "What happened in that church, Mira? Something happened to you, right?"

"I… as you were leaving, that monster had pinned me down to the floor. I was unable to move, unable to breathe. I thought I was going to die. But then… it did something to me."

"What do you mean?"

"There's only one way to describe it. Whatever that thing did to me, this vile abomination-" Mira peeled back the folds of her cloak, gradually uncovering more evidence of her battle with the monster. Her clothes were also covered with spatters of blood and were tattered beyond all belief. But all the while, she carefully kept her right arm covered by her cloak. She took a sharp breath, as if steeling herself for something, then finally revealed the secret that she'd been hinting at.

Finally, Mira showed them her monstrous right hand, exclaiming: "This can only be… the result of a demon's curse."

While Lisanna and Elfman had caught a glimpse of Mira's arm after she'd emerged from the church, it did little to prepare them for seeing it up close. Lisanna barely resisted the urge to back away from the repulsive sight- which she likely would have done, if she weren't worried about hurting Mira's feelings. Instead, she swallowed the bile rising up her throat and listened to the rest of Mira's explanation.

"But… this curse actually helped me. It made me strong enough to fight that demon… strong enough to kill it even. But in exchange, I have to live like this. I've become a monster myself."

"What are you talking about? You saved our lives, Mira!" Lisanna exclaimed. "You're a hero."

The faintest ghost of a smile appeared on Mira's face. "A hero, huh? Can't say that I feel like one, but if my adorable little sister says so, it must be true."

Lisanna laughed uncontrollably, relieved that Mira was returning to normal. The two of them stood up and hugged briefly, though Mira made sure to keep her right arm covered by the cloak.

"Ok then, no use moping around," Mira declared. "First things first, I need to get cleaned up. Then we can focus on other things.

Perched on the sill of an upstairs window, Elfman watched the sky change as time passed by, pondering the day's events as he did so. He couldn't help but recall how Mira had looked when he left her behind, or when she finally escaped the church.

'She really fought that demon and beat it?' he thought. 'She really is strong. So much stronger than me.'

As he languished in his pessimistic thoughts, he caught a flicker of movement in his peripheral vision. He turned to the window beside him, peering through the warped glass. Though his vision was distorted, he instantly spotted a large number of people approaching the house. With an unexplainable feeling of dread, he raced downstairs to the kitchen. A freshly-bathed Mira sat at the table with a comb in hand, engaged in a fierce battle with the tangled mess that was her hair. Apparently, the war wasn't going well, as Lisanna had also been enlisted to fight against this foe. She stood just behind Mira, using her delicate fingers to pick apart any knots, clearly happy just to be involved.

Mira had also found a clean set of clothes and was now wearing a smart, sleeveless dress, with a black bodice and grey skirt. Around her neck hung a silver locket- a gift from parents, before they passed. It was hard to believe everything that had happened today when they chatted so comfortably like this. More importantly, it warmed his heart to see that Mira was feeling better. Unfortunately, he was about to ruin their good mood.

"There are people outside," he interjected.

He spoke up during a lull in the conversation, just as Lisanna was about to launch into another topic. With such excellent timing, his words caught their attention instantly. It took a second for them to process his words.

"How many?" Mira asked.

"I don't know… I didn't count," he responded. "But there's a lot."

Concerned, Lisanna raced over to the window to have a look and Mira rose to her feet.

"He's right," Lisanna said. "There's a lot… and they look angry."

Mira came over to look over her shoulder, her face darkening when she saw what awaited them outside.

"Elfman, go and pack some bags," Mira urged. "Quickly, we don't have much time."

In the end, they discovered that the crowd outside was an angry mob. After seeing the ruined church and discovering the priest's corpse, the villagers were looking for someone to blame. Many people had witnessed Mira leaving the church, bearing obvious injuries and an inhuman appearance. As far as they were concerned, they had found their culprit.

Lisanna attempted to speak in Mira's defence, arguing with the mob through the window, but her words fell on deaf ears. The words of a lone child- and one related to the accused at that- did little to sway the mass of arrogant adults, who were convinced that they knew everything they needed to know. The mob continued to get more riled up as time went by, until it seemed as if they'd result to violence. Fortunately, it didn't take long to for Elfman to pack the bags. With the bare essentials in hand, the siblings fled out the back door, running as far as they could. The villagers kept close on their heels, until the siblings crossed a small river, which marked the village's boundary. But the three of them didn't stop… they carried on running until they were halfway up the mountain road, where exhaustion finally caught up with them.

Finally stopping to catch their breath, the three of them looked down into the valley, to the place that had recently been their home.

"Hey…" Elfman panted. "Is that smoke over there?"

"Looks like it," Mira answered. "I'm guessing they decided to burn our house."

Lisanna was wide-eyed with horror. "Why?" she asked. "Why would they do something like that?"

