Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, that honor goes to Hiro Mashima. If I did, I would change the whole damn story so it would make a bit sense to me. Hopefully, I won't get sued by him because of this. *laughs nervously*

Chapter 2: Visiting a village.

3rd of December X775

The lands were covered by a thick blanket of snow, painting the landscape almost entirely white. Snowflakes were falling slow and peacefully from the skies while lakes were frozen solid making it possible to walk on them. The forests were also coated by snow as hundreds of tree branches were layered in the white soft matter. On the ground people could distinguish small foot prints, indicating that someone walked through the place. Somewhere farther, a boy walked in a relaxed and serene pace through the forest while he looked around, taking in the peaceful silence that was lingering around; he could faintly hear birds chirping, the occasional snow mass falling of a tree or the sound of crunching snow beneath him whenever his feet made contact with the ground. The kid sighed in content before he took a fresh breath of cold air in his lungs, refreshing his mind and body as he did so.

"Winter may be cold, but the oxygen is nice to breath in." The child muttered as he continued his walk back to where his home was. In the distance, he could discern a large treehouse among the other trees. It looked like it wasn't affected by the cold weather of Old Man Winter as there was no thick layer of snow on top of the house's roof or the surrounding area. The kid grinned, seeing that it was a sign that his mother was at home. If she was not, the house would probably be buried beneath a thick cold layer of snow. Nodding his head, the child summoned flames, who were shining a dark shade of black, beneath his feet before he launched himself into the air. The boy flew towards the house in a calm tempo before he stopped at the doorsteps. He kicked the doors in with a large grin plastered on his face as he stared at the only person present, who was comfortably sitting in a chair, reading a black book to kill time. Said person turned around slightly with an inquisitive look on her face, wanting to know who just barged inside her house before she frowned and sighed as she looked at boy. The kid's grin never left his face as he stretched his arms above his head. His hands were glowing brightly before the light extended, gaining a form which resembled a... fish?

"MOTHER! Look at what I have caught!" The young voice of the boy enthusiastically yelled as he stared inside the tree house while he showed the giant fish.

The child's hair was painted a slightly dark pink color, giving a lively and warm feature to his appearance. His eyes were shining a light shade of green with a visible small glint of mischievousness in them. The rose-haired kid wore a black collared shirt tucked inside his pants, a dark blue waistcoat over it with black-gold linings and a red dragon's head pictured on the back, matching black pants with the same black-gold linings down the trouser legs, his pants held up by a brown leather belt and lastly black leather boots that reached to his shins.

The pink-haired God Slayer was about to enter when a small wall of black flames blocked his way. Raising a rose-colored eyebrow the kid squinted his eyes to look through the black fire wall at his mother in question. The woman inside looked sternly at the boy before she gestured to his feet.

"Knock your feet off before you enter. I do not want a mess inside, Natsu." The woman ordered as she walked towards the rose haired kid. Natsu nodded at his foster-mother's words and complied to her as he stamped his feet outside before walking in. Nodding in satisfaction Amaterasu's face changed into a small smile as she eyed the fish.

"Now where did you caught this one, hm?" The Goddess asked as she lifted the fish with one hand. The pinkette grinned smugly as he answered her question.

"A lake not far from here; it wasn't frozen or not entirely at least. I was bored so I decided to fish for an hour or two."

"You were... bored?" The malicious tone of his mother was not missed by the pinkette as the black-haired Goddess stared at him, her raven-colored bangs darkening her face

Natsu's eyes widened slightly as he gulped in fear. The young God Slayer mentally scolded himself for his stupidity; he should have shut his mouth about the whole 'I was bored' part and now had to suffer the consequences for it.

The pinkette was actually tasked to train his magic. Seeing that winter made its début, Amaterasu decided that Natsu should train the strength of his flames during this time. If his fire could hold out longer in cold circumstances, its proportions would increase and so its power. Winter was practically the nemesis of fire as it was during this time of the year that flames were at their weakest. If Natsu managed to have his flames at a level that could withstand the harsh cold, it would give him a huge advantage over his opponents. The dark-haired Goddess used the winter in her advantage by strengthening the Fire God Slayer's resilience against coldness.

