"Where'd Nashi go?" Madeline asked, following her mother and closing the door behind her. The two guards had finally left after Iris had escorted them out, but now that the pair had returned to the kitchen the girl was nowhere to be seen.

"Don't worry, she probably didn't run off if that's what you're thinking. At least, she didn't run too far off..."

"So, where do you think she is?" Madeline was worried. She had grown fond of the child in the few days they had been together, and she didn't want anything bad to happen to her.

"Hmm..." Iris thought long and hard. "She's probably out back."

"Out back? But why?"

"I've been watching her actions as of late, and she always goes out there when we're not around; especially at night." Iris explained quickly.

"She does?" Madeline was impressed at her mother's knowledge. "But how did you know?"

"I installed security lacrimas about a week ago."

Madeline raised an eyebrow. "You did? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because you're too trusting, you'd probably tell someone about them within five minutes of talking to them." Iris rolled her eyes. "Then the system would be pointless."

"I wouldn't!" Madeline pouted, crossing her arms.

"You will." Iris sighed. "I know how you are. Plus, neither one of us is exactly magically trained. If someone came and attacked, I don't know what we'd do. It doesn't make it better that you'll be off to boarding school soon." Iris frowned.

"It's okay Mother! I could ask my professors and classmates about magic when I get there. Then when I come back, I could defend our small little restaurant!"

"If only it was that easy." Iris sighed. "But come on, let's go find where that brat ran off too."

Iris walked through the kitchen, followed by her daughter, reaching the back and opening the door located there. Sure enough, right next to the door was Nashi, huddled in a small ball; only this time, her hood was down.

For the first time, the pair were able to take in the child's unruly salmon locs, moving slightly in the wind. It was a similar description to what the guards had described to them a few minutes prior.

Madeline, who noticed this, was shocked. "Hey-"

"Mind telling us about yourself now?" Iris interrupted, getting straight to the point. "From the description the guards gave us, I think they're looking for you..."

"I... I don't know what I did!" Nashi exclaimed. "All I know is that I took my hood off and everyone called me a monster, they didn't even tell me why!"

"Brat..."

"I promise I'm not a monster, I won't do any harm... I'll do double the dishes! And I'll even help cook! Just don't let them take me away! I don't know where they'll take me, or if I'll ever be able to see the rest of my family again!"

"So you do have family..." Iris trailed off. "You need to tell us more about you, and quickly." Iris glared at the child, causing Nashi to shiver. She supposed she would have to if the child wanted a safe place to stay.

"Okay okay, I will!" Nashi took in a deep breath. "I don't know who my papa is, which is why I'm traveling. I've lived in Magnolia all my life with Mama and Happy before.. that day."

"Happy? Whose that?" Madeline wondered curiously.

"An exceed, he's my father's best friend! Or, he used to be.." Nashi looked down.

"And that's it?"

Nashi fiddled with her fingers awkwardly. "Well, I'm actually a part of the Fairy Tail guild, my guild mark is-"

"Fairy Tail?!" Madeline exclaimed in fear. "You mean you're a part of that destructive guild?!"

"Yea.."

Iris raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? Normally people of that status have something showing their membership."

"Do you mean my guildmark? It's-"

"That's not important, mother," Madeline interrupted Iris with a frown. "..what we need to know is how she got here when guilds like... those.." She shivered. "..are normally very protective of their members, even with all the destruction they cause..."

"Yeah, most of the members care for me plenty! But others.."

"Others..?"

"The newer ones don't really like me, especially because of what they've heard outside the guild.."

Iris frowned. "Well you shouldn't listen to those fools, no one really knows the whole story." Iris stated. She was never too keen with the magic council, especially after she learned about what had happened with Face. "But what about the more caring members? What did they do to cause you to flee?"

"Oh yeah, about that..." Nashi rubbed the back of her head awkwardly. "They didn't hurt me, I just kinda ran away..?"

"Ran away?!" The two ladies exclaimed in shock.

"B-but why would you..." Madeline was confused.

