DISCLAIMER: Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima.
Setting: March 9, Year X797
Drip drip, drip drip, drop…
The rain was pouring down the morning overcast skies and onto the rooftops and streets of Magnolia. Raindrops that were dripping onto puddles were creating ripples with each drop they made as they landed on them. The trees were swaying in the cool breeze, which sounded quiet since the weather forecasted a quiet overcast day with 100 percent chance of rain and cool temperatures.
The members of the Fairy Tail guild was chattering amongst one another, voicing their concerns about Ariella, as because they had received word from Makarov that she went into labor and she had to be taken to the infirmary with her husband. Speaking of Makarov, the elderly guild master was pacing to and fro across the floor, grumbling lowly as the clock was ticking by. But soon, he wouldn't be the only one who was impatient…
Ariella's younger sister, Juno, just couldn't sit still due to being overly worried about her older sister, and no matter how many times anyone would try to calm her down, she wouldn't listen to them and would try to go to the infirmary to see her. The raspberry-haired Nature Mage eventually had to be restrained by Laxus, who had an incredible physical strength that was enough to hold her down. Her oldest sister (and Laxus' wife) Sloane had to mediate them and remind Juno that the only option for her right now was to wait and hope that Ari and her babies will be alive following the delivery.
Russell and Cecilia, the Maxwell sisters' parents, were just as concerned about Ariella as the rest of the guild, but they tried to remain hopeful that she and the babies will be alright. They had arrived to Magnolia two days ago so they could be there to see the twins, as because Ariella and Freed had invited them.
The four main members of Team Natsu was gathered at a table together, with Juvia in tow. Erza took a sip of her warm tea in silence, with Carla joining in with a cup of her own and Romeo sitting quietly next to the redhead, wondering about Wendy. Happy, on the other hand, was simply sitting in the middle of the table in front of the Dragneel family.
"You think Ari's gonna be okay?" the blue Exceed asked Lucy.
"I'm sure she will," Lucy answered, as she was holding her seven-month-old daughter Celestia in her arms. "Though we were aware that she will be in for a painful first time delivering babies."
"I can't wait to see the Fairy Twins!" Natsu exclaimed, raising his right fist up in the air. "We'll be the first guild on Earthland to welcome a set of twins!"
"Faiwy Twins! Faiwy Twins!" Nashi chirped, raising her arms up to mimic her father.
"That seems like an exciting achievement for us, but let's not brag too much about it to the other guilds," Gray advised, holding his son Storm in his arms. The young lad's black eyes fixated on Nashi's chocolate brown and the two toddlers stuck their tongues out at one another, ready to engage with one another in a funny face-off.
"Now, now, Storm," Gray said to his son.
"You can compete with Storm to see who can make a better funny face later," Natsu said to his daughter.
Their wives, Lucy and Juvia, simply giggled in reaction to seeing their kids sticking their tongues out at one another, and they assumed that one day they would have the same rivalry as their fathers.
Freed had been waiting outside of the Fairy Tail guild's infirmary for over half an hour, and he was awfully worried about his wife as he was on the floor, his back leaning against the door. Ariella had gone into labor last night, around 3:30 in the morning, and he had to take her to the infirmary as soon as possible whilst contacting Porlyusica via a communication lacrima. The healer was waiting for them there, ready to carry out the caesarean the three had planned altogether. After Ariella had gone through five grueling hours of strong contractions and a thorough examination, Porlyusica stated that at 36 weeks along, it was time for her to deliver the twins. Wendy was by the healer's side, ready to carry out her duties in the post-recovery phase. In the meantime, she was assigned to help Porlyusica pass any tools she would need for the procedure.
"Freed… Promise me that you will be by my side when I wake up…"
These were Ariella's last words to him just before Porlyusica injected a sleeping potion into her left arm, sending her into a sleeping state. Once that was done, Porlyusica ordered Freed to leave the infirmary, despite the Dark Ecriture Mage's protests that he had to be there for her as promised. The healer warned him that the birth would be too graphic for him to handle, and when Freed kept insisting that he would stay, she had to resort to physically pushing him out and slamming the door shut.
After the brief flashback, Freed released a low sigh as he buried his face in his arms, the backs of his fingers leaning against his forehead and his teal eyes staring at the floor with a look of deep concern forming on his face.
Ariella…, he thought of her.
