Start of a New Adventure

Despite her attempts, Irene couldn't forget about her daughter. It was a thought that always seemed to lurk in the back of her mind. Every so often, Irene couldn't help but think back to the little red-headed girl she left on the doorstep in Rosemary Village. She did what she could to banish the thoughts, but they always came back, again, and again, and again. And now, here she was, standing in front of a scrying pool, looking for the daughter she left so long ago.

Being honest, Irene wasn't sure why the impulse struck her now of all times; it had been something has simple as just going about her day when the desire suddenly hit her. Perhaps it had something to do with seeing some of the average people of Alvarez with their families, or maybe it was a discussion about the past with August. But, regardless of the reason, she was doing it now, and knew she couldn't stop.

Scrying was fairly simple as magic went, so long as one knew who they wanted to find. Normally it required some item or possession of the person being sought, but Irene was skilled enough in enchantment to avert that issue. Instead, what she used was her own memory of her daughter (whom she realized she had given no name to), focusing on that brief moment when the little one smiled up at her mother.

"Show me my child," Irene said, as her hand started to glow, and it wasn't long before an image appeared in the water. And what she saw made Irene's stomach churn…

Columns of men, women, and children, pulling carts full of rocks and metal, swinging pickaxes and shovels into the ground, occasionally being lashed by overseers, and snapped at by grotesque winged monsters. Slavery was practiced in the various kingdoms in Alakitasia, but when Zeref and Mavis conquered and united them, it was quickly abolished. The idea that it still existed sickened Irene, but it wasn't long before her disgust turned to horror.

A small girl with red hair and brown eyes, wearing little more than an improvised dress of rags, and a collar around her neck collapsed to the ground. One of the guards noticed this and snapped at herIn that moment, Irene wanted nothing more than to dive into that pool, take the child in her arms, and carry her to safety. But she couldn't, not from here.

That was when a dark figure appeared in the scrying pool. Irene couldn't discern who it was, only that the figure was masculine, and the only discernible feature were a pair of glowing blue eyes. The eyes glared at Irene, before the figure waved his hand, and the image vanished.

Irene then felt something, something… primal. Her daughter, had to be saved, and that was exactly what Irene was going to do.

(|)

Erza didn't keep track of the time since she was brought to the Tower, but it still felt like an eternity, as she pushed the cart full of rubble. The overseers were organized enough to allocate certain people certain tasks: some people cleared rock, others set up structures, and others (like Erza) took the rubble and dumped it. Erza didn't know why they wanted a little girl to do such a task, but she certainly wasn't in a place to question.

As she pushed her cart along, her joints feeling like someone had filled them with cement. Erza tried to tell herself she had it better than some others in the Tower, like her friend Jellal (who had to pick at the rocks), but that sure as hell didn't make her feel any better. Everyday it was like this, nothing but sheer agony and torment. Eventually, her legs couldn't take anymore, as they finally gave out, and she fell face first. She learned that if that happened, she had to get up really quickly, or else…

"Back to your feet!" one the overseers barked, cracking his whip to punctuate his point, as his guard animal snarled at her. Erza tried to do that, but her legs simply refused to do so, and she fell back down. Further angered by this, the overseer came forward to personally "help" Erza up. As he got closer, with his whip, the red-head could only watch, too weak to run away. All she could do was cry.

"Someone help!" Erza cried out. Then, as if the gods themselves were listening, help came…

One of the walls suddenly exploded, getting the attention of everyone in the tower. For a moment, the dust just floated dumbly there, as Erza tried to figure out was happening, until…

"Charge!" From the dust emerged a stream of soldiers in black armor. They were carrying swords, and wore symbols Erza didn't recognize, but when one of them struck down the overseer, she stopped caring about that.

"Free every last slave, and kill the overseers!" one of the officers shouted, "Then find the leaders, and bring them to Her Ladyship!" Erza could only watch as the soldiers washed over the tower, making very short work of the cultists. She then covered her eyes, not wanting to see all this, and she did so for a while, until eventually, she felt a shadow fall over her…

Erza just slowly looked up to see a tall woman looming over. She was wearing a skimpy outfit, with a large hat, while carrying a large, two-pronged staff. But what truly caught Erza's attention was the woman's face; it was almost looking in a mirror, with the woman looking like Erza if she somehow served the Tower and lived into adulthood (a possibility that was starting to look more and more likely). The woman then fell to one knee in front of Erza.

"What's your name, child?" she asked gently. At first, Erza couldn't say anything, as she was took shocked, but eventually found her voice.

"E… Erza," she answered shakily, "Who are you?"

