AN: HOLY BALLS! People we are NINE REVIEWS away from having ONE HUNDRED reviews! Let's hit the centennial people! I BELIEVE IN YOU!

On a completely unrelated note: a lot of people have been asking if Demise and Zeref are the same person or that Ganondorf and Zeref are the same person. The answer is, no. All three are separate entities and all three will be in this story with their own roles to play. Also we'll be introducing the beginning of a powerful villain in this chapter, hope you enjoy and his story will be elaborated on later. I'm sorry for the long wait, but I have had the worst case of writers block. So sit back and enjoy chapter eight of Legend of the Fairies: the Chosen.

Chapter 8: Truth and Reconciliation

The tale was told. Link did most of the talking as he was the least injured. Erick was immediately transported to Porlyrusica for treatment and Simon herded the still shell-shocked Sho and Milliana to some beds in the Guild's basement where he stood watch over them with a new sledgehammer. Erza refused to leave Link's side, so the two of them talked to Makarov and a suspicious Gildarts. The Ace of Fairy Tail was a bit skeptical that this was his brother's son. Tiberius had left Fairy Tail to marry some girl in a faraway village, so it was possible, but Gildarts doubted it. As powerful as he was and as a member of Fairy Tail he had no shortage of enemies in the world, and all this could be a clever ploy to get to him.

Much to the shock of the children, they had had another companion with them. Makarov had taken one look at Cubellios, murmured a spell and zapped her with some kind of magic that had turned the snake into a human. The little girl had been taken to Porlyrusica along with Erick, and Makarov had explained that he knew a transformation spell when he saw it.

Despite the fact that Erick's pet snake was really a girl (that just raised a whole butt-load of questions), Makarov listened to Link and Erza's story quietly and patiently, letting the children tell it in their own time. The telling of the story was traumatic for both Link and Erza, every word opened up old wounds of the heart, the mind, and the soul. And yet it was therapeutic as well. Telling the story. It felt as though they were removing some poison from their hearts, dousing alcohol upon their wounds and cleaning them so they would not fester.

All wounds save for one. Link refrained from telling the truth about Jellal, rather he simply omitted that he was gone. Every voice in his soul called out for him to tell the truth, to speak of Jellal's fate, but he couldn't bring himself to do that. He couldn't bring himself to break Erza's heart all over again. Neither of them would be able to survive that.

When the story was done Makarov nodded slowly, his face grim. "You two poor souls. You poor souls." Said Makarov sadly. For children to suffer such cruelty, such unspeakable horror, his mind couldn't comprehend it. He thought of little Cana, or poor sickly Laxus, and he couldn't imagine them going through such a terrible fate. That these children had gone through what they had described boiled his blood and chilled his spine to no end. "And the Guards are all dead?" asked the Guildmaster of Fairy Tail.

There was no point in lying. "Yes, they're all dead." Said Link, a little disturbed by the grim satisfaction that rang in his mind at the words. He repressed the thoughts and mentally chastised himself. He should never take pleasure in taking life, it was wrong on the most fundamental of levels to enjoy the taking of lives.

Makarov looked grim. "Good." Was all he said. And really, that was all there was to say on that subject. He looked up again. "But I'm not sure I'm clear on how you escaped. You claim that you were granted power by your Gods?" he asked in a slightly confused tone.

Link nodded. "I know it sounds fantastic, but it is the truth. It was a miracle." He said. "And not in the 'I am relieved we survived' sense, in the 'divine intervention' sense." Said Link in a matter-of-fact voice. "I was granted powers from beyond the beyond." Said Link.

Makarov was going to ask another question but Gildarts interrupted. "You claim to be my nephew." He snapped in a suspicious voice. "But how can you prove it?" he asked, not ready to believe that this boy was Tiberius's son.

Link shrugged. "I am not sure how I can prove it so you will believe it uncle. I can tell you the truth, but it is up to you to believe it." He said quietly.

