That Time at the Pool:
AN: Part of this one-shot came from Nick's suggestion.
Nick (I'll be sprinkling in more of it as we go along. You actually gave me an idea for Cato! (That I'm sure you'll figure out one we get there.)
Farrah Lee-Dreyar: 5 ½
Nashi Dragneel: 2 ½
Storm Fullbuster: 2 ½
Cato Dreyar: 2 ½
Roman Fernandez: 1 ½
Persephone Redfox: 1 ½
Koree Redfox: 1 ½
"Whoa-ho-ho-ho! Snazzy!" Natsu cheered as he and Lucy made their way down to the resort pool. It was Grand Magic Games time again, though neither Lucy nor Natsu were on this year's team on account of still having a young child. Still, they wanted to be in Crocus to cheer on the lucky five who had been chosen: Cana, Guildarts, Wendy, Romeo, and Elfman. Freed, Bickslow, Evergreen, and Lisanna were named as the reserve players. Besides, all of the Fairy Tail members who agreed to come along had been placed in a luxurious, all-inclusive resort, so this was basically a free vacation for those not competing.
The resort included fifteen buildings, each with it's own gym, cafe, and general store. The buildings were arranged in a wide circle. Within this circle was a water park, a bar/night club, playground, spa, mini golf park, and arcade.
Lucy smiled as she bounced Nashi on her hip. Indeed, this water park was "snazzy." There were three pools: a regular one, a wave pool, and one set up for water volleyball. A lazy river circled the entire park. Three slide shot into the regular pool, one shaped like a funnel, one that was a straight shot down, and one that was a fairly standard, curving one. A hot tub sat next to a kiddie park. Whoever thought of that must be a genius! Lucy thought. The kiddie park had a very shallow pool, a sandbox, a splash pad that shot up several jets of water, a playground shaped like a pirate ship. It was walled in by a gate with a childproof latch so the children playing inside couldn't slip off.
Lucy set Nashi down next to the gated kiddie park to lather her in sunscreen.
"Hey, Natsu!" Gray's voice called as he raced by, a volley ball in his hands. "Bet you can't beat me!"
"Oh, you're on!" Natsu shouted as he chased after him. Lucy shook her head as she finished putting sunscreen on their daughter, and then opened the gate to let her in.
"Alright, go have fun!" she cheered as Nashi toddled inside, immediately jumping into the pool, splashing water onto Cato, who was sitting in the middle of the pool. Cato screeched and giggled, Nashi giggling as well as she jumped once more, splashing him again. Storm was seated on the step of the playground, simply watching the other children play as he just dipped his toes in the water, a contemplative look on his face. The Redfox twins were seated in the sandbox, throwing handfuls of sand at each other and laughing. Their normally dark teal hair was now a sandy brown. Roman was sitting in the middle of the splash pad, watching in silent wonder as the jets of water shot up around him, brown eyes as wide as they could be, hidden behind his soake purple locks.
Lucy chuckled at the children as she headed towards the hot tub, where Mirajane and Levy was already relaxing. Juvia was lounging in a chair next to the hot tub, a towel draped over her baby bump. Both were wearing two-pieces. Lucy, however, was wearing a one-piece, and had a wrap tied around her waist. Even two-years removed from the birth, she still had stretch marks covering her stomach and upper thighs that she was very self-conscious about it. She waited until she was right at the edge of the hot tub to shed her cover up, and then quickly sunk into the warm water.
"Hey, Lucy," Mirajane waved. "How are you?"
"I'm fine," Lucy answered. "You?"
"Relaxed," Mirajane sighed contentedly. "This is really nice."
"You can say that again," Levy nodded, leaning back deeper into the hot water.
"Mama! Mama!" Farrah's voice called from the kidded park.
"Yes, honey?" Mirajane asked.
"Watch this!" Farrah said. She was standing on top of the pirate ship playground. She took two steps back and then jumped off, doing a forward flip before landing squarely on her feet.
"Oh!" Mirajane cringed in fear as she watched.
"Did you see me, Mama?" Farrah asked. "Did you see me?"