If only Natsu listened...

Amaterasu's eyes slightly glowed a dark red color, her hair swaying menacingly around her as a dark red aura surrounded her form. The rose-haired boy start to sweat a bit while he slowly cringed under the displeased scowl his mother was giving him. Whenever Natsu managed to anger Amaterasu, a more... darker personality would come forward to bring down divine punishment upon the young God Slayer. Natsu called this 'state' the Demon Queen...

"What did I tell you about slacking off, Natsu? You know that I do not like that, right?" His raven-haired mother started as she continued scowling at her foster-son while increasing the surrounding pressure around her.

"Y-yes m-mother, I k-know." The pinkette stuttered uncontrollably as he rapidly bowed several times, repeatedly saying that he was sorry. Amaterasu sighed in tiredness as she lowered the pressure that was suffocating the rose-haired kid. She walked to the pinkette and crouched in front of him, her face still sporting a displeased frown as she clicked her tongue.

"This is the third time I hear that you are slacking off. You cannot neglect your training, my son, for you now what kind of burden you shoulder." The Fire Goddess explained to her foster-son for the umpteenth time. Amaterasu knew that Natsu knew what she meant with burden as she saw the pinkette's eyes look down in shame. The Goddess stroked the rose haired kid's head and her frown morphed into a proud smile.

"It may be a burden, but being known as a God Slayer is the highest honor a mortal can have. Besides, I do not only see you as my apprentice, but also as my own son. I raised you since you were a small bundle of life and I will honestly admit, it was one of the best, if not the best moments in my ancient life. That is why I expect so much of you Natsu. Do not disappoint your mother and feel obliged when I ask you something, do you understand?"

Natsu flashed a small smile to his mother as he wiped the small tears away that were formed around the corners of his eyes. Amaterasu was an honest and straightforward woman and when Natsu was old enough to understand, she told pink-haired boy that he actually was an orphan, or so Amaterasu thought, instead being her real son. The black-haired Goddess explained that she wasn't human but an almighty creature, a Goddess, with a task to fulfill. When she found him all crying and alone in the woods, she couldn't just leave him be and walk away, leaving his life to fate to decide so she approached him carefully and studied him. As she was studying him, she noticed the strong aura the child was giving off. Not particularly strong as in strength and power, but strong as in possessing great bravery, determination and fierceness. It intrigued her to see this in a child of two years old. Over the years that she took care of him, she wasn't disappointed in the results. The boy was a quick learner and always pushed himself to his limits even when he faced an obstacle too much for him to handle.

It was a feat she looked for a worthy disciple. But Amaterasu made it clear that even though she found him and took him under her wing, she also deeply loved him as a mother would love her child. The years they spent with each other, the child brought her motherly side forward during times when she fed him, scolded the rose-haired God Slayer or comforted him whenever he needed it. The bond they shared was very strong and nearly unbreakable. The relation between mother and child cannot be simply shattered and a good example would be these two.

Amaterasu stood up and straightened herself as she picked up the fish with one hand. She gestured with her head to Natsu to follow her to the kitchen. The rose-haired kid nodded back and walked side by side the Goddess while he took her unoccupied hand in his own. The raven haired woman glanced down and flashed a smirk to her foster-son

"How do you want your fish...?"

The two of them were sitting in a comfortable silence around the table enjoying their meal as they did so. The stone table was set with various kinds of fish dishes and the occasional bowl of sauce here and there. While Natsu would normally devour his meal in a matter of seconds, this time however he slowly took small bites while staring absentmindedly at the table with troubled eyes. Amaterasu noticed his odd behavior and placed her fork and cutter down before she interlaced her hands in front of her face and rested her chin on them.

"Is something bothering you, son?" The deep and mysterious voice of the Goddess asked as she stared to her rose-haired son. The pinkette sighed before he too placed his cutlery down while still staring at the stone furniture.