"To make sure we had nowhere to return to, maybe…" Mira speculated. "But whatever their reasoning may be, it's left us with no choice. There's no going back… we can only go forward."

"Where are we supposed to go now, Mira?" Elfman asked anxiously.

"Wherever our feet take us," Mira replied. "If we keep looking… then we'll find somewhere we can call 'home'".

The next couple of weeks proved to be a difficult time for the three siblings. Without a destination in mind, they wandered aimlessly in their search for civilisation. There were times when they found such a place, where they were able to live among people again, for a short time.

But there were always… accidents.

The result of a careless movement, or a stroke of bad luck. While Mira did her best to keep her malformation a secret, you can only hide a secret such as hers for so long. Once people caught a glimpse of her arm, their kind words and gentle actions were replaced with revulsion and the threat of violence.

It was the same wherever they went.

Again and again, Mira was greeted by the more sinister side of the human psyche- the impulse to shun those that are different. Again and again, she was rejected by the people she met, though she longed to live alongside them in peace. Over the course of their travels, Elfman and Lisanna watched as she became increasingly withdrawn and paranoid, but didn't know what they could do to help her. Eventually, Mira came to believe that the world as a whole was just as heartless and as a result, the three of them began consciously avoiding populated areas as much as possible. They were able to make it work for a while, though things were always tricky. At times, they even went as far as stealing from nearby villages, though they loathed so resort to such dishonest measures.

But eventually, they realized that they had reached the breaking point- they had almost exhausted what little supplies they had left and couldn't afford to avoid people any longer.

It was do-or-die.

So, with great reluctance, Mira conceded that they needed to return to the civilised world. Despite their lack of general direction, they eventually discovered the lake-side town of Magnolia. Even as Mira led her siblings towards those city gates, she hardened her heart for what she knew was about to come.

And the ember of her resentment towards man smouldered in her heart.

"...You can probably guess what happened then," Elfman said, as he neared the end of his tale. "Someone knocked Mira over and saw her arm. Everyone freaked out and then…"

He turned to look at Natsu at this point. "That's when you turned up. If you hadn't they might have-" He shuddered, not wanting to finish that sentence.

"Indeed, it's lucky that Natsu happened to be passing by," Makarov muttered quietly. Then with a sigh, he added: "It sounds like the three of you have been through a lot, but worry not, we can help you."

"How?" Elfman challenged. "What can you do to help us?"

"First of all, we could offer you shelter for the night," Makarov replied. "Then perhaps in the morning, you could come by the guildhall and I could have a look at your sister's arm. I have studied magic for many years and learned a great deal about its uses. I might even be able to undo the magic that has been placed upon her."

Elfman turned towards Lisanna and the two of them locked eyes for a moment as they engaged in a silent discussion. After a few moments of deliberation, Elfman turned back towards Makarov.

"I mean, thanks for the offer but… we can't accept an offer like that from a stranger," Elfman answered finally.

"I understand that you're a little wary after all you've been through, my boy, but sometimes you have to take a leap of faith,"

The rest of the conversation continued in the same manner. Makarov repeatedly tried to appeal to the two children, but despite their temptation, they weren't going to change their minds at this point. However, Natsu noted with interest that they kept throwing glances at Mira, who was still kneeling and unresponsive. Suddenly an idea popped into his head and he walked over to the girl, leaning down to whisper in her ear.

"Those two really care about you. They would rather suffer with you than be happy without you," he said.

Her jaw clenched slightly- clearly, his words had gotten through to her, even though she appeared to be out of it.

"They pretend to be ok because they don't want to make you worry. But inside, they're struggling with everything," he prodded. "We can help them, but they won't go anywhere without you. If you come with us, they'll follow. But I need you to trust us… for their sake."

Mira's eyes shifted marginally and there was a subtle, but noticeable change in her expression. Without so much as glancing at him, Mira rose to her feet.

"Elfman, Lisanna, let's go with them," she said decisively.

"Mira?" Lisanna said, surprised.

"Sometimes you need to take a chance," Mira stated. Then she turned to Makarov. "I'll hear you out for now, but if you can't help, then we'll move on to somewhere else."

Makarov nodded. "That's all I can ask for," he said sagely. "Natsu, please take these three back to the dorms with you and make sure they're given a room for the night."

"Sure, no problem," answered Natsu breezily.

"Excellent. Meanwhile, I'll visit the guildhall's library to do some research. Get a good night's sleep and I'll see you all in the morning."

"G'night."

Without further ado, Makarov sauntered up the road, leaving the four of them behind. Natsu shuddered- now that the master had gone, the stillness of the night made him feel… uncomfortable. Though that may be partly due to his three companions, who were all looking at him expectantly.

"Well, what are we waiting for," he said with forced energy. "Let's get going."

He started walking in the direction of the dorms, trailed by the three siblings, who followed at a careful distance. At first, they walked in silence, which was something that Natsu was fine with- he was used to solitude, so silence was a familiar friend. However, his companions clearly weren't as comfortable as he was. Lisanna, in particular, squirmed restlessly and eventually spoke up.