"I saw you," Mirajane.
"Did I do good?"
"Yes, but don't do that around the babies, okay? I don't want you to accidently hit one of them."
"I won't!" Farrah promised as she skipped off.
"Quite the little acrobat, isn't she?" Lucy asked.
"She makes me so nervous doing that," Mirajane cringed as she turned back to the other three women.
"I'm sure it will come in handy when she's old enough to go on jobs, though," Lucy pointed out, before noticing something. "Say, where's Erza?"
"HA!" the requip wizard's voice called out.
All the girls around the hot tub turned to find Erza slamming the volley ball into Natsu's face.
"And you two call yourself athletes!" she scoffed.
"No one said that!" both Natsu and Gray countered before turning to Jellal, who sat with his feet dangling in the pool.
"Don't look at me," Jellal said with a shrug. "You're the ones who decided you wanted to go up against her."
"Of course," Lucy sighed in slight annoyance before allowing herself to sink deeper into the water. "Hey, Juvia, are you not coming in?"
"No," Juvia answered. "The hot water isn't good for the baby."
"Oh, right," Lucy blushed. She'd forgotten about no hot tubs during pregnancy. Sheesh, had it been that long since Nashi was born? Well, it had been two and a half years. Lucy looked down at her stomach, then to the little girl engaged in a splash battle with Cato and Storm behind her.
She was almost fully potty-trained now (just an occasional night time accident here and there.) She'd moved into her own "big girl" room. She'd been weaned for almost a year now. Maybe it was time to start thinking about baby number two?
"Mimosa, shrimp?"
Lucy jumped out of her train of thought at the sound of Gajeel's voice as he passed the drink in question to his wife.
"Aw, thank you!" Levy smiled as she took a sip and sighed a loud. "Mm."
"Nice to get a little boozy again?" Gajeel asked, an eyebrow arched as he sat on the pavement behind the hot tub.
Levy nodded. "Mm-hm. Now that we finally got those two weaned," she pointed to the twins.
"Geehee," Gajeel chuckled. "Finally is right. I was starting to wonder if I'd ever get to have time with you all to myself again."
Levy took another sip and playfully splashed him.
"Ah! Just the people we're looking for!"
Everyone turned to find Orba and Sherria running towards them.
"Hi, guys!" Mirajane waved.
Sherria waved back and opened her mouth to say a greeting, but she caught sight of the herd of toddlers playing in the kiddie park and let out a squeal, darting to the gate.
"Are these your babies? They're all so cute! Oh, I just want to pinch their tiny little cheeks! What adorable little creatures made of love!"
"Yeah, we're pretty proud of them," Levy beamed. "So what brings you here? Wanna climb in the hot tub?"
"No, actually, it's about the babies," Orga said.
"Huh?" all the parents asked.
"Oh, well, as you know," Sherria began explaining as she sat down cross-legged next to Gajeel and Levy. "God-Slayer magic is a type of lost magic, not a lot of people know it."
"Yeah, what's your point?" Gajeel asked.
"Well, in order to make sure our magic doesn't disappear with us we've gotta teach it to someone."
"Like that Laxus fellow," Orga cut Sherria off. "Isn't he teaching an orphan girl lightning slayer magic?"
"If you mean our daughter, yes," Mirajane answered in a bit of an annoyed voice.
"There, see, so we need pupils!" Orga exclaimed.
"And so...what?" Lucy asked. "You want our kids to be your students? Hate to break it to you, but Nashi already has her brand of magic."
"Not yours," Orga brushed her off then turned to Gajeel and Levy. "Yours! You have twins, right? That would make one for me and one for Sherria!"
"It would be such a lovingly perfect magic!" Sherria nodded.
"Whoa, hold up!" Gajeel waved his hands. "So you just want to take our twins and teach them your magic, is that it? Hate to break it to you, but I've got a brand of lost magic too. And since I'm the dad I get dibs!"
"Dibs? Really? That's the word you go with?" Levy asked in annoyance before shaking her head and turning back to the two god-slayers. "Besides, they're only one. We haven't really be worried with magic yet. They'll show us what magic they want to pursue in the future."
