Twin Troubles
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail
I know, I don;t post usually on Monday's, and this is very unusual for me, but the weekend was busy so here we are. Next month there will be a double post because I will be moving and things will be chaotic, so no post, most likely, in August. I'll reiterate this when I post next.
On with the story!
1 Year Later
"Are we going to be getting them back?" Zeref asks.
"No, we will be talking and maybe making some amends." Igneel says.
"Says you. I have some ideas." Natsu smirks.
"Sweety, play nice." Zanelia says. The other families follow in their cars to the agreed meeting spot.
"I will mom, but I want to talk to…the sons." Natsu says. No one knew the names of the next generation of Eucliffe and Cheney. Arriving at the spot, the saw the two families plus a couple of guards and two people they really didn't want to see.
"Don't speak to the man with a white beard or the man with the black goatee. They're not trustworthy." Igneel says.
"They look like it." Zeref and Natsu say as they all get out of their cars and walk over to the other group. The women wanted to desperately go greet each other, they had tried so hard to stop the fallout, but it was to no avail. Though Zanelia could see on the wives faces that they had been the ones to get this arranged to start with, so she knew they wanted to rejoin.
"Weisslogia, Skiadrum, ladies." Igneel says.
"Dragneel and company." Weisslogia says.
"I believe introductions are in order." Weisslogia's wife, Natalia, smiles politely.
"Quite right." Zanelia smiles before a brief pause passes.
"This is my eldest son Zeref and my youngest son Natsu." Zanelia says, gesturing to her boys. Weisslogia looks at the raven-haired boy and almost snarls at him before Igneel starts to speak.
"Zeref has chosen to help a family in a different way but remains involved, Natsu has chosen to take on in my stead." Igneel says calmly. Weisslogia's eyes shift from the older boy to the younger and see a startling amount of ferocity in the young boy's face.
"My boy, Gajeel, will be working as his general like I do for Igneel." Metalicanna chuckles as his wife tries to pat down their son's wild hair.
"My son Gray." Mika smiles proudly at her little boy.
"My grandson Laxus." Makarov chuckles as Laxus stands proud and defiant of the group before them; he was the oldest with Jellal being second eldest.
"Jellal is our boy here." Another man says with pride.
"My son Erik here is already well versed in our families…contribution." The Toxidea head smirks as Erik smiles, his eyes sharp.
"My daughter Wendy already knows how to stitch up most wounds and mend bones."' Grandeeney smiles proudly as her little girl waves nervously. Weisslogia looks at the children, keeping his scowl in check before he sees his son step forward.
"My name is Sting Eucliffe." The young boy says politely, offering his hand to Natsu. His olive eyes do a quick scan of him before he takes his hand and does a polite shake. Another young boy with black hair, pale skin, and red eyes steps forward as well.
"I'm Rogue Cheney." The boy states also offering his hand. Natsu repeats the same action before also shaking his hand with a warm smile. Natsu's eyes dart to his father before he smiles wide.
"I saw a field over there and since the bigger guys are with us, can we go play over there?" Natsu asks sweetly.
"Please dad?" Sting asks with Rogue shooting his dad a look as well. A brief pause passes between the men before they all nod and the children run off to the field nearby, with the seven wives going to a group of tables nearby to keep a close eye on their children and catch up because they missed each other dearly.
"He's too friendly, not nearly tough enough, your…" Jiemma starts only to be met with a hard glare.
"Shut it Jiemma." Weisslogia says.
"You know nothing of my son." Igneel snarls. Jiemma and Jose remain quiet, knowing full well what could happen if they irritate these men.
"Leave us be, we have much to discuss." Skiadrum says and they leave, grumbling.
"So, Sting and Rogue was it?" Natsu asks as they climb nearby trees.
"Yeah." Both boy's reply.
"What do you think of the people who work under your dads?" Gajeel asks. Both boys are quiet for a moment before Sting looks around, his blue eyes scanning the area.
"I…hate them." Sting says.
"Why?" Gray asks.
"Because they keep saying they 'have plans once the heads are gone' with 'the brats'. They train us too hard and then make us not tell or we get hurt." Rogue says.
"Well, the first year is hard." Laxus adds. He was five years older than Natsu, so he's had the most training, with Jellal being just a year younger.
"How is the training hard?" Jellal asks.
"We don't get breaks, and when we're down they beat us harder. They don't teach us how to dodge." Sting says.
"Ok, that's just an outright beat down." Erik says casually.
"Yeah, that's not training." Natsu concurs.
"We know that, but we can't tell our dads, they threaten us with extra training." Rogue says. Natsu smirks, an idea popping into his head.
"How are your boys coming along?" Igneel asks.
"Honestly, slower than expected. But is that really what you want to discuss?" Weisslogia says.
"You're makin' a mistake ya shit head." Metalicanna sneers.
"You know, I almost missed your crass language." Skiadrum chuckles dryly.
"How so?" Weisslogia says.
"You know damn well how so. Those fuckers have been nothing but deceitful and malicious since the days we were running shit. How many times did I have to save your ass from Jiemma? Why are you being such a stubborn bastard?" Igneel demands.
"Because of you." Weisslogia. The whole group save for Skiadrum let out a frustrated sigh.
"Are you seriously that stupid?" Grandeeney asks.
"I see he's deceived you too." Skiadrum says.
