That question had caught Natsu off guard.

He was careless. Natsu let someone from outside to see his orphanage mark?!

Madame Flare has always given an overriding warning to every child in the orphanage: a warning that, if any child came into contact with an outsider by any means and showed the orphanage's mark to that outsider, Flare swore that... it would be the last mistake the child would make in his life.

The cruel tyrant, still NOT HAPPY to cause all kinds of harm to children, still THREATENED them all with such an oath order. The cruel Madame felt... somehow obligated to say it to "prevent other people from finding out ".

Natsu had terror in his eyes. If Madame Flare found out, would he... be tortured even more?! No... Flare wouldn't need all that to brutally torture someone from the orphanage, since... she's always been a horrible person.

So… he would be dead?

Natsu certainly had a hideous look on his face, and he realized that when he saw Layla's worried look...! Since the blonde's gaze had become EVEN MORE worried after looking at Natsu's eyes.

"N-No…! This-...this..." - Natsu was never good with lies, but he didn't know what else to do.

Layla gently lowered Natsu from the seesaw, and set him on the floor... while Lucy was confused by everything that was happening.

"Natsu, I know we just met. And I understand that you don't feel comfortable, but your brand is something... that's definitely not normal. It's something... cruel. I want to help you in any way possible! Please, Natsu...! What is this brand?! Who did this to you?! - Layla's sweet and gentle voice mesmerized Natsu.

He looked into Layla's eyes and didn't find a single sign of judgment, lying, contempt or anything negative. Layla was actually with eyes full of support for Natsu!

Worry, caring eyes. Basically eyes... that Natsu would imagine were the closest thing to a mother's eyes for him.

The little rosé was split. He was definitely afraid of Madam Flare, but... Natsu felt something different about this Layla woman.

Something... comforting?

A sensation that Natsu was unaware of.

He had new and a little strange thought... he felt, for some reason, that he could even hug Layla and tell her everything that was tormenting him, and the woman wouldn't mind listening.

But... still, it was just a feeling, the rosy boy wouldn't do that.

Should Natsu tell...?! He doesn't know what might happen to him.

If he does, what would Layla be able to do to help not only him, but all the children at Raven Tail Orphanage?! How would she be able to… put an end to what happens in this hellish place?!

"Natsu...? My mom is good at helping! My mom was always able to help me with everything I needed! She is the best ever!" - Lucy tried to help her mother!

While Natsu didn't know exactly what would happen to him though... he knew it would involve death if Madame Flare ever found out. But at the same time, he wanted to tell someone... and for a long, long time.

He wanted the END of that hell! He already heard about things that could possibly help him! That's if Natsu... had access to them, of course. He actually heard of things like something called "the police"! And according to what Natsu heard about those police officers, they would be against the cruelties and ATTROCITIES practiced by Flare Corona and Michelle Lobster.

Layla placed her right hand over Natsu's hand. And even the warmth of Layla's hand was comforting! Natsu felt so...safe around this woman! But why?! They just met...!

Natsu didn't want to die, no! Natsu had Gajeel, he had Laxus... Natsu didn't want to be separated from Wendy. And opening up about what happens inside Raven Tail Orphanage... could save them all.

Besides, if Layla really was able to help Natsu…maybe Madame Flare wouldn't even be able to touch him for "his punishment".

His friends were worth the risk...yes.

The boy... decided to speak. For ALL the children who suffered in that INHUMAN place! For Gajeel, for Laxus, for himself... and most of all... certainly for Wendy.

The pinkie boy placed his other hand on top of Layla's hand, and… looked straight into the blonde's eyes.

"I'm… gonna talk." - Natsu was decided.

Layla then became apprehensive about what would come next, and asked Lucy to step aside and go play on the swing... since she felt it was something very, very personal.

Lucy happily went! The girl... didn't understand the heavy atmosphere present in the place.

And then, Natsu took a deep breath. He didn't know... where to start.

He would rescue all memories of horrible things "offered" by the demonic Raven Tail Orphanage. Maybe Layla could actually help him.

"Where do I-... should I begin...?" Natsu asked himself.

Layla ran her other hand over Natsu's pink hair, then said:

"Start with… the mark. What is this? And who made it...?" – Layla asked in an extremely caring way.

He looked at her, and finally said:

"That mark… it was made five years ago, when I arrived at the orphanage. It was made with a very hot iron... a boiling iron... by Madame Flare, the... woman in-charge of the orphanage. That mark is... the orphanage mark. All the others also have the mark somewhere on their body, it's mandatory. After all, Madame Flare DOESN'T CARE about the pain she causes to us or anything. In-fact... Madame Flare, being completely... HORRIBLE, looks even amused when-... when she makes a new mark on someone...!" — Natsu hadn't told everything yet, but that alone left Layla scandalized.

"Natsu, this is horrible…! This woman... IS AN ABERRATION...! MONSTER!" - A few tears fell from Layla's face… and the rosé boy saw that Layla was really caring.

"But the mark... isn't the only thing. Every afternoon, Madame Flare assaults at least twenty of us. And she forces others to watch. Madame Flare says she does this to 'maintain order and respect at Raven Tail Orphanage', however she does it even when all is well and calm... and everyone is making no mistakes. So... she can see that Madame Flare just... likes to bully and torture us." — Tears almost fell from Natsu's face…

"N-NATSU...!" - Layla was shocked! This Flare woman... was a COMPLETE MONSTRUOSITY. Someone THAT monstrous is doing horrible things to... CHILDREN?! AND NO ONE KNEW?!

But before Layla could say anything else, Natsu continued his speech.

"Madame Flare hurts us every day. Especially during this specific period... the afternoon period. She can do SO many things to us...! Whipping, chains... using her assistant Michelle to tie us up and scold us while she kicks and punches... ah, whatever Madame Flare wants. Sometimes, the Madame Flare also electrocute us. Strong shocks...! And they... hurt...!" - Natsu cried...