"Ah, I see," Orga nodded. "So only one can become a god-slayer because the other must be a dragon-slayer."
"Did you not hear what I just said?" Levy asked. "I said they'll decided when-"
"I guess that means we must battle to see who will pass on their knowledge!" Orga turned on Sherria.
"Whoa!" Sherria jumped to her feet. "I'm a lover not a fighter."
"Prepare to be defeated!"
"No, no, no!" Sherria began running away. "Help me, somebody! Help me!"
"Hey, get back here!" Orga yelled.
"Uh-oh!" a tiny voice called from behind Lucy. She turned to find Nashi standing right behind her. Nashi crinkled up her nose at Orga and clapped her hands. Pink flames appeared around Sherria.
"Wha-" the young girl gasped as she looked down at herself, stopping right next to the volleyball pool. Her pause gave Orga enough time to catch up with her. He grabbed her arm, and immediately recoiled in pain.
"Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Oh, that's hot! That's really hot!"
Gray, Erza, and Natsu stopped their game to turn towards the ruckus.
"Hey, I know those flames," Natsu said as he turned to Nashi and Lucy. Nashi wore a deep frown on her tiny face as she pointed at Orga.
"Bad!" she declared, shaking her finger as seriously as a two-year-old could. "Bad!"
"Nice work, sweetie!" Natsu called from the pool, holding his thumbs up before getting knocked in the head with the volleyball.
"Focus on the game!" Erza ordered.
"What the heck, I called a timeout!" Natsu protested.
Lucy shook her head as she turned back to the little girl who had her arms crossed, a deep frown still on her face. She chuckled at the little girl.
"Trying to show off are y-wait, how did you get out of-"
"AH!" Everyone turned to find Juvia standing at the gate of the kiddie park. "There's a hole in the gate and Storm is gone!"
All the parents rushed to her side. Sure enough, there was a gaping hole in the gate and Storm, Persephone, Koree, Cato, and Farrah were gone. Roman, of course, like a little angel, had stayed put, still fascinated by the splash pad.
"Where'd they go!?" Mirajane shouted.
"Mama?" she turned to find Farrah standing behind her, Cato in her arms, big hot tears rolling down her face.
"Farrah!" Mirajane sighed in relief as she knelt to her children's level.
"I tried to stop them, but I wasn't fast enough," Farrah cried. "Cato's the only one I caught."
"Mama!" Cato cheered as he reached for his mother. Mirajane took him in her arms and set a hand on Farrah's shoulder.
"It's okay, honey, we'll find them."
"Storm!" Juvia shouted. "Storm! Where are you!?"
"Storm?" Gray turned and looked to his wife from the pool, climbing out to race to her side.
"What's wrong with Storm?"
"He's gone!"
"Gone!?" Gray's eyes widened in horror.
"He was just here, and then he was gone!" Juvia covered her face and cried. "Oh, how could I have let this happen!"
"Storm!" Gray began calling, racing wildly about. "Storm!"
"Persephone! Koree!" Levy called. "Where are you?"
"Koree?" Gajeel shouted as he peaked under a chair. "Persephone? Where are you at you little rugrats!"
Lucy scooped Nashi into her arms before she could run off as Natsu joined her by her side.
"What's going on?" he asked.
"Storm, Persephone, and Koree are missing," Lucy answered as Erza and Jellal joined them.
"What about Roman?" she asked, frantic.
"Relax," Lucy said as she pointed over her shoulder. "Of course your kid would be the one to stay put."
Erza jumped the gate and ran to her son, who simply smiled up at her as she picked him up, set him on her hip, and then joined the other adults.
"We should split up to find them," she said. "Jellal and I will go this way. Lucy and Natsu go that way. Mirajane and Farrah go that way. Come and find the rest of us as soon as you find anything."
"Right," everyone nodded as they began walking off.
"Wait!" Sherria ran to Natsu and Lucy's side, still covered in flames. "Get you kid to take this off me."
"Oh, right," Lucy said as she tapped her daughter on the shoulder. "Nashi, make the fire go bye-bye."