Gildarts scoffed. "Well you certainly talk like my brother, he was always full of those stupid fortune-cookie sayings." He narrowed his eyes at Link who swallowed nervously. Without his Divine Power backing him up Link knew this man could easily destroy him. He sensed he would not harm a child, but he was still intimidating. He felt Erza stiffen next to him, ready to call upon her own power to fight against Gildarts should he become violent. The Ace of Fairy Tail then smirked at the boy claiming to be his nephew. "Well, how about you describe him to me." Said Gildarts in a challenging manner. "Tell me all about your father, what he was like, his hobbies, everything you remember and maybe I'll believe you." Said Gildarts.

Link felt his heart drop into his stomach and the acid splash his innards. 'NO!' he wanted to scream aloud. 'Don't make me go back there! Don't make me remember my father after I've tried so hard to forget! Don't make me reopen those wounds!' but he couldn't. He had to convince Gildarts he was his nephew, he just had to! He couldn't let the last of his blood be taken away from him, least of all because of his own cowardice. Throughout this, Makarov had simply watched in silence, thinking over the situation. Erza looked at Link with a concerned face and put a hand on his shoulder. Link hadn't expected the sudden contact, but it made him feel a little braver when she did. So he steeled his heart, and began to speak.

"Father was… he was… he was the greatest man I have ever known." He said haltingly. "He… he loved wood working. He had a special shed where he built chairs and drawers that broke when you put any weight on them. He would always laugh and start over." The words were coming faster now, he couldn't stop. Some dam he had set up within him when his parents had died had broken, and the words came flowing out in a tempest of emotion. "He couldn't cook, he'd burn everything, even water. One time he made steaks and they were practically charcoal but mom ate hers and said it was the best thing she had ever eaten because she didn't have to cook it. He…" he trailed off as he began to remember. "And… he was a drinker. He just started and couldn't stop. He would yell and scream when he did. I would hide with my sister in the cupboard when he got drunk but he never hurt us." Tears were starting to form now, and Link dashed them away angrily. "But he would read us bedtime stories, but never fairy tales. He would read us old stories, stories about great heroes like Hercules and the Hylian Legends. And- and-" he said, the tears starting to turn into sobs.

Before he could go on he felt a hand on his shoulder, a large and warm one that felt almost like his father's. Link looked up and saw that the hard expression on Gildarts's face was gone, stripped away and replaced with one of extreme sadness and terrible guilt. "That's enough kid. It's okay. You don't need to do anymore." He spoke gently now, in the voice his father had used whenever Link had skinned his knee as a smaller child, or when a bully had been mean to him. Past and present blurred together, and Link felt Gildarts wrap him in a hug, a comforting hug. "It's okay nephew. You ain't alone anymore." He said gently.

Makarov smiled as the two embraced. He had known right away that Link had been telling the truth, it was all in the eyes, but he had also known that Gildarts was going to need more to go on. Though it had pained him, he refused to interfere between them, but was prepared to as he knew how stubborn Gildarts could be. But the situation had resolved itself and Gildarts was acknowledging his nephew. It did his heart good to see Gildarts with his family again. After he and Tiberius had gone their separate ways Gildarts had been a bit of a drifter through life, having no real direction. Makarov hoped this would be good for him. A bit of responsibility in his life might be a good thing for the Ace of Fairy Tail.

Erza felt happy for her friend, finally finding his family even if all he had was this strange uncle. However, she also felt a twinge of envy for Link having an actual blood relative. But along with all these other things she felt a little bit of fear. Not the icy terror that Ghirahim had inspired, but a gut twisting nervousness that in a way was worse. Link had family now. Why would he want to stay around her anymore? She quelled this, telling herself that she was being ridiculous, that Link wasn't that type of person, but the gut nervousness didn't leave her.

Gildarts broke the hug and gave another good look at his nephew. "You actually look a lot like Tiberius. You know… if you ignore the hair… and the eyes and the… everything." He said lamely.

"I look nothing like father." Said Link with a lame smile.

"No. No you don't" conceded Gildarts. "Well, you've got his eyes, but that's pretty much it." Said Gildarts, his voice choked with emotion. He then shook his head and said, "Damn it all. I had him beat in power, women, everything, then he goes and betas me by having a kid first." He said.