"My name is Irene," the woman answered as she leaned forward, "Irene Belserion."

"Irene?" Erza asked softly. The woman then took a deep breath, as she closed her eyes, blinking away a few tears.

"I'm your mother," she said, in a voice just as shaky as Erza's. Those words sat in the air like lead, as Erza stopped hearing the sound of the battle around her. This woman was her mother? But… she was an orphan… wasn't she? Irene, meanwhile, looked over her daughter; she looked much more like her than she did her father, and Irene supposed that was a good thing.

"You're… my mommy?" Erza asked softly, those very words sounding somehow wrong in her mouth.

"Yes… I suppose I am," Irene said, as she let herself smile. For a time, Erza just stared up at the woman she now knew to be her mother, as her chin started to quiver. Irene was briefly worried she did something wrong, but then Erza literally jumped onto her, with Irene only having just enough time to catch her.

"I knew you'd come back!" Erza said as she began to cry, clinging to her mother as if letting go would cause her to disappear, "I knew you'd come for me!" Irene was surprised by the reaction at first, but eventually, her expression softened, as she brought her hands up to embrace Erza as well.

"I'm sorry, I didn't come sooner," was all Irene said.

(|)

On Irene's order, the Alvarez ships were to ferry the slaves to wherever they wanted. Surprisingly, many of them were open to the idea of going to Alvarez, as they eagerly embarked onto the vessels. As they did, standing off to the side was Irene, and an older man she found out was named "Rob", who had cared for Erza during their time as slaves.

"Thank you, for watching over her," Irene said, as she put a hand over her heart, "As a mother, no amount of gratitude could ever be enough."

"It was my pleasure and honor," Rob answered kindly, "Erza is a wonderful young girl."

"If ever you need my help in any matter, I will give it without hesitation," Irene added, with a firm nod.

"Lady Irene," one of the officers said, as he came over, "We have captured the cult leaders." Irene looked over to see two men, one fat and wearing green, and one skinny and wearing blue. They were both wearing symbols with distinct symbols that Irene recognized as one of the cultists that worshipped her Emperor as a literal god.

"Would you like some time with them?" Irene asked Rob. The older man looked at the cowards, narrowing his eyes, with a look Irene could easily recognize. His fists clenched, and began to smoke slightly, and for a moment, Irene was about to step back, but then he released it.

"They aren't worth the effort," Rob said cooly. Irene nodded in understanding, and little bit of gratitude; it just meant more fun for her.

"We'll bring them with us," she said, "I'm sure their 'god', will be quite interested to meet them." As the groveling men were lead away, there was still one thing that troubled the enchantress, namely the blue eyed figure she saw in the scrying pool. There was apparently no sign of such a person in the Tower, and she searched the whole place; she'd have to ask the men she just took prisoner.

"Mommy!" Irene then looked over to see her daughter running up to her. Irene had ordered the guards to bring Erza actual clothes instead of just rags, so Erza was now wearing a simple but pretty blue dress with red ruffles, and her hair was now neatly combed. Following (or more accurately "dragged") behind her was a boy with blue hair, with red markings over his right eye, looking rather confused.

"Can Jellal come with us?" Erza asked eagerly. Irene blinked, as she looked down at the boy, who just looked up at the enchantress. Admittedly, Irene had only come here to find her daughter, and wasn't expecting to bring anyone else back to Alvarez. But Erza, by all appearances, was very close with the boy, and Irene supposed there wasn't any harm to be had from that.

"Well, if he wants to," Irene said, looking down at Jellal.

"Yes Ma'am!" Jellal said firmly, "You saved us! I want to help you!" Irene couldn't help but smile at that, before nodding slightly.

"Well come along, all of you," Irene said, gesturing. However, as she started to walk, she noticed the children weren't following her. Looking back, she saw Erza standing by Rob.

"Will I see you again?" Erza asked softly.

"You never know," Rob answered with a smile, "But don't worry about it. You're with your mother now you don't…" He was interrupted when Erza suddenly embraced him.

"I'm gonna miss you, Grandpa," Erza said, as she held onto him tightly.

"Don't shed any tears, little one," Rob said gently, as he put his hand on Erza's head, "You have a new adventure ahead of you." With that, the two separated, as Erza and Jellal followed Irene onto the vessel.

(|)

Irene sighed as she took off her hat as she came into her cabin, eager to turn in after such a busy day. As she did, she looked down at her daughter, who was sleeping in her bed. Irene smiled, as she put on her nightgown, and lay down beside Erza, running her hand through her hair. As she did, Erza stirred, and rolled over to her face her mother. It was then that Irene noticed the tears dripping her from her eyes, as her chin quivered.

