(Edited 27/01/25)

I do not own Fairy Tail Hiro Mashima does.

Reunion And Grim Reflections

*POTD*

"We told you to tell him upfront Gilda!"

"How could he possibly react any other way," the voices of Alyssa and Solomon protested, though Natsu's eyes saw naught but the figure who now stood between them.

Standing at four foot four with long billowing golden locks and bright emerald green eyes, was a young girl who appeared no more than eight years old. Wearing a rather plain green dress and white gloves, the young girl took several steps toward the kneeling Hybrid.

"…Natsu," the voice uttered softly, a faint shake to its cadence as they stopped a foot before him. "Are you…?"

Slowly, Natsu managed to meet the young girl's gaze, noticing her wince upon seeing his face, her eyes glistening as she gently reached outward, only to pause and remove the glove on her right hand.

"Give her a moment Natsu," Solomon spoke gently, understanding his friend's inner turmoil, as Alyssa fought off her own tears. "She needs to recognize you as she has with us."

Remaining stock still, he allowed the young girl to touch his face, her smooth fingers running across his rough, scarred face, taking in every curve, bump and ravine within his very flesh, her eyes seeing something more than mere damaged skin.

"So, this was the secret Father wouldn't tell me about," Hisui whispered under her breath, spilling a few tears of her own as she held a gloved hand to her mouth. "I-I can't even imagine what Natsu is feeling right now…"

"A great many emotions, of that you can have no doubt," Gilda hummed, though her crone-like stare had indeed softened, despite her tone remaining the same. "I do believe that this might just be one of the best kept secrets upon Earthland…"

Natsu felt the fingers pause, before slowly pulling away, as he met the young girl's gaze once again. This time, the girl was plain old crying. There simply wasn't a better way to describe it as the kid practically threw herself into his arms, surprising even himself at how quickly he'd moved to embrace her.

"NATSU! IT'S REALLY YOU," the girl sobbed, clutching onto his coat as she buried her face into the crook of his neck. "Y-You're alive!"

"Of course I'm alive," Natsu sniffled, pulling himself together as he gently pet the back of the girl's head in a soothing manner. "You didn't think the last task was ensuring the survival of the Seed, did you? I had to live to get payback…"

"You idiot," the girl huffed, hitting his left pectoral, though it had no effect whatsoever as he slowly rose to his feet, still holding her. "Though, I suppose this is a bit different for you than it is for me, isn't it?"

"In a way. But don't think that doesn't mean I don't cherish your very existence," Natsu replied firmly, holding her out in front of him before gently putting her down. "I'm glad to see you, my Queen."

The Last Of The Known Elementals

Inheritor Of The Legacy Of Scarlione

Eighth Seed Of The Ichor Throne

The Hopeful Queen

Illyandra Scarlione VIII

"And I'm glad to see you alive Natsu," Illyandra smiled in a childlike manner, beaming up at him as the Hybrid struggled not to break down again. "My memories from my predecessor about you are most joyful! She saw you as her Son, even in her final moments…"

"In the end, I knew that much," the Dragon Slayer sighed, as he dropped down onto one knee so as to be on her level once again. "How old are you? When did you sprout from the-?"

"Eight years to the exact day you defeated Mard Geer Tartaros," another familiar voice cut in smoothly, as Lorelei stepped into the room, looking slightly older, but retaining her beauty Natsu remembered her for. "Quite the coincidence, no?"

"Lorelei…"

"You're almost as bad as the others when it comes to disappearing. But from what I've heard, you've been through enough to avoid punishment by my hand."

"Cat O Nine Tails type punishment, or…?"

"Highly inappropriate response," Lorelei replied firmly, though she didn't deny anything. "For the sake of preserving our future Queen's innocence a little longer, let us be seated to discuss more important concerns…"

No one argued with Lorelei's retort, as they all assumed seats around the table, with Illyandra hopping straight into Natsu's lap, giggling all the while, much to Lorelei's chagrin.

"My Queen, we've been over this…"

"Don't care! I'm the Queen and the Queen shall sit where the Queen chooseth to sitteth!"

"Sitteth isn't a word, Illy," Natsu chuckled, as she leaned back into him.

"Well, as Queen, I decree that sitteth is a word now!"

"Is that allowed," Alyssa asked curiously, eliciting shrugs from many, until all eyes fell on Hisui.

"Don't look at me, I've only been Queen for fifteen minutes!"

