Chapter 1: At the Beginning
Summary: A little idea sprung up in my mind about what the next generation of Fairy Tail would be like. The idea stayed stuck in my mind until I finally decided to write out my ideas. Fair warning, if you don't like certain pairings then this story might not be for you. Pairing include Nalu, Gruvia, Gajevy, Elfgreen, Miraxus, and Bixanna. There are other pairing, but those are the main ones. These stories may not be in order, expect the first one. Beyond that, there's no positive order in them. So, without further ado, here's Chapter 1.
"Push, Luce! C'mon, you can do it!" Natsu encouraged his sweaty girlfriend who lied in the hospital bed, trying to ignore the biting pain in his hand as she squeezed down on it.
"WHAT TH HELL DO YOU THINK I'M TRYING TO DO!?" Lucy screamed back at him. After eighteen hours of contractions and unbelievable pain, Lucy was told that she was finally dilated enough to start pushing. She could've cried tears of joy she was so happy that it was almost over.
"Don't yell at me. Just breathe."
"IF I WASN'T BREATHING I WOULDN'T BE YELLING AT YOU!"
"Careful, Natsu." Happy spoke up from Lucy's other side. "She might send you through the window like last time."
"Ssh! Don't give her any ideas."
On the other side of the door, a large group of people sat in the waiting room, cringing every time Lucy's screams rang out from the room.
"Gray!" Erza shouted. "Would you kindly cease that infernal tapping!"
In his seat, Gray was twitching nervously. "This is horrible! Is this even natural? She sounds like she's in a lot of pain."
"Giving birth is a very natural thing, Gray." Levy piped up from a couple seats down from him. "Lu-chan wanted to do it the natural way which is probably why she's in so much pain."
"Should've taken the meds, if you ask me." Gajeel said from beside her.
As the same time, another screamed filled the air, causing Gray to jump in his seat and Juvia to rush to comfort him.
"Oh, for the love of all that is holy! Can this baby come out already!?" Lucy cried out.
"You're almost there, Ms. Heartfilia." The doctor who stood in between her legs reassured her. "I can see the head."
"No way! Let me see!" Natsu detached himself from Lucy to stand beside the doctor and get a better look. His face turned an interesting shade of green before he walked back up to hold Lucy's hand.
"What did it look like?" Lucy panted.
Natsu shook his head. "You don't want to know."
"Yes I do!" She argued.
"I want to see!" Happy flew over to look over the doctor's and cocked his head in curiosity.
"Well, do you see the head?"
"I don't know, but it looks like Lucy's blowing a bubble."
"One last big push should do it." The doctor signaled for one of the nurses to be at the ready. "Are you ready, Ms. Heartfilia? Push now!"
Lucy bared down with all her might, an intense pain shooting down her spine, just about enough to make her pass out, but she held on. Natsu winced as he looked at the woman's face, wishing he could do something to help her beside hold her hand.
Then, a second later, Lucy went limp and fell against the pillows. A shrill cry filled the room as the doctor held up a tiny, red, wiggling baby.
"Congratulations." He announced. "It's a perfectly healthy baby boy."
"A boy." Natsu repeated in astonishment. "Did you hear that, Lucy?! We have a boy!"
Lucy smiled in response. "I guess this means that you get to name him, then."
"Oh yeah. I forgot about that." Natsu remember back a couple months ago where the argued over the gender of the baby and since neither of them wanted to ruin the surprise, they agreed that whoever guessed the correct gender would be able to name the baby.
The doctor gave a pair of scissors to Natsu to cut the cord, which he did with slightly shaky hands. Afterwards, the room was quiet as the blonde-haired baby lied in his mother's arms.
"He's so tiny." Natsu marveled as he played with the baby's fingers. "Should I tell the others that they can come in now?"
Lucy shook her head. "Not yet. I just want him to ourselves for a few more minutes. Besides, between Erza, Mira, and Levy I wouldn't be able to hold him again until we get back home."
Natsu chuckled softly. "Good point."
"He's so squishy looking." Happy giggled.
"So, did you think of a name yet?"
"Hmm." Natsu hummed and racked his brain for a fitting name, but came up with nothing. "I don't know. Maybe something will come to me if I hold him."
Lucy nodded encouragingly and handed the baby over to Natsu, telling him to support his head.
Natsu held the little boy in front of him, an overwhelming amount of love flowing through him just at the feel of the tiny body in his hands. He cradled the baby against his chest and reached his hand out to touch his tiny fingers against. His heart clenched once his son wrapped his tiny fingers around his thumb. Though, it was he who was wrapped around the baby's fingers. The baby's face scrunched up and blinked sleepily, gazing around the room with curious eyes until they glanced up at his smiling father. Natsu found his own obsidian eyes looking up at him.
"Ash." He whispered, almost to himself.
"Hm?" Lucy's eyes opened halfway as she was towards falling asleep until Natsu spoke up. "Did you say something, Natsu?"
"Ash." He repeated. "That's his name."
"Ash? Not that I don't like it, but why?"
"Well, ash comes from fire, right? It kinda makes sense, doesn't it?"