"I just wanted to find Papa." Nashi shrugged. "Aunt Mira, Aunt Erza, and Aunt Levy are all very nice and treat me well; but I want to find Papa. Plus, they have their own children, I feel like I would just bother them..."

"You are a bother.." Iris started, accompanied with a glare from her daughter. "But I doubt they would even blink an eye if it meant keeping you safe, they're your mother's sisters are they not?"

"Not really sisters, just really close." Nashi corrected. "But I guess you are right... I do miss them, and Julta and the rest... But I still want to find Papa!" Nashi pouted, conflicted as her two wishes competed.

"Your father? Does he go to the guild too? Maybe he's on a mission." Iris reasoned, as it was entirely feasible that the child had misunderstood the situation.

"He's not," Nashi shook her head. "Mama said he disappeared before I was born, and the rest of the guild refused to talk about him, until recently..."

"Wait, what's..." Madeline gulped as she started to piece it together, not knowing what would come of this question. "What's your name?"

"...N-Nashi..." She stated carefully, not knowing what their reaction would be. The last thing she wanted was to have to run and hide from more people. This was her only safe spot.

Luckily it seemed to be a good one as Madeline released a sigh in relief. "Oh okay good! I thought you were someone else..."

Nashi raised her head, allowing the pair to fully see her large brown eyes which were filled with tears. Unlike her hair, the eye color didn't match the description that the guards gave, which threw the pair in a loop. "Who did you think I was?"

Iris frowned. "Brat, do you know who END is?"

"N-no.." She shook her head.

"And you're looking for your father right? Who you've never met before?"

Nashi nodded.

Iris sighed. "Nashi, I think your father is END.."

"END?" Nashi tilted her head. "But I've heard that my Papa's name is Natsu..."

Iris let out an amused chuckle. "END stands for Etherious Natsu Dragneel."

"It does?!" Nashi exclaimed. Everything made sense now! "Wait, but why is he a monster?"

Iris huffed, thinking back to what she had heard a few years prior. "I'm not sure. All I know is that he was a demon from Tartaros, the most powerful from that group, but that guild was disposed of long before END became a major threat."

"So why-

"I said I'm not sure why!" Iris snapped. "For all I know, END might not be associated with Tartaros to begin with..."

"But it's not fair!" Nashi cried. "If Papa didn't do anything, why is he being shunned? Why do I have to spend everyday in hiding? I just want to be like other kids, like normal kids..."

"Well, you're not really normal, kid..." Iris grunted. "..that's just how it is."

"Mother!" Madeline huffed, disliking her mother's attitude towards Nashi. She had taken it too far in her opinion.

"Don't be so foolish Maddie." Iris scoffed. "It's not a bad thing, it just means things are going to be done differently for awhile."

"Differently? What do you mean?" Nashi was surprised. Not only was she not facing retribution, but she was also getting help?

Iris grinned. "Okay, so here's what we're gonna do..."

--------------------

Hector wore a cheeky grin as him and his two lackeys walked freely through the guild, approaching the door where another magic council member stood. Next to him was a small girl with brown hair who seemed to be his assistant, but Hector knew better than that. It was probably a bodyguard for extra security. This guild was known to get violent after all, especially with their new... management.

He walked freely, taking in the cold looks and glares from certain guild members. He paid them no mind though, it wasn't like they could act on their emotions in front of him.

"Hector." The man said flatly. "I see you and your teammates failed your mission?"

"Severus.." He acknowledged his superior begrudgingly.

Truth be told, he didn't like him at all. He was stuck-up and monotone. Only speaking when he needed to. It was unsure whether he actually fought for justice or was just power-hungry like the majority of the lower ranks. Hector didn't like that one bit.

The girl next to him huffed. "Don't talk to Sir Severus like that! He's come all this way just to bail you out! You should learn to respect your superiors you filthy little-"

"Elysia.." The man held up a hand, pausing her little rant.

