Whew...sorry this chapter took forever to publish. I'm at a friend's house currently, and it's hard to focus with others around. I'm trying my best to keep my creativity from deflating like the air mattress I sleep on...it's tough.

Just to make sure there is no confusion, the village that Dawn lives in (along with the entire planet she's on) is inhabited by only fairies.

Again, thanks to all of you who read and follow/fav my story! It means the world to me!

Square Enix owns FFXV and its characters.

Slight swearing.

The sun had finally reached the end of its journey. A certain fire fairy's time of training had reached the end of its journey, as well. Her muscles had grown somewhat sore from the constant stress she put on them, but that's what made her stronger. It was quite certain that she would be able to take on nearly anyone from the village, even if they had resorted to their fire magic.

The inherited ability was also strengthened; her fire was now strong and concentrated enough to melt nearly anything that was put in front of her. Dawn of course was very proud of this strength. Never again would anyone beat her within an inch of her life so easily like on that horrible day.

However, not only did she get stronger, she also learned some information about this so called 'Chief Zafirah' that one villager had mentioned before wrecking havoc upon her. The villagers were certainly not an option for questioning, so there was only the reliance on stolen books and records; those of which Dawn had swiped from the current Chief's library on the rare occasion that she ventured outside her cottage's borders.

According to various records, Chief Zafirah was indeed the last Chief of the Fire Tribe. In the middle of her rein, she had given birth to a baby girl, and presented her to the Tribe with pride. The people were celebrating and welcoming the newborn miracle...until one fateful day. As tradition with the firstborn of the Chief, the infant is taken to the shaman, who reads the infant's fortune and foretells what kind of ruler and person the infant will grow up to be, which then the Tribe plans accordingly to create as much harmony and prosperity with their future Chief as possible.

When the shaman read Zafirah's newborn, the readings were very grim...to say the least. There was a vision of the girl ruling over the forbidden land...upon the death of someone close to her. She would rule the people with an iron fist...and her homeland would be put behind her forever. There was also the final disturbing image of Titania...burning. All forest and flora turned to ash...and nothing but sorrow and emptiness remaining.

Everyone was shocked to hear the news. The newborn miracle was destined to destroy them, and become the Queen of the land of men. No fairy was even allowed to visit that planet, as humans were destructive and would pose a great threat. In basic terms...the infant was destined to be human. The Tribe began to somewhat divide: some didn't believe the visions, others began to shun the newborn. Zafirah herself, however, believed the vision...and sought to let it happen as foretold.

More time passes, and the villagers have all grown to dislike Zafirah's child, as well as herself for standing by while destruction was to arrive at their doorstep. Zafirah herself had treated her child like any normal mother would: with care. No matter how much the villagers had protested, the Chief had held her ground.
Then suddenly, one night...the Chief had vanished. There was absolutely nothing left behind...except the child. Many of the Tribe believed that the vision had already begun to take place...that the child had killed her own mother. Specualtions spread around the village, creating an even deeper hole of hatred for the child. One answer began to stick in everyone's minds...the child was possessed with an evil spirit.

How else could a mere child like her defeat the Chief of the Fire Tribe and make her vanish completely? How else could all of Titania end up burning? How else could she rule the land of men?

Dawn wasn't exactly sure of what to make of the stories. She never had the feeling that she was possesed...or that she had murdered someone with her own two hands. It was also strange that the records had no mention of her father whatsoever. She also didn't believe the visions of the shaman...how could she even get to the land of men? There was just no way that it could be true. Destiny wasn't real. There had to have been some reason as to why her mother had disappeared without a trace. Unfourtunatley, that reason was never disovered. Even the name 'Chief Zafirah' was said with so much poison, like the speaker had wanted to spit in her face themselves.

Despite this, Dawn was glad she had finally figured out where she came from and the reason for her own Tribe's hatred.

The redhead was returning to her cottage from her self-built training ground when there was something odd in her view. Some sort of...light? It was small, whispy, and near the small hill that wasn't too far from Dawn's backyard. She set down her bow and quiver to rest on the side of the wodden cottage, and begun to follow the strange light. It wasn't any sort of torch, thats for sure...

The light had begun to move slowly upwards as Dawn walked, up the slope of the hill. Dawn's eyes were fixed on the orb, hands slightly trembling upon the anticipation. If this was an attack (her first real one since that horrible day), she had to be on her guard. As much as she felt ready...there was still a faint pang of fear. A knawing sensation in the back of her mind...the orb had then stopped upon the top of the hill.

Her heart involuntarily dropped into her stomach. As she got closer, the strange orb was casting off a gentle, almost calming, light. What was this thing? How did it get here? As these questions flowed through Dawn's restless mind, the orb of light suddenly began to form into a shape.

A...fairy shape.

Arms and legs morphed from the orb. Followed by a head, and hair. The redhead could only stare in awe at this strange new form of magic she's never seen in her life. It was so odd to see beauty forming out of a little sphere...she could only imagine what kind of technique was required to do this kind of thing.

After coming up with a possible explaination, she could finally see the 'fairy's features. It was a woman with short, flaming red hair...she was tall, and seemed to tower over the other redhead in every way. This woman had to be a fire fairy as well, Dawn could feel it in her soul. It was almost as if her very being was a gigantic flame...threatening to burn away anything that came too close...

The woman opened her eyes to reveal a green so deep that it was like looking into a thick jungle of sorts. Dawn stared into them with curiosity and confusion. These deep green eyes were so much like hers...the hair vivid and exciting like hers...even her very demenor like hers...only more intense.

Who is she?

Suddenly, the woman spoke with a gentle, but at the same time strong, voice.

"Hello, my daughter."