All he could think about was his beloved wife, as because they had loved each other for thirteen years and they tied the knot less than a year earlier at Kardia Cathedral, the same place where they first met during the Battle of Fairy Tail. Not long after their honeymoon in Crocus, Ariella and Freed were surprised to find out they were expecting twins, and they were in for a tough ride since Ari almost went into premature labor and she had to be put on bedrest. They endured it together, with some ups and downs along the way while they did their best following Porlyusica's bedrest rule. It had helped them keep their little ones safe throughout the remainder of Ariella's pregnancy, and now, it was finally time for the twins to enter the world of magic.
All of a sudden, Freed snapped out of his reminiscing when he heard a familiar voice say to him from nearby:
"Heeeey! How's the daddy-to-be doing?"
The voice came from Bickslow, who had arrived with Laxus and Evergreen to check up on him. They were just as concerned about Ari as their friend was, hence why they had decided to leave the other guild members behind and provide their support to him. Their kids had to be watched over by their respective spouses, with Elfman and Lisanna playing with their babies Ulrich and Lisbeth; and Sloane waiting with a preoccupied Lux and Rosalia.
"Everyone…," Freed said of them, as he stood up from the floor. "Bickslow… Ever… Laxus. You all came to see me?"
"Yep!" Bickslow answered with a grin, nodding his head. "We were wondering what was taking Ari so long with the delivery, and we heard from the master that you were frantic when you and Ari arrived at the infirmary. So it's why we came here to support ya!"
"Support ya! Support ya!" Bickslow's babies parroted.
"Ari… she has been in the infirmary for five hours, and I'm just as worried about our twins. I'm praying that she and the babies will make it out alive after the delivery…," Freed explained to his teammates, with expressions of concern forming on each of their faces.
"Five hours is quite a long time for Ari…," Evergreen said. "I believe Porlyusica and Wendy are busy with the delivery right now."
"That's what I thought," Bickslow said to Ever.
"You and Ari will do fine," Laxus said to him, placing a hand on Freed's left shoulder. "You two will make great parents to your twins, and I understand how you feel about becoming a father. I felt the same way when Sloane went into labor the first time. I was by her side the whole time, having to watch her breathe and push hard while I was squeezing her right hand. After she gave one last push and collapsed, my anxiety for her heightened and I thought she wouldn't make it. In the end, though, she was just exhausted and both she and our son were in perfect health."
"I'm pretty sure Ari and your twins will be healthy!" Bickslow assumed with a big grin on his face. "You just gotta try to be positive!"
"Positive! Positive!" his babies parroted, hovering themselves around Freed.
"He's right. I wouldn't worry too much about her if I were you," Evergreen agreed, waving her fan in front of her face. "I understand how stressful and terrifying parenthood can be, and Elfman and I had the exact same emotions the first time we became parents. Ulrich was too big for me to push out and he was in breech position, so it was why we had to resort to the c-section. It was a long, difficult and painful labor for me, but we felt that the c-section was the best way to get him out safely. He was large at nine pounds, two ounces; however, he was perfectly healthy nonetheless! We figured that he would be a mini-Elfman when he would get older since he looked exactly like him."
"Not to mention he'll be tall like your husband," Bickslow reminded her, irking the Fairy Mage. That earned him a smack across the head with her fan, which made him groan in pain and he muttered of her anger. What was the deal? He was just commenting about Ulrich's future height!
With a low sigh, Laxus shook his head as his hands were placed on his sides. Freed, on the other hand, was watching them in a state of awkward silence as a sweat drop ran down the back of his head.
"Nothing is wrong with having a tall man for a son in your family, Ever. There's no need to smack Bickslow across the head, so don't make a big deal out of what he said," the Lightning Dragon Slayer said to her.
Evergreen hesitated at first, but after realizing what Laxus just said was right, she took a breath and turned to Bickslow, saying: "Alright. I'm sorry for hitting you in the head, Bickslow. I suppose I'll accept our son for being tall like my husband."
"It's no biggie," the Seith Mage replied, rubbing his head. "Next time, don't sweat the small stuff."
"Don't sweat," Pippi and Poppo parroted. "Don't sweat."
"No biggie. No biggie," Pappa, Puppu and Peppe chimed in, also repeating what Bickslow just said.
Evergreen waved her fan once again as she suggested to her friend:
"Why don't you share your first experience as a father to Freed, Bickslow? He would like to know how you and Lisanna were during Lisbeth's birth."
