Chapter 32
Lucy's POV
I summoned all 13 zodiacs and they took their positions all looking very solemn and none meeting my eyes, they kneeled. Then when they were all in position I called forth the Celestial King.
When he stepped forward he looked down at me and saw Natsu and Melody by my side. He shrank himself down to about our height and he kneeled before Melody. He smiled at her before asking, "Is this the little dragon princess I have heard so much about?"
Melody giggled and nodded her head clutching onto Natsu and hid behind his legs a little but not so much that he couldn't see her bright smile. We all laughed at the exchange relaxing a little and our guild mates relaxed as well watching from outside of the 13 zodiacs who made a closed barrier around us.
He stood back up and looked back to me and Natsu. "I have managed to create a separate realm just for you and your Dragon Slayers the exceeds will be able to go there as well. I have heard about the circumstances with Pietra." He went on to explain about the realm. Unlike the time difference between Earthland and the Celestial Realm where one day in the celestial realm was three months on Earthland. One day on Earthland was three months in the Dragon Realm. Also we wouldn't age while we were there. He had been having the celestial spirits work the realm to make it liveable and even had a small palace built for us. He told us many things about the structure of the Dragon Realm and then he looked directly in my eyes.
"Lucy Dragneel, Natsu Dragneel if you accept this instead of dying you will become a spirit bound between the two realms. All dragon slayers will. The realm will simply get larger to accommodate them, but they must go to the realm at least once or they will still die." He looked between Natsu and I before asking, "Do you accept my offer to become the eternal Dragon King and Queen. The Royal Dragons of the Zodiac? You will not have keys unless you wish for it and then your keys will only work for those you choose for it to."
He waited for our answer, honestly this was almost too perfect. I looked at Natsu who smiled and nodded to me. "We accept and thank you." I say with a smile.
He smiled and blasted us with his magic and even with the dragon slayers around outside they all began to glow silver with us. "Where would you like the doorway to be?" He asked us after we stopped shining. I looked down and found that much like when Celeste had blessed us and we turned a glittery gold we were now a glittery silver. Oh well.
I look to Master and he mentioned there was a wall in the guild hall we could use if we wished and I really wanted to hug him but the zodiac were still causing there to be a barrier. They couldn't help it not while the Celestial King was here. It was decided and we did exactly that. A door that led nowhere but an empty wall to a regular person or mage led to the palace gates for a dragon slayer.
"Before I go, you should know that you will be able to grant people citizenship to your Realm now, this will however turn them into Dragon Slayers so please keep this in mind." I nodded at his words before hugging him.
"Thank you," I whisper and Natsu shook his hand.
"Should we grant you citizenship?" He asked only half joking he held his gaze waiting for the answer.
"No I already have a kingdom to rule!" He laughed light-heartedly. We all said our goodbyes and when he disappeared back to the Celestial Realm I turned back to our guild mates.
"So Master how would you like us to do this?" Natsu asked playfully picking up Melody and setting her on his shoulders.
"Okay brats who wants to become a dragon slayer and have Natsu and Lucy become your Queen and King?" he yelled out so everyone could hear him.
The whole guild lined up still within the barrier I had created. I smiled and looked at Master who stepped forward. "I guess that makes you the new Masters of Fairy Tail. In fact if you want you can even call your country Fairy Tail if you wish." he smiled at us winking. "That would also make Tenrou Island yours." He mused out loud.
The insignia became our coat of arms and national flag. We granted every member citizenship and about half went to the Dragon Realm for a week on Earthland so that Natsu and the other original dragon slayers could teach them about their new magic and dragon laws. I stayed at the guild with the other pregnant dragon slayer ladies too keep watch and sound the alarm if need be, still getting frequent visits from my husband of course.
After two weeks they were fairly sound in their training each going on their own to train when they wished, most using the dragon realm to do so. My spirits helped us cultivate the land and we waited. Thankfully Freed, Evergreen, Bixlow and Lisanna were all forest dragon slayers so they literally helped us grow things quickly. Levy and I went into Magnolia and ended up recruiting a few more members which gained us a full library and a couple of merchants who had a talent as sky dragon slayers with healing magic. They went back and forth between the Dragon Realm and Magnolia selling our wares, creating a sizable treasury with only a very modest tax that I had set. They routinely donated up to 75% of the profits saying that we all needed to work together.
Fairy Tail built a small town that grew larger larger which in turn turned into multiple cities. Magnolia seemed to have more people shopping and setting up shops than there were people who lived there. Which there was, most of them lived on the Dragon Realm and they all knew about the threat of Pietra before becoming dragon slayers.
The span of almost a year went by on Earthland and we had several doctors and farmers most farmers were forest and earth dragon slayers and most doctors were sky dragon slayers. Not because of anything we said or dictated they just simply wanted it, it seemed to be a part of their nature.
I and the other lady slayers had laid our eggs in the guild infirmary and then taken them to the Dragon Realm when we learned that the eggs will hatch while there. My ancestor Anna became a celestial dragon slayer and one of many teachers and trainers.
I looked at Natsu who picked up our youngest baby girl as we walked into the guild hall. We named our little girl Nashi and little boy Luke. Nashi had Natsu's pink hair and my brown eyes and Luke had my blond hair and Natsu's dark emerald green eyes. Happy carried Melody her bouncing red curls falling into her face as they flew over our heads. She had started using her headphones a bit like a headband to keep them out of her eyes but insisted she didn't want us to cut her hair.