Dawn took a step back. What did she just say? D-Daughter?! "W-What? What did you just call me?" The smaller redhead exclaimed.

The woman then gently brushes Dawn's cheek with her hand in response. "My daughter. I haven't seen you in so long...you have grown a lot."

A smaller hand swatted the other away. No words could truly express what Dawn was feeling at this moment. "Who are you? Why are you here?"

"Dawn...It's me. You're mother, Zafirah."

"How can you possibly be my mother? She's gone! Left a long time ago and she's never coming back! It's even possible that I...that I-"

"No. While it is true that I had left you long ago, it is not because you took my life, Dawn. I left by my own accord."

Multiple emotions were swirling around in Dawn's heart...going so fast it was impossible to get a hold of just one of them. "That's...that's a lie. She wouldn't just up and leave like that. Look, I don't know who you are, but you better start speaking the truth."

The woman gave a sorrowful sigh. "I suppose words will not convince you..."

In the blink of an eye, the taller redhead jumped back and stood in a defensive pose. Dawn was surprised by the sudden movement. "What are you doing?" She demanded, also performing a defensive pose.

"If words will not make you see, my child, then I will have to show you." The woman's hands began to glow red with fire. Dawn's suspisions were proven true.

However, there was no time to react. The taller redhead was already on her way, flames licking the air as she ran. The ground seemed to quake a little...the tips of the grass turning to ash in a split second. The knawing fear in Dawn's mind was now thrashing. This is serious trouble.

Before Dawn could kick herself for not bringing her weapon, fire met with fire. It was hard enough trying to even dodge the blows. Over and over, searing heat nearly caught onto her hair, threatening to burn her alive.

The smaller redhead might have honed her speed and strength over the years, but nothing prepared her for this.

The woman swings and Dawn again barely managed to duck. Just when an opening was starting to show, her face met with a well prepared flaming fist.

Dawn crashes into the dirt. The nerves in her cheek were pulsating with hot pain as the shock of the blow began to wore off. This was going to leave some sort of mark...

The attacker approached the shaking form, fire now slowly fading. "I am sorry, Dawn...but this is how we of the Fire Tribe know each other. This is how we truly learn of one another."

Dawn spit blood off to the side, shaky arms supporting her. After all of that training and pushing herself to the limits...it wasn't enough. She was still defeated. However, this really did mean something to her just as the woman said. It was almost like she could peer into the womans soul; every swing had her feelings and memories invested, her eyes were filled with determination, her stance proud and professional.

She really was the late Chief...Dawn's mother.

"I see what you mean...mother." The smaller redhead said with defeat. The woman in question gave a small smile, relieved that her child finally saw the truth.

Dawn managed to get back up on her feet and face her long lost family. Well, part of it at least. This was something she never even believed would happen...after all these years...after so long of being alone and in pain...

"Why?" That was all she could manage.

"Why what, my dear?" Zafirah slightly tilted her head.

"Why, after all this time, do you suddenly appear again? I mean...I just...you-"

A slender finger met her parted lips. "Shh...I know you must have a lot of questions my child...but I don't have much time, I'm afraid." Before Dawn could protest, Zafirah continued. "It took quite a lot of energy to even reach you, let alone fight you and do what I am about to do. Listen, Dawn...there is something you must know."

"What's that?"

"The shaman's vision. It will be seen through, one way or another." The smile was well gone now, replaced by a stern line. "If anyone has to put you on the right path, it must be me...and it must be now."

Dawn crossed her arms and scoffed. "Now?! What do you mean now?! Years, mother! Years of being alone, being treated like...like a demon, and for what? To wait for my supposed dead mother to come back and tell me what I need to do?! All for some stupid vision?!"

"Please, Dawn. You don't understand..."

"You're damn right I don't understand! How could a mother abandon her child like that?! Tell me why!"

"I just...I did what I-"

"Tell me! Why did I need to suffer?!"

"ENOUGH!" Zafirah screamed. A wave of harsh, fiery wind boomed. The sound echoed through the land.

Dawn stood quietly for a moment, looking into her mother's eyes. Years of lost time and misunderstanding surrounding her and Zafirah like some sort of foggy veil. Who knew how many words would be needed to fix this sort of problem...how many hours...days? The scene of finally seeing her mother again played over and over in the depths of the child's mind long ago, yet the script just seemed to fade into the wind. She didn't even know how to act anymore.

Dawn's mother sighed as there was suddenly the noise of villagers exiting their homes. "Damn it...they must have heard me...they can't see me here." She gripped Dawn's shoulders tightly, as if her life depended on it. "I am sorry, my child...I cannot do as you ask. Time is very short, and I need to set you on the right path."

"You can't do this to me again! I'm not gonna follow the dumb vision!"

"It will be seen through! No force that exists can change it! If I am to be the catalyst that brings about Titania's destruction...so is the will of fate."

The smaller redhead pushed away. She wasn't about to do this willingly. "Then...then I'll create a force or whatever! I'm not a puppet to be controlled!"

Other members of the Tribe were approaching the hill, and fast. Zafirah knew full well what she had to do. She cast her arms in front of her, as if to push something. "It must be done. There is no other way..."

"No! You're not gonna-"

"May you find happiness, my daughter."

"MOM!"

In an instant, everything turned white. It was like being violently thrown into a raging current. The feeling of great masses passing by at an alarming rate...then, nothing. This nothingness lasted for what seemed like an hour before her senses finally started operating normally again.

White slowly faded away to reveal...dirt? Only...it wasn't the familiar ash-grey dirt...it was different. Nerves in the hand came back to life as it gripped a handful of the foreign ground.

"W-where am I?"