Yes, you are seeing right. I'm offering you the next chapter already. Hip hip hurray for holidays!

Just a fair warning before you read. Some parts of Luna's past will be mentioned in this chapter so watch out for yourselves, as you read.

Further, there's another intense section waiting for you. Honestly, I can't really put it into words but I think, I should give you a heads-up for that particular scene.

Now then, happy reading to all of you :D

XXXXXXXXX

Ever watchful, hazelnut coloured eyes had focused on a moving mop of pink hair trying to sneak out of the house in pursuit of the older brother without no one noticing. Luna Heartfilia narrowed her eyes at her son's poor attempt at acting stealthy and sighed in defeat. Seeing as Natsu failed miserably she was immediately reminded of how ridiculous her dear husband could be at times.

A trait not only Natsu had inherited from Natherious but Zeref as well – albeit it was not that obvious with her eldest son. But once it surfaced, it shone brighter than Natsu's attitude. The pink-haired boy was a copy of his dad outwardly and Zeref a doppelganger of his father's character. That didn't mean, her sons lacked in the individual different section though. It was merely the side of them, which showed the strongest proof to whom they were related.

Both came strongly after their dad but Luna had never a reason to complain. How could she, if she had three versions of her beloved demon running around her? Teasing little shits as they were from time to time, she loved all three of them madly and would never exchange her current life for anything else, no matter what the world would offer to her. Everything would look like the dirtiest filth if compared to her men. That being said, she had never a dull moment since Natherious stepped into her life and gifted her not with one or two but three treasures at once.

They came one after another and the youngest one of them was the current magnet of her motherly attention. Luna pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head in defeat as she picked up Natsu's not silenced giggles of giddy excitement. He was so certain, that his attempt had gone unnoticed so far but oh, how wrong he was. The blond woman smiled nevertheless a loop sided smile. Natsu might be failing greatly but he was giving it his all and it was simply too cute to not smile about his behaviour.

Still, it was too soon for him to follow the steps of his older brother. Even that permission was fought hard over by her and Natherious. It would probably still going on had it not been for his impenetrable argumentation and her faith in Zeref's young maturity.

XXX

"What do you think is better, Luna?" her husband had asked her at that time. "Putting invisible shackles on Zeref, tempting him to see what happens when he tries to break free from them in his search of freedom or offering him instead enough space, where he can move freely to his heart's content?"

Natherious waited a few seconds, giving her the time she needed to take in his argument, mulling it over inside her head several times. She couldn't deny the truth that lay inside the words spoken to her but something inside of her refused to let Zeref go just like that. She couldn't quite place her finger on the reason but her better half had already singled it out and did not fear to mention it without delay.

"Luna, you of all people should know, how it feels to live inside a cage."

Her eyes widened at that. She had not seen this coming so Luna was completely unprepared to be confronted with her past so suddenly. Many would call Natherious's words a low blow, an unforgivable assault on her feelings since he knew what her life had been when she was still living in the Heartfilia mansion. It was unbefitting for a gentleman and simply not a way for a man to treat a woman. Phrases such as these would most likely be the response by countless offended voices, calling Natherious's behaviour a shame for manhood in its entirety.

Every last one of them, Luna would beat up herself, tear their throats out for insulting the man she loves with all her heart simply because they do not understand him with their low brain capacities.

Of course, the reminder of her past did hurt in the first moment but it vanished instantly when the reality residing within settled down in her mind. Further, Natherious's posture was open and his face expressionless, indicating that he was not in the defence during their argumentation. On contrary, he would accept every counter she could muster. After all, he had simply stated a fact as cruel as it may be and Luna understood the folly she was about to commit.

She had been on a path, where she would have enforced her past life on her own children albeit she knew all too well how much she hated to be born as Luna, daughter to the infamous Heartfilia family. A golden cage with numerable restrictions, soft like silk and woven from the finest jewels. A detestable life she dreaded even now.

