Welcome back, all of you wonderful readers and reviewers, I am Agrithnum-aut with another chapter for the revamped and reconstructed release of A Choice to Remember! Of course, I cannot say this enough to those who might have been enjoying it thus far previously, but I felt as if it needed a massive rewrite the size of my forearm. *Facepalm*

But, we were able to get a lot of insight on the treatment and trauma inside of the R-System "A.K.A. Tower of Heaven" last time, so now, we're going to jump right back into that stressful situation.

"L-Leave me…. E… Erza…"

"I can't leave you. So please don't leave me!" Her tears had begun to stream wildly, becoming small pools as they hit the ground.

"Three." She sprung up and struggled to get out of the man's grip, unable to do so as the countdown had already begun. It can't end like this!
"Two." Why does this have to happen to us now? Why?! Natsu!

"One." The motion came from both Jellal and the guard across from her, he pushed his arm slightly to the right, and pressed it against the man's throat, preparing to take his final moments. Jellal had already begun releasing his spell, thrusting his hand forward and pointing it towards Natsu's chin. With a mad cackle, the twelfth hour had chimed on the clock, and it all became silent. Silence enveloped her mind as she made one last struggle to save them, having escaped from the guard's grasp. But even still, she was too late.

"Zero."

Erza couldn't tell if it was her magic or her screams that deafened the room, giving off an unimaginably bright purple glow as the top of the chamber exploded in a flurry of flames. The explosion itself might have frightened some of the escapees that had managed to get to shore, but it wasn't until the waves that came after did they notice what caused it. Magic. Pure, unadulterated sadness had emanated from the pulsating stream that had steadily become stronger, continuing on for only a few minutes before dying out. That was the last thing Erza remembered before passing out as she fell, being dragged to the surface shortly after.

Drowning and suffocating, she felt the very life pass before her eyes. All the time she spent with her parents, the time she spent meeting with Simon, the baker of Rosemary Village, and the kindly nurse named Ms. Thatch that would always patch any who needed it. Even the time she spent hours in the fields and forests surrounding their village picking herbs and wild berries to help with the growing population.

Then, it all faded to nothing as her screaming stopped, the feeling of a pair of arms wrapped around her before she passed.

Time Unknown – Caelum Sea Shore

Gasping and coughing out the water from her lungs, she opened her eyes and closed them briefly, wincing in pain at the stinging saltwater that had managed to touch the surface of her eye ball. In the midst of her coughing fit, she couldn't help but feel terrifying chills run up her spine as a blast of heat hit her, accompanied by what she would guess as the wind coming off of the sea. Everything's finally over, isn't it?

Every time when she thought of where her friends might be, of what might have happened to them… it gave her shivers that she couldn't even explain. Even then, she could see the heavily breathing pink haired boy that'd saved her once again, and the old man that'd helped keep them safe on the shoreline several meters away from her. A couple of fires continuously roared to life, one next to her soaked person, and another between the two she was sure would be accompanying her.

Though, even if a lot of bad things had happened to her, the feeling of being free from the chains she'd forgotten she wore every day was something out of a dream. The feeling of letting her scars finally heal without new ones taking their place, and the feeling of having control of her life once more had finally lifted her spirits, if only a small bit.

With a sigh, she settled back down onto the ground, letting sleep take her over once again as the world faded into streaking colors, signaling her transfer to the land of dreams.

Time Unknown – Caelum Sea Shore

When Erza awoke, it was to the sound of Natsu's voice, accompanied by rushing winds and the far off chirping birds that sounded off into the distance. As her eyelids fluttered open, she had to squint against the burning bright light of the early morning sun, and could just barely make out the outline of Natsu's frame just above hers, a small smile across his face with one arm extended her way. Taking it, she grunted in pain as the soreness caught up to her muscles, most likely caused from the brutal treatment of her body for the past few months.