"Ah, sure!" Bickslow said, before telling Freed: "I was just as nervous as you, Elfman and Boss were when Lissy went into labor. She did the breathing and pushing and I was holding her hand tightly the entire time, and boom, Lisbeth was born! She was perfectly fine, weighing in at seven pounds, five ounces. Decently sized."
"You and Lisanna were lucky to have an easy birth, compared to me and Elfman…," Evergreen grimaced with a sigh.
"And Sloane and I," Laxus added. "But, hey, we had to endure them and adjusted to being parents after bringing our babies home."
"Well… Lissy was in pain for seven hours due to her contractions, but she handled the breathing and pushing well as long as I was by her side," Bickslow explained, grinning again. "But yeah, the boss is right. We had to experience our ladies' labor pains and get used to parenthood with them."
"And I'm sure you and Ari will do the same, after you bring your twins home," Laxus assumed.
Freed had never been so grateful to have overwhelming support in his entire life, and he wouldn't had felt any better if it weren't for his comrades sharing their stories about becoming first-time parents. Now he would make sure to tell future parents-to-be in the guild of his experience as a first-time father one day.
"I would like to thank you all for your support," he said, tears of joy welling up in his eyes. As they were streaming down his face, Freed wrapped his arms around his friends into a group hug. "Without you, I wouldn't have had faced the courage of becoming a father to my twins."
"Awww! That's what friends are for!" Bickslow chimed.
"The four of us will stick together through thick and thin," Laxus added.
"You said it!" Evergreen said in agreement.
All of a sudden, the foursome jolted at the sight of the door to the infirmary opening up, and out came Porlyusica, who breathed out a long sigh. She had just completed performing the c-section on Ariella, with beads of sweat dripping down her face and blood on her gloved hands as evidence that she had worked hard to pull off the procedure.
"Oh! Porlyusica!" Evergreen exclaimed, her brown eyes blinking twice.
"It's about time you're finally finished," Laxus sighed. "That delivery must have taken you forever, eh?"
The healer leered her eyes at them, her lips forming into an unamused frown. She was not happy to see any unwanted visitors, although they were simply providing their support to Freed.
"What are you three doing here? I need to speak with Freed. Alone," she said to them in a stern voice.
"Well, we better get going," Bickslow said, as he was the first to skedaddle. It wouldn't be long before the other two would follow suit.
"Good luck to you as a father, Freed!" Evergreen cheered, as she followed right behind Bickslow.
"We better be the first ones to see the twins after you talk with her," Laxus called out to him, immediately taking off after his two teammates. "Catch ya later!"
Once his friends had finally left, Freed turned to Porlyusica, frantically grasping her shoulders as he shook her back and forth.
"How is she? How is my wife?" he asked her, sounding apprehensive.
"Calm yourself, Freed," Porlyusica answered him, gently removing his hands off of her shoulders. "The c-section was a success. Both mother and babies are doing well. Wendy is currently using her healing magic on her as part of the post-delivery recovery, so it won't take long before it is complete."
Freed let out a sigh of relief, and he could feel the weight of his anxiety being lifted off of his shoulders. He would no longer have to carry it around, like he would to heavy luggage.
Thank goodness…, he thought to himself. I will get to see my wife and our twins alive and well, after all.
Inside the infirmary, Wendy was applying her healing magic onto Ariella, a light teal glow emitting from her hands as she worked hard to heal the new mother. Next to her hospital bed were two small bundles placed inside cradles; one had light green hair and the other was platinum blonde. The babies were swaddled in two periwinkle blankets, and they had been wrapped neatly by Wendy shortly after their birth. She had some practice with the swaddling with Porlyusica's guidance, but overall she did a great job with the task.
"Each baby weighs about five pounds each, and that means they are small—but they are in good health nonetheless," Porlyusica added. "You and your wife should be fortunate to have healthy twins, as most twins would be born prematurely due to complications. Thanks to you two following my bedrest rule, your babies were spared from that possibility."
Freed understood what the medical advisor had to say, and he felt that she was right. Even though they almost delivered their twins prematurely, being on bedrest saved Ariella and the twins since she and her husband agreed to follow the rule.
"We did our best, and it really helped our little ones. Thank you for enforcing the bedrest rule," he explained, bowing to her as a sign of showing respect. A small smile formed on Porlyusica's face in response, even though she would normally loathe humans in general.
But he had one important question in mind, now that the twins had arrived. With a deep breath, Freed finally asked her:
"Are the twins a boy and a girl, like Ariella and I had always hoped for?"
"Actually, both of them are boys," Porlyusica answered.