She also remembered one thing he had told her once, many years before Zeref would be born. On that day she had suffered from a mental fallback. In her dreams, she was haunted by the terrors that had befallen her after her escape. She tried to ignore the terrible memories but it was a fight she could never win. Her struggle to keep her emotions in check was in vain so she broke down.

Hot tears ran down her face as she remembered every vile action she had, the filthy hands that had violated her whole body in the most hideous ways but before Luna could lose herself any further in the maelstrom of despair, another set of hands made contact with her body. Unlike all the others, she did not reject and instead desired more of their gentle touch.

Wherever they brushed over her skin, a fire was set ablaze and the heat emitting from every flame embraced her shaking frame. Slowly but surely the darkness inside her vanished, yielding to warm and compassionate power that resided inside every flickering flame.

They glided across her body, reached higher and higher until they came to a stop and cupped her face with the utmost care, afraid of breaking her apart in any way. Gentle pressure was applied by the hands, a silent desire for Luna to raise her head to look their owner into his eyes. She would never be able to resist this demand, so she did and came face to face with orbs of crimson scarlet.

They were so close, that Luna had trouble deciding in which eye she should look. That was before she noticed that they were still getting closer until she felt Natherious's forehead touching her own. What the other exhaled did the other inhale as their noses brushed against each other. It felt so intimate and intense that her senses stopped working properly. They had been close before. In fact, many times, so many that it was impossible to count them anymore. The thought alone was enough to taint her cheeks with a lovely red colour. However, this time it felt different. If Luna would be forced to put the sensation into words, she would describe it as being drowned in Natherious's all-encompassing love.

It was a marvellous feeling and she wished, that it would never stop. His thumbs rubbed her cheeks in loving motions, the heat emitting from them evaporated her tears away and it only made Luna cry more. Not because of sadness anymore but because she was so utterly happy, that she had found her significant other. With a gentle smile on his lips, Natherious started to talk and what he said, only intensified the relentless streams pouring from her eyes.

"There is no need to be ashamed for what has happened to you during these times. Cry as many tears as you want. I will catch them all and drink them away until you feel better again. I know how gruesome these events have been to you because I suffered from them as well for many years in the past."

Luna lost her breath and every thought for a moment when she had listened to the tall man's revelation. She searched his eyes and silently asked whether he did tell the truth or if he was simply using words in a coating of sugar in order to make them more impactful. The one and only thing, the blond woman discovered inside the pools of red was the merciless harshness of reality.

Natherious was telling the truth. He had been one as well. A slave to the morbid desires of humanity, a society that is rotten to its very core. She wanted to cry for him but she found not the power within herself to do so. Because the smile on his face held just as much truth and it was not one of sadness or grief. It was love and happiness incarnated at the same time so shedding tears born from negative emotions would only defile this small piece of heaven.

"But let me tell you this. Terrific as it is, it's a part of the past now. It can't be changed anymore and even if it should be possible, it would be better to leave it as it is. The past is the foundation for the here and now, the constructor of our present but we shouldn't live within it. Instead, we should learn from the events that have passed by in order to not repeat any mistakes twice. This is why I can smile about it now." Natherious explained.

Luna understood every word her husband was telling her and she also picked up the meaning lingering within his every coo. Yet it was not enough to sever her connection completely. It grew weaker and weaker without question but the final threads were harder than diamond and as sturdy as a steel wall, something that Natherious also saw so he prepared his next strike. It delivered the final blow.

"Putting it into words, I do not regret what happened in my life so far and I would not change anything either. After all, the life I have lived up to now ultimately led me to you and I would make the same decisions over and over again if you are waiting at the end of the road. I also might have many reasons to shed endless rivers of burning tears but I prefer to use the present to make you smile instead and bathe in the radiance you give off in these moments."

