Chapter 28

Natsu's POV

I crouched down ready to attack him the moment he entered the guild. While Luce put up layer after layer of barriers to protect our guildmates from the rot that is good magic.

"You are not welcome here!" I growl at the blue man standing just outside the door. "How many people died just from you coming here? You reek with the stench of death," I couldn't help the growl that laced my words.

"Oh come now all I did was walk here. I didn't touch anyone. Surely you can't fault me for that?" The blue man smirked back at me, he still hasn't come inside.

"We asked you a question answer it!" Luce demanded from behind me putting up more protections and safeguards to try and keep Fairy Tail safe. I could see both Laxus and Gajeel panting on the ground trying to steady themselves. Dragon senses are not helping them at all. The smell of death seems to be overwhelming them. I glanced over at them just in time to see them hurling while on their hands and knees. I light fire to surround the innermost barrier to try and prevent the scent from teaching them on the other side.

"Very well, I was careful. Although a few ended up sick no one actually died after all that would only serve to ignite your wrath and as interesting as that would be to see. It can wait for now that is." He gave a creepy smile. "Just like now even with all of your spells if I were to actually step inside your guildhall they would all die, so for now I will stay outside. Although it is a good idea to use fire to keep my scent from reaching the other dragon slayers. Kudos."

"What do you want?" I hiss fighting the fog that was starting to over my mind. I won't be able to fight at this rate.

"I want to watch your match. Don't worry my time here is limited, once I am out of time I will simply die. My body will rot into nothing so you won't even have to try and bury me. I have truly come in peace. I Just want to enjoy my last few hours on this earth. Nothing more, nothing less." He sighed looking me in the eyes.

"What will this cost us? Your kind of magic comes at a cost. Do not try and pretend that it doesn't." Luce asked, growling herself. He smiled at her making me snarl reminding him that I was here as well.

"Sorry, I just can't believe she is both as beautiful and intelligent as I had heard. I wonder if that means she is as strong as they say as well?" He coughed and I see a little blood on his hand. Disease seemed to radiate off of him making the hair on my neck stand on end.

"Answer the question?" I snarled still ready to attack at the slightest indication that he was hostile.

"Well, you would have a real fight no handicaps. Don't worry it doesn't have to be to the death by any means," he laughed as if we had actually considered it. "But I do have the rules right here and if you follow my rules there will be no other cost for my soul to pass on. Otherwise well," he looked past us and I turned to see Wendy standing in the doorway to the infirmary and I see our kids hiding behind her. Shit, the door opens in not out.

"Are you threatening our family?" I asked him, the dragon force enveloping me as I felt my mate's magic nearly knock me over. I could just barely see her using both dragon force and her new celestial emperor dress, which is a combination of her king and queen star dresses and by far her most powerful one. I could feel my fire dragon king force raging around us as flames surrounded us.

"You have children?" He seemed in awe of the very thought. The fire surrounding us erupted and it was as if the pits of hell had opened up and were spilling forth out of the guildhall and the blue man was just getting hit with it and taking it as if it were the slightest of breezes which seemed to shock him more. "I can feel your heat?" He said actually reaching out and into the inferno that was our wrath. He looked back at us in awe before he seemed to shake the thought away. "It has been so long since I have felt anything at all and to feel both heat and even fear, thank you." He started crying, smiling as if we had just given him the greatest joy in life.

"No, I am not threatening your family. As much as I want to feel even pain during my last few hours of my life I could never bring myself to knowingly hurt a child." Luce and I let out a breath that I didn't even realize I was even holding but we kept our flames burning hot. He seemed to enjoy it anyway and it was letting us control our emotions a little better anyway.

"So what would be the cost of not using your rules then?" I questioned him, still on guard.

"Your own deaths, as you can see me just living is a blight on Earthland. My death comes at a cost. If I were anywhere else hundreds of people would die, if not thousands to make up the magic energy needed to end my life. But with you two I could die with only your lives being spent," he paused simply to take a breath, our rage seeming to excite him yet again. "On the other hand if you follow these rules in your battle, you will be constantly creating and discharging enough magic to send me to the afterlife without having to die."

"So you really just came here to die?" Luce asked as we both released our magic now trying to conserve our energy as I walked over to retrieve the written instructions from him. I looked over the list and saw what seemed impossibly absurd at first until I really started studying it. I couldn't help the grin plastered on my face as I walked back to my mate. The closer I got to her the more giddy I became after I read the list and handed her the rules. Only for her to look at me concerned before reading the list herself.

"Oh this is going to be fun!" I am grinning wickedly at this point and it wasn't long before Luce was joining me in my insanity.

We both look at the blue man and together tell him, "We can do this." The man started to actually weep from joy and we instructed him to meet us around back and we would put up a seat for him away from the others and we would also put up multiple barriers to protect our guildmates not only from him but from us as well.

"To finally be able to die and to die in peace, this is a dream come true!" He quickly agreed and once he was finally gone Luce and I started destroying the barriers she had set up to protect our comrades.

Lucy's POV

The instructions were simple but they allowed Natsu and I to have a real fight without any handicaps placed on me and the fight should last more than a few minutes. It might even take several minutes just like a real match! I could feel fire pumping through my veins as I broke through my last barrier before heading towards the infirmary to break that one as well. Natsu had the instructions now and Master was asking for it.

"Are we too late?" Sting asked huffing as if he ran all the way here from Sabertooth. Rogue was standing behind him rolling his eyes but smiling at his mate lovingly.