"Bye-bye," Nashi repeated as she concentrated and the flames disappeared.
"Thank you!" Sherria sighed in relief.
"Now I've got you!" Orga shouted.
"AH!"
"Get back here!"
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
"Storm!" Natsu shouted as he raced a few paces ahead of his wife and daughter. "Persephone! Koree!"
"Storm!" Lucy called. "Where could they have gone? You wouldn't think three toddlers would get very far."
"You'd think," Natsu agreed. "I'm just glad you grabbed ours before she disappeared too."
"S'orm!" Nashi yelled. "Per-sah-pee! K'ree!"
"C'mon, where'd you little guys go?" Natsu shouted as he bent to look under a cart of towels.
"Hm," Lucy pondered as she looked around her. "If I were a toddler where would I go? How about Nashi, where do you think they are."
"I dunno," Nashi shrugged.
"Of course you don't," Lucy sighed as she shifted Nashi to her other hip and cupped her free hand around her mouth. "Storm! Persephone! Koree!"
"S'orm! Per-sah-pee! K'ree! S'orm! S'orm! S'orm!" Nashi began bouncing on her mother's hip.
"Uh-huh, we're looking for Storm," Lucy nodded.
"No, Mommy! S'orm!" Nashi began tugging on the strap of Lucy's bathing suit. Lucy squeaked as she grabbed the strap, scared her daughter might cause a nip-slip.
"Nashi, let's not-"
"But Mommy, it S'orm!" Nashi began pointing behind her.
"Really, where?" Lucy turned only to see the lazy river. "I don't see-"
"Look!" Nashi cried as a wave splashed in the middle of the river.
Lucy blinked. That wasn't supposed to happen. She drew closer to the lazy river. The wave came again, only it wasn't a wave. It was a little boy made entirely of water jumping and playing along in the current.
"Well, what do you know!" Lucy shouted. "Natsu! We found one!"
"Where?" Natsu came racing to her side and she pointed into the lazy river.
"Ha!" Natsu chuckled. "Look at that. He's got water body just like Juvia."
"Yes?" Juvia suddenly appeared behind them. "You called?"
"Did you find Storm?" Gray asked, appearing behind her.
"Sure did," Lucy pointed back into the river and the frantic parents peaked inside.
"Mama! Daddy!" Storm called as he waved, his face translucent as he bounced along the bottom of the lazy river.
"Juvia, I've said it once and I'll say it again. That-" Gray pointed as Storm jumped out of the water again, creating another wave. "-is your mini-me."
Juvia didn't respond, but instead jumped into the lazy river. "Water Body," she called, turning translucent herself. She picked up her son, carried him out, and then changed them both normal.
"You scared Mama and Daddy to death!" she scolded. "What were you thinking wandering off like that?"
"But Mama, I go sp'ash!" Storm cheered.
"I don't care! You don't run off without telling Mama or Daddy where you're going!"
Storm hung his head and began to whimper.
"You are in big trouble, young man," Gray continued as Natsu and Lucy slipped off, still calling for the missing Redfox twins.
"Koree! Persephone!"
"I hope they're okay," Lucy said as she shifted Nashi once more. Natsu, sensing his wife was getting tired took their daughter from her and set Nashi on his shoulders.
"You and me both, Luce," he agreed as he took her hand and they kept calling for the twins.
"Koree! Persephone!"
"How'd that hole even get in the gate?" Lucy wondered out loud. "Not sure if I'm comfortable with Nashi playing in an area that gets broken so easily."
"Unless she's the one that broke it. Huh?" Natsu reached up and ruffled Nashi's hair. "Did you break it, you little stinker?"
"No," Nashi answered.
"Do you know how it got broken?" Lucy asked.
"K'ree did it."
"Koree did it?" Lucy arched an eyebrow. "Oh, playing the blame game, are we? And how did Koree break it?"
"She ate it," Nashi replied as she began playing with Natsu's hair.
"Ate it?" Natsu and Lucy asked in unison, sharing a questioning glance.
"Uh-huh. She go chomp and chomp and ate it all down!"