'This was so unfair,' Luna thought to herself with new tears brimming in her eyes. How was it possible for Natherious to always find the most fitting words for every situation he found himself in? He was talking about her being radiant but the one, who was shining brightly was the man kneeling in front of her. He was the blazing sun that illuminated her every day, her every moment with its essence of manifested love. How could a single man just be so-

Every thought that would have followed vanished because her husband had yet to deplete his repertoire of unavoidable attacks. He had closed his eyes and titled his head to the right before his lips parted and gave way to the accursed toothy smile, Luna could not resist.

This man. Perfection.

She couldn't resist his alluring temptation any longer so her hands shot into his soft locks and she closed the remaining distance between them. She attacked his mouth and devoured his lips with her own. She poured every emotion into the kiss and Natherious responded in kind and gave his all to her as well.

After that day, after his confession, Luna was never haunted by her past again. The demon at her side had made sure of that thoroughly with the pure heart beating inside his chest.

With that memory ever-present in her mind, she found no reason to deny Zeref's wish to see the wide grasslands atop their home. Luna wished not to let her past life rule over her present anymore so she was willing to give her approval as well. She called for her son and said boy slowly entered the room. The tension raging inside Zeref was more than evident if the uncertain looks he cast at both, Natherious and herself, were anything to go by.

Luna crouched down to her son and caressed his hair, avoiding the tuft standing prideful into the air on purpose. She knew it was pointless trying to smooth his antenna away. Many attempts or rather many failures in the past had made this clear. With a sweet smile on her face, she addressed him.

"Zeref, your daddy and mommy talked about your wishing of seeing the planes above the village without either of us coming along. We came to the conclusion, that you are ready to travel on your own accord so far. We only wish, that you are telling us beforehand, when you go there, okay?"

Not even a second later, winds of pure excitement were blowing in her face. Zeref was so happy about the allowance, that the boy had even lost temporarily his ability to speak and only nodded his head up and down wildly in order to showcase his opinion about the results of his parents' talk. It was a lovely sight to behold and Luna was getting excited as well because she had more good news to share with her son.

"And do you know what the best about this is, Zeref?" she questioned her son. The ebony-haired boy only looked quizzically at her and she could also sense the curious look from Natherious on her back, as the man was not aware, of what she was about to say.

"To celebrate this, your daddy promised to cook your favourite dish for an entire week!" Luna proclaimed confidently. For a moment, she worried Zeref's brain had a shortcut but in the next moment, he had already stormed toward his father and jumped up and down in front of him while pumping his fists into the air.

Luna turned around and was greeted by a sight she could only laugh wholeheartedly about. It was difficult but not impossible and just now she had been successful with her rapidly crafted plan. A dumbfounded Natherious was staring at her in utter disbelief and the blond maiden could see, how he combed through his mind, trying to locate the moment they had settled on this agreement.

He could search for weeks but would find nothing else but emptiness. Not because he had forgotten about it but simply for the reason that such an arrangement was never decided on by them. Luna, bold as she was, had simply lied. The nudge she could deliver her dear husband had been simply too tempting to make not any use of it and she was looking forward to witnessing his suffering.

Of course, the mere prospect of cooking was nothing to be worried about. Especially, since Natherious's cooking was more divine than a piece of heaven. That man knew, what he was doing when he swung the frying pans around like an artist, painting his masterpiece. Only her skills in the kitchen could rival his. Each of them had always two judges and so far Zeref and Natsu couldn't decide, who was the better cook. A stalemate she and Natherious could live with. They took turns in the kitchen since both of them enjoyed themselves a lot behind the counter. More than often they performed the deed even together.

So theoretically, there was no problem with preparing a favourite dish but in fact, there was. And it was a behemoth of a problem because the person for whom the dish would be done had a rather wide-stretched definition of favourite. They had only made this mistake once and never dared to repeat it. Too horrific had it been.

Ever since he was born, Zeref was the biggest fan of their individual cooking and could never get enough of it. They realised this when he was still a teething baby. He had been playing on the floor at that time and both of them left the room for not more than thirty seconds. It was still enough time for their boy to worry them greatly. They heard something crashing on the floor and hurried back in less than a second. To their hearts' relief, nothing bad had happened. Zeref had only decided, that it would be more fun to somehow push the dishes from their last meal on the ground and gnaw the remains from one of the forks they used with great effort.