"Both… boys?" Freed repeated, his eyes widening in sorrow. That disappointment felt like he had been struck in the chest by an invisible fist, and to him, it was a crushing answer he didn't expect. "But… But Ariella will be disappointed… She wanted a girl."
"You get what you get. You will have to wait at least one year before you and your wife will try again for a girl."
Waiting at least one year would seem like a long time for Freed and Ariella, since she had always wanted a daughter when she planned to start her own family. But she didn't that chance because of the outcome of her twins, and that made Freed wonder how she would react when he would tell her the bad news.
With a sad sigh, Freed finally spoke up softly:
"…Yes."
"Alright. Go ahead inside and Wendy will give you an update on your wife's recovery. I'll be back to see you after I report the delivery to Makarov."
As soon as the healer opened door to the infirmary, Freed stepped inside and he could feel some butterflies fluttering in his stomach. As if the worrisome time waiting outside wasn't bad enough, his anxiety about the outcome of his wife and twins was skyrocketing, with his heart racing out of his chest and his palms sweating like dogs in the summer heat. His eyes shifted at the floor, meaning that he wasn't willing to look up and see what would be right in front of him.
Just after Freed gulped apprehensively, he turned to see Wendy emerging from a white curtain, having just used her Sky Magic on Ari. She breathed out a sigh, and all the magic she had to use on the new mother was hard work—but it was worth it for Ari's post-delivery recovery.
"Hi, Mr. Freed!" she said to him. "The post-delivery recovery went well. My healing was effective on Ari following the c-section, but it'll take a while for her to recover because she's still under the effect of the sleep potion."
Wendy pulled away the curtain, revealing Ariella still asleep in her hospital bed. Her platinum blonde locks spread out on the pillow beneath her hair, her chest rising and falling with each silent breath she took.
"Ariella…," Freed softly whispered her name, staring at his sleeping wife with deeply concerned eyes.
"She'll be alright. And the babies are doing fine as well. They're bundled up together, asleep, and I did my best swaddling them."
Freed turned to see the cradles, and the moment he laid his eyes on the twins, an astonished gasp emitted from his lips. Small tears began to form in his eyes the longer he stared at them, and he could hardly believe that they were finally here.
"Those are… those are my boys…," he wept softly, wiping the tears away.
"Yes, they are, and you should be thrilled about that," Wendy said with a small smile forming on her face. "Congratulations to you and Ari for the birth of your twin sons."
"Thank you, Wendy. And I would like to thank you for using your healing magic on my wife."
"You're welcome. Someday, I'll be the guild's midwife in addition to being the healer. In the meantime, I'll keep on being Porlyusica's assistant for delivering babies."
Seeing the blue-haired girl's beaming smile seemed to be lifting up Freed's spirits slightly, and a small smile soon formed on his face in return.
"I'm sure you will make a great midwife for our guild in the future," he said to her. "Now, which one is the firstborn? I would like to meet him."
"The green-haired one," Wendy answered, heading over to the cradle and carefully picking up the green-haired bundle from there. She made her way over to Freed and handed him the bundle, as she advised him to be careful when holding him. Freed took the baby from Wendy and he felt the little one squirm in his arms; it indicated that the baby was adjusting inside his father's arms.
"Well, that was a bit of a challenge for me holding him, but he seems to be adjusting well," Freed assumed. He stared down at the green-haired infant boy stretching his tiny arms out of the bundle, and as soon as he yawned, the baby opened up his green-blue eyes. To Freed's astonishment, they were the exact same eye shape and color as his own. However, the eyes weren't the only feature that made him have a striking resemblance to his father: the brows, the lips, the facial structure. He could hardly believe that he had a son that had inherited every single feature from him!
He looks exactly like me! Freed thought.
"Hello, little one. I'm your daddy," he said to his son softly, delighting Wendy.
The baby grunted a little, trying to figure out his surroundings even though he was comfortable in his father's arms. His tiny right hand reached outward, and as soon as Freed gently touched his nose with his right index finger, the baby latched his hand onto it. He opened his mouth and was about to suck on it when Freed pulled it away.
"No, no. That's not for you to eat," he chuckled, tapping him on the nose with the same finger.
A small giggle came from Wendy, who found the baby's attempt to suck on his father's finger to be humorous.
"He's just curious," she said to him.
"I know he is. But Ariella and I will have to keep a close watch on him and his brother at all times when we bring them home," Freed replied.