"As amusing as this wordplay is, I'm going to need to be the downer here and remind you all that Alvarez are two days away from launching their invasion on Fiore," Gilda cut in, snapping everyone back to the present topic. "Now then, before we go into the important stuff, I want to make it clear that this entire room has been magically sealed off from the outside by the High Council's Knights."

"I take it we'll be discussing things the High Council keep secret," Natsu asked in response, his tone becoming more formal as Illyandra held his hand with both her own. "So, what is this to be then Gilda? A War Council?"

"If you wish to call it that, I won't protest."

"If this is to be a War Council, then why are we the only few here?"

"Queen Hisui and Queen Illyandra are here as they are rulers of two sovereign nations," Gilda began, tapping a bony finger against her cane. "I am representing the minor nations that the High Council manages directly. Therefore, we are effectively the free world within this room."

"And what of myself, Solomon, Lorelei and Alyssa? Why are we here?"

"Lorelei is currently Queen Regent of Scarlione, and the three of you have more experience fighting Alvarez than anyone else currently alive. On top of that, you are literally one of the greatest super weapons of all time," Gilda replied bluntly, rendering the Hybrid completely mute. "No more silly questions?"

"No ma'am."

"Excellent! Now then, let's discuss the first issue we're facing and go from there," Gilda replied, as the group quickly got into an engrossing and heated meeting that stretched on until the early hours of the morning…

*POTD*

Arriving at the Honey Bone Inn where the Guild were staying, Natsu was glad the vast majority of them were asleep. After his discussions with the leaders of the remaining free world, the Hybrid had serious problems with what they were asking of him…

"I know that look."

And there was Makarov, sitting atop the countertop of the bar, a knowing look on his face as Natsu fought off another sigh. He wasn't about to slip past the old man, but how could he even begin to tell him what they had requested of him?

Even by all the standards set forth by the Fairy Tail charter, and the duty of its S Class Mages and the Ace, this went leagues beyond any of it…

"That bad?"

"I think the only way it gets worse is if Alvarez suddenly showed up in five minutes time," the Hybrid muttered in reply, leaning against the nearby pillar. "Makarov, I can't tell you what they've asked of me, but-."

"I understand. Perhaps not what you're currently processing, but the fact that you've likely been asked to make a seemingly impossible choice in order to even the odds," the old man replied in a rather sagely manner. "I won't pry into what it is, but I want you to know that you won't lose the support of myself, or those who have stuck by you all these years. You understand me?"

"…I didn't doubt any of your loyalties," came the quiet response, as he met the old man's gaze. "But what I've been asked will affect the world to come."

Makarov wisely chose not to comment any further, understanding that doing so would only drag down his mental state even further. With a war on the horizon, having their most powerful asset doubting himself wouldn't go well for them, of that he was most certain.

"Anna and her friend are currently resting; in case you were wondering where they were? From what Jellal told me, they traveled far to get here."

"I see. I'm surprised that he actually managed to find her to be honest."

"A stroke of luck at the last possible moment, or so I'm told. They took great care to hide their presence from both Alvarez and Achnologia."

"She seems nice," a familiar voice chimed in, as Elise descended the stairs, looking more and more a spitting image of her Mother by the day. "But since you aren't gonna be able to talk to her, can I talk to you instead?"

"Uh, yeah? You don't need to ask to talk to me Elise," Natsu replied, somewhat taken aback by her formal tone, before quickly realizing what she meant. "Oh. You meant in private, right?"

"Sorry Master Makarov," Elise replied with a sheepish smile. "It's a bit personal…"

"Not a problem. I daresay many of us will be needing chats with those closest to us in the hours to come."

"Thanks. Let's go outside Natsu," Elise replied gratefully to the old man, as the pair left the Inn and walked into the side alley adjacent to the building.

"I'll admit that you've got me intrigued Elise," Natsu spoke as they stopped about halfway down the alleyway. "What's up?"

"…There's a good chance that we're all going to die in two days' time-."

"Elise-!"

"Just shut up a second and listen to me," the God Slayer hissed, as she paced back and forth, wringing her fingers nervously. "There's something I want to do before the war, and I want you there to…to support me."

"I can already tell this is something big, I've never seen you THIS nervous before?"

"Its big for me. I-I want to go back to the place I was raised… Kihetai Village."

You mean-?"

"Yes. If I could die in two days time, then I'd rather know I faced the darkest moment of my life head on and conquered it," Elise replied firmly, though she was clearly still rather nervous. "It would mean a lot to me if you would-."

"Of course I'll go with you. Do you want to leave now?"

Elise blinked, surprised by his instant agreement, before her expression softened into a knowing smile, her nervousness traded for a mixture of relief and sincere gratitude as she took his hands into her own.