"Erza. You scared me for a second, since you were muttering some random stuff in your sleep. Welcome to the world of the waking… hehe." Looking slightly to her left, a blush covered her face as the warmth of his hand touched her own, heating up her cold fingers with but a soft touch.

"Y-Yeah… good morning, Natsu." Her voice was soft and low, almost giving a bright signal to her growing embarrassment. Even still, she knew they were finally safe, so, she felt something she couldn't explain, something she simply ignored since their escape.

Love. Who knew that such a feeling could creep into her heart, when she'd been in a place and trying time, where such a feeling seemed nonexistent before? To her, it didn't matter in the slightest, only the fact that she knew the object of which it was pointed, being the constantly excited pink haired boy across from her. But, her thoughts were soon interrupted by the elderly man they'd be sure to be traveling with, Grandpa Rob.

"Ahem. If you two are ready, I would like to take you both to a place where even you guys will be accepted with open arms." Looking back at the old man, both of them looked at each other in confusion as they heard his words, taking it cautiously, lest it not turn out to be what they were imagining. To her surprise, she spoke first, wanting to put across her worries before they went through with their sort of parental figure.

"What exactly is this place called? What kind of people will be there, awaiting us when we get there?" They were expecting something of a reassurance, but much to their surprise got a fit of loud, hearty laughter from Grandpa Rob, and passed over strange looks to the other before looking back at their parental figure.

"If you want to, we'll be going to Fairy Tail. Fairy Tail is a mage guild that is known for accepting all, exciting brawls, and having particularly powerful wizards." Natsu's ears perked up as he finished, slamming his fist against his open palm with a wide smirk. Natsu, even if Erza wasn't, was excited to see what Fairy Tail was all about, and hopefully fight strong opponents.

"I'm in." Erza looked towards him with worried eyes, and in return, received an arm that wrapped itself around her shoulders, pulling her close to the pink haired boy. I swear, I will probably never know where all of that confidence of his comes from…

"Don't worry about it, just lead us there, and then we'll decide if we wanna stay. I'm not about to let some more assholes put Erza through that again." As he finished, he put up one of his fists that was now encased in fire, smirking as he looked at the shocked expression contained on their faces. They'd definitely never met a Dragon Slayer before. And damn if he wasn't already proud enough of his powers already.

Port Hargeon – x776

Soon enough, they'd traveled for three days, occasionally hunting for food every now and then, but still remaining off the roads and other places besides sending in the children to get clothing for them to wear. Natsu currently wore a plain white tee and matching white shorts, gray patterned lines running along its flank. Erza is currently wearing a modestly frilled white blouse, a blue skirt hung loosely around her knees, it being slightly too big for her to wear. Accompanying those clothes was a pair of small boots, adorable as they may seem, but fitting, giving her a rather lively appearance. Rob? He opted for a tight fitting shirt, having shaved the beard he'd grown since the tower incident and overall, looked much more like a fighter rather than the grandfather figure they'd imagined him to be. He accompanied it with some black cargo pants, fitting enough that they barely brushed the top of his feet from the open-toed sandals he'd acquired, similar to what Natsu preferred.

They were a tight-knit group, however, and over the course of almost three months, they'd suffered, cried, and shared enough memories to last a lifetime. Currently, they were walking along a cobblestone street, happily skipping along as they headed for a rather massive building in the distance, one that was encompassed by the building's structure that held up a bell-tower, gleaming against the midday sunlight that flashed copiously against its frame. However, that was all they could discern from their distance away from it, as they couldn't even spot the second floor up from the actual base of the building.

"Itta… So that's where we're going, gramps? I had no clue that buildings could be that big!" Rob, although still tired from their relentless energy to keep moving, smiled, patting Natsu's head with his free hand, and unconsciously brought him closer. He, above anyone else, knew that there were still bandits or any other types of dark mages throughout the world. It wasn't surprising in the least, considering his great age and wisdom.