Layla continued to pay attention, still scandalized by the cruelty at the orphanage. This was… beyond inhuman. Words… failed to describe how disgusting this was. This orphanage... was an offense to HUMANITY.

"Madame Flare can also put a bag over our heads every now and then... and it's really hard to breathe...! She doesn't care about us...! She's HORRIBLE, ma'am...! She doesn't even let us eat more than twice a day...! And the two meals are a single loaf of bread for each of us...! The breads are delicious, but... they are not enough for our hunger!" - Natsu's crying intensified, and he was still far from giving the full account of the cruelties committed inside the Raven Tail Orphanage.

Without Natsu noticing, Layla furiously clenched her fists...

Layla was…hateful of this Flare woman. And Layla was the extremely gentle type who had no enemies! But she would let Natsu... finish his report before announcing what she would do.

" I-... I DON'T LIKE MADAME FLARE! NEITHER MICHELLE...!" - Layla still thought it was AMAZING that a kid who went through ALL THIS didn't use the term 'hate'. He seemed like a really, really good kid...

"And I also want to talk…about something." - Natsu took a few more breaths before continuing...

Yeah, it would be the first time Natsu would talk about it with an adult.

"This…is not about Madam Flare. In fact, it is... I think. But, yeah... there's something else too. Another thing that... only happens to me. The brand made with the boiling iron by Madame Flare five years ago usually heals and never hurts in other children after two or three weeks, in some cases the pain of the brand lasted a month... only my brand hurts to this day. But only when I have a certain dream... the dream of when my parents... abandoned me at the Raven Tail Orphanage when I was... five years old..." — In addition to Gajeel, Laxus, Wendy and Kagura, now Layla was the fifth person to know of Natsu's dream.

Layla felt that the boy really wanted to say that to someone, she didn't know if he had already talked about it with a little friend or not, but she felt like the boy wanted to talk about it with as many people as possible... the boy definitely wanted some help.

Layla hugged Natsu with everything she had... with all her love, compassion and affection. Tears welled up in both of their eyes.

Layla was very sad for Natsu and very angry with that Flare, while Natsu was surprised and blushing from the hug... and he was enjoying it.

"Natsu... wait a little here, okay...?" – Layla said after gently breaking the hug.

Natsu noticed that Layla had taken something out of her pocket... only Natsu couldn't tell what it was. It was kind of checkered, but it wasn't quite a square... and not even a rectangle.

Suddenly, Layla started looking at the strange thing and Natsu saw Layla's fingers going through the 'strange checkered thing'. Layla then put what Natsu couldn't identify in her ear, and started talking on it:

"Hello?! IGNEEL! I need your help...! Or rather, possibly TENS of children need it...! Come with the police and EVERYONE available at your agency! I SWEAR...! It's an emergency...! THE POLICE IS MORE THAN NEEDED...!" — Layla kept saying "alone", however… that last part caught Natsu! And... with that, he didn't hear the rest very well...

Police?! Natsu has heard of the police! And if the police are what they say, the police would be against Madame Flare's ABOMINABLE abuses...! Was Natsu really right to tell Layla?! The pinkie finally saw a light at the end of the tunnel...!

If all went well and the police helped him, what would happen next...?! That was now Natsu's main doubt. Would... someone else take over the orphanage?! Natsu wasn't sure, the only thing he was sure of was that Wendy, Gajeel, Laxus and he would, in fact...happy in the orphanage without the stewardship of the cruel and monstrous Madame Flare.

Suddenly, Natsu realized that Layla was in front of him again.

She had finished talking with that thing in her ear and Natsu hadn't noticed... and then, Layla hugged Natsu again in tears!

And that... made Natsu blush a little.

"Natsu... soon they'll be here!" All the suffering... all the HORRIBLE things you and your friends went through... EVERYTHING you described to me... ALL will end today!" - The certainty in Layla's voice made Natsu smile.

Meanwhile...

Inside the orphanage, Wendy had just woken up... and she was in the company of a few girls in the girls' dormitory.

Wendy didn't see Kagura, probably her friend had left. But her main concern was for Natsu...how was the boy?

Wendy... really cared about Natsu.

Kagura had warned her last night about the damage her worry over Natsu's constant suffering was doing to herself, and how sleep deprivation from worry accumulation is extremely harmful... but Wendy, while agreeing, didn't planned to change. Not if it meant stop being Natsu's moral support.

She never wanted to leave his side, no matter the situation... she wanted to the person who would be there during all kinds of Natsu's tears: the tears of happiness, the tears of anger, the tears of sadness... all of them.

Wendy knew that Gajeel and Laxus were also Natsu's moral support, after all... Wendy was also great friends with both of them! However... Wendy truly loved Natsu. She knew the friendship that Gajeel and Laxus felt for Natsu, and she felt not only that… but something more! And because of that, she wanted to dedicate herself a little more than the other two... wanted to show Natsu more every day how important he is to her...! 'How important he is', yes! Wendy blushed just thinking about it...!

Natsu had done so many things for her at the orphanage... it was the least she could do in retribution: always be by his side. Besides being close to him for longer and longer is what she liked the most... her mom had already taught her a little about love, but it seemed so far away for Wendy before Natsu entered her heart... now Wendy, even at eight years old, he no longer has any doubts about what love is...

"Father in Heaven, please… help Natsu! He is really, really, really good... he doesn't deserve everything he goes through...! I-I… love Natsu. He is everything to me, and… he doesn't deserve all this suffering." - Wendy prayed, just as she did every morning.

And then, she stood up...

Wendy wanted to see Natsu, hug him, hold hands... she wanted to spend one more glorious day with her angel's companion.