"It's okay," Irene said softly, as she pulled Erza towards her, "I'm here." Erza instinctively snuggled closer to her mother, as her tears gradually gave way to a soft smile. And for the first time in years, Irene felt… warm.

"I'm here," Irene promised softly, as she tightened her hold on her baby, "And I will never leave you again."

/|\

"Gods above," Erza muttered, as she rubbed her knuckles, stepping into her room "He's so hardheaded." Erza's room was relatively simple, though still quite large, befitting someone of her status, with a massive bed, an even larger bath (possibly Erza's favorite part), and a balcony that looked over the palace gardens. There were also a rows of armor and weapons, which Erza couldn't otherwise store, and there were a few servants waiting on her.

As she came into a room, with a single act, Erza activated her magic, which immediately changed her outfit from her armor, to a simple white blouse and blue skirt; on her shoulder was a blue symbol of the Alvarez Empire. When she was first learning magic, she tried to pick up Enchantments like her mother, but it quickly became apparent that such techniques weren't her forte. Much to the contrary, her talents lay in swordplay and the like, so Irene instead taught Erza Re-Quip magic, which allowed Erza to swap out her armor at will. It was useful ability for a knight to have.

"Can we get you anything, Lady Erza?" one of the servants asked, as she bowed her head along with the others.

"Just some cake, please," Erza said with a smile as she sat in the one of the chairs on the balcony. She much preferred to do things herself, but wouldn't deny herself certain luxuries, especially when it came to things like cake.

"And be sure to bring some for me as well." Erza glanced over to see a familiar looking woman entering her room.

"Mother?" Erza asked, surprised by Irene's arrival, "What're you doing here?"

"Does a mother need a reason to visit her child?" Irene answered as she approached her daughter, "I heard you gave our prince a rather thorough chastising."

"Yes, though I was being too hard on him," Erza said, running a hand through her hair.

"No doubt Prince Natsu is hard-headed," Irene answered, as she sat in a chair beside Erza, "This may very well be the only way he'll really learn." Erza chuckled slightly, as she leaned back in her seat.

"I wonder how many more times I'm going to have to beat the lesson into him," she mused, "It makes me wonder if His Majesty was every like this as well."

"Careful child," Irene said, without much seriousness, "Those words could border on treason." The two of them shared a laugh at that. However, after they were done, Erza looked back up at the sky, noting the passing clouds. Soon, the servants came back with cake, which mother and daughter enjoyed together.

"Mother, may I ask you something?" Erza asked as she took a bite out of her cake.

"Of course."

"Will you ever tell me how you met His Majesty?" Erza asked. At that, Irene actually paused, as she sat her cake aside.

"Will you please bring us some tea?" she then called to one of the servants, who quickly left and came back with some tea for both women. While Erza didn't have any, Irene took a single sip of her tea.

"I mean, if you still don't think I'm ready…," Erza began.

"I have told you many times that it was 'complicated', yes?" her mother interrupted, which made Erza pause. That was an understatement if ever there was one; literally every time Erza brought it up, Irene always used that exact word, and then changed the subject.

"Yes…"

"Because it's true," Irene said, "Understand that it's not just one story you have to be ready to hear. Rather, it's many complicated stories you may not yet be ready to hear. Just wait, you'll get your answer one day." Needless to say, that wasn't satisfying for Erza to hear, but it didn't end up mattering, as the door suddenly opened. The Belserion family glanced over to see a girl with blonde hair entering.

"Dimmaria," Erza scolded as she rose to her feet, "I told you not to come in on your own."

"Lady Erza, Lady Irene, I apologize for interrupting," the girl said, bowing her head. Her name was Dimmaria Yesta, and she was one of the soldiers under Irene's command, and when it came to Erza, she was something of a… fangirl.

"It's no issue, actually, I should take my leave," Irene answered, as she came over to her daughter, kissing her on the forehead, "Dinner at the normal time?"

"Of course," Erza said with a firm nod. It was a tradition the two of them had since Irene had rescued Erza from the Tower of Heaven, where every night they would have dinner together. Some would say it was childish for a woman who was almost in her 20s to cling to her mother so much, but Erza didn't care, not after what she'd been through.

"Can we train now?" Dimmaria asked eagerly, as she hurried over, holding up her sword. Erza sighed, as she finished off her cake, and took a quick sip of tea. She supposed she couldn't get too frustrated; after all, Dimmaria had scheduled a training session with Erza, not that the knight thought about it, and hopped onto the balcony railing.

"Remember the rule," Erza said sternly, glancing back, "No using magic." With that, she stepped off the balcony, and plummeted into the garden area. Dimmaria pouted slightly, but didn't protest, knowing it would be pointless as she followed.

