HATCHLINGS

I wish I had a real say in this manga but you know I don't own it.

This is a sequel to Iron Book.

CHAPTER TWO

Our families were waiting for us when we got home. Metalicana sat in her father's chair reading her science book. Marcus sat in front of the fireplace, math home work mostly finished. Pantherlily was placing plates on the table with his two other sons. They were trying very hard to make us not angry.

"Levy, we should tell them." Beam suggested.

"They do really look pathetic don't they?" I replied at the front door looking in. Everyone turned to us. "Okay we are not mad any more." Metalicana ran at me. Gajeel just smiled, kissing my forehead.

"What is it Shrimp?"

"I think that we need a family meeting." Scuffing and shuffling sounds filled the house. Beam stood next to me behind the toddlers' chairs. My fingers felt the cold steel chair bore the names of all three of my babies. Gajeel made it for me when Metalicana was born. Marcus refused to sit in the chair but Cat loved the chair when Hero sat next to her.

"The Dark Guilds are making a play to kill all the children in Lamia Scale, Blue Pegasus and Fairy Tail." The glass in Gajeel's hand shattered. "Love calm down. It is just going to get worse." I placed the lacrima on the table. "We are seeing this all for the first time. Mira gave me a copy."

The first page was the mission paper. A black sheet, white common script. "The reward five hundred thousand a head."

"A head?" Someone had drawn a doll head with X eyes in one hand and the other a bag of money. Gajeel pulled me to him.

"What are we allowed to do about this?" Pantherlily asked.

"Mira tells us the council is not allowing an offense." Beam bowed her head. "There is nothing."

"Screw that!" Marcus shouted. "Those asses tried to kill my baby sister." My normally quiet son stood, hands on the table claws piercing the table. Talon, in small form, right next to him. Hilt and Metalicana nodding in unison.

"Cat could die. Hero was hurt. How many others will fall before they let us?" Talon demanded. Lily place a paw on his son's shoulder.

"Is there a current count?" Lily inquired. The crystal wrote script in the air of the names and dates of the children. Three from Lamia Scale. Two from Pegasus. One from our guild. Jet's son. Just this morning. Levi was only five.

"Jet's on a mission." I said. "This will kill him." As I spoke a new name appeared. Metroden Dragneel, Happy and Charla's son. Then each one of Dragneel human children on the injured list. Gajeel ran out the door. Metalicana and Lily with him. "Marcus go tell Mira."

"Talon take your brother to the clinic. Protect the other two." The Exceeds kittens saluted heading out the windows. Not even a blink of an eye and we heard the screams. Something flaming came through the window. Beam pushed us out of the house.

A war seemed to have broken out in from of the house. Gajeel with Metalicana at his back held back twenty men with the mark King's Blood, a dark guild. Talon and Hilt flew Marcus away. Between them and the guild a flaming dragoon. Half man, half dragon version of Natsu. Lucy no where to be seen. Lightning behind him flashing making him more intimidating.

My only thought was that we needed to calm Natsu down before he turns full dragon. I still wasn't sure that if we would ever get them back. In all the years that I have been in this guild I have never seen any of the Dragon Slayers turn full dragon. They were all too scared. I first read about it in the Iron Book. Though Gajeel found out about it at the games when he took Natsu and Wendy to the graveyard. The Slayer starts to take on the physical traits of the dragon due to high emotions.

Levi McGarden describes how his daughter fought a horde of bandits that took her son. First the scales, claws, talons then wings. Levi writes that once a slayer achieves wings there is the possibility for a take over magic. Only a handful successfully comes back from this. The others are considered rouge and as such are killed by other slayers. His daughter was killed by Grenadine's son. Gajeel would have to kill Natsu. I wasn't going to let that happen.

"Natsu!" I called over the fighting. Words flew until I got to the dragon slayer.

"Daddy!" I heard my daughter call. I watched her leave her father's side. Thank god that Gajeel wasn't hurt. I sent iron towards them. At least Marcus and the twins got away.

"Stay with your father, Cana." Gajeel sent a man flying before turning to me.

"Levy get away from him!" They ran at me. Beam stopped them. "He has gone mad. If he turns he will kill her."

"Trust her."

"I hope that you are right about this." Loke suddenly held my hand.

"I have to be for Lucy's sake." The king of the Zodiac kissed my hand. It felt cool. Cold enough to keep me from frying from Natsu's flames. "Natsu!"

"Go away Levy. They killed Metroden." He growled. His eyes were already that of a cat.

"I know. They tried to kill Cat and Hero." I stayed calm.

"More the reason to kill them all." He tried to passed me but I wasn't going to let him.

"Solid script water." It poured over him. He turned on me. Natsu had never in my life scared me as he did now. More than Gajeel that first night. More than Laxus. Natsu the sweetest of the male dragon slayers. "Listen to me. This is not what Lucy need right now. You kids are at the clinic. Lucy needs you there."

"What am I going to do there? I am not a healer like Wendy. I can't keep my calm like Laxus."

"Laxus?" That was the lightning. Gods no not them too. Mira would be the next one. "Do you know why that is?"

"I don't care."

"Laxus is keeping calm because his mate is distraught. Do you think that Mira is taking this well? How about Gajeel? His baby girl might still die. Our oldest is fighting next to him. She could still die in this battle if he didn't keep his calm. Wendy is working her hardest to help all the kids. I bet Sting and Rogue on their way here too. If you change now without some self control any one of them is going to have to kill you. Do you want Lucy to see that? Can you add yourself to her loss?"

"Natsu?" Lucy jumped off Taurus' back. "Please come home."

"They have to be hurt for this."

"Yes and the Redfox's are doing just that. Our daughters are asking for you. They are scared. They want their dad. What am I going to tell them if you don't come back?" He sighed as a man flew past me. I turned back. Metalicana looked sheepish. Gajeel brushed off his pants with one hand while eating some of the iron I had sent to them.

"Luc-"

"Please Natsu. I wouldn't be able to handle it in you died." She fell into his arms. "I love you."

Two bodies caught me as Natsu reverted back to human. Natsu and Lucy cried together on the ground. I held my daughter as Gajeel turned my face up to him. "Never do that again."

"I saved the day." I smiled to Lucy. "For at least one person."

"Dammit Levy." Gajeel growled. That was when my gut feeling hit me like a bull. "Levy?" Lightning flashed in one area. A red line darted across the black sky. In the flashes I saw the Master in his giant form.

"You have to get to the clinic." Mavis said nodding at the damage. "I knew you could handle it." Still the little girl it was disturbing to know that she was the most powerful person in Fairy Tail and she was dead.

"What is happening, Mavis?" Beam asked, dragging two bodies.

"All out war for the lives of the hatchlings." Not a word was said. Gajeel got into the driver seat of the magic car. Everyone else held on for dear life. The dragon slayers were never without food as we drove. I needed to keep them at full fuel. Something told me that this was going to be the fight to decide the fate of our guild.