"What would I ever do without you Natsu Dragneel?"

"Don't ask that question, the timelines would be proper fucked up," the Hybrid joked, as Elise barked with laughter.

"Funny guy! Still, I won't forget this Natsu."

"Don't worry, I'll make sure of it," Natsu smirked in response, as he allowed himself to return to his true height, sighing as he flexed his Hybrid's Aura. "Alright, Kihetai Village… You ready?"

"Yeah," the God Slayer replied, her tone slightly more subdued once again, as Natsu snapped his fingers, opening a Gate next to them, before extending his hand for her to take.

The War God Slayer smiled, as their fingers gently intertwined. She knew he could feel her emotions with his own Aura, and was there to help her through the pain that assuredly lay around the corner.

"Let's go," Elise whispered, as they stepped through the portal.

*POTD*

It was a grim sight they stepped out into, the portal situated at the foot of the mountainous village, which had clearly seen naught but destruction and the ravages of time.

Elise stepped forward, each breath as shaky as the last, stopping at the first set of steps that led to the ruins of the village above.

Extending her hand, she wiped away some foliage to reveal a charred sign that appeared to inform visitors of the town's name. Most curiously though, the sign was charred by spell fire, not a natural fire…

"I'm surprised there is anything left of the place, if I'm being honest."

"I've only heard whispers of Kihetai Village, rumors of it being a place of Dark Mages? Is that true?"

"I suppose it would be," the God Slayer replied, nodding curtly as she looked up at the charred wall around the sign. "I've never spoken openly about my childhood to any of you. Not even Erza, or Mirajane. Two who I consider both Sisters, and lovers of a sort. It isn't that I don't want to, its just-."

"Things are different now, and you want to face the Demons of your past head on?"

"Well yes, but that isn't all. You're the one who made it possible for me to find real happiness, a real home. Both things I never thought I'd have growing up…"

"Elise," Natsu replied gently, as the young woman continued to look up at the ruined village. "Just let it all out…"

The War God Slayer stilled, her breathing almost ceasing entirely, before she suddenly inhaled deeply, before audibly exhaling, calming herself for the tale to come.

"It all began a long time ago, back before the fall of Kihetai…"

*POTD*

Kihetai Village. A seemingly innocuous little hamlet nestled deep in the heart of Sacred Mount Zonia in a location few would dare to tread.

From vicious wildlife carnivorous flora and rapidly shifting weather, the path to reach the village deterred all but the most experienced of adventurers. Yet once they arrived, they found not warmth, respite from the chaos of the mountain…

They were met with naught but despair.

Kihetai Village, founded a hundred years after the fall of the Dragnof Kingdom by a vengeful General who had lost his chance to be King. It was a village that bore a terrible yet powerful secret.

A secret that would one day prove its undoing…

All around the village were banners, flags and etchings of a symbol. A black blade coated in crimson, the blood of the defeated. The coloring of the blade and the significance of the fanatical worship of it were no mere coincidence…

For the people of Kihetai worshiped, craved, and lusted for War.

Housed within the Grand Temple situated at the uppermost point of the village was a black blade, sheathed within the earth. Time could not mar its craftsmanship, nor could it dull its edge.

The blade, so the people of Kihetai believed, belonged to a War God.

And so, those who desired eternal conflict, or those who craved bloodshed, flocked to Kihetai to join the Cult Of Eternal Armageddon. A cult dedicated to bringing about eternal conflict in order to earn the War God's favor.

One could not classify the people of Kihetai as a Dark Guild, however, as they abhorred them as much as they abhorred Legal Mages. To the Cult, only those who craved War in its purest form were worthy of their time.

And so, as the people of Kihetai hungered, so too did they strike out at those neighboring their home. Enacting War in their unknown God's name.

And the one at the head of these raids, was a man by the name of Gentou.

Once the Raid Chief of the Cult Of Eternal Armageddon, Gentou would attack any and all settlements, camps or caravans around Sacred Mount Zonia with the most faithful. The warriors were vicious, slaying all as they chanted to their unknown God, even as their targets begged for mercy.

Until one fateful night, Gentou performed his last raid. It was a fairly standard one, attacking a Dark Mage settlement and sacking the place. A stratagem the older man had done a thousand times.

Only this time, fate had other plans for Gentou, as an incident occurred that changed his entire outlook on life…

*POTD*

Screams and spell fire rang through aged ears, as a figure almost seemed to teleport around the Dark Mage settlement, cleaving apart the weaklings with single slashes, as many tried in vain to flee.

