Zeref and Nashi

Plot: Prequel/ spinoff to Uncle Zeref. A series of one shots around the Dragneel family. That is all because I like being a tease.

Chapter 1: First meeting

Four days.

It had been four days since Happy, Natsu and Lucy had been at the guild. Four days without a fire breathing fight maniac, his flying wisecracking best friend and the only really sane S-class member of the guild.

Most would consider this a favorable turn of events, at least where Natsu was concerned; no property damage reports had come onto Erza's desk, no demands for fights…and no aftersmell from the fire Fire Dragonslayer magic always left behind.

All the guild members were in the midst of preparing for a major event, all dressed in their best clothes; they'd been planning this for months and the 7th Master; Erza Scarlett, refused to let anything go astray for this occasion; as did the closest friends of Team Natsu.

But one member in particular was especially concerned.

Zeref Dragneel tapped his finger against the bar and sipped his drink absentminded, worry in his head. He hadn't moved from that spot in days; all that was on his mind was that his brother and sister-in-law.

Was everything okay? Had complications arose? Had one of those fools tried something to lure him out? Zeref swore that if something hurt his family….

"Um…Mr. Zeref?"

"It's just Zeref, Romeo." The ageless wizard sighed in partial irritation, downing his drink and turning around. "What do you need?"

"C-could you stop tapping the bar and bring back in your magical power?" The rainbow flame user asked fearfully. "Your kind of scaring the weaker members….and the bar just got replaced, we'd like it to stay for at least a week."

Realizing that said bar was nearly about to shatter into a million splinters, Zeref did as the young man requested. He immediately hear gasps for air and praising of divine powers for the control the older Dragneel brother possessed…as did a few prayers that Natsu would take up his example.

"My apologies." Zeref bowed to the other members of the guild. "I'm just…"

"Worried?"

Zeref turned to Erza and Gray smiling at him.

"Don't worry about Natsu; that flamehead is too dumb to die."

Zeref glared at the Ice-Maker Demon-Slayer

"What?" Gray shrugged. "It's true…Oh. Right. Sorry, my bad."

Zeref leapt off his stool, his glare intensifying as he got up in Gray's face. Unlike with Natsu, Gray was always intimidated by Zeref; he may have been the more gentle Dragneel by nature, but his hundreds of years made him a challenge to any wizard who picked a fight with him.

"I'm just going to…check on…something."

Juvia pouted that it wasn't her Gray was checking

"What Gray meant was," Erza sighed, shooing Gray over to Juvia. "Now that Natsu has you AND Lucy, that blessed spirit of his is 10 times stronger than it already was. And with what's happening now…"

"I know what was meant, master." Zeref bowed. "It's just….I lost him once already, and we nearly…"

He blocked the memories of the war between Ishgar and Fiore from his head; their fourth meeting and first actual battle with each other; screaming about how they'd never wanted things to go like they were shaping up….

A hand was placed on the former Black Mage's shoulder; it was Lisana.

"Zeref, there's nothing to worry about." She smiled. "Natsu and Lucy are unstoppable together, and you know how they feel about promises, especially to you…"

It had been a truly spectacular battle between the Dragneel brothers; the landscape had been forever shifted by the forces of fire, life and death. Etherious beasts were formed and fell, flames burned and withered and bones were shattered. Then, as the Spriggan 12 fell and Acnologia breathed his last at the hands of Erza, the very same god whose Zeref's academy had worshipped appeared and berated the mages for their selfish use of magic…

'FIRE DRAGON KING GOD'S PURGING STEEL FIST!"

The jaws of all who had been there dropped. To this day, the image was burned into their memory.

Natsu had struck the god of magic. Then he did it again. And again. And again, all while shouting

"LET MY BROTHER GO!"

Somehow, someway, the Dragneel brothers had defeated the god whose curse had shifted the very fabric of their world, and Lucy had sent him to another plane of existence. Zeref had then dissolved his empire as he awaited death to finally take him…

But it never did.

Then, just as the council's knights had moved to capture/eliminate Zeref, a gravely weakened Natsu had blocked their way.

Lucy had immedaitly joined him. Then Gray and Juvia. Then Erza and Jellal. Soon, all the gulid members who had been battling blocked the council's will.

Zeref was then offered a place by his brother, who then fainted in his arms.

"You're not alone anymore." Lucy had smiled, holding one of his hands while cradling a sleeping Natsu. "You'll never be alone again; Fairy Tail is a family."