There was a long period of silence where the awkwardness filled the room, before all four of them burst into giggles. It had just been such a non sequitur on Gildarts's part, completely inappropriate and stupid, they couldn't help themselves and started giggling like Hyenas. But more than that it was a release from the hysteria, from the emotional trauma. Link and Erza had just been through a veritable hell, Gildarts had just found out his brother was dead and that he had a nephew to take care of, and Makarov was Guildmaster of FAIRY TAIL; there was enough emotional trauma to drive a lesser man insane.

When the giggles died down Gildarts stood up, wincing at his sore knee, and Link and Erza stood up. "The question now is, what are you kids going to do now?" asked Makarov. "You're welcome to stay here of course, but the choice is yours." Said the old man calmly.

Link spoke up instantly. "I will stay." He said with utter certainty. The Gods had called him here after all, they had shown him where to start and it was here in Fairy Tail. Sure he knew now that the Gods didn't choose his path for him, but they had shown him the way to start, and by the beard of his grandfather Rickert, Hylia rest his soul, he was going to walk it.

Erza on the other hand hesitated. Really, she didn't know what to do. She had pictured herself and her friends breaking free, liberating themselves from that forsaken place, and then there was nothing. Now she had escaped, but three of her special people were gone. The entire future was blank, and she had no idea what to do now. She wanted to stay with Link, but that didn't feel right. She felt that if she stayed, it should be for the right reasons. And joining just to be close to someone didn't seem like the right reason to do something. Then an image of Rob popped into her mind. Brave Rob, kind Rob, Rob who had taken a handful of lonely little children and filled them with the courage and will to face each day as it came. And he had done all that because of the lessons Fairy Tail had taught him. All the others had cast the children aside, seeing them as a burden to their own survival. Rob hadn't. In that moment Erza knew what to do, and why to do it. She wanted to be like Rob. She wanted to be a Fairy Tail wizard.

Erza looked up and said, with determination in her eyes. "I'll join too." Link beamed at her, making the young girl blush and have a warm feeling in her belly. That was just weird, and she didn't want to think about that. She had enough emotional baggage already.

Gildarts beamed in approval. "Way to go Link. Nice to know you and your little girlfriend are joining!" proclaimed the Ace of Fairy Tail. Link sputtered in horror while Erza blushed hot red and Gildarts grinned even wider. He knew very well that Link wasn't quite past the "girls have cooties, kill them' phase and was nowhere near the 'girls are sexy, kill them' phase. But it was fun to mess with them. He was going to rock at this parent thing! (Insert slow, mocking, asshole clap here. Father of the year material Gildarts is not.).

Makarov chuckled and smiled at the kids, happy to see more members of Fairy Tail joining, and already feeling better about the Guild's future. "Right then. Now how about your Guild Marks. Where do you want them?" he asked, reaching into his desk and pulling out the magical stamp that would make them official members of Fairy Tail.

Both furrowed their brows in confusion. "Guild Marks?" asked Link for both of them, a bit confused on the subject.

Makarov sighed. "Yes, Guild Marks, the mark that identifies you as a member of a Guild." Said Makarov patiently. All Fairy Tail members have one." He finished, showing them his own. Link looked up at his uncle and Gildarts followed suit, showing his own Mark emblazoned just beneath his left breast.

Link considered for a moment. Where did he want this mark? It would identify him and define him for the rest of his life. Where should he have it placed? Suddenly, a proverb sprang to his mind, one favored by his grandmother whenever Aryll or he had a nightmare. "Courage is like unto our heart. It must be worn forth on the sleeve, so that all may see the true heart of the faithful." These words would be accompanied by something along the lines of: 'Now go and show that monster under your bed who's boss.'

Link looked at his arm and smiled. 'On my sleeve eh?' thought Link to himself. He looked up at Makarov and said, "Right here please." He said, lifting up his bangs with one hand and pointing at his forehead with the other. "I want everyone to see who I am, the Guild I belong to, and everything it stands for." He said with the same conviction he used when he spoke of the Gods.. Makarov nodded, a faint smile of approval on his face.

"And the color?" asked the Guildmaster of Fairy Tail.