Fire bathed the settlement, blood sizzling on scorched earth as a figure appeared right at the center of the village, caked in blood and gore…

Standing at six foot five, the figure wore black leather armor that held a makeshift look to it, varying armored plates from salvaged plate armor having been crudely tied onto vital areas. They held in their right hand a katana, the blade charred black and dripping with enemy blood and viscera.

Their eyes burned as brightly as the roaring fire around them, a light, almost orange, their age clearly around their mid fifties. Short, slicked back greying hair, flecks of black mixed with the blood of enemies, along with matching stubble that gave them a frightening visage indeed.

The Raid Chief had taken to the battlefield…

Raid Chief Of The Kihetai Warband

The Strongest Warrior Of The Cult

Fist Of The War God

Soon To Be Warlord Of The People Of Kihetai

Grand Wizard

The War God's Chosen

Gentou Kageuta

"Chief! Only one building left," one of the raiders called out over the chaos, as Gentou looked off in the direction of her blade to a structure made of solid tungsten. "We can't punch through!"

"Not a problem," Gentou replied, flicking his blade off to the right as the blood of his enemies watered the earth. "All raiders, stand aside!"

The raiders did as instructed, watching as Gentou marched toward the tungsten based structure, flicking his blade in an X formation in under a second, as the entire front of the structure was blasted away by a colossal aerial slash attack.

The cultist roared, cheering their Chief on as he marched into the structure alone. They knew he wouldn't need their help, so they turned to looting the place, letting him get all the glory.

As the warrior marched into the building, he walked straight past two Dark Mages, their bodies being sliced apart so fast it didn't even look like the old man had twitched his blade arm.

A fireball was lobbed in his direction from the left, only for an aerial slash attack the size of a train to seemingly manifest in an instant, eclipsing the fireball as the entire left side of the building where the attack came from was obliterated.

Stepping into the final room, the warrior paused.

Inside were three individuals, though only two were registering as threats to the old man. As for the third…

"S-Stay back," a shaky female voice cried out, as she cowered in a nearby corner alongside a male, both placing the third figure in question out in front of them like a Human shield.

Being held up in front of the cowering couple, was a little girl of no more than four years of age, perhaps even younger. Looking extremely malnourished, the girl had no clothing, her body suffering multiple lacerations and whip marks, her left eye puffed up to the point she couldn't see out of it.

And to top it all off, her neck, wrists and ankles all bore the signs of severe rope burns, along with multiple bite marks from canine creatures.

His eyes met the lone grey one of the little girl, who was being held up by her greasy black hair by the male. She was terrified, that much he could tell. But he could also see she was resigned to her fate, accepting of her demise…

And it was in that moment, as he held the gaze of the little girl, something within the warrior shifted.

"What have you done to this child," Gentou whispered, his sheer disbelief in her condition evident in his tone.

"W-What's it matter to you," the woman hissed, glaring at the girl. "If you must know, the little oxygen thief tried eating a corner off of our loaf of bread! So, we taught the thing a lesson," the woman snarled, as the male raised her a little higher, as Gentou noticed her disgustingly malnourished state as the skin shifted visibly over her ribcage.

"You would treat a child in such a way…? What if that was your child!?"

"This little shit is our spawn, you scum," the man snapped in response, his grip on the girl's hair tightening, causing even more pain.

"You dare," Gentou murmured, as the two Dark Mages were cut down in the blink of an eye, the young girl being caught in his free hand as he dropped down to one knee. "Sleep, little one…"

The girl had no ability to resist, as a faint Sleep Spell knocked her right out. Even once unconscious, the old man was still silently seething, noting that her weight was less than that of his blade…

"You have survived much hardship, haven't you," the old man whispered, sheathing his blade as he wrapped her in a blanket and holding her close. "You're a survivor, perhaps something more… Either way, you've more than earned your right to live."

Stepping out of the structure, Gentou held the girl close, even as the other raiders questioned his actions. He knew there was only one thing he could do for this girl…

*POTD*

Natsu and Elise were in the center of Kihetai Village as the latter surveyed the area. Her eyes roved over the ruined and dilapidated buildings, as if seeing something no one else could.

"You've mentioned Gentou to us before, but was he really like that?"

"Yeah. Gentou was a powerful Mage, probably Wizard Saint level at least," Elise replied honestly, as she turned to face him. "But after he rescued me, Gentou retired and committed to bringing me up."

"I assume the cult didn't like that?"

