AN: ONE HUNDRED REVIEWS! WOOOOOO! WE DID IT! I ALWAYS BELIEVED IN YOU GUYS! CYBER COOKIES FOR ALL!

Thank you all for one-hundred epic reviews! As a reward we're changing up the structure a little bit and taking a look into the stories of other character's as well as Link's own quest. If this chapter seems slow then I apologize. I promise that the next chapter will pick things up more. Now sit back, relax, and don't forget to leave a review!

Chapter 9: Bonds Forged in Fire, Ice and Lead

Natsu Dragneel looked up at the sky and gave another sad gaze through the heavens. "IGNEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLL!" he cried out for the umpteenth time, beginning for some kind of response. However, like all the times before, he was answered only by silence. No roar in response, no calling for him, nothing. The sky was empty, just like his heart.

Damn it all! Where was Igneel?! It had been a week since the little boy had last seen the mighty dragon. He had just vanished into thin air, no trace whatsoever. Even his scent was gone. Natsu couldn't believe that Igneel had simply abandoned him, it would be insane to think so! The dragon loved him like a son, at least he had thought so. He struggled to hold back tears as he wandered the woods. It wasn't right, it wasn't fair. How could Igneel do this to him?

"Stupid forest." He said, punching a tree as hard as he could, not caring that he drew blood. That felt better than the aching loneliness. "Stupid Igneel!" he cried angrily, punching the tree again, harder this time. "Stupid, stupid, STUPID!" he sobbed to himself. He fell to his knees in front of the tree, a hand on the bark, unable to keep back the sadness. He was angry, sad, and lonely all at the same time and each emotion just fed the other. He curled into a ball on the forest floor, biting back his tears and trying not to choke on the bile in his throat.

"Hello there little one." Said a soft voice close by. Surprised, Natsu sat up, staring at the source of the voice. It was a man, but Natsu had not even heard the man come up to him. As a Dragonslayer, Natsu had exceptionally sharp senses; his strongest being his sense of smell but his hearing was quite acute as well. None of his senses had told him of the approach of this man. It was like he had appeared out of thin air.

Well, he couldn't really be called a man. He looked more like a teenager. His hair was the color of a raven's feathers, his eyes charcoal black. He wore an outlandish and fancy black garb with a white sash across his chest and torso. His features were slightly feminine in appearance, and his eyes held a soft kindness and tenderness that Natsu had only ever seen in Igneel's eyes before. There was something achingly familiar about this man, something that drove Natsu mad with curiosity. It was like he knew him, he KNEW that he did, but he just couldn't remember from where.

"Are you lost little one?" asked the black-haired teen.

Natsu sniffed and turned away from the man. "No." he said with a humph, crossing his arms. He didn't know who this man was, but he was starting to bug Natsu. He decided to just ignore him until he went away. "I'm not lost. I'm catching my breath." He said, his jaw set in a stubborn line.

He sensed the man behind him nodding. "Oh you are? Well I am lost." He said kindly. "And since you are not I was hoping you could guide me out."

Natsu turned and looked over his shoulder at the man, suspicion in his eyes. "Whadya mean?" he asked, narrowing his eyes. "Are you trying to trick me? Cause I don't like being tricked girly man." He snapped.

The man in black laughed, it sounded like bells ringing in the breeze. "No little one, I am not trying to trick you. My name is… well you may call me Ferez." He said, standing up. He extended his hand to Natsu, a soft and gentle smile on his face. "Now, would you kindly tell me your name?" asked Ferez politely.

Natsu stared at the outstretched hand, and cautiously took it. "My name is Natsu, Natsu Dragneel. I'm looking for my dad, Igneel." As he pulled himself up. He couldn't put it into words, but something about this man's presence put his mind at ease. It was the weirdest thing! Ferez had a calming effect on him, he could quell the storm of emotions in his whirling brain. Natsu decided he liked this guy.

