Once Upon A Time

Chapter 5

When Natsu's father walked into the room the boy ran straight to him. The man smiled and to the boy into his arms.

"Papa you've come home!" He said.

"Yes my boy." The man said. "Now tell me, while I was gone did you help your mother like I asked you too?"

"Yes Papa. I did everything that you did. I collected firewood, I took care of the cow and the crops, I even hunted. But I couldn't catch any deer. I could only catch rabbits."

"That's alright son."

"Hello Arman." Natsu's mother said when she reached the bottom of the stairway. She smiled gently at her husband who smiled back. He put Natsu down and went to embrace his wife.

"Naomi." He said in a voice full of love. "You're even more beautiful than I remembered."

He kissed her passionately which made their son gag.

"Oh Arman I've missed you so." She said when their lips parted. "Two weeks without you feels like an eternity."

"Just one day away from you feels like an eternity to me Naomi."

"What were the Western Lands like Papa?" Natsu asked.

"They were a lot more crowded than the lands here. Not to mention there were nobles and wealthy merchants everywhere."

"Were you able to sell our crops there?"

"Yes and I was able to buy wonderful things with the money I earned."

Arman laid down the items he had bought on the table. He had bought flour, butter, tea, honey, sausage, and ham. Natsu felt his mouth water at the smell of the salted pork meats. He moved to grab some of the sausage but his mother stopped him.

"Oh no young man. We had a deal." Naomi said. "We had a deal. I let you stay up until your father comes home and when he gets here you go to bed."

"But Mother-"

"Don't but Mother me. Now go on to bed and tomorrow morning we'll have that sausage and ham for breakfast."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Okay. Goodnight Mother."

"Goodnight Natsu." Naomi said kissing him.

"Goodnight Papa."

"Goodnight son." Arman said kissing him too.

Natsu then went back upstairs to his room.

"He's getting so much bigger." Arman said to his wife.

"Yes he is." She agreed. "No doubt he'll be the same size as you when he becomes a man."

Naomi gently placed her hand over Arman's.

"This is the last trip isn't Arman? We have enough money to support ourselves now don't we?"

"Yes we do. No more long trips. From now on I shall stay here so we can watch our boy grow together."

"Thank goodness."

"I just pray that King Xavier will finally leave me in peace now."

"He must. After all what more can he ask of you?"

"I pray that he won't think of anything."

"Arman I've been thinking." She said. "Maybe it's time that we tell Natsu the real reason why you go away on those long trips."

"No Naomi. He must never know."

"I don't want to keep secrets from our son."

"But I don't want him to share my burden. It's a terrible burden and I don't want him to be ashamed of himself. Besides he shows no signs of inheriting anything from my... Original form. Why bring it up?"