Reviews are Nice; The pairings are NOT decided yet. I get people like Vander/Lucy, I like them too, they're adorable when she's sassy and keeps up with him, but...I really don't know if they will get together or if it will be a friendship...or how far this darkness is going to go.
I don't own Fairy Tail. Mashima Does.
I don't own the Pradesh Clan. Desna does (and thank you for them).
I own the Storyline. That's it.
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Lucy mumbled darkly as she shifted, sighing as she opened her eyes and lay there. It was still night, she could tell by the moonlight coming from the open doors and she smiled at the smell of the Grass Sea. She'd been there three days, adjusting and she liked her new God-Family. They were fun and they never left her out, even when she tried to hide.
Aquarius would love the Grass Sea, she was so picky! Her eyes went wide as she sat up, picking up the pouch that was on the night stand. After a moment, she pulled out a single golden key and smiled warmly, nodding to herself in resolve.
She bit her lip and then moved out of her bed, grabbing the fluffy robe that Emzadi had given her. She smiled as she snuggled into it. It was almost dragging the ground, but it was warm and fluffy and she'd curled up in it the first night she was there, almost refusing to let go of it. They'd laughed and since Emzadi had others, the little blond was gifted with one of the fluffiest robes she'd ever felt. She shuffled out the doors and smiled as she looked at the sand just off the small porch. Lucy took a deep breath before she carefully walked along the sand, making her way towards the water.
Scared eyes looked around before she pulled out one key and took a breath. She nodded to herself. She'd done it before, she did it often, before the keys were hidden and she leaned forward, gently putting the end of the key in the water, "A..Aquarius?"
The girl covered her face with the other hand as the water lit up and she shied backwards, especially at hearing the growl come from the water, "I'm sorry!"
She squeaked as she felt pulled into arms and slowly blinked, looking up at the Spirit, "..A…Aquarius?"
The Spirit pursed her lips and sighed, tucking the child under her chin, "Shut it, brat. About time you summoned me in some real water. Guess I wouldn't mind joining you for baths and swimming lessons now." The Mermaid listened to the girl sniffle before she started to cry and all she could do was soothe her hair back. The mermaid narrowed her eyes as she saw something moving in the trees and raised her urn with one arm.
"Calm," Came the rumble and the spirit watched as a massive dragon stepped into view.
Lucy sniffed as she turned her head and then blinked, "A..Aquarius…it's a…a dragon."
The mermaid rolled her eyes, "it's a dragon."
The girl looked at Nurem for a moment, "are you a good dragon, or a bad dragon?"
There was amusement in Nurem's tone, "I'd like to think I'm a good dragon."
"Do you go around locking girls up in towers?" The brown eyes slowly blinked.
"…no."
Lucy nodded, "Stealing Cattle?"
"…no.."
"Hoarding Gold?" The girl just blinked as she wriggled in the mermaid's arms until she was let go.
"…all dragons do that, child.."
"oh, well…burn down villages?" Lucy tilted her head as she slowly picked her way across the sand.
The dragon slowly shook her head. She was used to oddities with the Pradesh family, but this girl was quite the oddity in and of herself.
"Oh, then you're a good dragon and look like the night sky! It's perfect," The girl grinned as she continued to slowly pick her way across the sand, letting out a squeak as she got close and tripped. The girl rolled on the sand for a moment and then huffed, letting the robe fall and she stood there in the shirt and shorts she wore to bed. She brushed the sand off her body gently, letting out a hiss where she touched bruises that were still fading, giving her skin a very sickly yellow tint in places.
"Brat…what happened," Aquarius frowned a bit as she moved to the child, helping her stand.
Lucy looked between the two large females for a moment before looking down, "…nothing."
The spirit frowned a bit as she crossed her arms under her breasts, looking ready to snap but shook her head. Her head snapped around when she heard the soft crunch of the sand.
Lucy looked up at the sound and smiled faintly as she saw Cristoff, shifting on her feet a bit, "…hey.."
The older boy grinned and she felt her nerves soothe, "I see you've met Nurem."
Lucy nodded, "and this is Aquarius."
Cristoff grinned and then flinched at the glare he got from the mermaid, "…hi?"
The Spirit sighed a bit and ran a hand through her hair, "not for a week, brat, I'm going to spend time with my boyfriend." She paused, "unless you're having swimming lessons in the Grass Sea, then it's fine."
Lucy went to say something, only to have Aquarius fade in a shower of golden sparkles. The little girl let out a soft sigh, "…okay."
The small slayer moved to the girl and looked at her, "I'm not that good at healing yet…but…have to start somewhere right?"
The blonde tilted her head, "Huh?" she squeaked as mist seemed to roll in and then looked at the boy, eyes going wide as his eyes glowed, "…that's…neat."
He smiled as she stood in the mist and then tugged her to sit, "Nurem taught me. It'll heal you…probably not that fast yet, but..I'm working on it."
Lucy squeaked as she was forced to sit and then furrowed her brow, "…s'okay…used to this sort of ache."
Nurem sighed, "no child should be used to it."
Lucy let out a soft sound as she curled into the larger boy, half closing her eyes. She smiled as her hand moved out, slowly curling through the mist and watching it move. After a moment, she giggled as she sat there, "pretty."
Cristoff grinned as he sat there and kissed the top of her head, "it is." He couldn't help as he looked at her in the moonlight and mist, shaking his head. He could almost feel the stars in the sky by holding her and he murmured, "Can you feel the stars?"
Lucy frowned a bit as she looked up, "only a few…Aquarius, Cancer, Taurus…." She smiled as she leaned against him a bit more, just watching the stars, "Mama's Friends…now my friends." She sniffled a bit, "my only friends."