She murmured an apology, still giving Hector a sharp glare with her dull green eyes. Hector shivered. As long as Severus was there she wouldn't do anything, but that didn't mean she wouldn't go after him later. She was guarding one of the most important council members after all, a title that required extreme strength.

Once the trio had finally arrived at the door, Severus cleared his throat. "Fairy Tail. Care to explain why one of the members of the magic council was sitting around in your dungeon?"

The blonde guildmaster, Laxus, growled as he narrowed his eyes at the smaller man. "He attacked one of our own. He was looking for trouble."

Severus tilted his head to look at Hector, who gulped. "Is this true?"

"I-It wasn't my fault! That child started attacking me first! I-I just did it as self defense.. Yeah!" He stuttered, trying to make himself seem like the victim. Although, the look in his superior's eyes told him he was doing pretty well.

Severus raised an eyebrow. "A child?"

"Y-yes!" Hector grinned evilly, finding an opportunity. "END and that fool had a child! And she's been hiding the child all this time! The child even has END's magic, it lit itself on fire."

In a corner away from the situation, Gajeel growled at the wimp referring to Nashi as an 'it'. He couldn't help but be amused though, that the small child had somehow managed to set herself on fire. It was a big magical feat for someone so small.

The superior was amused as well, returning his gaze to the guildmaster. "And where is this child?"

"Gone." The platinum-blonde beauty known as Mirajane stood up, walking to stand next to her husband. "She ran away a few days ago. We don't know where she went."

"Hmm..." The man hummed. "Are you sure that's not the case, or are you just hiding her from the magic council?"

Mira's breath caught in her throat. Her husband noticed this and wrapped a comforting arm around her, pulling her closer to him. "What she says is true. None of us have heard from her."

"You know.." Severus started, a small grin making a way to his face, although he did his best to subdue it. "Lying to the council is a big crime, especially for a guild like yourself. I can't believe you even kept a whole child from us... we should've watched you guys more closely..."

He took a step towards the guildmaster, stopping right in front of his face. "And defending a monster such as END now that he's been charged? It's treason." He whistled. "So I would suggest that you don't keep secrets from us anymore, unless you want to risk getting your guild removed; physically of course..."

Laxus didn't show it, but he was extremely concerned. He'd only been guild master for less than a decade, but it seemed like the guild was already starting to fall apart at the seams; with older guild members defending Natsu with their whole being and newer members wanting nothing to do with him. The pressure from the magic council just made everything worse.

He wondered how his older man would've handled this, but he guessed this was a different case. They weren't just dealing with property damage here.

Laxus kept up his tough facade though, for the sake of the guildmates who spectated, anxious to see what would unfold. "As we've said before, we're unaware of the child's whereabouts."

"And the mother?"

"She's sick." Mira answered for Laxus. "She's been in a coma since the child disappeared. She..." Mira paused, her voice becoming shaky. "It's believed that she won't make it to the next week..."

"I see..." Severus murmured, uncaring of the woman's tears. "Very well, I suppose there's nothing we can do. END has already been confiscated anyways."

Laxus couldn't control his emotions any longer as his eyes noticeably bulged. He wasn't the only one to have such a reaction though, as the once silent guild interrupted into chaos.

"Finally! We won't have to be associated with him anymore!"

"This could be a good thing, we could finally let him go."

"This is so unfair! Natsu never did anything!"

"That corrupt council! They won't win if it's the last thing I do!"

"Our reputation is saved!"

"What if they hurt him, we need to help him!"

"Hurt him, he deserves it!"

"You did? Then what was the point of my mission?" Hector frowned, upset at the missed opportunity.

"It was just to gather information, plus I wanted to see if you were capable enough. From what went down, it's obvious that you're not as much as I was expecting, which was extremely low in the first place..."

Hector balled his fists. Once again he had been thrown to the side, and it was all that stupid child's fault. When he saw her again, she would be finished.

Severus was no longer paying attention to his inferior however, noticing the conflict he had created with a few words. He grinned as he beckoned Elysia, Hector, and the other two to exit.

After the four had made it out the door, he gave Laxus one last look; taking pride in the obvious distress in his face. "Remember what I said, protecting that family will be your demise."