"Uncle Sting! Uncle Rogue!" Melody and Tidus came running towards them and jumped into their arms giving them hugs and kisses as they did. Making Natsu and I laugh as the rest of our guild just stared at them.

"There you are! You know your mommy and daddy don't bring you around nearly enough!" Sting cooed at the both of them before giving them both kisses.

"Well we haven't even left Magnolia since the twins hatched so I don't want to hear it. You could have visited us you know?" Natsu huffed before taking Nashi from Wendy. I already had Luke in my own arms.

"Yeah, because we are totally stupid enough to stop by in the first year after they hatch, without an invite. We are not suicidal you know." Sting responded indignantly.

"Now, now there's no reason to get upset." Rogue cooed before pulling Melody and Tidus away from his blond mate giving them both cuddles and kisses himself.

"Where are Rose and Jade?" Melody asked, trying to look over their shoulders behind their backs.

"Right here!" We hear two small voices yell from the doorway as a couple of five year olds come running in through the hole in the door. The little girl had blue eyes and black hair and the boy had green eyes and blond hair.

The black haired little girl pointed at the blond, "Jade didn't want to come in saying the hole in the door was dangerous."

"Come on Rose, you didn't have to tell her that!" Jade whined, he looked up at Natsu and I smiled before asking, "Hi Aunt Lucy, Uncle Natsu! Are those our new baby cousins?"

I laughed and nodded kneeling down with Natsu so they could meet Nashi and Luke who were introduced by Melody and Tidus who were talking proudly.

"What the hell? Sabortooth knew about the kids before we did?" Gray screamed, pulling at his hair.

"What do you mean, ice princess? How could we not know? We are always setting up playdates for the kids." Sting asked confused before I stood up and offered to let him hold Nashi. "Hello there, now you're a real princess aren't you?" Nashi cooed back smiling happily.

"Wait play dates? Are you trying to tell us that you two have kids too?" Gray asked, confused.

"Uh, they are right in front of you. Gray, did you hit your head?" Rogue asked, genuinely concerned. "Of course we knew about Melody and Tidus; it was around the same time we adopted Rose and Jade. Although they are both a few months younger than little Melody." Rogue then happily took Luke from Natsu, his eyes lighting up as he did.

"Hey do you think you can watch over the kids during our fight something came up and now we can't call for a spirit to watch them for us." Natsu asked, still standing protectively by our babies.

"Yeah, that won't be a problem, it's not like we haven't seen Blondy kick your ass before." Sting responded, teasing still cooing at Nashi gently rocking her in his arms.

I watch Natsu flinch a little at that before timidly glancing back at me, "Oi, she already forgave me for that! Don't make her mad again! I want to be able to walk when we are done.

Rogue and I both laugh at that when Sting deadpanned, "Are you trying to say you could ever win against her?" Natsu just hung his head and shook it slightly. "I didn't think so."

"Okay, come on, don't make him feel bad, here are the rules we will be following," I hand him the list I take from Master's frozen form before taking Luke from Rogue and Natsu took Nashi back from Sting before they started reading it.

Both of their eyes light up and they look back at us smiling like children on christmas. "Are you serious?" Sting's now high pitched voice broke as he asked while Rogue was biting his lower lip trying not to show his excitement but was failing horribly. Natsu and I nod smiling as we do. "We didn't miss it!" Sting started jumping up and down like a child before hugging his mate and swooping his own kids up in his arms laughing like a lunatic. Rogue couldn't take it anymore and was joining him in his excitement dropping the paper and we all forgot about it. I didn't even notice Gray picking it up angrily let alone start reading it.

It wasn't until Gray started laughing hysterically that we all looked back at him, "You have to be kidding me? 1. You must change the arena's battle field once every 30 seconds between your fire and star magic. 2. You must block out the sun. 3. You can use any of your magic but you cannot summon any actual beings because they could be harmed if not killed by my presence? You have to be kidding me? 4. You must fight as if your life depends on it and the fight cannot end until one of you are knocked out. 5. The fight has to last at least 10 minutes?" How the hell do you expect to do this? I can kind of understand number 3 but the rest are ridicules. How are you going to block out the sun?" Gray laughed like it was all a big joke.

I look at Natsu and we both look back at Wendy, Sting and Rogue who just grinned knowingly. "Oh you are in for a treat!" Sting finally broke and told him in response. "Hey is your master doing all right? He doesn't look so good." He pointed out looking behind us, his little girl giving him a big hug before jumping out of his arms while Jade did the same to Rogue.

"Hey Gramps! Take it easy Aunt Lucy and Uncle Natsu can totally follow those rules and we will all be able to see Aunt Lucy kick Uncle Natsu's butt!" Jade tugged on Masters arm trying to get his attention.

"Yeah Gramps, Aunt Lucy and Uncle Natsu are the strongest ever!" Rose added.

"Mommy and Daddy will be okay, Papa." Melody said, pulling on his other arm.

"Geeze Papa, Daddy said you were a really awesome 'gramps' trust our Mommy and Daddy at least a little bit!" Tidus puffed out his chest.

"Papa?" Master asked both confused and elated.

"What else would they call you?" I was confused. "They are not official members yet so they can't really call you Master yet."

"No, I like it! I just wasn't expecting it is all." He defended when he saw Melody about to cry. Instead she sniffed and nodded smiling back at him. So she already has him wrapped around her little finger just great. I tried not to roll my eyes.