"They can. Some buildings, such as the Magic Council's building, encompass enough space to the size of this entire city block."

"Erza! Someday, me and you are going to have a house as big as the Fairy Tail building over there… and we'll have tons of friends and parties all the time!" Erza blushed at his implications, but smiled back, and marched on with him, forcing Rob to chase after the rambunctious children.

Even then, the two fit in with the Guild's personality well. They wouldn't cause too much damage in the future… maybe? Bah… whatever the case, I look forward to seeing how these two will change history. Makarov will be ecstatic.

Fairy Tail Guild Hall

Alas, it was a normal day for the plethora of mages that were a part of Fairy Tail. From the sweetness of the sunlight that poured through the many windows and open inlets of the building, to the smell of food, desserts, and alcohol lingering heavy in the air, mixing with the softened smells of perfume and cologne that some may have been wearing. But, most importantly, everyone was happy.

Happiness, an infectious disease that threatened to tip the balance of life itself, gave those plagued with it a normally cheerful day, unaffected by tragedy or strife. But for those who had just entered, the same could not be said about their lives as of in recent history. But in a different sense, the same happiness, although mixed with a dreary sleepiness that had long since afflicted them, emanated from their down-trodden forms. But two words from the leader of the group, the mage known simply as Rob, brightened everything within the confines of the guild hall in a way that many had not thought possible.

"I'm alive." Several people, old and young, large and small, trained or novice came forth to surround the elderly man. The women of the guild, mainly the older ones, or the mothers present, showered the two children with attention and love, sending their giggling forms into fits of laughter as Natsu and Erza held onto each other.

Natsu, who had finished being practically coddled over by anyone who saw him, managed to drag Erza to the other side of the guild, which contained what seemed to him, to be a bar of sorts. Taking a table near the back, he sat down on one of the empty benches, prodding Erza to sit next to him, blushing as she took his hand and rested her form onto the bench.

"It's amazing…. Natsu. Everything Grandpa Rob said about this place is true. The people, the atmosphere, it's just… I haven't felt this happy in a long time. What do you think, Natsu?" She sent a dazzling smile his way, making him blush a bit, and turn his cheek to scratch beneath his chin.

"Y-Yeah. But to be honest… I'm just glad that you're here with me." He trailed off and simply mumbled the last part, his cheeks practically painted in a scarlet color as she leaned closer to him, enjoying the natural warmth his body seemed to give off.

"Me too…" He looked over wide-eyed, a toothy smile making its way to his face as he heard her response. I'm glad I was saved, but I'm even happier that she came with me. Man… what would Igneel do now that I'm here. Would he be proud, or disappointed that I was captured?

He paid Erza no heed as she rested her head on his shoulder as he stared up at the ceiling above, letting memories of the past overcome him, back when Igneel and him had lived in their cave.

Both Igneel and Natsu had not even step foot outside the entire day, and rather, they opted to spend the day together in their homely cave, similar to how any father and son would spend their time together. Natsu could only be amazed every time Igneel took time out of the day to just relax with him, for the enormous dragon was, simply put, his "hero."

"Natsu. Come here." He was broken from his thoughts as his father's voice echoed along the slickened walls of their mountainside cavern. He did what he was told, curiously staring up at the bright red and green dragon with interest. The only question that came to mind, was, simply put; What does he intend to teach me?

Though from the sound of Igneel's voice, it was more or less when he had time to have one of those "talks," where he would try his best to explain something important. Nonetheless, he went, sitting in front of the great red dragon with awe and curiosity. He was always eager to train and hone his skills.

"Is this about my training, pa?"

"No."

Now, he was curious. "What are we gonna talk about? Is it time to move again?" The hell if he knew. For what it was worth, it was probably another one of those talks they had about girls and mating and the other nasty stuff.

"No more moving. In fact, this is our resting place, but rather, it's time I told you something. It's something that you need to know if you want to become strong. So listen well, Natsu."