Lucy stared at her boyfriend holding their newborn child and smiled. The large, calloused hands that were mostly used for wrecking things were now gently cradling a tiny person. To be honest, when she first found out she was pregnant, she was hesitant to tell Natsu out of fear that having a baby would ruin his days of adventuring and living life without a care in the world, but he was surprisingly enthusiastic. He read the baby books twice, accompanied her at every baby store they came across, talked to the baby while he was still in her stomach and went to the market late at night to satiate her latest craving. He's been amazing through it all and now they were finally here. Even Happy, as annoying as he might be at times, fetched her an extra blanket when she was feeling cold and didn't call her fat once even though he so obviously wanted to. Probably, because he valued his life. She could see the love for the baby in Natsu's eyes and thought that she couldn't be happier.
"It makes perfect sense." She told him. "Ash is the perfect name for him."
"Aye!" Happy agreed.
Natsu grinned proudly. "Did you hear that, Ash? Welcome to the family, little buddy. It's pretty big and can be loud sometimes, but we all look out for each other so you'll never have to feel alone. Isn't that right, Lu-"
He looked towards Lucy, but found that she was already asleep and didn't look like she'd be waking up anytime soon.
He chuckled. "I guess this means it's time to meet the rest of your family. Enjoy looking at me while you can 'cause you won't be in my arms for very much longer."
As soon as he stepped foot outside of the room, they were swarmed by overzealous Fairy Tail members pushing at each other to get a view of the newborn. He could tell Ash wasn't comfortable with all of the noise so he gently, but sternly, told them to quiet down.
Erza shoved her way to the front of the group, brandishing a sword in her hand in case anyone tried to step in her way.
"Natsu, as much as I may disapprove of you having premarital intercourse with Lucy, I am happy that you both have decided to allow me to be the baby's godmother. Now," She held her arms out and made grasping motions with her hands. "hand him over!"
"Excuse me?!" Levy griped. "Who said you get to be his godmother?"
"Lucy hasn't said it so many words, but I believe her choice was obvious."
"I believe we all know who the baby's real godmother is." Mirajane came up pushed both girls aside. "Now, let me see the little cutie."
As the girls argued, Natsu stepped aside and began walking to where Gray and Juvia still sat in the waiting room chairs. Gray was running a hand through his already messy hair and tapping his foot anxiously. Juvia sat devotedly beside him, rubbing a reassuring hand up and down his arm.
"Hey, Ice Princess. How's it hangin'?" He greeted his friend with a sly smirk.
Gray stopped messing with his hair, but his leg refused to desist from jumping about. "Hey, Flame Brain. How's Lucy?"
Natsu shrugged. "She's sleeping. It's been a pretty long day, huh?"
Gray chuckled. "I'll say. Those girls haven't stopped arguing since we got here and Cana, Makao and Wakaba got kicked out earlier because they brought booze into the hospital."
Juvia giggled. "Gray-sama almost had to leave because he was taking his pants off in front of the nurses."
"Not surprising. How are you holding up, Juvia?"
Juvia smiled and patted her bulging stomach. "Juvia feels like a giant whale, but Juvia is alright. Can Juvia see the baby, Natsu-san?"
Natsu nodded and set the baby down into Juvia's waiting arms. She cooed at Ash as he stared up captivatingly at her.
"What's his name?" She asked.
"Ash." Natsu replied proudly.
Gray scoffed. "Figures."
Natsu glared down at the ice-mage. "Got something to say, Ice Breath?"
"Well, only someone as stupid as you would pick out a name like that."
"YOU WANNA GO, STRIPPER?!" Natsu shouted, his fists already flaming in preparation for a fight.
"ANYTIME, ANY PLACE, HOTHEAD!" Gray formed ice in his hands as he and Natsu faced off.
"HOW ABOUT RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW, PERVERT?!"
"FINE WITH ME, JACKASS!"
"Gray! Natsu! Stop fighting this instant!" Erza yelled, causing the two men to break away from each other, trembling in fear. "You two had better start acting more mature. Natsu, you have to set an example for your son and Gray, you are an expectant father. It's time to grow up."
They both huffed, but didn't protest.
"Besides," She continued. "you still need to decide who will be the baby's godparents. I suppose you'll have to wait until Lucy wakes up to talk it over."
Natsu began to sweat nervously. "Actually, we already chose Ash's godparents."
Erza blinked. "Really? Well, then, you may tell the others that you have decided that I shall be his godmother. But, break it to them gently. I wouldn't want their feelings to be hurt too badly."
"Well, about that. Me and Lucy decided that we wanted Gray and Juvia to be his godparents."
Behind him, Juvia squealed gleefully while Gray stood silently in astonishment.
"WHAT?!" Erza, Mirajane and Levy all stood before Natsu, their eyes blazing in anger. "YOU PICKED THEM OVER ME?!"
"Uh, well….y-you see…IT WAS ALL LUCY'S IDEA! DON'T BLAME ME!"
Inside her room, Lucy laid wide awake in her bed, listening in to her vocal family argue outside.
"I'm never going to get any sleep, am I?" She sober miserably to herself.
"Aye." Happy grunted in his sleep.
"When the hell did you get here?!"