"Gold." Said Link, wanting his to be the same color as the mighty Triforce of which he was now apart. Makarov nodded and pressed the stamp against Link's forehead. There was a mild itching feeling as the stamp glowed with power, and then both the feeling and light faded as the stamp was drawn back. Link touched his forehead and felt no change in the feeling, and was slightly disappointed. He had expected to feel a little different, but really he felt the same. Such a symbolic thing should make him feel at least a little different after all.

Makarov, sensing his mood, quickly conjured up a mirror for Link to see. The boy looked into the mirror and saw the Mark on his forehead, a proud gold that lightly contrasted with the yellow of his hair. He smiled and remembered Rob's own mark and felt a rush of warmth at the new connection he and the deceased wizard had. "It's perfect," said Link proudly.

Makarov turned to Erza who seemed to be considering herself as well. She looked up with that same determined look on her face she had had when she announced her intentions to join Fairy Tail. "I want my Mark here." She said, pointing at her left bicep. "And I want it… in blue." She said quietly, her voice growing sad. Link's face fell as another memory flashed through his mind, a boy with unusual blue hair who had been like a brother to him. The memory was accompanied by a flash of anger as he thought of how easily Jellal had tossed them aside for Demise, like a dog discarding a used toy. 'I'll kill you Jellal.' He swore quietly to himself.

Makarov nodded and pressed the stamp against her arm. She winced as the quick sharp pain shot up her arm, and she unconsciously grabbed Link's hand with her other hand. Link was bit surprised by this and felt his cheeks and the tips of his ears redden in embarrassment. Gildarts grinned and chuckled at the sight and Link shot him a withering gaze which only made his uncle grin wider. "Not your girlfriend eh?" smirked the Ace of Fairy Tail.

Makarov drew his stamp away to reveal Erza's brand new Guild Mark. The proud symbol of Fairy Tail was a dark blue, the same exact hue as the hair of their lost friend. She smiled sadly, thinking of Jellal, before noticing she was holding Link's hand in her own. Mortified, she dropped her hand, blushing fiercely.

Makarov smiled at the two new additions to his family. "Children, it is my great pleasure to welcome you to the greatest Guild in all the land, Fairy Tail!" he cried jumping into the air with a flash of light from his hands. Link and Erza smiled as the little old man laughed and danced a little jig on his desk while Gildarts palmed his face, but laughed while doing it. "But what is Fairy Tail?" asked the Guildmaster as the two children looked at him with confused looks on their faces while Gildarts suddenly became quite serious. "Is it a collection of people with magical abilities? No. Is it a place of work? Anything but! Is it a building of mortar and stone? NEVER!" declared the Guildmaster grabbing his staff and hoping off the desk. He walked towards the door to the outside, gesturing for the others to follow. They did, but Gildarts scooped them both up, placing them both on a broad shoulder as he smiled at them.

The small group approached the second floor balcony and looked out into the hall below where the mages laughed, drank, sang, fought, and more than that lived. "Fairy Tail is none of those things." Said Makarov, continuing his speech. "Fairy Tail is a home for the homeless. A warm drink for the weary traveler. A place where even the most common of vagabonds can sleep out of the rain." He turned to the children, now high above on Gildarts's shoulders. "But more than any of that, Fairy Tail is a family. A family of drunkards, teachers, artists, adventurers, heroes, travelers, and fools; but a family nonetheless. And nothing, no monster, God, demon, mage, or even death himself can break that bond between us. I am Fairy Tail, you are Fairy Tail." He then jumped up onto the railing and spread his arms wide and declared, "WE ARE FAIRY TAIL!" he cried.

With those words, Link felt his heart soar in joy. This place truly was all that Rob had spoken of and more. Here he could find family, here he could grow strong, and here he would never be alone again. After so long, Link had finally found where he belonged. He looked at Erza, and the two smiled at each other. He felt that the others would join, and then they could become a part of this. A part of the greatness, the beauty, and indescribable wonder that was… Fairy Tail. He could hardly wait.