Cristoff shook his head as he hugged Lucy, "you've got us."
"really?"
"really, really," He grinned at her and then touched their foreheads together, watching her eyes couldn't help but laugh as she yawned and he shifted them, carefully standing before he moved to settle against Nurem's side, curling Lucy up in his lap. He let himself relax as he looked at the sky, watching the stars dance on the dark backdrop and the moon shine down on the peach sand around them.
He could very well get used to this. He let out a faint sigh as he sat there, eyes half closing. He tried to keep himself awake, but slowly even he drifted off.
Nurem lay there, watching the two and then turned when she saw another blonde head of hair, "Emzadi."
The tall girl smiled and then eyed the other two children before rocking from side to side on her feet. She didn't say anything before she settled against Cris' side, wrapping around the other blonde as best she could, mumbling, "mine."
The Dragon looked curious, it wasn't a very possessive 'mine' like one would talk about a mate, but…Kin. The dragon's heart softened. The Solar Slayer had taken the girl as kin without much preamble at all. Her thoughts drifted and she laid her head back down, letting the three children sleep as she draped a wing over them. They were all Children of the heavens, so it was proper for them to bond this way.
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It was a slightly panicked Arman that found the four the next morning, letting out a sigh as he found the children with Nurem and shook his head, "…honestly…"
The Dragoness let out a low hum, "children of the heavens."
"of course," He dipped down when the large wing opened and carefully moved to pick up the smallest of the three, starting as he heard a low growl and saw Orange eyes open. He slowly arched an eyebrow as he looked at Emzadi. The girl looked a bit sheepish as she slowly stood, kicking Cris in the leg to wake him.
The Lunar slayer blinked his eyes open and grinned, "Breakfast?"
Arman let out a small suffering sigh, children, he'd found, loved food. Dragon Slayer children even more so, "yes, breakfast."
The small blonde in his arms mumbled, "strawberries?"
"we'll ask Mister Elan," He said smiling as they walked inside, "but there should be, Cristoff and Vander both like them."
He set the girl down and looked at the three getting ready to say something before the rest of his children came running past. Emzadi and Cristoff not having any issue falling in with the gaggle of children, but Lucy letting out a squeal as she was grabbed and drug along by Vander towards the dining room and it warmed his heart to watch his children just bring her into the fold without a second thought. He enjoyed watching them eat, and watching Vander tease Lucy to get her to try new things. She was opening up, slowly, and the play did help.
Her eyes still had that haunted, unsure look, but the hugs from his girls the first day had helped. Arman blinked as Vander let out a grunt, watching the littlest of the gaggle tackle him out of his seat and sit on him. Her arms moved to grab at his, not bothering to care before she rose up and bit a strawberry right out of Vander's fingers.
"That was mine," Vander sulked up at Lucy, who just sat there chewing.
After a moment, she swallowed and shook her head, "nu-uh, came from my plate." She flicked him on the forehead before she moved to crawl off, blinking as she felt fingers along her sides and squealed with laughter.
Lucy scrambled away from Vander, clambering back onto her chair and eyeing him as she grabbed a fork, holding it like it was a weapon with both hands, "I'll use it!" at the laughter she looked down and saw the piece of pineapple on it. She and Vander both looked from the fruit to one another eyes. "I will make you so sticky you have to take ten baths."
Vander stood there for a moment and then blinked, hands going to his chest before he 'collapsed', groaning "not baths."
Laughter erupted, even the small girl whose bell like tone carried in the air clearly. The family finally settled again, though, this time, the two seemed to share the food, picking bits off each others plates without a thought. Arman could see that she was settling in simply because of the love that was there.
He'd wished she'd chosen to be adopted, but perhaps this provided a unique chance to truly see another childhood friendship bloom into something else.
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Arman recalled some of the things that Layla enjoyed doing as he went over the activities his children were currently taking lessons on. It had been a week and she'd adjusted decently well, she still shied away from new people, men especially, but not the children. Horse riding was a must; it wouldn't do for the girl to not know how to ride one, or a Grass runner.
She enjoyed twirling in the sand as she hummed, so dancing lessons, singing lessons as well, and acrobatics for her small frame? The man drummed his fingers on his desk as he sat, listening to the quiet of the house so late at night. He'd give her the choice, the fall sessions were staring soon and all his children would be back in classes, he could present her with the list and where the others were, so that she could learn with at least a single face she knew.
He truly had a lot to do and he absently looked at the door to Ganier's study. After a moment he stood and sighed, moving to it and turning the lights on. Her Study had everything, from the keys she was looking for, where some keys could possibly be, photographs of himself, Farron and Zen; Older photos of Layla and Ganier. He let out a hum as he stood there, he'd get the girl to test for the Acadame Celestine, it would be a good thing for her…but not yet, when she was a bit older.
The man sighed and shook his head, closing the folder he was working in and then stood. The Patriarch of the family wandered the halls, checking the childrens' rooms and then shaking his head as he found empty bed after empty bed, until he got to the newest addition's room. It was a 'nest', that was the only thing he could think of. They were all cuddled together, Emzadi sprawled half over top of the little blonde, nuzzling into her stomach, Cris on one side, Vander on the other and the rest in varying states of spawled out over each other. The man smiled softly as he stood there for a moment, just taking in the sight before turning and heading to bed himself; it was going to be a long few weeks of getting the girl settled in.
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For those of you that have read, my little One Shots Gallery...the Nest o'Children would be directly after "Teddy Bear".
I'm glad that many people seem to like this story, and I know a few will probably sulk at only once a week updates, but that allows more at once...and me more time to go over where I want to go, refine it and carefully, gently guide the story where Lucy becomes a Holy Terror to Kurino and beyond.