And with that, the council member left, leaving Laxus to deal with the disarray that the man had left behind. He tsked in annoyance. That pink-haired brat was going to owe him a lot when this was all over. That is, if he survived.

--------------------

"And that basically sums up what happened today," Mira frowned, wiping the blonde's unnaturally warm body with a cool cloth, hoping to help her discomfort. Recently she had been overheating and no one knew why. Gray had fortunately played a big role in cooling her down with his devil-slayer ice, but it wasn't enough. Mira was worried, to say the least.

"Of course, there were a few that disrespected Natsu, as expected with the newer members. But, it still hurts a lot. I would like to think if you were there, you would be reckless and defend him with your whole being, no matter what the council said. Natsu had always rubbed off on you.."

Mira hoped that when talking, she could somehow feel normal again. She even wished that

Lucy could hear her, but it was highly unlikely.

It was highly unlikely she would even hear her voice again.

Mira softly took the unconscious blonde's hand in hers. "Please Lucy. You have to make it out, for everyone. Nashi's way too young and she's been through so much, I'm not sure how she'll take it. I mean, she ran away because she didn't want to find out. And Natsu... I'm worried about how he'll react, what trouble he'll cause..." The platinum-blonde shook her head. "I don't think anyone would be able to stop him, not even Nashi..."

Lucy suddenly moved slightly, her face scrunching in what appeared to be pain. "N-Natsu..."

Mira froze. That was the first time she had made any type of movement in days. She had to let everyone know, especially Porlyusica, who could provide everyone with some sort of answer. Was she going to be okay? Is she ever going to wake up again? Did this mean she was getting better?

Mira hoped so.

--------------------

Lucy grunted as she flew into the wall of her and Natsu's house, the force of his magic suffocating her as she knelt next to the wall. "N-Natsu..."

He didn't respond, or he couldn't. He was having another surge again, and Lucy didn't know how to stop it.

Whenever he got like this, it was impossible to talk to him or even get near him. His magic seemed to increase every growing moment, and it didn't help that whenever this happened, Lucy seemed to be impacted by it too.

Everytime he lost control; hot, painful markings covered her body. It made her weak and unnaturally hot, which only made dealing with this situation harder.

Although random, It had only happened a few times, once at the guild. Lucy wasn't there at that time, although she still felt the markings when it occurred. For the most part, the guild forgot about it.

That raised another issue. When Natsu finally calmed down and came to his senses, he couldn't bring himself to remember anything. He didn't even question anything when it first happened.

Lucy was utterly confused, but she didn't want anyone to know, not even Natsu himself. She didn't want him to be criminalized for something he couldn't control or didn't even know existed. She knew that if she told him, he would beat himself up over it, and she couldn't let him do that to himself.

So, she was left to deal with the situation alone. However, this power surge seemed to be even worse than the last ones. It seemed to progressively get worse every time it happened, which raised even more alarms.

Lucy couldn't help but feel a tad bit hopeless.

"Natsu! It's me! Snap out of it!" She yelled, but it was no good. He couldn't hear her. She would need to get closer if she wanted to stop it.

As his power grew, Lucy felt herself being pushed against the wall again. Objects toppled over and things hanging on the walls fell.

Lucy grimaced as the markings became hotter, but she beared it as she began to walk towards her significant other. "Natsu!"

She made one large hurdle, grabbing onto his top as the pressure continued to pull her away. She didn't let go though, and caused the both of them to fall backwards. Lucy quickly wrapped her arms around the back of his torso, shutting her eyes and bracing herself for the fall.

It never came though, as she felt herself float in the air. She slowly opened her eyes and looked at the exceed above her. "Happy!"

The exceed carefully dropped the two to the ground. "Sorry, I couldn't come earlier. I had someone holding me back..."

Lucy shook her head. "It's fine."

Happy was the only other person who was aware of Natsu's random power surges. He helped Lucy deal with them when he was around, which helped Lucy a ton.