Makarov smiled at him and said, "Well kids, let's introduce you to our family." Said Makarov with all the pomp of a proud papa. The Guildmaster turned to the guild and cried, "ATTENTION! EVERYONE GIVE ME YOUR ATTENTION NOW!" he bellowed to the audience. The surprisingly loud declaration by the Guildmaster gained everyone's attention fairly quickly, and all eyes turned to Makarov. "Thank you." He said pleasantly. "Now everyone, I'm sure your all curious as to what I want. I would like to introduce our two newest members od Fairy Tail! This is Erza Scarlet." He said gesturing to the girl. The guild applauded shouting approval of the young girl. Erza blushed cutely, unused to being on the receiving end of such positive recognition. "And the other is-"

"AND THIS ONE IS LINK!" bellowed Gildarts. "MY NEPHEW AND THE NEXT ASS-KICKER OF FAIRY TAIL!" declared Gildarts as Link beamed at his uncle's approval.

Actually, the sentiment for Link was different than for Erza. Erza had been greeted with approval, while the general cry for Link was, "DEAR GOD! THERE'S TWO OF THEM NOW! AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Gildarts frowned and set Link and Erza down and he jumped up onto the railing. "You got something against my nephew? Do you? Huh!?" he said with a half aggressive, half playful tone. When he received no response he cried, "DIE!" and jumped into the Hall, proceeding to beat the crap out of the Guild. Makarov started to cry at the destruction he was causing and Link and Erza stood about awkwardly, feeling that things were only going to get weirder from here on out.

Suddenly, above the hullabaloo, came a little girl's cry. "NO!" she cried in anger and grief. The fighting stopped and all eyes turned to the source of the cry. It was Cana, little Cana Alberona; one of the newest members of Fairy Tail and a little girl no older than Link and Erza. She was crying profusely yet looked incredibly angry for such a small girl and all of that anger seemed to be directed at Gildarts. "N-no! This- THIS ISN'T FAIR!" she cried through her tears. "He- he's only your nephew and I'm… I'm… AN I'M YOUR DANG DAUGHTER!" she cried in sheer anger and frustration.

There was a long, shocked silence that was only broken by Makarov screaming "OH FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! WHO ELSE IS RELATED TO GILDARTS?!"

(Meanwhile, far to the North)

This was a dead place. The land was a barren, ashen gray. Covered with naught but rocks and stones. The grey monotony was broken occasionally by a twisted and blackened tree, a silent and agonized sentinel for the oppressive silence that pervaded the realm. A sense of despair filled the air, cruel and heavy upon the blight that had once been the kingdom of Pharasee. A black raven alighted upon a branch, but did not linger. He soon left with a throaty caw! Even the carrion birds dared not to venture here, in this land of death.

Boots crunched against the gravel as a lone figure walked along the barren land, as silent as the dead trees he passed. The man was exceptionally tall, a proud seven feet and three inches, and quite thin. His hair was long, reaching his shoulder blades, and a beautiful silver that gave off a sheen even in the dead light of the Blight of Pharasee. His features were fair, almost beautiful. His cheekbones were high and strong, his eyes were a chestnut brown and shaped like those of a doe, and his ears were pointed as an elf's would be. Beneath his white cloak he wore he was adorned with a silver breastplate and chain mail, along with greaves and bracers adorned with the symbol of a white tree. At his hip was a sword, a double edged bastard sword with a beautifully crafted pommel in the shape of a white dragon with outstretched wings.

The man peered at the horizon, seeing a gray blob in the distance, his destination. He looked up at the cloudy sky, a sky which allowed no light to pass through. No light shone upon this dead place. The man in white pressed forward across the forsaken landscape slowly approaching the gray blob. As he neared it, the blob defined itself as a fallen pillar, one of many. He was entering a ruin. Temples and houses remained frozen in a state of destruction, collapsed and broken by some great force, It was clear that this had once been a great city, proud and beautiful with many people and things within its walls. In fact, the man could almost hear the bustle of the fallen metropolis, the people, animals…

"You should be careful." Said a voice behind him, causing the man in white to jump in surprise. "This place plays with the mind, you should shield your thoughts from it." The man in white turned to see a new arrival.

This new arrival was of average height and thin and sickly. He wore a heavy bronze colored sleeveless robe and his arms were wrapped in linens all the way up to his fingertips. A cowl was pulled over his head, and his face was obscured by linens as well, revealing only his multi-colored eyes that seemed to have rainbows caught within them.

The wrapped man approached him. "Kronos, you frightened me." Said the man in white to the newcomer.