Ferez shook his head. "Well I am afraid that I have seen no one else in these woods, but I wish you luck on your search." He said, seeing Natsu's crestfallen expression. "But let us not speak of sad things, let us be happy." He said, picking up Natsu and placing him on his shoulders. He chuckled as Natsu's surprised yelp turned into a sound of wonder as he saw the world from much higher up. "Now, since you know where we are going, perhaps you should tell me which direction to go." He said.

Natsu considered for a moment and then pointed in a completely random direction that felt right to him. "That way. We go that way." Proclaimed Natsu.

Ferez nodded in agreement. "Aye that seems like a good direction to go." And with that, the two companions set off through the forest, Natsu perched on top of Ferez's shoulders.

Ferez was a quiet companion. But that was okay with Natsu, he did most of the talking. He chattered on about his life with Igneel, about his abilities as a Dragonslayer, about his thoughts in general. Ferez listened patiently and intently, making the occasional comment. He seemed completely content to listen to Natsu's constant talking. Finally, after a while, Natsu asked, "Hey Mr. Ferez, any idea where we're going?" he asked.

Ferez looked up at him with a playful look. "Oh? I thought you knew! I've just been walking in this direction because you said to go this way." Joked the man. He knew precisely where he was going, it was not chance that Natsu had pointed in that direction.

Natsu gulped nervously. "Oh, um, yeah!" he proclaimed. "Keep going! I'm certain we'll be there soon." Never mind he had no idea where or what There was. He just knew they would be there soon.

Ferez chuckled. "Very well then Natsu. We'll keep going." And sure enough, they were soon out of the forest completely. Natsu and Ferez found themselves on a ledge overlooking a beautiful valley. Beneath them were houses, two rows on either side of little red and white houses facing each other. The grass was a beautiful color of green, and the trees were tidy and well kept. There were two trees between every house with no deviation between the type and the style. All the houses had the same garden, all with the same plants and the same design to them. It was orderly and organized in every way.

Natsu immediately hated it. It looked boring as all hell! Life wasn't supposed to be orderly! You were supposed to have fun, fight, and live where the wind took you. Spending your life to bring it under order just seemed like a waste to him.

But at the very edge of the valley was the biggest house that Natsu had ever seen. The thing was a positive monstrosity, like a gold and white monster sitting at the end of the valley and waiting for its next meal. It both awed and confused Natsu. He was awed because of the sheer size of the thing. But he was also confused. Why would anyone need a house that big? He and Igneel had been perfectly happy with a little shack with a hammock.

"Who lives there Ferez?" asked Natsu. "Actually, why would anyone live there?" he asked confused.

"Jude Heartphallia lives there Natsu. He lives in that mansion down there." He said. "He's the richest man in Fiore. He runs the railroad." Natsu instantly grimaced in displeasure. He had rode the railroad once, it had made him sick to his stomach. Why would anyone build such a cruel and tortuous device?! "But… someone else lives there as well."

Natsu hopped off of Ferez's shoulders and looked up at him expectantly. "Someone else? Who?" he asked curiously. It seemed that Ferez had an annoying habit of being vague and dithering on words. Natsu found that annoying.

"His daughter. A lonely little girl called Lucy who has recently lost her mother." Said Ferez.

"What do you mean lost her?" asked Natsu. "Can't she find her again? Why not go looking for her like I'm looking for Igneel?" he asked, a bit frustrated with Ferez. He seemed nice enough but by the Gods he was aggravating.

"She didn't lose her like one loses a penny Natsu." He said patiently. "When I say she lost her, it means that her mother died." Said Ferez.

"Oh." Said Natsu. "I, I didn't know." He said apologetically.

"Go down there Natsu." Said Ferez gently. "Go talk to her, cheer her up, make friends with her, Gods know she needs a friend right now."

Natsu looked out over the ledge to the great house and pondered Ferez's words. "A friend huh? I think I can do that." He said looking back. To his surprise, Ferez was gone. He had vanished away as quickly as he had appeared as though he had never been.

If Natsu had looked up he would have seen the kind man who had brought him out of the woods. He was floating high above him, a sad smile on his face and his eyes filled with such great sorrow that it could break the heart of any who looked into them. The Dark Lord Zeref looked down and whispered something.