"Have you ever heard about... the Children Hunt, mother?" Natsu asked after moments of silence. Amaterasu raised her eyebrow at the question but remained silent. Finally, after minutes of anticipation from Natsu's side and consideration from Amaterasu's, the raven-haired woman answered.

"Yes I have heard about it. Why do you ask?" Natsu was having trouble coming with the right words as his face turned even more troubled.

"I.. when I walked through the city of Jacinth Town to get some bait, not now mother this is serious, "The rose-haired God Slayer sweatdropped when he noticed the frown his mother threw his direction when he mentioned the bait part, "I heard rumors about slave drivers had raided a small place called Rosemary Village. I asked them what happened there and they told me the tragic story behind the small town. Apparently, those slave drivers destroyed the entire village, butchering its inhabitants in the process while they only spared the children. Thereafter they hunted them down and captured them like they were wild animals. They were afterwards placed on a ship and sent to a location called the 'Tower of Paradise'. After that not much is known as those kids never returned."

After Natsu was done telling his little report, he glanced at his plate, a half eaten fish still present on it. The pink-haired God Slayer waited for his mother to talk, but he still didn't hear anything escaping his mother's mouth. The rose-haired boy raised his head and stared into his mother's golden orbs which were giving off a knowing glint.

"What are you going to do about it?"

"...What?"

"I will only repeat myself once Natsu. What are you going to do about it?" Natsu's foster-mother was looking at him intently. Natsu was at a loss of words.

"You want me to do something about it?" His only answer was a small chuckle as Amaterasu unfolded her hands showing a knowing smirk plastered on her divine face.

"Knowing you Natsu, you are not the kind of person who indifferently sits back if something is bothering him. I can practically read you like an open book, son," The Goddess of Fire started as she stood up from her seat, her plate in hand as she walked to the sink, "You think that these kids did not have the fortune of being saved by an almighty creature unlike you. So you want to save them and give them a second chance, am I wrong?" She casually explained while she washed her dishes. The pink-haired Fire God Slayer stared at his mother with shocked eyes. Was he that predictable? Was it that evident on his face that he was that bother with this subject?

"How can you tell so easily, mother?" Natsu asked inquisitively as he folded his arms. Amaterasu turned around and smiled warmly at the pinkette.

"The answer is simple; I am your mother."

Natsu grinned at his mother while sporting a small blush. Of course, how could he be so stupid. There was no way he could hide something from her and if he did, she would find out eventually what he was keeping from her. That is the amount of influence Amaterasu had over her rose-haired disciple.

The Fire God Slayer jumped off his seat and slammed his fists together, his look filled with determination as he stared at the dark-haired Goddess.

"Alright, I'm all fired up! I will see you in a day or two, mother." The pinkette said as his body was engulfed in black-white flames. He was about to take off when he suddenly felt a hand connect with the back of his head, effectively stopping him in his tracks. The rose-haired God Slayer flinched at the connect before he let out yelp of pain. Natsu turned around and saw Amaterasu shake her head as she looked at him with a displeased frown.

"Do you even know where this tower is? Do not rush things, dear, for it can cost you dearly if you make a grave mistake." The raven-haired Goddess scolded as she give him the 'mother finger'. Natsu grinned weakly at the woman before he nodded affirmative.

"Alright then, I wil start at Rosemary Village. From there, I will look for any clues that survived that bloody Inquisition." With that said, the pinkette surrounded his body with dark shining flames again. In a matter of seconds the kid disappeared from eyesight, leaving a small trace of smoke where he previously stood. Amaterasu smiled warmly as she thought about her rose-haired brat. She summoned a white Lacrima crystal orb out of black flames and poured some magic into it. The orb flickered several times before it took an image.

"They grow up so fast." The Goddess mused as she looked at the image of a boy covered his flames surging through the sky like a black shooting star.

"My God..." The pinkette muttered as he gazed around in complete and utter shock at what he was looking at: Houses burning like bonfires, corpses littered across the ground, some of them unrecognizable because of the burnings across their bodies, swords and shield scattered around indicating that people were probably resisting only to be mercilessly killed in the process. Natsu felt an urge of anger course through his being as he continued looking around the place with rage filled eyes.

