Savior
Author's Note: This little drabble is based of the Manga Chapter 473. Many of the quotes were directly from that chapter. I do not own this work and only expand on the ideas the brilliant Hiro Mashima has put in front of us.
Why now?
Laxus gasped for air as his body hit the ground. He had finally reached his limit. He promised Gray he wouldn't die until the war was over. He wanted to protect the guild, he wanted to protect the people he had caused so much pain over the years. Instead of knowing how much they all meant to him, he had put them through hell. He needed to win this battle for them. He needed them to know just how much they meant to him. He didn't plan to go down like this, damn it. He had enough magical power to go on fighting for hours, but his body had reached its limit. It was beginning to fail.
He slowly pressed his hand to his chest, just over his heart, and felt the magic circle there begin to warm up.
Sorry Freed, I wanted to wait until the battle was nearly over, but if I don't do this know, I'm done for. He closed his eyes and grinned as he felt the runes on his chest begin to activate. The air around him began to whip around him violently in response to the magical current in the air. The runes were certainly one of Freed's strongest magical circles. Laxus was extremely proud of Freed for being able to write something so powerful on such short notice.
"A Jutsu Shiki barrier," he heard the robotic freak in front of him gasp. "In the course of battle he was able to conjure a barrier this powerful?!"
Laxus smirked slowly pulling himself to his feet.
"This barrier was handed down directly to me from Freed," he said looking up.
"How unfortunate. It seems your memory capacity is lacking human," the Alvarez member announced. "Jutsu Shiki barriers are completely useless against me! Magic Barrier Particle Nullifier!"
Laxus couldn't help the deep, rumbling laughter as the enemy's magic washed over him, blasting away Freed's runes. He should be offended at how easily the man washed away Freed's delicately placed runes. Freed had taken extra care, double and triple checking each rune to make sure they were right. After all, it was more than just one life on the line if his runes failed. He had been pacing by time he was done, and Laxus had never doubted his ability. He knew without a doubt Freed would come through for him in the end.
"I owe ya one Freed," he said to himself as he felt the magic take hold of him. "There aren't many people out there who could undo your runes. And anyone that could, well, they'd be my savior."
Looks like I'll be comin' home after all Freed. You better be waitin'.
Freed gasped as he felt the magic runes he wrote activate. Lucy turned away from Natsu on the hospital bed to look at him.
"Freed?"
He swallowed pressing his hand to his chest. Laxus had activated his runes. He couldn't be ready yet. The battle can't have gone on that long.
"Freed, what's wrong?!"
"I'm fine Lucy," he gasped out as the magical strain began to settle on him. He had used so much magical power during the first attack on Magnolia. He wasn't sure his body could handle the strength of the barrier he'd built. He wouldn't back down, he needed to keep the barrier up for as long as he could, for Laxus' sake. The Dragon slayer had depended on him, and Freed wasn't going to let him down.
"Are you sure this will work," Laxus asked quietly.
"It's the best chance we have," Freed replied looking up at him slowly.
They were sitting in an abandoned room in the guild hall. Laxus had his shirt off while Freed painstakingly wrote out each rune as carefully has possible.
"Let's hope it goes the way you plan it," Laxus said quietly looking down as the rune mage froze, pulling his hand away as it began to shake.
"This is our last hope. You have to face Wahl, and he has to nullify the anti-magic particles in your body. If not...you'll..."
"Freed, calm down. I was just bustin' your chops. It'll work. I'll come back," Laxus said touching his hand lightly.
Freed cleared his throat willing himself to calm down.
"You're right. We have to keep out minds on the task in front of us," he said softy.
Laxus closed his eyes, relaxing in the chair as he felt Freed begin to wrote his runes again. He watched as the candles lit up Freed's face. The rune mage looked paler than normal and his long hair had been pulled back in a high pony tail. Without the long hair blocking his view Laxus could see just how exhausted the green haired mage was. He could see the frown lines around his eyes, proof of just how concerned the rune mage was, for his sake. He did for deserve the kind of devotion Freed offered so easily.
"Freed, in case this goes ass up and I don't come back...there's something I need to tell you..." Laxus began quietly.
"Don't."
Laxus opened his eyes quickly looking at him.
"Don't say it like this, like it's a good bye. You can tell me when you come back. When this whole mess is over."
Laxus looked up at him slowly before nodding.
"You got it."
Freed sat back sighing in relief as he felt the magic barrier vanish. Normally feeling a Justu Shiki he wrote disappear would fill him with dread, but this time he was filled with an overwhelming joy.
Laxus had found Wahl on the battlefield, and he had managed to nullify the anti-magic particles destroying his body. Laxus was going to live.
He couldn't keep the smile from crossing his face.
"Come home to me Laxus," he said softly looking out the window.