The baby grunted once more, blinking his eyes with curiosity. Wendy leaned in toward the baby and reached toward him with her right index finger, and almost immediately, the baby's left hand latched onto it.
"Pleased to meet you," she said to him softly. "My name is Wendy, and I've just healed your mommy."
"May I see the other boy as well?" Freed asked.
"Sure, though you'll need to be careful holding two babies at once," Wendy replied, as she gently pulled her finger away from the green-haired baby and headed to the cradles. She carefully picked up the blond-haired baby and headed back to Freed, who was holding the green-haired baby in his right arm. As soon as he carefully took the second baby into the crook of his left arm, he felt the blond-haired lad wriggle to get comfortable, making the Runes Mage smile.
"Good to see you, little one."
In response to hearing his father speaking to him, the blond baby let out a big yawn and stretched his arms as his eyes opened up, revealing pale blue orbs staring right back at him. Although he had an eye shape that was similar to Freed's, the eye color, hair, facial structure, lips and nose actually made him look similar to his mother.
"He has my eye shape… but he's inherited everything else from Ariella," Freed observed.
Soon, both boys were staring at one another, wondering what they were doing here and why they were born at the same time. This was a surprising sight for Wendy and Freed, as because they didn't expect that to occur.
"Eh?" they exclaimed, their eyes widening big with curiosity. "Ehh?"
Both Wendy and Freed started to giggle in reaction, finding their curiosity to be humorous. After all, they had just been newly born and intrigued of their surroundings like any average newborn baby.
"Oh, my goodness," Wendy chuckled. "They are nonplussed to see each other!"
"Well, they are brothers," Freed explained to her. "But they'll realize that soon enough."
The blond-haired baby reached his tiny hand out to his brother's, cooing to him as if to say hello to him. In return, the green-haired baby cooed back and attempted to extend his hand out toward his brother, only to end up a hair short of their fingers. Still, both babies were happy to see each other for the first time.
"Are you saying hello to your brother?" Freed asked his son softly.
"Ah!" the firstborn cried, as if to answer 'Yes'.
With a warm smile on his face, Freed said in a benevolent tone of voice to his boys:
"Both of you will be loved. And we will raise you to become powerful Fairy Tail wizards."
"I'm sure they will be strong!" Wendy assumed optimistically. "I can't wait to see what their magics will be when they get older."
"Ari and I will discuss that at a later time. It's always important for us to plan ahead as parents when it comes to training our children to become wizards themselves, so time will tell," Freed said to her.
All of a sudden, Wendy and Freed heard the sound of low groaning and they turned to see Ari slowly opening her eyes. They hurried over to the bed as soon as possible, just as the new mother was starting to regain her senses. As soon as her vision became clear, the first people for her to see were Wendy and Freed.
"Ari! You're finally awake!" Wendy exclaimed happily.
"Wendy… Freed…," Ari mumbled, rubbing her eyes as her body rose up from the bed. "Where's Porlyusica?"
"She left to talk to the master," Wendy answered her. "She'll be back soon, so I'll let her know that my healing magic worked on you following the c-section. You should be regaining some energy by now, but resting is a must for the next two days. That'll give you and Freed time to bond with your babies."
"Look who I have with me," her husband said, holding the two bundles in his arms.
The sight of her twins made Ariella's pale blue eyes well up, tears of happiness streaming down her face. Her motherly instincts had started to kick in, now that she had just become a mother to the twins.
"Our babies…," she wept softly. "Oh, Freed, please let me see them. I want to hold them for the first time."
As soon as her husband handed them over to her, Ariella took both babies in the crooks of her arms and held them close to her. The twins grunted as they wriggled in her arms to get comfortable, and once they were settled, Ariella emitted a gasp of delight and her pale blue eyes lit up.
"They are beautiful," she said, gently poking their noses one at a time. "I'm glad they turned out to be healthy Are they both a girl and a boy?"
"Um, about that…," Freed answered, as he took a low breath in an attempt to ease his nerves. He then revealed to her: "You actually had a set of twin boys."
"Fraternal," Wendy added. "It makes it easier for you and Freed to tell one from the other."
In the midst of their responses, Ariella's delight soon shifted into disappointment. Her eyes began to fill up with tears and her body began to tremble. She couldn't believe that she didn't have a little girl, as she had always dreamed of.
"What's wrong, Ari?" Wendy asked her.
"I… I wanted a daughter…," she wept, tears streaming down her face like cascades down a shower wall. "The reason why is because I want to pass on my Nature Magic to her, to keep my family's generation going."
