A/n: Hello all as stated this is part three of my celestial Series if you haven't please go to my page and reed the frist two parts, as always love you all.
The blonde girl giggled as she watched the pile of silver and jeweled keys appear and grow even larger, passing her knee and continuing upward. The dragon slayer and her daughter had left not long ago but it was clear that he had desired those keys.
"But probably not for himself," she spoke to the spirits as with a wave with her hand each key returned to where it had belonged with in the chamber.
Walking through the corridors she allowed her magic to surround every key letting each spirit be filled with her love and appreciation. She had doubted the lion when he told her of his current master. Leo had claimed that this Lucy loved, respected, and defended the spirits just as fiercely as her. She had scoffed at the idea. She was spending her eternity guarding these precious souls, even from her own blood. Happy that in the last few centuries her children hadn't even attempted to retrieve a single one.
But she had been wrong. To watch Lucy's life had proven just how far she had come. She even doubted that she would have been able to save Leo that day. But Lucy had. It had nearly killed her and the blonde didn't know that it was her own spirit's love for her that had allowed her to call them all out, without the use of a key, even if only for a moment. The tears she shed for Aquarius. The whip she swung as she fought alongside every one of her spirits. The fact that she was granted the gift of Star Dress; a gift that hadn't been bestowed in nearly five centuries, and that she held ten of the thirteen golden keys. The stars loved her.
Walking back into the cave she sighed as she reached the pool. Memories swam in her mind, ones of her and her father as he taught her about life, love, and magic. Looking up at the crack in the ceiling she watched as the stars shown bright. Sighing she felt her father's magic as a single sliver key appeared in the pool. Reaching in she held the key of the spirit she had just created.
"Hello, friend I hope you will learn the lesson you need to," she sighed as the key disappeared into the chamber to find a home.
Looking back up to the sky her eyes sparked as she felt her father's warmth once again. "So, father is has begun,"
*****Twenty-Two Years Later*****
Hot, that's what he felt. But rather than the usual peace it brought the heat was uncomfortable. Which was odd, never before had he ever experienced a heat that actually made him sweat. Looking for the source he found a frightening sight.
Two persons, one on the ground limp almost if not dead, their body bent in ways that were irreparable and not survivable, the other standing over them panting in exhaustion. The land surrounding the pair was completely obliterated not a single area left untouched by the fierce battle that had taken place. Chard, singed, and broken stone was all the eye could see for miles. And the utter feeling of awe and despair filled him as he sensed the land cry out in anguish at the torment it had been put through. Suddenly a flash of familiar pink streaked a crossed his vision but he could not figure out where it had come from.
"Layla," he whispered desperately as he shot up in bed breathing heavily his heart speeding as sweat tickled down his head and body.
Groaning he ran his hands over his face as he attempted to calm his racing heart. Standing up he stumbled out of his room, not bothering to find a shirt or shoes as he tip toed past the nursery and his parent's room knowing that if he awoke the occupants he would be in severe trouble. Reaching the stairs, he took them two at a time till his feet hit the floor. A quick glace up showed that Happy was gone again, probably back at the village with Carla and their kittens. Sniffing he noticed that Nash was in the library with a book borrowed from Aunt Levy. Up with another experiment, he mused figuring that Uncle Zeref wasn't far away either.
Ignoring the two, he made his way to the front door and slipped out. Grabbing a dragon's heart from the basket by the front door and biting into the sweet red flesh walking off the porch towards the pond. Glancing up he found her. Long pink hair cascading down her back, barely touching the rock she sat on as she basked in the glow of the moon light, the faintest traces of black ink could be seen on the edge of her shoulders and disappeared behind the tank top she wore as she took several deep breaths.
"You're up late brother," she said suddenly as the boy chuckled.
"Was feeling a little low wanted to recharge," he joked walking around to see his sister's face.
"What would mother say if she heard you lie Igneel?" The pinkette asked turning her head to speak to him her green and silver eyes gazing harshly ahead not quite looking at him but in his general direction.
"Mom is eight months pregnant, she's not getting up at night unless she has to piss," he chuckled tossing the pit into the pond.
"Why are you really up Igneel?" His twin asked turning her face back towards the sky.
"Can't I spend time with my twin?" He quarried kneeling down to rinse his hands in the pond.
"You had another one, didn't you?" She said softly sniffing the night air looking for anything odd.
"If you know then why are you asking," Igneel asked running a hand through his shaggy blond tress.
"What did you see?" Layla asked as her brother groaned in frustration.
"You know I am not allowed to say," he huffed skipping a stone along the surface of the pond.
"No but I can smell the fear on you and you sought me out," Layla began. "You saw it, again didn't you?" She asked turning her head back down.
"You know for a blind person you see better than anyone," the blond laughed awkwardly feeling the night breeze try and cool is hot body as the cosmic energy of the moon and stars filled him.
Though he was never truly satisfied doing so, he knew that basking in the moon light would ease the terror the visons had given him. Draco's magic calming his racing heart and mind as if it whispered promises of a brighter future with in his soul. The visons were a gift of Draco's, one that at been passed to him thanks to Layla. Whom had been absorbing and exerting celestial magic for the twelve months they shared a womb. It was why, he figured that he didn't have the problem that Ryu did with the spirits. Their little brother always stuck close to dad whenever mom had more than three out at one time.