And when the culprit looked at them, he smiled the brightest, toothless grin he could muster and successfully banished every possible anger from their souls. They were done for, when he suddenly stood up and trotted giddily to them, eager to continue his chewing within their united arms. His greed for their cooking resulted in Zeref doing his first steps, a memory engraved in their souls for eternity.

His love for Luna's and Natherious's meals never ceased to exist and it became a habit of his, that still persisted to this day unbroken. But that also gave birth to the one problem her lovely husband had to deal with now. He worshipped every crumb of their cooking when he was asked, what his favourite was, he responded by naming countless dishes in a wild fuss of tangled words, which basically meant, that either Luna or Natherious had to prepare all of them and then mix them together without ruining their taste.

A task Natherious had to do seven times in a row now and the mere idea of it, was a blast to her already. Of course, he could simply decline, but Luna knew all too well, that he wouldn't be able to endure a look of disappointment on his son's face. So the mother of Zeref and Natsu leaned forward, her left hand found support on her hip whilst she raised the other near her face and formed the Victory Sign. A smug smirk dripping from impish intentions had formed on her lips and only when Natherious did see the expression on his wife, did he understand, what had happened.

His eyes narrowed dangerously and all focus was concentrated on his mischievous wife for the stunt she had just pulled. Luna relished in every second, Natherious was looking at her like that, making her impromptu plan even tastier than it was before. Beneath the joyous shouts of Zeref, she even heard the animalistic growl that rumbled from Natherious's throat. Luna knew that someday she would get her payback for this, but it had been worth every moment it lasted.

XXX

Surprisingly, Zeref did not take advantage of his newfound freedom as often as Luna and Natherious had expected – much to their relief. In the beginning, both of them would constantly stare out of every available window in the house. It was ridiculous on their part because the wide grassland could not be seen from the village but she supposed, this is simply how parenthood worked at times.

It took several months and secret checkups on Zeref, when he was fast asleep after he had returned from one of his trips, before the tension always embracing them slowly but surely decreased bit by bit until none was left. Of course, they were still watchful about his well-being, their sixth sense always observing him from nearby and far away at the same time.

And of course, there would be the time, when it was Natsu's turn but it was still too early for him. Luna disliked the idea of having to stop him but it would be for the better. Naturally, she had faith, that Zeref would look out for his little brother but the blond woman had no desire of shouldering this burden on him – even if it was only for a short amount of time and the boy loved to take care of his beloved Natsu.

While she had revisited some of her memories, Natsu had managed to get close to the front door so the time was due for her to intercept before he would get too excited about his almost successful escape. At least, that had been her plan but suddenly a set of strong arms wound around her body like a vicious snake and locked her at her current location. Flight was no option for Luna, not only because the embrace was too tight but also because she didn't want to leave.

Heat washed over her body, emitting from the owner of the muscular chains clinging to her frame like glue. It was a feeling that she could lose herself in, welcoming the sensation with open arms as her senses became fuzzy, numbed from the poisonous toxin invading her body from every pore it possessed.

Next, a face was stuffed into the crook of her neck and she willingly titled her head to the other side ever so slightly in order to give the hot, searing lips brushing over skin more access. She heard how the man behind her inhaled deeply, intoxicated by her sweet fragment as he liked to call it. Luna couldn't say much about this claim but she knew that she liked the masculine scent hugging her nose.

Natherious always smelled nice, no matter whether he came fresh out of the bath or if he was drenched from head to toe in sweat. It was a deadly and lethal weapon and he knew that very well. Luna felt like she was drugged by the pink-haired. A metaphor of course but sometimes feelings can result in similar effects and Luna could already write an entire novel from her past experiences about this topic.