Lucy took a breath of relief as the markings slowly began to disappear, catching her breath. "Well, you know the drill. Can you help me pick all this stuff up before he wakes up?"

Happy frowned. "Sure, but I-"

"Lucy?" A voice interrupted, the blonde noticing that it came from the front door.

Turning towards the door in fear, Lucy recognized the man. He was tall and lean, his hair short and dark. As usual, he wore no top; his guild mark on the right side of his chest. His normal cool demeanor had changed, as he was now sporting a look of fear and anxiety.

"Gray..." She started, unsure what to say. Had he seen everything go down? How was she going to explain this to him again?"I tried to tell you, sorry..." Happy sighed. "Gray was the reason I took too long. He was suspicious of us...""What.."Gray eyed the unconscious pinkette before returning his gaze to Lucy. "..the hell is going on?"

--------------------

The small pinkette broke through the surface, taking in a deep breath of air as she sat up in the small tub. She ran a hand through her wet locs, the water causing them to become even more unruly.

"It's a refreshing bath, right?" Madeline snickered as she walked in the bathroom, holding a towel and a shirt in one arm.

"Yes." Nashi responded, taking the towel and beginning to dry herself."Thank you."

"No problem, Nashi." the ginger smiled softly. "Plus, I'm sure mother would lose her mind if you went without a bath for any longer.."

Nashi blushed, rubbing the back of her head in embarrassment. "Sorry, I haven't really showered since that day."

"Which day, if you don't mind me asking?" Madeline squatted near the tub, next to the small child who was slipping into the shirt; which fit her more like a nightgown. "I don't want to push you, but..."

"No, I'll tell you." Nashi shook her head. "It's the least I can do, for how kind you've been to me." She took a deep breath. "It'll be hard though..."

"It's not a problem," Madeline scoffed. "I'd do it over and over again. And plus, if you're not comfortable with it, you don't have to tell me..."

"I want to.." Nashi frowned. "If I can't tell you, how will I tell Papa?"

Madeline paused, a bit surprised at the kid's awareness. She supposed she shouldn't have been too surprised though, she did successfully run away from home and avoid the local guards.

"Basically," She started, nervously running her hands through the warm bathwater. "Mama and I got attacked by these strange people asking her where Papa was..."

Madeline sat down, crossing her legs as she listened closely. If she knew any better, she would know that her mother was eavesdropping.

"And Mama... she's always been sick, ever since I could remember." Nashi brought her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs and holding them tightly. "She's not allowed to use magic with her condition, or she shouldn't have been able to, but...."

Madeline brought a hand to the child's back, rubbing soothing circles over her back slowly as the child continued to speak. "She used it to protect me, then she...." Tears pricked at the small slayer's eyes. She quickly wiped them away.

"I.." She gulped, trying to reign in her emotions. "I never saw her again after that. I ran away a little after that.."

"Nashi..." Madeline stared at the child with worry as Nashi wiped away the excess tears with her forearm.

She frowned, knowing the child was now noticeably more upset.

"Y'know..." Madeline started, unsure if she should finish that sentence or not. She chose the former. "As I told you, I lost my father too. But, I know who did it."

Nashi perked up at this. "Y-you do?"

The ginger nodded, pressing her lips into a thin line. "I was 9, only a bit older than you are now." Nashi nodded slowly in agreement, although to her, 9 was a big age! Almost double digits!

"It was a while ago, but I still miss him a lot." Madeline sighed.

"W-what happened to him? Who was it?" Nashi asked nervously, curious of Madeline's similar story.

"He worked for the magic council, er the old one, before it got blown up by Tartaros." Madeline's eyes hardened. "I didn't even get to say goodbye, and it was all at the hands of that stupid group of demons." Her fist tightened.

Nashi reached out for the older girl, surprised at how hostile the environment had turned. But at the last second, she froze, and withdrew her hand. Now was not the time.

Taking a deep breath, Madeline willed her anger to go away. "But, Fairy Tail along with the other major guilds were able to take the dark guild down. And END was a part of that side, but I still can't help but feel anxious about him. What if he decides one day to avenge his Tartaros buddies, you know? We barely survived with his help."

