Erza entered the temple quietly, taking care not to make a single noise that could cause a disturbance. She did not want to do anything to upset or aggravate the sylphs. She slowly approached the stone tablets that stood at the base of the temple and then lit an incense which she then placed in a hanging encense holder. Finally she got down on her knees, bowed her head, and spoke.

"Great sylphs, you are the most powerful and knowledgeable beings in the entire empire, and you are the only ones who know the entire truth of the Great War. Origins and all." She said. "I need your help, my people are speaking of going to war again but I truly believe that we cannot survive another war. At least not so soon after the last one. You are my only hope, tell me what I must do."

At first there was nothing. Only Erza sitting alone in the silence, fearing that her pleas had been ignored. That perhaps the sylphs considered her too inferior to even acknowledge. But then a strong wind entered the temple and blew out the incense at the base of the center stone. The center stone began to glow and right before Erza's eyes, a figure appeared. A young woman who's body was made completely of the breeze. Just looking at her told you that she was all powerful yet her gaze was humble and gentle.

"Be not dishearted mortal." She spoke. "I am sympathetic to your plight and shall help however I can. I am called Sonya and I was there at the beginning of the war. I know it all started."

"Then please tell me." Erza said. "Is it true that war was started because the other realms threatened mine?"

"No. There was a time when we all lived in harmony but then two former associates of mine became overtaken by their jealousy and greed. They felt that they had been denied what they believed was rightfully theirs and they wanted to punish the world for it. So they whispered rumors and lies of treachery to all the realms, turning them against one another and resulting in that dreadful war."

"I knew it." Erza said. "You must speak this truth to the emperor and his council."

"Alas, my word will do little good. Though I am a first hand witness to the war's origins, so many your people are too full of fear and hate to believe me."

"So you're saying that there's nothing you can do?"

"Nothing I can do. But perhaps there is something you can do."

"Me? What can I do?"

"Prove to the empire that they have been misled."

"How?"

"Bring forth those outside your realm to voice their beliefs on the war to the emperor, for they have all been mislead too. That in very least should persuade him to think about changing his mind."

"But I don't know how I could do that?"

Sonya wooshed around an empty space on the floor which caused armor and a helmet of terracotta and lamellar to appear alongside a map and a mighty sword crafted from the finest steel and jade.

"Don this armor and go to the Magnolia Nation masquerading as a lieutenant in the emperor's army." Sonya instructed. "Seek out the ones called Sting and Rogue, tell them of your desire for peace and they will extend messages to the other realms, requesting a reconciliation between all five realms."

"But why must I go in disguise?"

"No realm will allow a common woman to cross into their domain without an invitation. But they will allow a monarch or a solider of high rank to do so."

"But impersonating a solider is punishable by death in the empire. If I'm discovered, I'll be killed, banished forever if given leniency."

"Doing the right thing has many risks, and if this risk in particular is too great, do not feel shame. It is understandable to be afraid, and perhaps you can find another way to establish peace and prevent war. This is the only solution I can come up with."

Erza picked up the breast plate and looked down at it apprehensively, not sure what she should do. She wanted to help her people anyway she could but impersonating a military officer was the ultimate offense in the empire. The ultimate disgrace and disrespect. Unforgivable. Not even the emperor's fondness for could protect her from such a crime.

"Surely there must be-"

But when Erza had looked up from the armor, she saw that Sonya was gone. Which meant she had given all the advice she could give. Erza was afraid, but she took the armor, the map, and the sword back home with her. Shortly afterward she and her mother were invited to dinner with the emperor, his grandson, the ambassador, and his niece, to make amends for today's incident. However the meal was a silent and awkward one in which nobody knew what to say.

Later when the meal was finished and Erza was making ready to leave, she overheard Makarov and Laxus discussing something down the hall.

"So the council sees no other way?" She heard Laxus ask.

"Yes." She heard Makarov answer.  "They are all insisting that we attack before the enemy does. I do not like it, and I wish to avoid it, but it appears that we have no choice."

"When will we declare war?"

"At the end of the Summer Solstice. I should like to have my people know one last moment of joy before being once again forced into a period of tragedy. It hurts me to send so many husbands, fathers, brothers, and sons into battle but there doesn't anything else can do."

"But you're going to lead them, are you?"

"I must. I didn't lead them in the last war and it was a mistake that I shall forever regret."

"Grandfather you must allow me to lead your army instead, you cannot possibly fight."

"But you are my only heir. If anything happens to you, the future of the empire is lost. And I promised myself a long time ago that I'd never allow you to be on a battlefield again. You were almost killed the last time."

"I was a child last time. I'm a grown man now. I will have a much better chance at returning from battle."

"Yes but it is still only a chance. There is no guarantee you will return."

"But there is a guarantee that you won't return. Forgive me Grandfather but you are too old, if you fight, you will die."

"So be it then. It would be my honor to die for my people."

"I won't allow this!"

"You have to because I command you to. If we must declare war again then I command you to stay here and take care of the empire while I fight."

"Grandfather I beg of you, don't command me to do that."

"My boy, you may think me cruel and foolish but I can't risk it. The last war already cost me my son, it will not cost me my grandson as well."

"But I can't go through living with knowledge that my grandfather fought and died in the field with honor while I stayed here like a coward."

"You will not been seen as a coward if I command you to stay."

"Perhaps not by our people but I will see myself as coward til my dying day!"

"I am truly sorry Laxus but I just can't lose you too."

Erza his as the young man stormed out of the room, unable to speak anymore to the stubborn old man. Before leaving, Erza chose to linger a little longer to see what the emperor intended to. He couldn't really mean to fight in a war. Not at his age, he wouldn't last. But his intentions became perfectly clear as she watched him take out his old sword and practice his stances for battle. Suddenly his old knees gave out and he fell. Erza was horrified.

If a war came to pass then Makarov was going to fight and he was going to die. But that couldn't happen. Not to Makarov. Not to such a kind, wise, and honorable man who had sacrificed so much for his people. Not to the person who had given her and her mother a home when they were completely alone in the world. He didn't deserve this. Not after all the hell he had been through from losing his wife to being forced to kill his wretched son, he should at least be allowed to live out his days peacefully. Oh why did he always had to be the one to take risks and make sacrifices? Why couldn't someone else do it for a change?

That's when Erza realized what she must do. It still frightened her beyond all reason, the very thought of what could happen to her if she was caught made her shudder. But her desire to do what was right outweighed her fear.

So that night, as soon as she knew her mother was asleep, she went into the study and began to write an elegant and perfectly worded message without so much as one mistake. Next she crept into her mother's bedroom and laid the scroll on her nightstand, giving the sleeping woman a loving and sorrowful.

"Forgive me Mother." She whispered. "Forgive me Makarov."

Then she returned to her own room where she tied up and pinned her long red hair, followed by dressing into the armor Sonya had given her. Looking at her reflection of the mirror, she once again did not recognize herself. She once again saw someone who was completely different from the Erza that she knew. But in this case, that was a good thing. Until her mission was completed, she could not be known as Erza the common woman. She would be known as a man, a very important man in the military who was out to seek peace.

In her satchel she packed a little food, a gourd of fresh water, the map to the Magnolia Nation, and the comb that Makarov had given her. A keepsake of her family and friends, just in case she didn't return. Then grabbing the satchel and the sword, she went out to the stable and climbed on to her horse, ridding it out of gate and into the night.