In the background, she barely heard how the front door opened before it was slammed shut. Excited screams followed next before Natsu dashed away in his pursuit of Zeref and Luna made a mental note to explain the concept of discretion to her youngest son when she had the chance to. Not that it would help him anyway. As long as there would be no help from outside, Natsu wouldn't be able to escape just like that from her care.

But apparently, her husband had other plans and pulled all tricks he had up his sleeve – with great success. With every passing second, her resistance melted more and more away and any thought of running after Natsu and bringing him back was pushed further and further into the back of her mind.

"I know, what you are thinking. But let's leave Natsu in Zeref's care for once, shall we? I'm convinced he will do fine and I know, that you think so as well," Natherious murmured into her neck, every vibration of his lips against her skin sending trembles throughout her entire body. Her legs shook from the heavy emotions he was showering her with and they felt as fragile as air. But she had no fear of collapsing because she knew, that Natherious would catch her. It was always a magical experience, how easily he could pull her into a world crafted for only them. Not even Natsu nor Zeref had a place inside this domain. A terrific thought, being their mother but Luna could not find it in herself to be ashamed. Natherious would simply create a world where these two could join in.

"I want to have some alone time with you for a change. Have a nice relaxing bath with you, giving you a message. Things like that," he said next, his voice barely counting as a whisper. It felt like his soul was talking to her and against such a foe, there was no victory for Luna. Her love for Natherious was simply too overpowering.

Natsu would be in good hands, that she knew. Zeref might not show it outwardly because he always tried to be the cool older brother but he was dotting over the youngest member of their household just as much as Natherious and her did. Natsu was their sparkling star through and through. So all worries were eradicated without a trace, the faith she had in her men allowed her to let her fall completely from time to time.

And thus she found herself with her husband alone in their house. They took backward steps, one at a time as they remained in the position they were. Natherious mumbled sweet nothings into her neck and she loved every moment of it. Before long, they arrived at the bathroom and their clothing vanished piece after piece. It was a slow process as they were in no hurry. They had all the time in the world and they relished in the pace, they were moving at but the time came when they were bare and raw in front of each other.

The bath was soon covered in hot steam from the scorching water and at the far end, Luna and Natherious sat in the evaporating water. The heat did not affect them in any way and if they had a choice, they would make it even hotter but the laws of nature stood in their way. However, they were not bothered by this in the slightest because the warmth coming from their individual bodies was, what they were really after.

Luna sat in his lap and used his broad chest as her pillow whilst his heated hands and fingers cast their magic all over her body. They danced across her skin, kneaded away all stiffness currently residing inside her muscles and washed away every speck of dirt lingering on her porcelain-like skin. Luna groaned and moaned in utter acceptance of her husband's actions as she fell in love harder and harder with him.

It was without a question an intimate and intense situation for both of them but even then there was not the slightest hint of sexuality in the air, not even when Natherious took care of her most private body part. For outsiders, this deed might seem unsettling, something they could not comprehend. There was a time, when Luna had actually cared about their voices, but living her life alongside him came with many surprises and even more realisations.

"Why should I care about the opinions of some insignificant fuckers I don't know shit about? If they don't like, how I'm expressing my love because of their measly intelligence, they shall go fuck themselves in their knees and get lost!" he had said when she questioned him about this particular topic. And she laughed. With her whole body. Sometimes, Luna thought she was talking with some kind of poet and in the next moment, her husband behaved just as one would believe he would from his thug-like appearance.

Nevertheless, he was right with what he had said. Why should she care, what some strangers thought of the love between her and Natherious and how they showed it to each other? She was finished living after the expectations of others. Only her own counted now.

When Natherious was finished, Luna gave him a brief peck on his lips and stated, that it was his turn now. Without questions, he willingly changed positions with Luna and gave his all into her hands. Just like he had done, the blond maiden messaged his body in every place and took care of him how only she could, washing every part of his body without shame or remorse.