Mating Season was coming and we needed to go to Sapphire City to see Celeste, apparently mating season didn't have nearly the effect in the dragon realm only occurring once every 7 years while you were there, so there were a lot of babies. We had several daycares set up in Magnolia so that they could grow and their parents could still get work done. Honestly it worked out well the parents were not overly tired and as far as the babies were concerned they were only gone a few hours at a time. Many of the celestial dragon slayers had become teachers as well as daycare workers. My ancestor Anna took care our babies while we ran the palace often times bringing them to us so that we wouldn't feel too drained. I never thought I would be grateful for all my heiress lessons and proper management of funds as I am now. Natsu has been a great help but my childhood lessons were by far essential.
Many of the iron and shadow dragon slayers who more often then not were fighters used as body guards for the babies as well as other security like jobs. Gajeel, Levy and Gray were our personal body guards along with Sting and Rogue who hid in the shadows.
We needed to bring Celeste home and we had finally figured out how to do it. A new mayor was elected after the crimes of the last one were revealed and Pietra denied any knowledge of his crimes until he was on trail and then they insisted that Fiore prosecute him to the full extent of our laws. Which the magic council did. With the help of our many new dragon slayers we found out that Pietra's government had indeed set the whole thing up and were just trying to hide it. We also found out they were building an army and it was massive.
Erza, an earth dragon slayer along with Jellal a celestial dragon slayer, they are duel elements because they are mates just like Natsu and I or Sting and Rogue, were in charge of commanding our fighting mages. No one was required to fight that did not want to. Most everyone wanted to; we actually had to deny many just to take care of the children, but they were trained for battle if for no other reason than to protect the children.
We walked to the train station carrying our babies to the waiting bullet train. We had sent for it reasoning that we needed to let the star dragon, Celeste, see her new grandbabies. They were quite happy to hear that it would only us and our kids. Sting and Rogue had decided to wait until our return if everything went all right they would be able to have their children after we got back. But that didn't stop them from following us in the shadows as we walked. They were not to make contact again until after everything was done. If things didn't go well then we would be at war and that alone is a good reason to wait to have children so they would not actually go to Celeste while we are there. The plan was that after we came back they would take the train themselves back here to help delay Pietra if only just for a few days.
Natsu's POV
Lucy is stressed and I am too, traveling with three young children, two of which were only a couple months old is hard. Thankfully Melody is a good girl always trying to help everyone. We were about to arrive in Sapphire City and I think she could tell we were nervous.
Then we disembarked the train and started walking straight to Celeste. I know we were all looking forward to seeing her and having her meet the twins for the first time. I smiled as I cooed at Luke who I was holding at the moment. Nashi fast asleep in Lucy's arms and Melody playing with Happy. She ran around and Happy chased her making sure to keep her close to us. We had arranged to stay at the inn that Happy stayed in last time and they were aware of the size of our family.
It wasn't long before we could see Celeste's form in the distance the sun setting off in the distance. Finally we could have our whole family together but it will take just a little more time.
"Grandma!" Melody yelled out getting several people's attention as we walked by. I could hear their whispers that we were the blessed ones or 'how dare that little girl call the star dragon grandma how disrespectful' and other such things.
"Melody!" Oh how I have missed you dear heart!" Celeste called out in return gaining much more attention from the mages in the area. We did our greeting and introduced her to her new grandbabies who were somehow both awake at the moment. We joked and laughed and carried on like the family we were much to the chargin of the many people around us.
I winked at Melody who asked very loudly, "Grandma can't you come home with us? I miss you so much!"
Celeste was a little surprised but told her how she couldn't move or she would be more than happy to. Luce and I listened as she tried to reason with her and Melody whined, "That's not fair! Don't you love us?" Celeste tried talking to us to help her explain to Melody that she couldn't move.
I couldn't help chuckling at her performance I had to cover it with a cough, she is smart for a nearly 5 year old. "Well actually we could but it has to be her choice." I scolded her frowning. I look back up at Celeste before continuing on, "Luce and I found a way to un-petrify you without you dying but we can only do it in a certain place back in Fiore. We even found a way to take you there, but only if you wished to go. I won't lie to you Celeste you will not be able to return to Sapphire if you go. So you need to think long and hard on it before deciding."
"I will be able to move about again like before? To run again, to simply eat solid food, to fly again?" Her words echoed through the area stopping anyone and everyone with the slightest amount to magic. They all stared up at us their expressions priceless but I behave myself.
"Yes you will but you won't be able to leave the realm again, I'm sorry but if you go it will be forever." I tell her truly sorry that she wouldn't be truly free. "Please think about it for a few days we had planned to stay for a couple weeks anyway." I look down at Melody who nodded her head as she filled Celeste in on how we would actually be leaving tomorrow night using a special magical item.
"I understand, I will think on it then." she replied a bit confused but happily.
"Great! Now as for you youngest grandbabies," I groan out loud before helping Lucy get comfortable so she could nurse them. "My sweet babies!" I cooed before taking Melody and tossing her in the air and catching her again. We went about doing normal father daughter antics while Lucy managed to fall asleep feeding the other two. Celeste spent much of the time oohing and awing over all of it.
I let Lucy sleep with Nashi and Luke while I played with Happy and Melody. Life is good, so good in fact that I could almost forget there very well might be a war just over the horizon. Almost.