Below, Natsu thought he heard, "I love you little brother." But it was so faint, so light, it was more than likely nothing more than the wind.

Someone was in the kitchen. And at this hour it was supposed to be empty. That thought made little Lucy Heartphalia's blood freeze in her veins. She had been walking down to the kitchen for a glass of water, she had had another nightmare about finding her mother's dead body and water seemed to be able to calm her down. That was when she heard a great rustling and clattering from the kitchen. It sounded like a wild animal was in there, rooting around their food and their silverware. It terrified Lucy. She wanted to run away, to get as far away as she could from the animal in there.

But mom wouldn't have run. Layla Heartphalia would have marched in there and given that animal a piece of her mind for breaking in. She had been like that, her mother. Brave, beautiful, loving, Lucy had worshiped her. But now she was gone, and Lucy had to do her best without her.

So, swallowing her fear and gripping her Keys tightly she walked down the hall towards the kitchen door, ready to face whatever nightmare beast waited within. Images of venomous fangs dripping with blood, wickedly sharp claws and a hungry, gaping mouth filled her mind. Her legs were shaking. She gulped once more and threw open the door, screaming. "I AM LUCY HEARTPHALIA! I AM A CELESTIAL SPIRIT MAGE! PLEASE DON'T EAT MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" she cried in fear, her eye firmly shut. If it did kill her, she only hoped that it would be quick and painless.

When nothing ate her or attacked her she opened her eyes a crack. Before her, a chicken leg in his mouth and a plate full of meat in his hands and standing in the middle of the biggest mess she had ever seen was a little boy about her age. He wore only a pair of dirty shorts leaving his surprisingly muscular torso exposed. He let the chicken leg drop to the plate and he grinned a wide grin revealing surprisingly sharp teeth.

"Hi there Lucy! I'm Natsu, the Fire Dragonslayer. Nice to meet you." He said in a cheerful voice. "Want some meat?"

And thus began one of the strangest yet most beautiful friendships of all time that would one day grow into perhaps the most epic romance of the century.

Gray Fullbuster glowered to himself, silently cursing his luck and the stupid ship he had been stowing away on. The young Ice-Make Mage had boarded the stupid boat in secret after the captain had refused to accept his money. So it was frozen, it was till good! You just had to thaw it out. So instead of riding in a comfortable berth he was sleeping in the bilge with the rats for company. Whoopdee freaking doo. At least the rats didn't care if he bathed.

Finally, after two hellish weeks on board, he had finally gotten to Hargeon from the Northern Continent. It was weird, being in a place that wasn't frozen twenty-four seven, but it was kind of nice to be in warm weather for a change. At least his weird stripping habit wouldn't be such a burden here in the warm climate. Thanks a lot Ur.

Thoughts of his mentor steeled his resolve. Ur was why he was here. He had heard of the great Makarov Dreyar: one of the greatest of the Wizard Saints. If anyone could bring back his mentor from the icy prison she had used to defeat Deliorah it was him. But first things first, Gray had to reach him. And right now he was hungry, sore, and completely lost. Could this situation get any worse?

And cue the rainstorm that began the instant he stepped off the damn boat. Perfect. Just fricking perfect.

Shaking his head in disgust Gray stormed down the streets of the harbor town between people darting into buildings and out of the rain. Gray didn't have time for that. He had to get to Fairy Tail, to Makarov, all for his mentor. He had failed her once, he wasn't going to do it again. This time he would make her proud.

And so it was, when he was passing the school, he heard a strange sound that he hadn't expected to hear. It was crying, someone was crying a whole lot besides the school building, and really hard since he could hear it over the rain. Gray scowled and prepared to move forward. He didn't have time for crying people in the rain. He had to help people he actually cared about.

And yet, he couldn't help but think of what would have happened had Ur just passed him by. And so, sighing ant his own softness, he turned in the direction of the crier. Damn his conscience! Damn it to hell!