A gentle hand was placed on Ariella's right shoulder, and she turned to see her husband gazing compassionately at her.
"We'll try again in about a year," Freed reassured her. "By the twins' first birthday. I understand that this isn't the outcome you wanted, but you will have to accept it. I was as disappointed as you are, though I had to come to terms with it the moment I held them for the first time."
"Look on the bright side, Ari. One of the babies has inherited your features," Wendy explained, pointing to the blond baby in Ari's left arm.
Ari glanced down at her second son, who was staring directly back at her with his pale blue eyes. She noticed almost immediately that his facial structure was similar to hers, even though he had Freed's eye shape. She gently stroked his platinum blonde hair, though it was no surprise to her that he had a full head of blond, just like she did when she was first born.
"He does look nearly similar to me," she said to Wendy. "You are right about that, Wendy. I suppose having two boys won't be as bad as I thought it would be. As Freed had said, he and I will try again for a girl by the time the twins turn one next year."
Just then, the door opened up and Porlyusica came back in, with a clipboard and a pen on hand. On the clipboard was a form that she would need to fill out the details of the babies' births, so that their birth certificates would be created for them.
"Welcome back, Grandee—I mean, Porlyusica," Wendy said, correcting herself mid-sentence.
"Thank you for correcting yourself, child," Porlyusica said to the Sky Dragon Slayer. She turned to the new parents and said to them:
"I notified Makarov of your twins' arrival just a while ago, but I need to know if you have any names for them. He will announce them once I get that information from you two."
"I will go first, if you wish," Freed said, raising his right hand. Ari handed the green-haired baby over to her husband, and the Dark Ecriture mage approached Porlyusica whilst the baby got settled in his father's arms once more, staring at the healer with curious eyes.
"Go ahead," she said, holding up the pen. "What is the firstborn's name?"
"Darius," he answered her. "It means 'wealth', 'kingly'. He will someday be prosperous as a wizard under my teachings."
"That's a good name," Wendy said with a nod.
Porlyusica scribbled the name down on the form, and then she asked him:
"And the middle name?"
Freed's mind went blank the moment the question came up. He didn't know that he was supposed to choose a middle name for the child!
"Well… I-I… I haven't even realized that… a child… should have… a middle name…," he stammered, his body trembling apprehensively. All of a sudden, he felt a gentle hand placed on top of his left hand and turned to his wife, who had something in mind regarding the middle name.
"I think that I'll choose Freed's name for his middle name," Ariella suggested, her husband's face tinting bright pink and his eyes widening in astonishment.
"Ari… You'll use my name… as Darius's middle name?" he questioned her. It left him surprised at first, but since he understood how much he meant to her, he felt that he would accept it.
He then finally spoke up: "I… I would be honored to allow that."
"You really love that man to death, don't you?" Porlyusica asked her, a small smile forming on her face. Though she hardly ever smiled due to her loathing humans, this was a rare time for her to turn her usual frown upside down and she understood how strong Ari and Freed's love was.
Ariella nodded to answer the elderly healer, and she spoke up:
"Freed has been a part of my life since we first met, and our love has remained vigorous through all the times, both joyous and sorrowful. Even when we risked our lives to protect one another, we are still together. Freed means the world to me, hence why I am choosing his name as Darius's middle name—aside from their striking resemblances to one another."
Both Wendy and Porlyusica understood Ariella's reason the entire time they listened to her, and to them, it was significant. The elderly healer recalled Ariella talking to her in the infirmary of her relationship with Freed, during the time when Tempester's Magical Barrier Particles infected Laxus, his team and Yajima.
"I think it is thoughtful of you to show your love to your husband this way, and I clearly understand that," she finally said to Ari. That said, she finished writing Darius's full name with her pen as she added: "So, Darius Freed Justine it is. How about the other one?"
"His name is Lucian Russell Justine," Ariella answered her, as she reached out her right index finger toward her son. Lucian reached out his tiny left hand and grasped his mother's finger, cooing softly to her.
"I happen to like that name," Freed said to her, nodding in concord.
"Lucian? What does it mean?" Wendy asked her.
"It means 'light', and I believe he will bring a light of joy to our family and our guild," Ariella answered her. "And Russell is my father's name, so it's why I'm using that as his middle name."
"I think your father would be honored," Freed assumed with a smile. "I'v seen Sloane using that name as Lux's middle name, so it would make sense if it were a family name."
"It is," Ariella replied, nodding. "Speaking of which, Lucian's name could be a nod to Lucy."
