Igneel Approves
There he was.
After years of searching, Natsu had found his precious mentor and father, Igneel.
Natsu had left on another mission to find Igneel, that was 3 years ago. After his best friend Lucy had heard that he was leaving, she had stood up then and there and announced that she was coming with him.
"Come on, Natsu! This'll be fun! I can help, I just know it! Plus, I really DO want to meet this amazing father you have told us so much about."
She had said that with such sincerity and excitement. He remembered how he had to fight with all of his available power to deny her. He had to push himself even harder to let her down gently.
"Luce. It's dangerous. I can't take you with me, you mught get hurt." As if to prove his point, he had pounded his fist in his palm.
She pouted and then whined to him. "But Natsuuuu... I REALLY want to go!" She jumped on his back when he turned around to walk away. "Come on Natsu! Please?"
Natsu couldn't resist any more. He sighed and said "Fine, i'll allow you to come with me," She had beamed at him, and he could have sworn that she outshined the sun in that moment. "IF," She had turned around, obviously confused. He sighed and decided to start over. "I'll allow you to come with me if you promise not to do anything... Stupid." He had said the last part hesitantly, worried that he might hurt her feelings.
She had only looked to him with a glow that seemed to be gifted from the stars themself. Maybe that was because she was a Stellar Mage. "No promises. We should tell the guild that we're leaving." Her glow seemed to have faded as she had walked over to Mira to tell her the news. Mira had then nodded and proceeded to tell the news on the stage with the microphone lacryma. I remember everyone shocked and saddened by the news of Lucy and him leaving. He had expected the tears, the drinking, and the painful goodbyes from those he cared and fought for. What be had not expected though, was that Happy had decided not to go with them, claiming that he needed to be a man and look after Charlie and Wendy. He had sorrowfully agreed then. Now, more than anything, he wished he was here.
This dragon was indeed Igneel. He looked and sounded exactly like him. Yet, there was something different about the dragon.
"Igneel! I have finally found you! Igneel! It's me! Natsu, remember?" He shouted happily when he had spotted him in the mountains one day. He didn't think that it would be that easy finding him.
Scooping Lucy off of her feet, he picked her up and had her in his arms bridal style. "We found him, Luce."
He then did something completely unexpected. He kissed her on her forehead, earning a blush from her as a reward. He ran towards his adopted father with joy.
Igneel reacted with great compassion. He transformed into his human form, and hugged Natsu with tears, apologizing for being away for being away so long.
Lucy was touched by this reunion that she knew everyone who befriended Natsu wished to see play out, but at the same time, it felt like someone had stuck a thorn around her heart. It became a circlet of thorns when she called out his name.
"Natsu?" She had been calling out his name like that for what had seemed like an eternity, but in reality was no more than 5 minutes.
Finally giving up, she walked away from the scene in hopes to think her current feelings over.
Coming to a cliff, she sat down, dangling her feet over the edge. 'He is really happy, isn't he?' She thought. 'Probably more happy than I have made him throughout all the years I have known him..'
Igneel, curious as to how the blond mage Natsu had called Lucy was doing, listened to these thoughts and sensed the pain in them.
"Natsu." Igneel said this sternly, making Natsu jump a little at the gruffness in his voice.
"Yeah, what's up daddy dragon?" Sure, it was a stupid thing to call him, but both Igneel and Natsu had enjoyed it when he was a mere child in search of a family and home to call his own.
"I must leave you now."
Natsu's heart sank at these words. "But why?! I-i finally get to see you again, a-and you're leaving me?! But why Igneel, wh-"
"SILENCE CHILD!" Igneel's voice was teeming with frustration at this point. Natsu had gone quiet. He now understood what he meant.
"When it is born and you raise it, tell my little brother or sister that I love them, and that they have an awesome big brother out there in the world, okay?" And with that being said, Natsu walked off to find Lucy, whom he had see earlier walking away with an emotionless, cold face.
Once he had found her, Natsu walked over to Lucy and sat down next to her, copying the swinging motion in her legs as they dangled over the edge of the cliff.
This was the most awkward moment in Natsu's life.
Lucy sighed and began to speak. "Look, Natsu I-" She was cut off when he leaned in closer and gave her a gentle kiss on the lips.
They lingered like that for a moment, but when the kiss started to deepen, a large wind billowed around them and the sound of flapping wings filled the air.
There he was. Igneel, in his full and riteous dragon form, flying overhead.
"Natsu, my boy, you have chosen an excellent partner! Keep her happy, for me. And let your children know that they have an excellent and riteous grandfather dragon waiting in the world!"
Just then, Lucy's feet were surrounded by an orange and red magic circle, bearing the outline of a dragon in the center.
"You have been given my approval for Natsu's mate. My grandchildren will be beautiful, I hope. Let them be born quickly and live long and prosperous lives!" And with that, he flew off.
Lucy was pushed against a tree. Blushing, she found herself staring into Natsu's eyes.
"You heard him. Let them be born quickly, right?" He smirked and crashed his lips into hers.

~NINE MONTHS LATER~

Lucy laid in her hospital bed, weak from pushing. She had just given birth to hers and Natsu's first child.
She was given her child around 5 minutes later, and both her and Natsu held their new daughter in their arms lovingly.
"She's absolutely gorgeous." Lucy said.
"That's because she looks like her mother." Said Natsu, leaning down to give his wife a gentle, loving kiss on the forehead.
"She has your hair!" Argued Lucy.
This continued on for about 30 minutes.
That's when Erza, Cana, Mira, Juvia, and Levy burst in through the door.
"Lucy!" They all whispered in unsion, as not to wake the sleeping newborn child.
Natsu stepped to the side as the girls all gathered around his wife of 8 months and began "Oohing" and "Aaahing" at his daughter.
They stayed like this for a while, and Natsu had almost dozed off when Lucy and the girls all gasped at the same time.
He popped open an eye and looked at his child. "What is it, Luce?"
She smiled, almost crying, and said, "Look."
His child had the glow around her, the exact same one that he saw around Lucy the day that they left to find Igneel. The same one that he hadn't seen in over three years. Coming up around the golden glow were embers, shining the color of flame.
"Stardust Embers." Natsu whispered to his wife and the women around him.
Lucy looked to him in confusion. "Huh? What does that mean, Natsu?" It sounded beautiful, yet it confused her to no end.
"Her name," He whispered. "Stardust Ember Dragneel will be her name." Lucy looked up to him with an expression of cherishment.
"What do you think, Luce? Stardust Ember Dragneel." He repeated the name over and over in his head. 'Stardust Ember, Stardust Ember..'
Lucy spoke up. "I love it! It's perfect!"
Natsu smiled. This was just the beginning, the beginning of a new life with Lucy and Stardust. A new life with the family that he started. The family he loved.