"So..." Nashi murmured. "You think Papa is a monster? Like everyone else does?" Nashi shook. Just when she thought she was safe too..

The young woman's eyes widened as she took in the child's alarm. "Oh no! I wouldn't do anything to endanger you Nashi! I've known you for so long already!" Madeline comforted her, which made Nashi calm down a tad, still a bit tense.

"I just... everyone was calling END a monster, and I just went along with it; because I wanted someone to blame for Father's death. But that was wrong off me." She shook her head. "Mother has been telling me this all along, but I think I finally know what she was trying to tell me now that I've met you."

"Met me?!" Nashi was perplexed. What could she possibly have done in the few days that she was here that would amount to such praise and credit? All she did was dishes, or at least she thought that's all she did...

The woman chuckled, nodding. "I probably would've continued thinking that END was a monster. But, when I got to know you these past few days; I realized you're just another little kid with mischievous plans like running away but the purest little heart, just trying to get your family together..." Madeline poked her torso playfully, causing the child to laugh. "..you reminded me that he's just a normal person; with a wife and a kid.." Madeline frowned. "And by spreading all this hate, I've prevented you from having a normal childhood or even knowing who your father is... and I just feel so stupid..."

"But it's not your fault!" Nashi pointed a finger. "You just miss your papa just as much as I want to meet mine! We all do stupid things when we miss someone, I mean I ran away from home!"

"That's true..." Madeline giggled. "But I still feel guilty... I'm so sorry..."

"It's fine I said!" The child huffed. "And besides, as long as you know now, it's okay! You just have to be more careful in the future!" Nashi grinned.

"You're right..." Madeline realized, the tips her lip slowly curling up. "Ah, you're so cute!" She got on her knees to hug the child tightly.

"Maddieeee.. It's too tight..." Nashi groaned, the ginger slowly releasing her hold by a bit.

"Sorry!" she chirped. "I'm just so grateful for you."

The two sat in silence for a few moments, Nashi enjoying the warm hold that Madeline provided. It reminded her of home.

"Y'know," Madeline whispered softly. "I'll miss you when you're gone..."

Nashi hummed, thinking about the plan they had worked on earlier. Soon, she'd be off on another journey, coming closer to finding where her father is. It was exciting, but she was kind of sad. She had grown fond of Madeline and even Iris, and now that she had to leave...

She frowned. She didn't know why, but leaving the two behind made her heart clench and a lump form in her throat.

"I.." She croaked, fighting back the tears threatening to spill.

"I'll miss you too..."

--------------------

In a place not too far from Hargeon, there was a dark hallway that was nearly empty. The walls were dark and grimy, covered in what appeared to be mold and moisture. The floor was covered in dirt and debris, and the corners were filled with cobwebs. It was evident that no one had been down here in a while.

The bars used to hold captives in were rusting, seemingly falling apart at their seams. It was a miracle that they held up enough to keep an important prisoner locked up. Though that could probably be due to the chains attached to the person's limbs that had been attached to the convenient stone wall behind them.

The person laid on the gritty floor, covered in the dirt and debris. They listened as a mysterious substance dripped from the ceiling, using it to count the seconds they had spent in the dirty cell. 129,682.... 129,683..... 129,684....

The area was barely lit up, the only light source being the dim lamp at the end of the hall. It was probably better this way, serving as a way to make it even harder for the prisoner to escape. The person didn't need to see though, they already knew exactly where they were.

And they were not very excited to find out what would happen next...

--------------------

This was very roughly reviewed, I'll do more later. Fun story, I accidentally posted this whole chapter into the title. Just thought it was funny how Wattpad actually let me put all 5k words into the title. By the way, I wonder who the last section was about.. ;)

 It took me a month again, but this time I had an excuse. I've finished my exams so hopefully I'll be able to finish this soon, although I don't have any more pre-made chapters left. Also this is the turning point of sorts, so we're halfway done!