Fraxus Week 2015, Day 2: Thunderstorms (BONUS)

I already did "Thunder Rolls" for this Fraxus Week prompt, but another entry by duckdachi inspired me to write this. I have permission to use it.
Link to the inspiring fanart: duckdachi. tumblr com/post/124338628473/okay-i-know-they-probably-didnt-even-know-each

Don't Fear the Thunder

a Fairy Tail fanfic

by Rhov

Magnolia, Year 776

Freed stared up at the onion dome and bright letters that seemed to welcome everyone home. All this traveling to get here, and it seemed like such an ominous day to join. A storm had been raging since his ship landed in Hargeon Town. It had been a rough sail, then muddy roads with carts splashing water at him as they hurried along, but at last he was here. FAIRY TAIL.

There was a flash overheard, followed by crackling thunder. Freed cowered and trembled. He yanked his green hood further over his head. Here he was, twelve years old, practically an adult—in his mind, at least—and he was still afraid of thunder. He wondered if some weak scaredy-cat like him would even be allowed to join such a prestigious magic guild.

There was a louder crash of thunder, so loud the cobbled ground trembled. Freed let out a cry of terror and ran.

He ran away!

He shook his head as he splashed down the road. It was no use. There was no way he was ready to join a real guild. His magic was so weak, anyway. Runes! Letter magic! Writing things! It was the only magic his parents would allow, since it was deemed gentlemanly. He knew magic like that was impractical in battle, and that was why he learned fencing as well. What sort of wizard fought with weapons and not with their own magic? Pathetic!

Still, here he was, and he had nowhere else to turn. He was out of money after that ocean voyage, and his breakfast had been whatever nuts and berries he could find on the roadside. He figured maybe the cathedral would have a dry place where he could stay at least for a night. He might also be given a hot meal. He could try again in the morning.

As he made his way through the storm, he wondered what Fairy Tail was like. He heard so many contrasting stories. They were outgoing and friendly. They were destructive and little more than terrorists. The guild master was supposedly a fierce giant, but then others said he was a tiny old man. They had only two S-Class wizards at the moment, some monstrous man named Gildarts and the guild master's son, a dark and supposedly sadistic man named Ivan Dreyar. Also, the master's teenage grandson claimed to be a Dragon Slayer. Freed really hoped he could meet the boy. He knew nothing at all about dragons besides rumors of people seeing them around from time to time. Supposedly, it took a lot of magic power to slay one. Knowing someone about his age was that strong of a wizard gave Freed hope.

Suddenly, it began to pelt down hail. Freed cursed softly as the tiny balls of ice pattered on his hooded cloak. This really was not his day! Everything pointed to him being cursed. He saw how far it was to the cathedral. Maybe if he ran…

Strong fingers grabbed his hand, and suddenly Freed was dragged ahead faster.

"Hurry, idiot! You'll die if a really big stone hits you in the head."

Freed had no choice but to run along with this new person. He was a teenage boy, his voice still cracking, but with his hood up and a fur-lined coat fluttering behind, Freed honestly had no clue what he looked like.

Together, they splashed through puddles as the hail came down harder. The storm was raging. Ice balls turned into stones. Freed cried out as one large hailstone bashed him on the head, then another, and another.

"That idiot," the teen grumbled. "What does he think he's doing to our town? Hey, don't be scared, but this is going to tingle."

Before he could ask what the boy meant, Freed's world went golden white. Everything he feared, the crack of thunder and the flash of lightning, was all around him. He felt numb, but he sensed fast movement. He had absolutely no clue what was going on anymore.

Was he dead? Had he been struck by lightning? Was this the light at the end of the tunnel? Maybe his spirit was zooming off to heaven to be with his parents.

Then it was dark. His eyes were blinded by the sudden change. He sensed that he had collapsed to a concrete floor, but his nerves were still buzzing with electricity, too numb to feel anything distinctly.

"Man, you're lucky I was there or you would have died for sure," said the boy with a gruff voice cracking between puberty.

Slowly, Freed's vision came back, spotted at first, then clearing up. They were in a warehouse of sorts, abandoned and dark, but dry. He saw a boy of maybe fifteen with spiky blond hair, a scar over one eye, and as he threw off his drenched coat, he was wearing a yellow shirt with a long-sleeved black shirt under it. On his ears were spiked headphones. The teen carefully dried off his headphones and ruffled through his hair, flinging water droplets everywhere.

"So, where are you headed, kid?" the blond asked.

Freed stayed in his drenched cloak. He pulled his bare knees up, really wishing he had worn trousers instead of shorts. "Nowhere, I guess. Maybe the cathedral. I … I don't have anywhere to go."

The older boy paused and looked down in surprise. "Where's your family?"

Freed scowled and pulled in on himself defensively, almost curling into a ball. "My parents are dead, and the rest … I don't want to think about them."

The teen pouted as if he understood. "Family is the most important thing, according to my grandfather, but they can also be major assholes. So, you're new in town?"

"Just arrived," he nodded. Freed could feel the water dripping through his clothes, trickling down his body and puddling onto the concrete floor. He probably should get out of the wet clothes, but just then he heard another thunder crack. He shrank down and yanked his cloak around him tighter.

"Seriously, that bastard's gonna regret messing with us," the teen sneered.

Freed looked up. "Huh?"