To this day, those words still brought tears of joy to Zeref's eyes, so he cleared them and bowed to the youngest Strauss sibling.

"Thank you Lisana." Zeref smiled at the cute childhood friend of his brother, eternally grateful for her mere existence in giving Natsu happiness in the years they were separated after Igneel had been forced to leave him. He then turned to the rest of gulid. "Thank you, everyone."

Just then, the guild doors were kicked open, filling everyone with anticipation.

"WE'RE BACK!"

"Natsu, she just went to sleep!"

"Aye!"

To Zeref, all the noise in the gulid had vanished with the words that came from his sister-in-law's words.

….

She.

A girl.

….

He was an uncle.

"Hey, Zeref?" Natsu smiled weakly. "Don't you want to meet your niece?"

A weak smile on his face, the older Dragneel had uncharateristally (since he joined at least), tore his way through the crowd in a hurry, only to stop at the sight of a tired by unbelievably happy Lucy. He tried to say something, ask if she was okay, but the smile on her face told him everything. She then lifted her arms, which held a pink bundle that squirmed.

Zeref lightly gripped the fold of the cloth Lucy held, twitching as he prepared for the sight underneath…

"HURRY UP AND LET US SEE!" Gajeel and Laxus roared, only to be swatted and hushed by their girlfriends.

Ignoring the outbursts, Zeref slowly but surely pulled the fold away.

A squeak.

A small baby girl, a tuft of pink hair and her fists tightened, weakly punching the air, as if trying to fight the coldness her little body was not used to.

"Zeref, everyone…" Lucy smiled, pride in her voice. "Meet Nashi Dragneel-Heartfilia. Our daughter."

"She's so cute!"

"Adoreable!"

The entire guild, looks of happiness on their faces, started clapping as Erza wrote down the newborn's name in the Guild Member Records.

Zeref was awestruck at the sight of this little life….so fragile yet burning brightly…

"Say hi to uncle, Nashi." Natsu whispered to his daughter, gently taking her from Lucy, who he kissed. "When did I last say I love you?"

"Two minutes ago, before kicking open the guild door open." Happy smiled, not taking his eyes of Nashi, even as Carla flew next to him and hugged him.

"Not soon enough." Natsu smiled. "I love you, Lucy Heartfilia."

"And I love you, Natsu Dragneel." Lucy smiled, beckoning her husband down to peck his lips. "Now, let your brother hold his niece."

Natsu turned to his brother, whose arms were outstretched in anticipation. He was unprepared for the bundle being placed in them, which made Natsu freak out

"EASY!" Natsu hollered, adjusting Zeref's arms to cradle his daughter. "Watch her head, she's a squirmier."

"Just like you were." Zeref snarked, making his brother pouted.

Nashi then opened her eyes, and was treated to a man who look liked her papa, but with smaller eyes and black hair

"Hello Nashi." Zeref smiled, offering his finger for his niece to play with. "I'm your uncle Zeref."

"Unca!"

Zeref and everyone else froze.

"D-did she just…?" Levy started.

"No way…"

"NASHI SAID HER FIRST WORD!"

"Yes, Nashi. Unca." Zeref teared, kissing his niece on the forehead. "I love you."

He then looked up to his brother and hugged him.

"Please don't go on a mission for a few days." The black mage requested. "We need to catch up, and you and Lucy need to rest."

Natsu returned the hug.

"Bro, nothing in the world could make me leave town right now."

"Can I get in on this?"

Lucy, a sly smile on her face, stood beside the two brothers. They dragged her into the hug, in which took her daughter back.

"I believe we all know what happens now…." Erza smiled to Jellal, who smirked and shouted as loud as he could:

"PARTY!"

While the Dragneel couple didn't stay for long, the journey back having exhausted them

"It seems your birth is being rivalled, Happy." Lisanna smiled at the blue Exceed. "You okay with that?"

"Of course!" The exceed partner of Natsu beamed. "I mean, look at Nashi! She's so freaking cute! And she's my best friend's baby, her homecoming better make the guild happy!"

"She'll be a real heartbreaker when she grows up." Cana joked, only for the father and uncle of

"NO BOYS!" Natsu and Zeref both shouted in rage, thoughts of their precious princess getting married and leaving them filling their heads.

"Weclome to Fairy Tail, Nashi." Lucy smiled to her smiling daughter. "Don't worry, mama will keep papa and uncle from stopping you from meeting your happiness."

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Next: First babysitting session