Luna was rewarded with soft groans rumbling from the depths of his chest as all stiffness left his body without leaving behind a trace. She was also reminded of how natural their skinship felt to her by now. Natherious had never been a man, who was shy about his body. However, it took a fair amount of time before Luna could say the same about herself. Of course, they had their special intimate moments with each other, Zeref and Natsu are the living proof of that. Luna was thinking about another intimacy she shared with Natherious.

It was the love between each other and just as Natherious had once told her, it indeed took time until it had fully blossomed. But the more vibrant its colours became, the deeper the connection between them grew until they were face to face with each other with their souls bare and raw. Physical modesty was no longer required in their relationship because they were seeing each other in the nude on a completely different level, one that was deeper than any physical touch could ever reach. So even when their bath was finished, they had no need to cloth themselves, their sons were still far away and there was no danger to shock them in the wrong ways.

Natherious was braiding her hair as she smoothed through his soft hair. For an unknown reason, she realised at that very moment how long they had been together already. The sudden gain of additional knowledge came out of nowhere without any warning beforehand. Not that she minded though. Nothing could rip her out of her bubble of peace right now. Still, she had to giggle at how many decades she has been blessed with her handsome husband already and she hoped for many more to come. Nothing in the world could compare to the man currently in her embrace. He was a unique being through and through and words were not enough to describe what she really thought of him.

A wave of unbound emotions washed over her and she allowed herself to be pulled along for the ride. Luna turned around and her hands wandered to Natherious's face. He had stopped his doings already and watched her intrigued, wishing to see, what she was up for. She answered him by pulling him to her and their lips met in a searing kiss, a kiss that became so much more as the house was brimming with their raging and unending love soon after.

XXX

Hours passed by as the day came closer and closer to its end. The sun was fighting its last battle for the day. Just as he had murmured, Luna and Natherious enjoyed the time they had for themselves, soaked in the presence of each other. They had cooked together, eaten together, and slept soundly in each others' arms late into the afternoon. At some point, they had bothered to take care of some sort of proper clothing as Zeref and Natsu would probably come back any moment now. At least, they were supposed to be.

However, there was no sign of them yet as Natherious watched from one of the windows, trying to spy their exhausted frames walking toward their home. Neither Luna nor he was mad about this though. They never agreed on a set time, when Zeref had to return so basically, their son could stay away from home for countless days if he wanted to. Not that it had happened before anyway. The Dragneel household was simply too alluring to not come back to.

But still, the sun was about to disappear behind the boundary of the horizon and the tall man couldn't say, he was eager about the fact of his sons walking back home with only the moon as their navigator.

"Better go and get them..." Natherious mumbled silently to himself as he pushed his body off the wall he was leaning on. His bare feet tutted across the wooden floor as he moved into the kitchen, searching for a glass he could fill with water. His hands moved with precise expertise as they omitted the deed. Soon enough, the desired object was in his palm and he took a large gulp as he ventured through the house, following the addicting scent of his beautiful wife.

He found her sprawled out on the sofa inside the living room, numbed from the heavy emotions still impregnating the air around them. With Natsu and Zeref requiring most of their attention, moments such as these had become pretty rare but when they occurred, they were intense. The pink-haired man was not fairing much better than Luna in that regard and he wished to give in to the temptation and lay beside the blond maiden.

He took another swig from the glass in an attempt to distract his mind ever so slightly from his wife. It was in vain, he knew, but he could try nonetheless. Natherious closed the distance separating them and allowed the fingers of his right hand to ghost over Luna's cheek. Immediately she leaned into his soft touch, wishing and demanding so much more as she let out a content sigh about her husband's actions.

"Could you heat up the food again?" he asked her while never stopping the ministrations of his fingers.

"I'm gonna head out and get our ravenous beasts home before they start chewing the grassland dry," he said next, grinning about his description of his sons which turned into a vast smile when Luna smirked as well.

But suddenly, when the sun vanished from the face of the world, their grins fell from their faces alongside every ounce of happiness created by the emotions inside of them. Luna's closed eyes snapped open with violent force and Natherious could swear, he heard the silent movement. His grip on the glass faltered and it slipped through his fingers and would shatter into a million pieces once it hit the ground but neither of them cared to catch it.