"Well, yes and no. On one hand, Gentou had done so much for the cult that no one could really argue with his choice. He also would counter by saying that he saw potential in me to be a warrior that would one day surpass him in strength, but only if he were able to raise me correctly."

"And he was right."

"…"

"Right?"

"We'll get to that," Elise sighed, as she looked over toward the ruins of a nearby house. "You see, things didn't just improve for me overnight, and Gentou himself wasn't exactly someone skilled in the art of raising a child…"

*POTD*

Several months had passed since Gentou had rescued Elise from the Dark Mages and her vile parents, and she had been recovering at an impressive rate.

But Gentou had to admit that, from day one, trying to raise Elise had been nothing short of a nightmare. But not for the traditional reasons one might think when it came to raising a child.

From the moment she had woken, Elise could barely speak. The only words she held within her limited vocabulary were her name, Yes, No, Master, Mistress and Thing.

What was worse than that though was her propensity to undertake cleaning tasks constantly, and administering self-punishment should she fail at anything. It was a disturbing thing to witness, watching a four-year-old snap their own finger without a word, and it was just the tip of the iceberg…

Her mental state was an absolute wreck. She didn't even understand what being free or enslaved meant. The poor girl couldn't comprehend the idea that she could do whatever she wanted.

Never once did she smile. Never once did she make a single request of him. Never once did the four-year-old speak out of turn, or play with toys or other children…

He would see to it that she came to ask for all of these things and more. This kind of behavior was NOT normal nor healthy, and he WOULD get through to her somehow.

So, when he finally decided to tackle the topic of her birthday, the old man managed to get it out of her that it was at the end of September, and she would be turning five.

The old man sat on the porch of his home, inwardly cursing himself as he fretted. He didn't understand why he was so worried, holding a plain parcel in his hands that held something he'd worked hard to get.

"The Hell is wrong with me… I'm just giving her a gift!"

But deep down, he knew why he was so nervous, though he forced the thoughts straight out of his mind. He needed to focus, and make sure Elise accepted and enjoyed his gift to her! That's all that mattered!

Hearing the signs of her stirring, the warrior was in his living room in a single step, just in time for the now five-year-old to enter, a blank yet drowsy look on her face.

"Good morning Elise!"

"Good morning Master," Elise replied, bowing slightly, much to Gentou's inner disappointment at seeing the submissive action.

"Er, I've been waiting for you," the old man replied quickly, as he tried to salvage the situation. "I have a surprise for you!"

Elise simply cocked her head to the side, eyes blank, not understanding what he meant by the word surprise. An oversight on his part, though not really his fault.

"Uh… Well! A surprise is when someone does something you didn't expect…er, kind of…? Uh, but this is a good one!"

"…"

"And you need not call me Master or anything Elise, we've been through this!"

"Yes M-M-M…"

"Its alright," the old man sighed, sitting down on the floor in front of her. "Don't worry about that for now. What matters right now, is today!"

"Today?"

"Well, today is the day you were born, right? The twenty ninth of September?"

"…Yes?"

"Well, that means today is what we call your birthday," Gentou explained, trying his best to stay as cheery as possible. "And its normal to celebrate your birthday!"

"Cele-brate? You mean like how the village do those things in the square?"

"YES-! Er, I mean, yes, that's correct," the old man replied, awkwardly getting excited that she'd seemingly understood the concept, even if it was from an odd point of view. "Today is your birthday, and we're going to celebrate it!"

"Cele-brate…my birthday? Why?"

"All children celebrate their birthdays, Elise. Your…situation, as I've told you many times since you came here, wasn't normal. But don't worry, because we're going to change that, starting today!"

"…What do I even do on a birthday?"

"Well, for the person who has the birthday, its an extra special day where all their friends and family give them gifts, and everyone celebrates with food and drink!"

"Gifts? Friends? Family," Elise replied, unfamiliar with these most basic of concepts, as the old man struggled not to wince again.

"A gift is the act of handing someone something they like. Usually its something like an object, but it can be something else too. Either way, whatever a gift being given is, it usually means something to the person receiving it."

"I…do not understand?"

"…You will," Gentou replied quietly, as he reached behind his back and produced a wrapped-up package, placing it on the floor in-between them. "Go on."

"What is this?"

"A gift I'm giving you for your birthday," the old man smiled, resting his chin in the palm of his hand as he watched the small girl hesitantly crawl toward it.

"A gift… You would give me a gift?"

As he watched her process the foreign concept of being given something, Gentou could only think back to the time spent with her since he'd saved her.

In all the time she had come to live with him, not once had the old man so much as raised a hand to her. Not once had he ever raised his voice in anything but excitement, and she had always been allowed to eat her fill at his encouragement.