A gasp of surprise was emitted from Wendy's mouth, and her brown eyes grew big with astonishment.
"You're naming him after Lucy?" she questioned her.
"Apparently so," Ariella assumed. "These names are similar to one another."
With a small smile on her face, Wendy stated: "I think she would be pleased to have been honored, just like your father."
"Well, Wendy, Lucy has been one of my dearest friends since we first joined the guild together. It's why I chose that name aside from the meaning."
Wendy understood Ari's reason, though she wondered how Lucy would react when Ari would tell her.
"Lucian Russell Justine, it is," Porlyusica said, as she scribbled his full name onto the form. "Alright, I'm heading out to provide the details to Makarov. However, I will give him one condition: he will tell the names of the twins as soon as you are ready to be discharged. You need exactly two days to recover. Understood?"
"Yes," both parents replied, nodding to her.
But before Porlyusica was about to head out, she paused at the doors when Ari and Freed each had to ask her:
"One more thing: can you send in Ari's sisters and my team?"
"And my parents as well."
The rainfall had finally come to a stop by late afternoon, and rays of sunlight were peeking through the clouds as they were clearing up in the sky. In the main room, the Fairy Tail members were gathered around Makarov, who had been notified by Porlyusica of the twins' safe arrival earlier. Now that the names of the twins had been confirmed, it was time for him to tell them the joyous news. However, he had a condition to follow: he will reveal the twins' names to the guild once they would be ready to go home.
"Fairy Tail has just grown by two. We will see them in two days as they are resting right now, but I am happy to notify all of you that Ariella and Freed have welcomed a healthy set of twin sons into their brood," Makarov announced, sounding prideful. "Once they are ready to be discharged, I will reveal the names of the twins to you. In the meantime, let us celebrate their arrival into the world of magic together!"
The guild broke into loud cheers, embracing one another and dancing with joy. Although they were curious to find out the names of the twins, they were thrilled about the newest additions to the family and they knew just how to celebrate: drink and be merry, as they always would.
The door to the infirmary opened up once again, and in came Freed's teammates and Ari's sisters and parents, as the new parents had asked Porlyusica to bring in. Lux and Rosalia had been brought along by their grandparents, as they were eager to see their new cousins.
"Heeeey! There's the new mommy and daddy!" the Human Possession Mage cheered, waving excitedly to them.
"New parents! New parents! New parents!" his babies chimed, floating from their master and hovering around Ari and Freed. They were just as excited to see the twins as the others were, hovering excitedly around the babies. Seeing the dolls float around them made the babies widen their eyes with curiosity, and they stretched their arms outward in an attempt to reach them.
"Welcome back, Laxus, Bickslow, and Ever," Freed said to his teammates.
"And Sloane and Juno," Ari added, smiling warmly at her sisters. "I'm glad you're here, as I have requested Porlyusica."
"And don't forget us as well," Cecilia joined in, pointing to herself and her husband.
"Let me see! Let me see!" Juno exclaimed, roughly shoving Bickslow out of the way. She took a seat on a stool that was on the left side of the hospital bed and Lucian was handed over to her. As soon as the baby got settled in his aunt's arms and opened his pale blue eyes, Juno gasped in amazement.
"He looks like you, Ari!" she exclaimed.
"He does, though he has Freed's eye shape," Ari answered her.
Juno reached out a finger toward her nephew's tiny hand, and as soon as Lucian latched it onto her, a small smile formed on Juno's face.
"Hey, Lucian. I'm your aunt, Juno," she said to him.
Lucian cooed in response to hearing his aunt's voice for the first time, as if he were saying, "Nice to meet you too."
In the midst of her first meeting with baby Lucian, Juno felt a hand on her right shoulder and she turned to see her parents, Sloane and Bickslow standing right behind her.
"Juno, I understand that you are just as eager to see your nephews as the rest of us are, but there is no need to shove someone just to see them up close," Russell reminded her.
"Yeah, what your dad said," Bickslow added, frowning at her. "It's rude to shove me like that, you know."
"Rude," his babies parroted, hovering around Juno in a circle. "Rude, rude, rude."
"Well, I wanted to see the twins first," she replied to him, frowning right back at him as she shooed the five dolls away. "You're gonna have to wait your turn."
"No way," Bickslow protested, glaring crossly at her. "I was gonna see them first, until you decided to push me out of the way."
As Juno and Bickslow pressed their noses against one another with bitter glares, they were gently pushed aside by no other than Sloane.