He looked around the side of the trashcan where the crying emanated from, and saw that the crying person was a little girl, not much older than he was. She wore a blue dress and a blue Russian-style hat over her blue colored hair. 'Man blue is really her color.' Thought Gray to himself, a bit pensively. The girl was huddled up against the side of the building, clutching her knees to her chest and bawling her eyes out.

For a moment Gray pondered what to do, he had never been good at this sort of thing. Ur was the understanding one, the one who helped people. All he was good at was screwing things up. Still, he couldn't just leave this girl alone in the middle of a huge storm. So he swallowed his pride, and his nerves, and cleared his throat. "Um, uh, hello there." He said nervously. The girl didn't seem to notice him, she kept crying. So he took things a step further and gently poked her shoulder.

In an instant the girl stopped crying and stared up at Gray. He eyes were huge, like a deer caught in the headlights. She was scared of him, scared out of her wits. Gray gulped and said. "Um, my name is Gray. Nice to meet you."

Her fear quickly turned to suspicion and she said. "And what do you want with Juvia." She said icily. While she was suspicious on the outside, on the inside her head was whirling with emotions. 'This… this boy. Why does he make Juvia's heart beat so fast?!' she thought to herself. It was like he was radioactive and her heart couldn't take the heat. She feared her heart might burst from her chest it was beating so fast.

"I- I was just wondering why you were crying." He said defensively. "You seemed pretty bummed out about something." He said quickly.

"You- you are concerned about Juvia?" she asked in wonder. No one had ever bothered to worry about her before. Not her parents, not her schoolmates, only the old butler named Benny Greenstreet had cared about her, and he had died a year ago. 'Please oh please don't let this be a trick.' She thought desperately.

"Well, yeah." Said Gray as though it were obvious. "Why wouldn't I be. You were crying a river out here." And why are you all alone? There's no school in. Why aren't your parents looking for you?" he asked.

And like that she started bawling again. 'Crap!' he thought to himself. 'What did I do this time?' he thought. "I-I'm sorry." He said. "What did I say?" he asked.

Through the tears Juvia spoke. "J-Juvia's parents hate her!" she cried miserably. "They left her (hic) all al-alone here in t-this school where ev-everyone hates her!" she sobbed. "Th-they left me all alone!" she cried out.

That pissed Gray off. It turned his heart white hot, like fire had been lit inside of it. His parents had loved him, and they had died for it. Things like this though, they weren't supposed to happen. Parents were supposed to love you completely and unconditionally. Parents… parents shouldn't leave their children unless they had to. Unless they were taken from them. Anything else was just cowardly and evil.

Gray sat down beside Juvia and put an arm around her shoulder. She looked at him in surprise. This was unexpected, most people were afraid of Juvia and would never touch her. And yet this boy was going so far as to comfort her? It was unheard of! "Now listen up." He said sternly. "Anyone who just abandons their own kid, they aren't worth crying about." He said with absolute certainty. "And from now on, you don't need to worry about anyone else hurting you anymore, cause I'm gonna be your friend from now on." He said firmly.

Juvia didn't know what to say. She was staring at Gray as though he were some sort of Angel sent down from heaven to be her saving grace. She almost didn't notice one very important detail.

Gray looked up and remarked, "Hey, the rain stopped." And that was when Juvia squealed in joy and talked Gray to the ground in a massive hug.

He lay face down in the sand, clutching a six gun in his hand. He was wearing dark clothes and a dark longcoat. His hat lay a few feet away having rolled off his head a few feet away. There was a small hole in his back where the bullet had struck him and there was a bit of blood beneath him. He had been shot from behind.

Thirteen year old Alzack placed his hand on the man's neck, feeling his pulse. He was alive, but only just. He felt cold, very cold, and he had lost quite a bit of blood. But he continued to breathe shallow breaths, clinging to life by his fingernails. He must be, Alzack reflected, a strong man to have survived such a wound.

Alzack looked up at his mother, a tall and beautiful woman in a buckskin dress with long dark hair and rather generous curves, and nodded. "He's alive." He said simply to his mother. "But if we do nothing then he won't be for long." He said.