"He showed me all the documentation with his father's name on it showing that it was indeed his fathers greed that messed everything up." Grandeeney says.
"How can you be sure they weren't forged?" Skiadrum says.
"And the taped deathbed confession?" Makarov inquires.
"When did he die?" Weisslogia asks.
"Before the Fullbuster family rejoined." Igneel says casually. Weisslogia and Skiadrum know that if it came down to it, Igneel would kill anyone that got in the way of him achieving his goal. The rift caused in the mafia had sent the families into a frenzy and knowing what he could lose, Igneel must have been downright furious to do what was insinuated.
"Holy shit." Weisslogia whispers.
"He was…unwell. He felt a weird need to tell me what he was doing. Tragically he passed that night before he could make things right." Igneel says. Weisslogia and Skiadrum look at Igneel remembering that before things went sour with the families, Igneel was close with his father, and for him to do what he said he had done, well, that put a few things into perspective for them.
"What do you want Igneel?" Skiadrum asks. A smirk plays on his lips and Weisslogia could now see where Natsu inherited his attitude.
"Natsu, you got that look in your eyes." Gajeel says, chuckling.
"What look?" Sting asks, confused as he looks at the slightly older boy.
"I got a proposition for you two." Natsu smiles, a wicked gleam in his eyes.
"Ok…" Sting says.
"I think that those guys that are working for your dads will turn in the next few years, as bad as that sounds, they just act like that way." Natsu says.
"Turn meaning?" Rogue asks.
"They'll try to kill em." Gajeel says calmly. Both boys grow wide eyed, questions running through their minds at rapid speed.
"So, I'm going to give you my phone number with a fake name and every month, we talk. Listen closer. Watch closer. Pay more attention to everything they say do, or don't say or do. Do not trust them. Let me know what you find." Natsu says, holding out his hand and Sting handed him his phone. Gajeel opened his hand to Rogue who gave him his phone. They sent quick texts to the numbers. Both asked for their names.
"Why do you get fake names and we give real ones?" Sting asks.
"Because I'm not in danger of getting killed by someone in my group for trying to help someone. You however, if it's found out that you're talking to someone outside your group because you don't trust your group, you could die." Natsu says calmly.
"Ok, makes sense." Sting says.
"Excuse me, what?" Weisslogia growls.
"I suspect that in several years you and Skiadrum may be faced with a serious problem, I want you to consider what you will do with yours sons should that happen. Jiemma, Jose and Mard aren't the type of men to just let you live peacefully. For your sakes consider it." Igneel says again.
"And what, call you for help?" Skiadrum snarls.
"You know we will. When have we ever let you down when we were in our youth? When we were teenagers and wreaking absolute havoc?" Metalicanna chuckles.
"Honestly, the only one you couldn't rely on was Ivan." Grandeeney snickers. Weisslogia and Skiadrum concede that point.
"Just keep in touch and pay close attention to your sons. Take more time to train them personally, so they learn everything you know. Kids are a lot more clever than you think." Igneel chuckles. Weisslogia gives him an explanatory look.
"When Natsu was four he conned Zeref into training him in fighting for a few months leading up to his birthday. In that short period of time, he learned all the basic, intermediate and was starting to learn more advanced moves before Zanelia and I caught them. When I challenged him to show me what he had or he would have to wait longer before he got to join the other boys, he punched me square in the jaw hard enough to send me toppling." Igneel chuckles proudly.
"When I explained to him what our family was and was going to be and what that meant to him, he was unfazed." Igneel concludes.
"Then last year, he beat my boy soundly without even flinching or hesitating. He already knows most of the Dragneel special arts and could execute the ones I did see perfectly. The boy is a fighting prodigy I swear, but he knows how to play people, he knows how to read people, and that is why Gajeel didn't put up such a fuss when he lost." Metalicanna chuckles.
"What about the pistol test?" Skiadrum asks.
"Disassemble, reassemble and fire off ten shots in six and a half minutes. I only had to show him three times, with Zeref I had to show him seven times and he did it in nine minutes ten seconds. He's faster than Laxus, who managed to do it in seven minutes. Believe me when I say, Natsu will be a complete threat when he's fifteen. But if I know the three fuckers you work with like I think I do, they'll underestimate them like they did us." Igneel chuckles.
"Which is a huge mistake really." Silver laughs.
"Honestly." Grandeeney smiles.
"I suppose my overall point is, keep in touch, I still consider you allies, and I hope you can see that I was hurt by my father being a greedy bastard just as much as everyone else." Igneel sighs out. Weisslogia and Skiadrum both look at him, thoughtful for a moment.
"I'll keep that in mind. Sting seems to like your boy, so if anything, if they form a fast friendship I'll consider it more." Weisslogia says as he nods his head in the direction of the children. Igneel looks over and sees all of them playing hide and seek, even the older boys. It was moments like these that reminded them that they were still children. They walked over to the tables where their spouses were and watched the kids play a little more before they had to depart. Natsu and Gajeel gave Sting and Rogue quick looks with a nod each before they followed their fathers back to the cars, an action that did not go unnoticed by Igneel. Once they got into the car and left the main area, Igneel spoke.
"Care to explain that?" Igneel says.
"Relax father. I have a plan. It just needs time." Natsu smiles slyly.
I hope you all liked how I introduced Sting and Rogue! Until next time, please R&R!