"They will pay for killing innocent people! I swear to Amaterasu they will!" The rose-haired God Slayer thought as calmed himself before he continued to walk deeper into the village. The scene didn't change much after his observation of the previous scene. The place was completely destroyed and there were no traces of human life around. Nonetheless, the Fire God Slayer continued onward in the hopes that he might be wrong.

*sniff*

Natsu turned around instantly when he heard a faint sniff with his enhanced hearing. He sniffed the air a couple of times to discern where the source of it came; whenever you heard a sniff you probably would also smell the salty scent of tears.

"Bingo!"

The salty smell of tears reached Natsu's nostrils as he walked calmly to the source of it. He bypassed several houses, turned a few corners and afterwards he walked straightforward. He noticed said smell got stronger the minute he came closer and the sniffs also intensified so Natsu increased his pace. After he turned the last corner, to his surprise, the pink-haired God Slayer saw nothing but more devastation as he stopped in his tracks.

"Strange, I thought that someone was here judging by the sniffs and smell of tears." Natsu wondered as he stoically looked around. The strange part was, the sniffs didn't stop nor the smell disappeared. It was then that the Fire God Slayer noticed a small wooden box in the corner next to a burning house.

"Perhaps.."

Nodding to himself, the pinkette slowly walked to the wooden box. As he stood before the object, his senses told him that someone was inside. Taking a deep breath, the God Slayer prepared himself for whatever atrocity those slave drivers left in their wake. The pink-haired kid carefully opened the box and took a peek inside only to get a shocked expression at what he saw.

"What the..."

Natsu carefully lifted the lid with his right hand, his eyes never leaving the sight he was staring at. Inside the wooden box was a girl, her knees against her chest while her arms were wrapped around her legs as tears cascaded down her cheeks. The girl had chocolate-brown hair down her shoulders with two long bangs falling down at each side of her face, a pink headband adorning in her hair, a white buttoned sleeveless blouse with a collar, a black skirt that reached slightly above her knees, black leggings and lastly white shoes. The girl looked like she around the age of six or seven, Natsu couldn't exactly pin-point it; but that was not important right now.

The girl raised her head because of the sudden source of light penetrating the box. Her eyes suddenly widened in fear before she started to cry even harder in fear that someone might hurt her. Natsu was starting the panic because of this girl.

"Hey now, stop your crying. I am not going to hurt you." The pinkette soothed as he smiled calmly at the brunette. The girl raised her head and locked her chocolate-brown orbs with Natsu's green ones. She didn't know why, but she strangely felt a bit at ease around the boy; maybe it were his eyes or the calm and strong aura he was emitting she didn't know, but she honestly could care less about that now.

"Do you know where my big brother is...?" The brunette asked innocently as she stared at the rose-haired God Slayer, hoping that he might know where brother was. The question caught Natsu offguard as he tsked in surprise.

"Your brother?"

A nod was all Natsu received as a response. The pinkette placed a hand under his chin in thought. So far, he had not come across anyone else. The place was deserted expect for this girl. With a face filled with compassion the rose-haired God Slayer smiled sadly at the girl.

"I am sorry to say, but I have not seen him." The Fire God Slayer answered. The brown-haired girl's face was filled with anguish when she heard that he too didn't know where he was. Tears once again streamed down the girl's face in grief as she saw in that she was at a loss. What was she about to do now? She had no one else to depend on. Her brother was everything she had. At a young age, both she and her brother were abandoned by their parents for unknown reasons. From then on, they had to take care of themselves, obviously. They didn't need anyone else except each other, but now...

Natsu felt compassion fill his being as he stared sadly at the girl. He too was an orphan or so he was told. When Amaterasu explained to him that she wasn't his real mother, but the woman who simply took him in, he felt a large wave of sadness overwhelm him. Why was he alone in the forest? What happened to his parents? Maybe they were alive, but they just abandoned him? All these kind of question rushed through his head until he finally had enough of it. He pushed those thoughts away and convinced himself that no matter what Amaterasu told him, he still considered the Fire Goddess his real mother, the woman who took care and raised him into the person he was today. Amaterasu herself also made it clear that she considered him like her own son and that statement was enough to destroy all kinds of doubt inside him that he saw himself as an unwanted child cast aside by the very persons who brought him in this world. Now, he faced a different yet similar dilemma.