Alaria, Alzack's mother, nodded in response. "Help me with him son, we must get him back to the camp if he is to survive to see another sunrise."

(One day Later)

It was the next day when the man awoke. Alaria and Alzack had brought the man back to their tribe's camp in the Redean Oasis. They had treated his wounds, extracted the bullet from his back, and made him comfortable in their home, a small teepee near the center of camp. Alaria was the tribe's medicine woman, a position of great power and responsibility, and she had done her best to treat the wounded man. She was good, and that was why the man was alive.

He was a handsome man of average height and powerful build. His hair was black, and he had a scruffy beard and mustache on his face. When he finally opened his eyes they were a gentle chestnut color.

When he woke up Alzack was absorbed in a comic he had bought during one of his tribe's trading sessions with the neighboring towns. It was a manga about a gunslinger named Vash the Stampede who went around helping people and goofing off at the same time. It was called Trigun, and Alzack loved it because he loved the skill that Vash and his friend Nicholas D. Wolfwood displayed with their guns. Alzack loved stories like that, stories about gunslingers and cowboys. Range riders who hunted outlaws and other scum.

Alzack was torn from his comic by a groan coming from the man. The pre-teen shut his comic, taking note of the page, and walked over to the injured man. The man looked up at him with pained eyes. "Hi there." Said Alzack gently as though his words might hurt him. "My name is Alzack, and you're in the camp of the Apache Tribe."

"Water." croaked the man through chapped lips. "Water."

Alzack nodded, knowing that the man must be terribly thirsty. He walked over to a corner of the teepee and opened a water barrel. He filled a cup and took it over to the man who had pulled himself into a sitting position. He handed the cup to him and the man quickly guzzled it down. He breathed a sigh of relief as the cool liquid rolled down his throat. "Ringo" he said.

Alzack frowned. "Ringo? What does that mean?" he asked curiously.

"It's my name kid. Ringo." He said again, taking another sip of water. "I'm a bounty hunter." He elaborated.

Alzack's eyes widened. "Really? You hunt down bad buys? Is that why you were shot in the desert?" he asked quickly.

Ringo scoffed bitterly. "Yeah, something like that. Truth be told I was shot by the man I thought was my best friend. A cowardly little weasel named Liberty Valance." He spat out the name like it was some foul insult.

Alzack nodded, and could see the man starting to brood. Trying to take his guest's mind off of the betrayal he grabbed the gun that Ringo had been holding in the desert. He held it up in his palms like an offering. "Is this your gun? We found it on you in the desert." He asked, looking like an excited schoolboy meeting his idol.

Ringo nodded and grabbed the gun. "Yeah kid, this is my gun." He said, smiling. "Old Big Iron, my pride and joy. Made from real Orochion Iron from the mountain of Moria and wood from the banyan trees of Galuna Island. Only three of these guns are produced a year, and each one costs a small fortune." He clicked it open, revealing the bullet chamber. His voice held all the pomp of a proud father. "The metal makes it a superb conductor of magic, and it has a bullet range of over half a mile if you have the sight for it." He reloaded the gun with bullets from his pocket. "I could not love a human child more than I love this here Big Iron."

"Wow." Said Alzack breathlessly as he stared at the gun. He reached out a hand, hoping to touch the magnificent weapon. Ring swatted his hand away. "Look kid, admire if you must, but don't you dare touch my Big Iron." Snapped Ringo.

"I'm sorry sir." Said Alzack, ducking his head. There was a long moment where the two sat in silence. Alzack broke it finally by saying, "Are you a good shot?"

Ringo smirked. "Best damn shot in the west kiddo." Said Ringo with a grin.

Alzack's face glowed. "Will… will you teach me?" he asked breathlessly. Ringo smirked.

"Sarah? Naomi? Clair? Feena? Mary? Eliza?" muttered Gildarts to himself. "NO, NO THE HAIR'S WRONG!" he screamed out loud. In frustration. "Emma? Lyra? Jean? Sydney? Kate? Yuko? Francoise? GOD DAMMNIT! WHO'S KID ARE YOU!" screamed Gildarts out loud once more, terrifying Cana and Link.