Their sixth sense was running all available alarm tolls as both of them were hit by a meteor of danger. The powerful sensation washed over them like a cataclysm occurring only every few millennia and for them, it was indeed a catastrophe, a nightmare come true. Something was happening to Zeref and Natsu, something terrible and they would stop it.

The sound of the front door getting ripped out of its hinges echoed throughout the already empty house but its death scream was overpowered by the earth cracking open as it was unable to endure the power that originated from the urgency in which the parents of Zeref and Natsu moved. The ground below their feet shattered to dust and was carried away from the gale forces emitting from the couple.

When they leapt, the entirety of the earth quaked and trembled and panicled shouts filled the village to the brim. None of the inhabitants could explain the sudden shift in their environment but the culprits behind the change in nature did not care what was happening to their neighbours. The forces carrying their bodies had already brought them to the grassland stretching vast and wide above the village and even though only the moon and stars offered light for them to see, they realised one thing of dread.

The large plane was empty, Zeref and Natsu have gone to an unknown location beyond any permissions granted to them. Despair would have overcome them by this realisation as there was no visible lead, where their sons had gone but only if had they been a couple of normal parents.

Ethernano was running strong within them and thus they were branded as mages, using magic at their every whim as they deemed it would fit their aims best. So it was only one long inhale it took, before Natherious's head snapped sideways. The scent of his sons wandered in the direction of the forest and the man cursed. These idiots had gone straight into a lion's den and he would love to slap himself for not considering this possibility.

But berating himself would have to wait until later. If they had ventured into the woods, the pink-haired magus already knew, where they were and what was currently transpiring. Following his lead, Luna followed her husband as he jumped towards the jungle of deciduous and coniferous trees, trusting in his never-failing nose. For a moment, she felt sorry for what destruction they would cause to the wall of green but it only lasted for an insignificant amount of time.

Before her eyes, the forest roared to life, stronger than it did ever before. It sensed its master's alarming state and obeyed his unspoken command without hesitation. Trees and bushes, that were not in the direct path, morphed and twisted as if they were made out of water, taking in a shape in which they would not be a hindrance for the incoming couple. Those, who stood in the direct path, returned to their youth and became seedlings once more. When the mages had passed by, they returned by the power of magic brimming inside the parents, especially the father.

So without any delay, Luna and Natherious crossed through the fortress of leaves and wood and arrived at the lake. There, at last, their eyes found, what they have been looking for. Deep into the like, far away from the shore, they found them, heads adored by hair of ebony and pink. They hugged each other close, their bodies shaking in pure fright and terror, snot and tears cascading down their faces in relentless streams as they were about to be swallowed whole by the king of the lake - a giant slaughter fish of gargantuan size, the result of a century-long life.

The glass back in the house of the Dragneel family kissed the floor and shattered at the exact same moment, as the monster's maw fell shut with a powerful snap. However, in the next moment, the snout opened again and let loose a violent raw of feral anger for there was no delicious meal between its teeth.

The beast sank beneath the waves once more, having already identified the new location of its prey and jumped out of the water so it could finally sink its teeth into its next meal but the giant fish regretted the action a moment later for it was leaping directly at the doorstep of demise.

They said, stares can't kill. Luna's and Natherious's stares did kill though, contradicting common knowledge. The moment the eyes of the beast and Dragneel parents met, the slaughter fish's heart imploded, ripped apart and shredded by their united wrath. It was the end for the colossal creature but in fact, it had only begun.

Luna was the first to act to judge the foul being threatening the lives of her sons with her overpowering wish for vengeance. Zeref and Natsu were safely secured between the arms of her Natherious, a bastion of love no one could ever hope to break through. And if someone should be foolish enough to raise their weapons against it, doom would await them.