Almost everyday he would ask about her well-being, helping her recover to the point that she could walk again, and helping heal much of the damage to her frail body, even if it left many a scar behind.

He had hoped she would somehow recognize his kindness simply for what it was, and not remain skeptical of it. He knew that it was vital for her mental health to understand there was more to life than pain and suffering, that joy truly did exist…

"A gift for me," the girl whispered, shaky hands reaching for the gift as she looked up into his aged eyes, silently asking one final time if it was truly for her.

Gentou nodded silently, a warm smile on his face as he used all his years of experience to try and not cry. Some would say he had grown weak, but he knew better…

He was merely Human.

"I… Thank you, Gentou."

The girl immediately flinched, her eyes scrunching shut as if expecting harsh physical reprimand for referring to the old man by his name. And yet, no blow came. Instead the old man was simply smiling, several tears escaping him as he nodding to the present again.

"Open it, Elise," the old man croaked, trying to pull himself together as he couldn't help but laugh, watching her fiddle with the packaging. "You know that tearing it open is one of the fun parts, right?"

Taking his advice, Elise ripped the packaging open, her eyes widening as she shakily reached down and picked up the gift Gentou had given her.

"I-Is this really for me…?"

The gift wasn't anything fancy by the standards of someone living in a traditional town or city, but it was for someone like her, who had worn nothing but a ratty sack as clothing for as long as she could remember.

"Do you…like it," Gentou asked slowly, a tinge of nervousness in his voice. "I had to go down the mountain and the next town over to get it, but I thought that maybe you'd like it?"

"I-I do! Mas-Gentou, I really do," the young girl replied in awe, clearly excited, yet struggling to even understand what she was feeling in that moment.

As he watched her examine his gift, Gentou found himself cursing the Dark Mages he'd killed. To damage a child to the point that receiving simple dress was enough to make her feel like she'd been given a diamond was outright infuriating…

And yet, the old man's rage simmered as he focused on Elise. She wasn't smiling, but her reaction was perfect regardless. Despite the sadness behind the moment, his old heart was hopeful this would be the turning point for her.

"C-Can I try it on," Elise asked hopefully, snapping the old man from his thoughts as he smiled down at her happily.

"Of course! Go and put it on in your room right now and then come show me," the old man cheerfully replied. "I'm sure you'll look really pretty!"

Elise nodded quickly, hugging the small dress to her chest as she shuffled off into her room, still not strong enough to walk at a brisk pace quite yet. But he could see the eagerness in her step.

For her to show eagerness or desire in any form was a major breakthrough. The first of many, the old man hoped.

Several minutes later, Elise returned wearing the dress. It was a full dress that went down just past he knees, and was a nice forest green colour. Even with her rather short hair being all messy, it didn't take away from how she looked in the slightest.

"I-I'm wearing it, Mas-Gentou… Um, I hope it looks good…"

"Of course it does Elise," Gentou replied happily, as she moved to stand before him. "But the thing about wearing clothes is that it doesn't matter what other people think of you in them."

"It…doesn't?"

"No. What matters is what YOU think! If you think you look pretty in that dress, then you wear that dress with pride! And don't let anyone tell you different!"

"The only opinion that matters…is mine?"

"That's right," Gentou nodded sagely, as he looked down at her once again. "So, what do you think Elise? Do you like it?"

The young girl looked down at her feet, her small bangs obscuring her eyes for a moment before she suddenly looked upright, meeting his gaze, shocking the old man as he felt his heart clench…

She was crying.

"Elise-!"

"I-I LIKE IT," the usually mute girl cried out, even as she flinched from doing so. "I LIKE IT LOTS!"

Gentou couldn't help but sniffle, as she girl rubbed her eyes, almost confused by the fact that she was crying. And he couldn't exactly blame her, since not once had she ever cried from the moment he'd found her and taken her in.

"I-I'm glad you like it Elise," Gentou smiled happily, as he gently took her hand with his own. "Expect lots more presents from me from now on!"

"Mhm," was all Elise could get out, as she wiped her tears with her sleeve.

As Gentou moved the wrapping paper to the side and asked Elise to sit, he couldn't help but feel all warm and fuzzy inside. It reminded him of happier times, back when he had his own family, so very long ago…

"Now that you've opened your present, its time for the next part of your birthday!"

"T-There's more!?"

"Oh yes! The birthday girl gets to do whatever she wants for her birthday you know?"

"A-Anything!?"

"Anything you'd like!"