Kronos nodded. "It is good to see you Elendil, old friend. It has been an age." Said Kronos, extending his hand in an offer to shake. Rather than shake hands, Elendil wrapped Kronos in a tight hug, surprising him.

"Aye my friend, time has not changed you." Said Elendil warmly. He pulled away from Kronos and smiled at him. "You are certain of what you have Seen?" he said becoming serious.

Kronos frowned. "I would not have called you out to this dead place if I was not certain. Never have I had such a perfectly clear vision of what will be. If the veil of Time lifted so readily for this then it is cause for alarm." Said Kronos in a serious tone, laced with a powerful undertone of fear. Elendil was surprised, he had never seen his old friend this unhinged. The usually unflappable man was obviously perturbed by his Seeing. The man shook his head and turned to the right. "This way, the tombs are in the center of the city." Said Kronos.

Elendil nodded and followed his friend as they walked through the ruined city. As they passed the ruined stone that had once been a city of beauty beyond equal, he couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. "We are not alone." Said Elendil quietly.

Kronos nodded. "Aye, we are not. There is evil in this place that does not sleep, evil old and ancient that even Demise dares not go near it. Keep your faith about you, the darkness that dwells in Pharasee will not dare touch one of the Followers." Said Kronos. "But we must still beware of El'Harim." He said grimly.

Elendil frowned. "El'Harim? He walks in this place?"

"For all of our sakes I hope that he does." Said Kronos as he stopped in front of a building. Elendil looked at it, and his jaw fell open. The building before them was ruined, but still glorious. It was twelve stories high, constructed from marble and ivory. Towering columns supported a mighty ceiling, carved with images of the thirty pagan gods of Pharasee. The mighty Gilgamesh striking down Tiamat. Wodan fighting and binding Apohi. Other gods fighting monsters decorated the ceiling, it all resembled a mighty battlefield in a distant legend.

And at the very end of the hall, standing high and proud, untouched by the ruin of the city, was the statue of a woman. She was dressed in full battle regalia, her expression regal and proud. She held a spear in one hand and a book of law in the other. The statue was over thirty feet tall, and was cast from solid gold. It was perhaps one of the most valuable artifacts on this planet. "The Athena Parthenos." Said Elendil in an awed voice.

Kronos nodded. "Forged from the bones of the Gold Dragon Glarung after he was slain by the Gold Dragon Slayer Feresia. Aye, she is beautiful. And no doubt worth a pretty penny as well." Said Kronos like a museum tour guide. "Beautiful, but cursed. Do not touch the gold or you will die in greed." He said coldly. It was what had destroyed Pharasee after all.

Elendil nodded. "Aye, to the tomb then." Said the tall man as he and Kronos set off to the left. Behind the Athena Parthenos was a long staircase, spiraling down into the catacombs of Pharasee. The two men descended down into the catacombs. As they walked down the staircase, the feeling of desolation and death increased, filling their souls and their hearts as the darkness increased. Elendil summoned a ghostly white flame that made things slightly better in terms of sight, but seemed to only make the shadows dance in a frenzy. All along the walls were bones, forcibly shoved into the soil and stone like some sort of macabre mosaic of death. There was a crunch under Elendil's feet and he was sickened to find it was a human skull.

Quite suddenly they reached the bottom of the staircase and were faced with a crypt. It was not at all fancy, simply a room with grey stone floor, walls, and ceiling and piles of bones all along the walls. They were animal and human, mixed together and tossed about as though thrown together by a child. And at the very end was a giant stone box, a coffin.

Elendil groaned in horror, terror striking his deepest cord. The lid to the coffin had been shattered from the inside, as though someone had fought their way out. "So it's true." Said Elendil miserably. "The Ghost King is free."

"May the Gods help us all." Said Kronos grimly.

AN: Okay people, I have a bit of an announcement. I am going to be attending Arrowbear Music Camp for the Choir Session, so I won't be able to write for a while. But don't worry, I'll get to the story as soon as I can!

Tell me what you thought in the reviews. Good? Bad? Indifferent? Come on people. Let's hit one-hundred reviews! I BELIEVE IN YOU!

I will see you in the next chapter! BUH-BYE!