"So, mister… do you think the old man can help Mira," she blurted.

"Ugh… 'mister'? I have a name, you know," he responded with exasperation.

"Er, Nat-su, right? What do you think?" she repeated. "Can your master really help our sister? Can he?"

"Sure… if anyone could do it, it would be him," he answered confidently.

Mira scoffed at his words. "I'm not so sure. He didn't seem all that impressive to me."

"Maybe not," said Natsu. "I thought the same thing when I first met him. But he is strong. A lot stronger than he looks, anyway."

Mira still appeared sceptical, but Lisanna at least appeared convinced by his words. Convinced, but also highly curious.

"Really? You must know him quite well then. How long have you been part of the guild?"

Natsu stopped to think for a second before answering. "I joined near the end of July. So almost seven months, I think?"

"Hey, that's quite a long time then,"

"I guess," Natsu said absently. "Kinda hard to believe it's been that long. Seems like yesterday that I came here…"

"'Came here'… what do you mean?" Lisanna asked. "Did you use to live somewhere else too?"

"Yeah… I did," he answered reluctantly. "I used to live in the woods with a dragon named Igneel."

"What?!" shrieked Lisanna. "A dragon? Really?"

The three siblings looked at Natsu incredulously and he couldn't help but chuckle.

"Really. He found me in the forest one day and took me in," he answered seriously. "He was like a dad to me… but one day he disappeared. So I came here, where I found the guild. So I guess Magnolia is my new home."

Lisanna appeared genuinely saddened by his story, which he definitely appreciated.

"I'm sorry… that must have been hard on you," she said.

"It's ok," he said. "Even though I never knew my parents… and even though Igneel left, I still have the guild. My guildmates are my new family now."

For some reason, Mira pulled a face.

"Your guildmates are your family?" she said disdainfully. "Pfft, what a joke. Get real, a bunch of strangers can never be a real family."

Natsu, Elfman and Lisanna were all taken aback by this sudden outburst. Natsu, in particular, took her words particularly hard, rocking back slightly as if she'd just sucker punched him.

"Mira!" chastised Lisanna. "That's an awful thing to say."

"I'm just telling the truth," Mira argued. "Better that he face it than live a lie."

Natsu gritted his teeth in anger. "Maybe you're right. But it's all some of us have, so even if you don't like it, Mira-"

"That's not my name," Mira muttered in a low voice.

"Huh?"

"Only my family call me that… and last I checked, that didn't include you." Her eyes flashed angrily. "Let's get things straight: I am not here to be anyone's friend. I'm not going to get chummy with anyone and I am definitely not staying any longer than I have to. Frankly, I want as little to do with you as possible, but unfortunately, I have no choice but to associate with you. So keep your distance. If you have to talk to me, then use my real name."

"My name is Mirajane Strauss. I only look out for myself and my siblings. You would do well to remember that… and stay far away from me."

And there we have it. My new record for the longest chapter (this one chapter is 14,000+ words and is about one-third the length of the 9 previous chapters). I burned far too many brain cells writing this, so hopefully, you found it was a good read. I probably won't be writing any chapters as long as this, for a while at least, because they just take too long to write. Hopefully, the next few chapters will come out more regularly.

Now, I did something in this chapter that might have made some of you guys a little wary. And by that I mean, I introduced an OC. I know there are mixed opinions about OCs and I understand why- they tend to drastically change the events of a story, or not have the same level of character depth of actual characters from the series. So for this reason, introducing Alaya the matter manipulating wizard might be a bit controversial, but even so, I'd like to give it a shot and see how you guys feel about it. I might just stick with one OC, but I also have a few concepts for other characters who I could also potentially add in if people are interested. Of course, any OCs I bring in will take a back seat to the main cast (I could have a few throwaways that appear during an arc/chapter, or make them a little more significant if people like those characters). I figured that Natsu having a training partner during his early years in the guild would help explain how he developed his magic and improved his skills. I mean, he's gotta train somehow right? Anyway, feel free to let me know what you think via a PM or review.

One last final thing before I go. There's something I've been mulling over for a while. Recently I've been contemplating creating some sort of account to allow people to donate money to support me in my fanfic writing if they wish to do so (there's one particular site beginning with the letter 'P' that I wanted to mention, but the fanfic gods apparently don't like that word and remove it whenever I type it). As I happen to enjoy doing this sort of writing and would like to be able to spend more time on it, but as you can imagine, it's not the most viable profession. I would also like maybe even do some creative writing courses to try and improve the quality of my writing. Perhaps it's presumptuous of me to even think that maybe someone would want to support me in this way, but I would at least like to give people the option.

Anyway, that's all for now. Now I can go to sleep... and read some fanfics that were suggested to me. Until next time.