"D-Does that mean I don't have to do any chores today," Elise asked, almost excitedly, eliciting another wince from the old man.

"Elise… I've been telling you since the day you came here that you never have to do any chores. So, how about asking for something else, eh?"

"Um…I don't really know anything else I would want?"

"There isn't anywhere you'd want to go, or anything you'd want to do?"

Elise shook her head, as the old man inwardly cursed at his lack of preparedness for this particular problem. After all, she was an abused five year old who was treated like a subhuman slave, so of course she didn't know anything else.

Wracking his brain, he quickly threw a plan together, hoping it would be one she'd like.

"Alright then, I have an idea! How about we go explore the temple?"

"W-What!?"

"Yeah! I know you stare at it from your window, so how about we go check it out?"

"B-But are you sure!? Am I allowed to go outside!?"

"Elise," Gentou sighed, feeling more depressed by every hurdle the poor girl's mind put up to her own happiness. "You are free to go outside anytime you like. You aren't my slave, or captive, but your own person. The only restriction I ever have is that until you are well, I help you outside and keep an eye on you, alright?"

Elise nodded quickly, attempting to stand, only to fall back down again. Seeing her attempts, Gentou sighed, before another idea came to mind.

"Would you like to ride on my shoulders, Elise?"

"…What?"

"You can sit on my shoulders as we go to see the temple," the old man explained to the thoroughly confused girl. "You'll be up really high, and see lots of things you normally wouldn't!"

"Um…I don't think that's a good idea?"

Now it was Gentou's turn to be confused, noticing her hesitance.

"And why is that?"

"Well, I think I'm sick Mas-Gentou… I don't want to make you sick too…"

"Sick," Gentou repeated, eliciting a soft nod from the girl. "How do you feel sick?"

"I feel, strange inside. My chest feels very tight, and my stomach feels all weird and light, and I-I don't really know how to say it other than feeling all bouncy?"

"Oh, is that all," Gentou sighed, somewhat relieved but also once again saddened by her sheer lack of understanding of basic emotions. "You're feeling excited."

"Ex-cited?"

"Yes. Its an emotion tied to being happy. You know what that is right?"

"Happy is…how I felt when you gave me that gift, right?"

"That's right," Gentou beamed proudly. "That's exactly what being happy feels like! You are one smart girl, you know that!?"

Elise blushed and looked down at her feet, but didn't respond. Despite that, Gentou couldn't be happier, as he rose to his feet.

"So, would you like to ride on my shoulders, Elise?"

"…Yes…Gentou," Elise mumbled, as the old man reached down and picked her up gently, placing her onto his broad shoulders as she held on tightly, never having been so high before. "Wow!"

"I know, right! But you think that's wow, you just wait until you see the village," Gentou smiled, walking to the front door and exiting, ducking slightly to account for Elise, as they left his home.

"Woooow…"

Elise marveled at the village of Kihetai from where they currently stood. Gentou's home was situated up the top, just to the left of the temple, giving it a gorgeous view of not just the entire village, but the valley below as well.

"So pretty…"

"You've seen nothing yet, little one," Gentou grinned, feeling like a million Jewel as he strolled happily toward the temple.

Coming toward the entrance, Elise was shocked to see two cart sized silver wolves laying down at either side of the entrance. They were clearly awake, yet lazing about in the heat of the day, one yawning to expose teeth as long as daggers.

"This is the Temple Of Eternal Armageddon, Elise," Gentou said proudly, as the two wolves looked in their direction, slowly rising to their feet. "Don't worry about these two, they are part of the village. Always have been, actually."

Elise didn't respond, watching as the massive creatures padded toward them, both ignoring Gentou entirely as they sniffed her.

"You're new, so they likely want to figure out who you are," the old man spoke quickly, feeling her tremble ever so slightly. "Just relax, Elise…"

The wolves sniffed her for several more seconds, with the slightly shorter male one looking off to the left and sneezing, before looking back at her for another moment, then returning to its position.

The larger, female wolf continued sniffing her though. By this point, even Gentou was confused, which only surged into shock as the wolf licked Elise across the face with its massive slobbery tongue.

"W-What!?"

The wolf looked toward Gentou, giving him a blank stare, before returning to its position at the entrance, its eyes remaining upon Elise until they quickly passed them by and entered the building.

"My face is all slimy," Elise said, as Gentou pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and gave it to her to wipe her face. "But that wolf was really nice…"

Gentou didn't respond, as their behavior was something he'd never once witnessed before, and something he would need to think about at a later time.