Lucy glanced at Natsu. "You don't think-"
"AH!" a terrified shriek came from inside a restaurant. Natsu and Lucy raced inside to find a young cleaning boy backing away from a crate of dirty dishes, eyes wide. Natsu peaked inside and began laughing.
"That would be a yes, Luce," he said as he lifted up Koree, who was covered in wet table scraps and was chewing on a half-eaten butter knife.
"Well, that's one way to teeth I guess," Lucy chuckled as she drew close and took Koree into her arms. Koree stared up at her with wide curious eyes as she took another bite out of the butter knife.
"Funny," Lucy said as she used the corner or her bathing suit wrap to wipe some of the gravy off Koree's face. "I would have thought Persephone would be the metal eater. She is the one who takes more after Gajeel."
"Definitely wouldn't want to change those diapers," Natsu said as he and Lucy began walking out. "Now the question is, where's your sister?"
"Koree?" Lucy asked.
"Hm?" Koree looked up at her with her giant red eyes.
"Where's Persephone?"
"Sp'ash!" Koree answered.
"Sp'ash?" Natsu asked.
"Sp'ash!" Koree repeated.
Natsu and Lucy looked to each other.
"You don't think-" they both said as they head back to the kiddie park. They walked through the gate and looked about. No sign of a teal-haired, red-eyed baby anywhere.
"Ah!" Koree pointed at the pirate ship playground.
Natsu and Lucy exchanged glances, then bent down and peaked inside.
"You've gotta be kidding me!" Natsu exclaimed as they spotted Persephone, curled up on one of the steps, fast asleep, bits of sand still in her hair.
Lucy shook her head. "Hold her," she passed Koree to Natsu and climbed inside, scooping Persephone into her arms. Persephone whined as she was carried out of the playground and grumpily opened her eyes.
"Girls!"
Natsu and Lucy turned to find Gajeel and Levy running towards them, tears rolling down both of their cheeks as they scooped their daughter into their arms and began smothering them in kisses. Koree giggled as she wrapped her tiny arms around her parents. Persephone, however, hardly responded as she kept the same angry scowl on her face.
"Where'd you find them," Levy asked, holding both of her babies close.
"Well, we-ack!" Natsu began explaining when Gajeel snatched him into a bone-crushing hug.
"Thank you so much for finding my babies, Salamander!"
"Don't mention it! Please don't crush me!" Natsu responded in a strained voice. Nashi, who was still sitting on her father's shoulder, began laughing hysterically at the sight.
Lucy giggled as she began explaining. "Well, Persephone never left. She curled up inside the pirate ship and took a nap!"
"You little stinker!" Levy scolded as she scowled playfully at her daughter, who still didn't seem interested.
"As for Koree, well, that's a bit of a long story. Let's just say she's kinda the cause of all this."
"What do ya mean?" Gajeel asked before he heard a crunch from behind him. He turned to find Koree stuffing the last of the butter knife into her mouth and chewing it down. Levy stared at Koree, then looked at the hole in the gate, then back at Koree.
"She ate the bars?" she asked.
Natsu and Lucy nodded.
"WHAAAATTTT!" Gajeel shouted, eyes wide as he scooped Koree into his arms. "Did you eat those yummy metal bars? Oh, who's an iron dragon slayer just like Daddy? You are, that's who!"
Koree giggled as she kicked her tiny legs in play at her father's voice.
"Gajeel, do not encourage this!" Levy scolded.
"Ah, come off it Shrimp, little Koree here just wanted a snack. Isn't that right my little dragon slayer?"
"Dragon slayer?"
Everyone turned to find Sherria and Orga standing behind them.
"She's already chosen to be a dragon slayer?" Sherria asked in a disappointed voice.
"That's right! You lose, suckers!" Gajeel shouted.
"Well, I guess we still have one left," Orga pointed to Persephone.
"What about it, cutie?" Sherria asked as she bent down to Persephone's level. "You wanna be a god-slayer?"
Persephone frowned and blew raspberries in Sherria's face.
"Persephone!" Levy scolded.
"Ha! That was a 'no' you punks!" Gajeel shouted.