Unlike with Link, whom he had suspected, Gildarts had believed rather quickly that Cana was his daughter. For one thing she looked like a tiny female version of his brother, and for two she had his eyes. But despite accepting the fact that she was his daughter, the Ace of Fairy Tail was having a difficult time remembering which of the legion of women he had bedded around the time that Cana was conceived could be her mother.

"Uncle, please stop." Pleaded Link. "You're embarrassing yourself." He said miserably. He couldn't believe his uncle was such a scarlet man! How could this man be his honorable and noble father's brother?

"NO!" cried Gildarts. "I have to remember! Come on brain! You can do this!" he cried, massaging his temples. Poor Cana was burying her head in her hands, trying desperately to wipe away the memory of her embarrassing admission earlier, or perhaps the fact that she and this man shared genetic material. Link patted her shoulder comfortingly, trying to keep her from killing herself in embarrassment and possibly terror.

The three of them and Makarov were in his office, again, discussing the new situation. Erza had gone downstairs to speak to Simon, Sho, and Milliana. Link was a bit surprised to find that he had a cousin as well as an uncle, but probably nowhere near as shocked as poor Gildarts had been.

"Gildarts." Sighed Makarov, a bottle of whiskey in his hand. "Just admit you don't remember. I'm sure Cana can tell you." Said the harassed Guild Master. His day had not been going well. Gildarts was bad enough, but now his nephew AND his daughter?! He was never going to be able to retire at this rate. He could see that beautiful beach in Cape Claw fading faster and faster. Please Gods, let these kids be better than their uncle/father.

Gildarts looked up from his strenuous thinking (he didn't do such things often, he usually just acted) as though the idea had never occurred to him. "Oh, right." He turned to Cana. "Umm, uh, Cana… could you… you know…" he trailed off. At least he had the decency to be embarrassed by the fact that he couldn't remember the name of the girl's mother.

Cana looked up from her hands and said. "Cornelia. Cornelia Alberona." She said.

Gildarts's face fell, his eyes becoming very serious. "Cornelia. The only woman I ever loved. I might have guessed." He said quietly. "Cornelia, I'm so sorry."

"You… you loved my mother?" asked little Cana. Gildarts nodded, unable to meet Cana's eye. "Then- the- THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU STAY!" she cried. The implied, 'why did you leave me alone for so long if you loved my mother' made Gildarts flinch.

"She wanted me to grow up, and I couldn't do it." He sighed. "Things just fell apart from there." He shook his head, a tear in his eye. "She never told me that she was… that she was pregnant. If she I had I would have… shit I don't know. Grown up? Maybe? I don't know." He said miserably. "But I would have stayed, for better or worse I would have been there for my daughter." He swallowed and turned to Cana who still had tears in her eyes. "Look, Cana, I'm sorry that I wasn't there for you. You have every right to hate me for that. But I am promising you, I will always be there for you. I will be the father you need and the one you deserve." He said gently. "I won't be perfect, cause I'm a man and mistakes happen. But I will do my damndest to be your father."

Cana glared at him, trying to stay angry. But an instant later her anger crumbled and she flung her arms around Gildarts's neck, choking back tears. Link smiled as his cousin and uncle embraced, both crying, both overflowing with emotion. He wanted to join in, to be with them as well, but this was a moment between father and daughter. Not a moment for him to intrude on. Until of course Gildarts scooped them both up into a hug. "My kids." He whispered. "My kids."

"Well, this is very touching." Said Makarov. "But Gildarts, there is one very important issue that we need to address." The three looked at Makarov expectantly. "You don't have a house." He said. "And you have no money with which to buy one.

There was a long awkward moment as Cana, Link, and Gildarts looked at each other in surprise. Fast as lightning, Gildarts set both of them on the desk and his face adopted a panicked look. "MAKAROV I NEED YOU TO TAKE CARE OF LINK AND CANA! KAY BYE!" he cried so fast that they could barely decipher the words. Like a streak of lightning the Ace of Fairy Tail zoomed out of the room, literally barreling through the door and leaving a Gildarts shaped hole in the wood. There was a rustling outside and then a great boom from outside. Almost afraid to look, Link, Cana, and Makarov looked out the door and saw two things. One, the S-Class mission board was empty and two, there was a massive hole in the wall of the second floor. "He must have jumped for it." Said Link.