"Don't get cheeky," Layla hissed as she jumped from the rock landing in the grass next to her brother. Tapping her bare foot against the ground she turned towards the path that lead the way out of their secluded home in the woods. "Someone is coming," she whispered as the two crouched down behind trees.
Both trying to find a scent that matched one they knew. Growling in annoyance the two recognized the smell as it came closer.
"Saraphina!" Layla hissed as the blonde in question jolted in surprise as she cleared the tree line.
"Layla what are you doing up?" The eighteen-year-old asked in revelation, her green eyes darting around looking for any other sibling as she clutched the fabric of the baggie hoodie she constantly wore.
"It's a full moon tonight, the better question is. Where were you?" Igneel asked standing up so he was just behind his twin.
"Out," Saraphina said quickly as she looked between her two older siblings the messy bun on her head jerking around with her fast movement. "Mom and Dad don't have to know," she smiled as a deep voice cleared their throat causing two of the teens to look towards the voice while Layla simply smirked.
"And what were you doing out so late?" Natsu asked folding his hands over his bare chest, loose pair of sleep pants being the only thing he was wearing.
"I was hanging out with Lexie," Saraphina said quickly as she looked between her older siblings.
"Really and since when does Lexie smell like Ren?" Layla asked as she walked towards the porch.
"Yeah isn't his Royal Highness back from his last tour?" Igneel chuckled as he watched his sisters face turn bright red.
"Shut up," Saraphina hissed as she glared at the back of her sister's head.
"What's going on?" Nash asked the sixteen-year-old walking up behind his father Zeref not far behind. Over the years he had filled out rather well, never as buff as his brother or father. He was on the leaner side even if he resembled his father in every other way.
"Get to bed," Natsu ordered as he plucked the book out of his son's hands.
"But dad," Nash groaned as he heard his father growl lightly the pink haired boy stepping backwards as he spoke, "oh look at the time," Nash said nervously as he turned and raced up the stairs.
Looking down at the book that had been in Nash's hands Natsu rolled his eyes at the title, truths about Zeref. This book had been a gift, Lucy had bought and given to Natsu as a joke one Christmas when all of their children had been small, but almost each of his children found it funny to read now and again.
"Okay now back to you three, Layla are you done?" Natsu asked looking towards his eldest daughter who was sitting on the porch swing he had made for Lucy on their tenth anniversary.
"I am satisfied enough," Layla spoke as her father turned his attention to his eldest.
"Igneel?" the father questioned as he watched the teen laugh.
"Hey I haven't left the grounds," the blond defended raising his hands in surrender as he moved past his dad and into the house.
"Alright Saraphina, give me your hand," Natsu growled as he reached into the door to the bin that sat next to it.
"What?! But dad," Saraphina whined as she placed both wrists behind her back.
"I don't want to hear it; you are old enough to know better than to sneak out after curfew. We are going to the Crocus tomorrow for the grand magic games. And we will need your help with Ryu, Anna, and Luna," Natsu huffed as he grabbed his daughter's wrist and placed the rune sticker on it. "And if you break this rune you will be grounded for a month when we get back," the fire dragon threatened as his daughter huffed in annoyance.
"I hate you," she growled in exasperation while marching into the house slamming the door.
"I love you too," Natsu called out as he watched Layla rock on the swing, sitting down he wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "So, what's on your mind?"
"Time is running out," she whispered as she laid her head on his shoulder.
"Why do you say that?" Natsu asked laying his head over his daughters.
"I don't know just this feeling I have, Acnologia will rise soon and I will have to deal with him," she said as she felt her father stiffen. "Dad?"
"I wish I could remove this burden from you, but I know this is one you have to face yourself," Natsu said as he ran a hand over the top of her head.
"Mom said the same thing when I learned the truth about it," Layla whispered as she remembered her mother's tears on her twelfth birthday.
She could hardly remember most of the gifts anymore. But there in the center of the guild hall surrounded by her family and clan she learned the truth. Reporters had asked her and Igneel which one was it for years. They had been ordered never to respond to the question in anyway, but after their ninth birthday they knew what they were asking. Which one of them is the child of Draco; which one of them would have to face off against the monster. And that day they leaned the truth. Everyone in the whole of Fairy Tail was sworn to secrecy. No one outside of the Royal Family even knew what being the child of Draco even meant, and if Lucy could help it they would never know until after everything was all said and done.
"But let's not think about it right now, right now I want you to be a twenty-year-old that's it," Natsu said as he looked down at his child. "Hard to believe you're that old," he hummed as he felt his daughter's eye close.
Looking up at the sky he cursed inwardly. He could feel it too. Magic was changing. The truth about the magic levels had been reveled years ago. Now every mage in the entire continent had been ordered to completely drain themselves on a weekly basis just to help in any small way. But it was doing little to counter. The games were the time when things really dropped and even then, within a few weeks they were climbing again.
"You started this Draco, I just hope you prepared her for everything she is about to face," Natsu spoke to the sky as he tucked a pink lock behind Layla's ear.