Suddenly the air and water around the family started to vibrate as golden light embraced Luna's form. Her left arm broke apart from the embrace and she raised her limb in slow motions towards the beast. The blinding shine expanded rapidly and the world shifted at Luna's demand. Trees and bushes yielded first and soon after even the lake had vanished completely. In their place, the bottomless universe had stepped, overjoyed to be called forth by its princess once again.

A billion stars twinkled around the battlefield, which was more of a stage for slaughter than for an actual fight. Star emblems formed in Luna's pupils, surrounded by ancient runes of magic the world had long forgotten.

"Urano Metria."

Upon her order, enormous orbs of planetary size shot forward from every possible direction. They surrounded the family protectively until Luna turned them into a weapon, a battery gun of cosmic extent. The slaughter fish was hit by the first shot and its body shattered, the next strike broke its bones and the next crunched them to dust. The attacks were so fast and so powerful, that the monster could not even roar in agony or pain.

At the same time, another feral creature roared louder than ever because soon new prey could be found. Death itself fletched its teeth, saliva dripping down its mouth in carnal desire. Luna's strike was about to end as the world was returning to its normal self but suddenly a shudder ran down death's spine and it whimpered like a dog with its tail between its legs and hurried back into the deepest shadow it could find.

Death was willing to fight Luna over its prey but no Natherious. This man is doom incarnated and death dreaded him more than anything because he would be able to even destroy a concept such as death was.

When Luna's attack had ended, the slaughter fish's numb body was flung through the air in the aftermath of her powerful strike. However, since death did not dare to interfere just yet, the creature was still within the realm of the living and could perceive everything that happened around it. Therefore the beast understood that the worst was yet to come.

Out of a sudden, a storm picked up and the sound of million trees rustling within the gale forces echoed across the lake, accompanied by a symphony of restless waves dancing across its surface. But it was not a real storm, at least not what many would consider real. A storm indeed but at the same time not.

It were the winds of magic bellowing in wrathful anger, that created these events. They sensed the turmoil growing inside their master and reacted to his emotions in kind. When Natherious Dragneel was enraged then magic itself would be enraged as well. They were two entities but one and the same nonetheless, connected by Natherious's unrivalled understanding of what magic truly is.

So without him doing anything, magic assassinated the fiend, who had dared to endanger his family. Luna's horror was audible and had a name, the spell she cast had a beginning and an ending but Natherious was different. His terror was a silent one, it began but never ended, lasting throughout eternity and beyond.

Destructive waves of magic assaulted the slaughter fish and its body was suspended in mid-air. All freedom was taken from the beast and it could only hope for a god's mercy – not knowing, that no god would dare to defy the pink-haired mage's divine word.

Waves of magic turned into threads and they attached themselves to the all-encompassing power of gravity. They spun around the body of the beast and once every fibre was covered, they performed the desire of their master. At the same time, from every direction, gravity multiplied and applied gigantic pressure on the mortal being, a strength so overwhelming, that words are insufficient to fully describe it.

The already shattered body was crushed even more as all organic mass was squeezed tighter and tighter together. Morbid sounds of crunching flesh filled the atmosphere as the fate of the once-proud king of the lake was sealed. More and more pressure was applied until the entirety of the monster was compressed into the size of a mere atom and only then, did Natherious feel satisfaction and his raging wrath calmed down.

Magic was released from its service and the power applying the gravity vanished and the true extent of the effects was shown to the world as an explosion of red vapour was born. The sky was heavily clouded by now and it began to rain but it was not water that fell from the skies. Every droplet was crimson red, the same colour as blood and the last remains of the foolish idiot, who dared to pose a threat to Zeref and Natsu Dragneel. It was an epitome and a warning to every being in existence to not raise their hands against either of them. The day of judgement would follow suit without fail in all its terrifying glory.

And as heaven cried tears of blood, Zeref and Natsu did the same but their reason was a different one. They had been so frightened but being in the arms of their beloved parents, all dread and fear were eradicated without fail as they called out to them in unison.

"Mom, Dad!"