Makarov looked dead in the eyes. "He took every single S-Class quest and blew a hole in the wall. Just when I thought that this week couldn't get any better." He said sarcastically. "I need a drink." He grumbled.

"Is he coming back?" asked Link.

"Oh he'll be back." Said Makarov sourly. "I'm not lucky enough for anything else to happen."

Kronos was sitting on a great pillar, fallen during the Ruin of Pharasee. The wrapped man was silent as he waited for Elendil to return. The man had much on his mind.

The Ghost King was free. This was bad news by any account. Never before had there been a human so consumed by evil than the last king of Pharasee. He who had brought about the ruin of the once great kingdom. But to summon him required great power, let alone cause him to rise. Whoever had done it had to have been a supremely powerful mage. There was not a very long list of suspects of mages who wielded such power. Kronos had a sneaking suspicion that he knew who it was, but he prayed he was wrong.

There was a clatter of stones to his left, and Kronos turned to Elendil returning. The silver-haired man had a grim expression on his face, one that said his findings were not good ones. "I have searched the city. No sign of the Ghost King, El'Harim, or whoever summoned the Ghost King." Said the mage in a harassed tone.

Kronos nodded. "Then he has truly risen, and the Guardian is missing."

Elendil kicked a stone in frustration. "Who could have done this? Who would be strong enough or crazy enough to summon a being such as the Ghost King?" he asked aloud.

"We both know the answer to that Elendil." Said Kronos grimly. "I think we have both known what is happening for a long time, but we have both chosen to ignore it. I am ashamed." He said with certainty and shame.

Elendil shook his head. "No, no it cannot be him. He is gone, he has been dead for a thousand years and a day and so he remains." He said firmly.

"It is that very belief that gives him power." Said Kronor coldly. "All that it takes for evil to take root is for good men to do nothing, which is what we have both done for years. We must own that fact." He said.

"It cannot be Demise!" bellowed Elendil. "He is gone! Blown to dust and scattered with the wind! Demise is no more!" As he spoke the name there was thunder in the distance, and a shiver seemed to pass through the Earth. Elendil went from confrontational to nervous very quickly.

"Names have power Elendil." Said Kronos. "Especially here."

Elendil shook his head once more. "You're right. Demise or no Demise, the Ghost King is risen and that is cause enough for alarm." He began to pace, rubbing his chin. "But who would have the power to bring him forth? Or control him?"

"The way I see it there are three options." Said Kronos in a calm and reasonable tone. "One, we are dealing with a powerful spellcaster who believed that he could control the Ghost King. It is safe to assume that he can, otherwise El'Harim would have slain him." He paused for a moment to catch his breath. "Two, and I am not sure that I like even considering this, but perhaps the Guardian himself has become corrupted." At Elendil's horrified look, Kronos nodded. "Aye, it is possible. El'Harim is powerful, but he is human and therefore can be corrupted." He sighed, fatigue written in his eyes. "And three, HE has returned." He said coldly.

Elendil sighed. "I am not sure which terrifies me more." Said the silver-haired knight. "But regardless, we do not have enough information to pursue any as a valid lead."

Kronos nodded. "I agree. We must find out more."

"But before any of that, we must alert the White Council. The time has come for a council of war." Said Elendil firmly.

Kronos nodded. "Aye my friend. Then I shall meet you on Tenrou Island."

Elendil shook his hand. "Tenrou Island."

AN: And that is a wrap! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Also, is Alzack's part I put three Western references. If you can find them you will win my undying love and devotion. And we all know how important that is.

Anyway, with so many things changing, the plot will start to deviate a lot soon. Stay tuned for action, adventure, comedy, romance, and so much more in Legend of the Fairies: the Chosen!

Don't forget to review! Buh-bye!