"That's quite enough from both of you," she chastised them. "Ariella and Freed have just welcomed their twins and you cannot ruin their special moment."
"She's right," Cecilia added, nodding in concord. "You will need to take turns. Juno just had hers, so it should be Bickslow's turn now."
Hearing the dreadful words made Juno's jaw drop in disappointment. She only got to meet Lucian for a short time, and to her, that wasn't fair!
"You heard her, Juno. Hand the little guy over," Bickslow said, grinning mischievously at her.
With a low growl, Juno reluctantly handed Lucian over to Bickslow and left the bedside, grumbling lowly. Once Lucian got settled in Bickslow's arms, the Human Possession Mage stared down at the infant and a smile formed on his face.
"Hey there, Lucian. It's your uncle Bickslow," he said to him.
"Lucian. Lucian," the five dolls chimed, floating around the baby.
Almost immediately, a smile formed on Lucian's face and he reached out his arms toward them, cooing happily to them. The dolls hovered to him one by one, and the moment Lucian's hands were about to touch one of them, they drifted slightly back from him all at once.
"Aww, he likes the babies!" Bickslow said, feeling awed by Lucian's new liking to the dolls. He then explained to them, in an attempt to ease their bashfulness: "Don't be shy, babies. He just wants to say hi to ya."
"Hi!" the babies mimicked their owner. "Hi, hi, hi!"
Lucian cooed to the dolls, as if to say hello to them in return. He reached his hands out once more, and almost immediately, Poppo gradually floated over to the infant. Lucian grabbed hold of Poppo and the doll settled in his hands, doing his best to get comfortable.
"Well, what do ya know? Your son's made a new friend already," Bickslow said to Ari with a grin.
"I'm sure they will be the best of friends," Ariella replied to Bickslow, eyeing her son cooing to his new friend. Poppo began hovering around Lucian in a circle, making the infant giggle to everyone's delight.
"It appears that Lucian isn't the only one who has made a new friend just now," Freed pointed out, as Peppe floated over to Darius and circled around him. The baby cooed to him, and when he reached his hands out, the doll hovered to him and Darius grabbed hold of him.
"Good for Peppe, becoming friends with Darius," Bickslow said. "I'm sure all five of the babies will love playing with them."
"They will, once they have adjusted to them."
Watching the twins bond with the two dolls made Laxus recall the times when Lux was a baby, he would play with Pippi every time Bickslow would hang out with his boss and their teammates in the guild or at the apartment he and Sloane shared. Those were the good old days; now the Dreyars had moved into a bigger home to make room for their growing family, with two active kids and a third on the way.
Lux and Rosie, who had been helped up on the hospital bed by their grandparents, were excited to meet their new cousins, and the moment they were introduced to them by their aunt and uncle, smiles were lit up on their faces. Laxus could tell almost immediately that the kids would get along well with with their cousins, once Ari and Freed would get adjusted to parenthood. Juno was waiting patiently for her turn to hold Darius, and she had to adjust her behavior this time around by asking her sister if she could hold him once her niece and nephew were done.
"Hey, Sloane, we should arrange a playdate for our kids with these twins sometime," he said to his wife.
"Of course, though we should teach Lux and Rosie to be gentle with the twins," Sloane answered with a nod. "And especially with our newest little one…"
With that said, she placed her right hand over her abdomen, which was starting to show. A pink blush tinted on her face when she felt her husband's hand being placed on top of hers, and her lips formed into a small sweet smile.
"They'll be gentle with our newest child when it arrives," he said to her. His eyes shifted to Ariella being handed Lucian back by Bickslow, and the new parents doting their twins and the two dolls, as he then added: "Right now, let's celebrate the arrival of our twin nephews."
"Yes," Sloane replied, nodding in concord.
Darius and Lucian, each with Poppo and Peppe in their hands, were cooing happily at their parents as they were staring right back at them. Ariella and Freed had never been so blessed in their lives, and now, with their new twin sons having entered the world of magic, they believed that they would raise them to be the best Fairy Tail wizards they can be.
To Freed, the wait during Ari's delivery was agonizing—but it was all worth it in the end thanks to hearing of her and their babies being alive and well as he had hoped. Now all they could think about was what it would be like for them when they would introduce their sons to the guild and bring them home, starting their lives as new parents.
The End
Any thoughts of this story? Do you think Ariella and Freed will do well as first-time parents, now that they have welcomed their twins?
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