This girl was alone with no person around who could take care of her. Natsu wished that such a fate would never again befall on anyone else and if he could do something about, then he'll be damned if he didn't.

The rose-haired God Slayer nodded his head and extended his hand to the brunette who stared at the appendage with confused eyes. She carefully stared into the pinkette's eyes with her chocolate-colored eyes. They held a glint of determination and promise in them and she suddenly felt hope touch her as it warmed her up a bit.

"I do not know who you are, but I promise, I will find your brother for you? There is nothing here for you anymore. I could bring you to save place, that is, if you want to come with me." The pinkette offered as he looked at the girl with a faint smile. The brunette stared for moment at him before she hesitantly reached out with her own hand and grasped the pinkette's. The Fire God Slayer carefully helped her out of the box while he gave her a quick scan. The girl appeared to be a head shorter than himself and it looked like she hadn't eaten for a while. The pinkette slightly raised his hand before a bright light covered it. Seconds after, the glow died down and Natsu held a piece of bread in his hand. He showed it to the brown-haired girl before he offered it to her.

"I take it that you are hungry?" At that exact moment, the girl's stomach started to grumble, making the brunette blush a bit in embarrassment. The rose-haired boy chuckled slightly at this as the chocolate-haired girl took the bread with one hand. She muttered a small 'thank you' before she started to munch on the piece of bread.

Natsu nodded to himself before he turned around and gestured to the brunette to follow him as he offered him his hand. The girl looked at the pinkette for a moment before she nodded back and walked towards Natsu as she took his offered hand in her own with her other hand. The two then started to walk away from this hellish place before they stopped in the middle of the town. The girl gave one sad look around before her attention was drawn back to the God Slayer.

"When are we going to look for my big brother?" The brunette asked as she tightened her grip on Natsu's hand. The pinkette looked down and smiled promisingly.

"Soon, I promise you." The rose-haired God Slayer said as he engulfed their bodies in pitch black flames. At first, the girl gasped when she saw she was lit up in fire, but soon afterwards she saw in that the flames were harmless to her. Natsu took one last look at the girl before asked her a question that was gnawing at him for a while.

"You never told me your name. By what name should I call you?" The pinkette asked as he stared expectantly at the girl next to him. The girl fidgeted at the look before she finally mustered the courage to tell him.

"Kagura. Kagura Mikazuchi..."

"Natsu. Natsu Hirokami is the name, a pleasure to meet you." The God Slayer formally introduced himself as he smiled . Even if the girl was younger than him, Amaterasu's lessons about proper manners never left his system. A shiver went down Natsu's back as he remembered the things his foster-mother did to him if he ended up being rude or ill-mannered.

Kagura faintly smiled back at her new friend. She thought that it was some kind of miracle, seeing this stranger help her in her search for her missing brother. She inwardly thanked whatever deity decided to show her compassion by sending this boy to her. At last now she wasn't alone...

Did you guys expect this? I bet you didn't! *smirks*

Damn, when I read Chapter 315 of the manga, an idea suddenly struck me. Why not let Natsu find the girl after the whole Children Hunt. I mean, there are very, and I mean, VERY few fics about this girl. Yet, she is the most interesting person who made her début during the GMG Ark. Now, what will happen with this girl? Will she still master the art of the sword or... maybe God Slayer Magic from our very own Mr. Pinky? Sorry guys, can't tell. You have to wait for it in next chapter *grins*.

Ah yes, another thing. Maybe you have noticed that I'm describing Natsu's eyes as green instead of onyx. To tell you guys the truth I don't know anymore of it's black or green so I decided to go with the latter.

Thanks for reading and don't forget to review!

Your humble serpent:

Fafnir hissing out)