(|)

The first time Natsu was brought to the Imperial Palace, he got lost almost immediately In the vast and complex halls, and that was one thing that hadn't changed in the past years. To find people, Natsu mostly relied on his sense of smell, and that was how he made his way through the palace. That was certainly how he found his brother's office to answer the summons given to him (though he also caught the scent of his sister-in-law, which frightened him slightly).

"What's up?" Natsu asked, as he came into the room. Zeref's office was surprisingly small, with only a single large desk, and some bookshelves. On his desk were a few small portraits and pictures, mostly of Mavis, Natsu, and August. The Emperor was sitting at the desk, and to Natsu's unease, the Empress was sitting on the desk.

"Natsu," Mavis said as the Dragon Slayer came in.

"Hey Mavis," Natsu said, as he averted his eyes, as he felt his bruises kick up (even if Mavis wasn't the one who gave them to him).

"Have you learned your lesson?" Mavis asked sternly as she hopped off, and came up to her brother-in-law.

"Yes, Ma'am," Natsu said nervously, tugging at his collar slightly.

"What was that?" Mavis asked, leaning forward, giving a stern look, which made Natsu squeak slightly.

"Yes… Big Sis," he quickly corrected.

"That's more like it," Mavis said with a firm nod, and a satisfied smile, before turning to Zeref, "I'll be going now."

"I'll see you at dinner," Zeref said, with a smile, as Mavis blew a kiss at him.

"Stay out of trouble little brother," Mavis said, winking at Natsu, who just squeaked again. Once the Empress was gone, Natsu finally let himself breath.

"So, what did you need me for?" Natsu asked, folding his arms, "I was hanging out with Lucy and Happy."

"You'll be glad I called you," Zeref answered, as he rose to his feet, "I called you here to tell you that a dragon has been sighted in the skies over Ishgar." For a brief moment, it felt like the world had collapsed under Natsu as he thought about what he'd just been told. He hadn't seen any dragon since Igneel disappeared seven years ago, and he'd been told by more than a few people that the dragons were all gone. But now…

"What kind of dragon?" Natsu finally asked when he found his voice.

"All I know is that it was a dragon," Zeref answered, knowing where his brother was going with this, "No mention on whether or not it was Igneel."

"Was it… the other one?" Natsu asked slowly. Zeref grimaced at that, again knowing exactly who is brother talking about.

"I can only hope not," he said after a moment. Without missing a beat, Natsu turned on his heels, and started to leave the office.

"Where are you going?" Zeref asked.

"To Ishgar!" Natsu answered firmly, "I'm going to see if I can find the dragon! They've gotta know where Igneel is!" Zeref was silent, before he sighed, and stood up.

"Don't try and stop me!"

"I have no intention of that," Zeref said, "Much to the contrary, I want you to go to Ishgar, and search for clues about the dragon."

"Seriously?" Natsu asked after a moment. He hadn't been on Ishgar since he found his brother in the woods, and Zeref had barely left him left the capital. Now his brother was sending him far from the Empire, all the way to a completely different continent? Needless to say, Natsu was confused, but he sure as hell wasn't gonna complain.

"Can… I take anyone with me?" Natsu asked.

"Pardon?"

"Well, adventures aren't really much fun on your own," Natsu said, as he rubbed the back of his neck, "So can bring some people with me?"

"Well…," Zeref said, shrugging slightly, "I mean I didn't think much about it, but I suppose I can't think of a reason not to."

"Awesome!" Natsu said, with a thumbs up, as a mischievous grin spread across his face "And I know exactly who I"m bringing with me!"

Note: So Natus's heading to Ishgar to find a dragon? I don't think you have to be a genius to be able to guess who he's going to be bringing with him.

This chapter was much longer than I thought it would be. I didn't mean for the flashback to take up more than half to the space, but there wasn't really much to commit in this chapter. The previous chapter was about establishing the setting, so this one was just about stetting up what the coming conflict is going to be. We'll see more of Alvarez and its people as the story progresses (I know better than to leave stuff like that unresolved).

To briefly go over the pairings, the reason I'm not doing NaZa, is because while I like that pairing, in this particular context, I like the dynamic of the two of them having a more sibling relationship, and also, I just liked NaLu better for this. I already had someone complain about the pairings; despite the fact that I made it clear in the summary what it is, they still decided to leave a comment telling me that they aren't going to read it because of it. Seems a little contradictory…

Be sure to leave a comment. Judging by the amount of Follows the first chapter got, this might prove to be one of my more successful stories. One can certainly hope.