For now, though, he wanted to make sure Elise had a great birthday, and at least the wolves seemed to have been a nice addition. But there was something else he needed to show her, something he hoped would draw her interest…

The pair entered a dimly lit chamber, with countless runes carved into the floor, walls and roof, all leading toward a central dais where numerous priest knelt, chanting in a strange language.

Elise's eyes however were immediately drawn to what lay atop the dais, elevated atop a pyramid-like structure for all to see.

At the peak of the structure was an Ebony Sword, four flames of varying color surrounding it. The blade looked almost otherworldly to the five year old, drawing her in like a moth to a flame, as Gentou spoke up quietly.

"It is within this temple that our people worship the God of War in all his glory. It is here that we pray for victory, as well as blessings to combat our enemies…"

"The God of War… But how do you know the God of War isn't a girl," Elise asked curiously, only for a nearby voice to rather angrily respond before Gentou could.

"A woman cannot be the God of War! That's preposterous, let alone blasphemous!"

"She's only just turned five, Aniel," Gentou sighed, turning to face a furious young man who Elise immediately didn't like, as he reminded her of the Dark Mages from back home. "She doesn't know anything of our faith yet, let alone what the words preposterous and blasphemous mean."

The priest merely scoffed, sneering at Elise before leaving them alone, clearly somewhat afraid of the old man, as Elise struggled to understand the man's anger.

"Mas-Gentou? Why can't there be a girl God of War?"

"It's a long story Elise, and one you'll learn as I teach you," the old man replied with a tired sigh. "But the short version is that this sword belonged to a man who was a God of War. It was left behind long ago by him, but his power can still be felt even to this day. I take it you like the sword?"

"I feel…something coming from it? I don't understand what it is though," Elise replied quietly, almost seemingly captivated by it.

"Yes, that is the mystery behind the blade. Left behind by a God of War after a battle long ago, we now use it to commune with him, offering prayer and worship."

"Does the God ever speak to you all?"

"Well yes, of course he does. After all, we're still here in Kihetai, aren't we? The village was founded a very long time ago, and has never once been attacked in all that time. So, of course we believe in his Divine help."

"So, that's what you do when you go out every day? You worship this War God?"

"Yeah. I used to fight on the front line until I found you. Now, I've become a Priest here at the temple, and a high ranking one due to my many years of service to the village."

"Oh," was all Elise could respond with, not entirely understanding it all. "What are all the weird symbols?"

"Those are words, Elise. Though you don't know how to read and write yet, so they must look like mere squiggles to you," the old man chuckled. "Don't worry, I'll make sure you can understand them soon enough. But for now, let me read you what the words on the altar say."

"Okay…"

"Here lies the sword of the God of War. We offer ourselves upon his Divine grace. Here rests his noble blade, and let he who discovers its true power ascend to stand at his side. For he who can lift the blade shall ride into battle brandishing the might of his Divine power at their fingertips."

"…I don't get it? Is that saying if someone can pick up the sword, they can become a God?"

Gentou merely chuckled, gently petting her left leg as he turned around to depart the temple with her.

"Don't worry too much about what it all means, Elise. One day, once you've studied enough, you'll understand. For now though, I think we should head into the village and buy you some ice cream!"

"Ice cream? What's that?"

"It's a-. Look, you'll understand when I give you one, okay?"

"Is it another gift?"

"It's both a gift, as well as food," the old man replied cheerfully, as they made to exit the temple.

However, as they departed, Elise couldn't help but look back at the Ebony Blade atop the dais one last time, feeling the strange tingle in her stomach once again. It gave her the same feelings Gentou's present did, but on a whole other level.

As the blade went out of sight, that was the moment Elise knew she had to solve the mystery behind it. No matter how long it took, she would learn all she could about that blade… Well, so long as Gentou would let her, anyway.

*POTD*

Natsu and Elise sat in the centre of the village, as Elise finished the first part of her tale. The sun had just barely begun to peek over the horizon, illuminating the true extent of the damage to the place.

"Sounds like Gentou was a great man. He might have been a cultist, but he didn't trade his Humanity for it."

"That's putting it lightly," Elise replied quietly, running a hand over the crumbling stone fountain before her. "Similar to how you had Igneel as your Father, I had Gentou. He was one of the greatest men I ever knew. Even when I became a great burden to him, he refused to abandon me."

"What do you mean? How were you a burden to him?"

"Well, since you've heard how I came to live here, I suppose you should hear what it was like once I settled in," Elise replied, as she looked up to a ruined house near the temple. "The story continues about a year after Gentou took me in. A year since it was discovered that…I was dying."