"This storm. It's not natural this time of year. Some jerk from Phantom Lord wanted to ruin our Fantasia parade, and he's doing it. It's been delayed by two days, and no one can get close to the guy. I was about to go search for him myself, but Gramps got really pissed since he loves Fantasia, so now he's heading out there to take care of things personally. That storm magic is nothing compared to my grandfather. That Phantom Lord loser is gonna wish for death by the time Gramps is done with him."

"Gramps?" Freed asked, still confused. Phantom Lord? They were a magic guild. Storm magic? Fantasia?

"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself." Electric blue eyes smiled down at him. "Laxus Dreyar. I'm a wizard of Fairy Tail."

Freed began to tremble. "L-L-Laxus? The Laxus? The Dragon Slayer?"

"Oh, you've heard of me?" He laughed as if embarrassed yet proud. "So what's your name, kid?"

"Me? I … I'm nobody."

"You've got a name at least. I don't want to call you kid all the time."

He shrank down. This was the boy he wanted to meet so badly, and now here they were, in some dark building, alone together. "F-F-F-Freed. Freed Justine. I … I'm a wizard too," he cried out eagerly, but then shrank down. "Sort of."

"Yeah? What sort of magic?"

He gulped, embarrassed now. "It's … weak. It's not like you at all. I'll never be on your level."

"Hey, don't say that about yourself," Laxus scolded. "I got lucky, that's all. That and my father is an insane bastard, but it made me strong."

"Huh?"

Laxus did not want to get into how his father had inserted dragon lacrima inside of him. No one even knew dragon lacrima existed, and few people believed dragons themselves existed. Laxus had thought they were myths until his enhancement.

Changing the subject, he asked, "What magic can you do? Can you warm us up at least?"

"Ah! I … I can!" he said eagerly. Freed leaped up, pulled out his rapier, and used it to write glowing runes in the air. "Forgive me, it just takes a while."

"Better not take an hour. We're both gonna catch cold, and I need to recharge before I can use my lightning step again."

Freed paused while writing in the air. "Lightning step?"

"That's my magic. Lightning. I'm a Lightning Dragon Slayer."

Freed cringed. His worst fear!

Laxus held out his hand, and a tiny arc of electricity zapped between his forefinger and thumb. "I'm getting stronger, but using it while carrying someone else takes up a lot of energy. I guess Gramps is right. I need to train harder so I can protect people." He rung out his coat and smiled to Freed. "At least I protected you."

"Th-thank you for that," Freed stuttered.

"You can thank me by taking an edge off this chill. What are you doing, anyway?" He looked closer at the purple glow. "I've never seen writing like that."

"Letter magic," Freed explained. "Dark Écriture."

"Sounds ominous. You're not actually gonna kill me, right?" Laxus teased.

"No, I honestly don't know any attacking runes. My parents didn't allow me to learn those. I'm still learning new runes, and I'm slow. If you draw one even a little bit wrong, the magic can mess up." He stepped back and examined the writing. "Yes, this should work. Dark Écriture: Warmth!"

The runes blasted at both of their chests. Laxus cried out as the magic hit him, but instantly he felt heat seeping into his skin.

"Holy crap, that's awesome!" he cried out.

Freed blushed at the praise. "I can affect people mentally or physically. Like if I write the rune for happiness and cast it at someone, they'll feel happy no matter how bad their day has been. Supposedly there are many you can use to attack as well. I want to learn the runes for fear and pain. I could make someone terrified of me or crumble in agony without even touching them."

"Why the hell did you say this was weak magic?" Laxus cried out. "This is brilliant! If you use it right, it could be seriously strong. Hell, if you could make Gildarts cry like a baby, I'd make you my teammate!"

"Only if I have time to write it out. That's what makes this weak. It takes time, and you have to be accurate or you could kill someone. My teacher was incredible. He could use just his finger to write the runes, and he was so fast, and always perfectly accurate. He could fight! I'm still struggling with the basics. He used to say I'm too much of a perfectionist."

"Gramps once told me, 'Always strive for perfection, but don't let it stop you from advancing.' You just need to train more. Are you in a guild?"

Freed blushed and shook his head. "My parents didn't want me to grow up working request jobs for money. We were rich, had a big house, and I was expected to take over the family business. Then there was a massive thunderstorm, a dam broke, the whole area flooded, and we were all washed away. I survived by casting a rune to float. By the time I found my parents … it was too late. My uncle took possession of the house, the business, me, everything. He sold it all, sold everything that belonged to my parents, and blew it all on gambling. Then one day he bet me … and lost. I was supposed to become some man's slave, so I ran away."

"Bastard," Laxus growled. "Who does that to family? I'd kick his ass. So, are you looking for work? You should join Fairy Tail."

Freed's eyes widened. "I … can join?"

"Well, you gotta convince Gramps. There's another kid even younger than you, and she uses letter magic, too: Solid Script. If Gramps let a shrimp like her in, he'd accept you. Are you ready to travel again?"

Freed shivered. Travel … lightning step … the flash and boom and tingle of electricity … all the things he feared.

Suddenly outside there was a bright flash and crack of thunder. Freed cowered down.

Laxus pouted in sympathy. "You're really scared of thunder, huh?"

Freed nodded briskly, covering his ears as if that could shut out the rumble that shook the floor.

Laxus knelt beside him. "Hey," he said gently, "it's not that bad. I mean, you're friends with me, right?"

Freed slowly lifted his head. Friends? The great Dragon Slayer of Fairy Tail, Laxus Dreyar, wanted to be friends! As lightning flashed again, Freed saw how it lit up this blond boy so beautifully.

"Laxus," he whispered. "You … wanna be friends?"

"You have a really strong magic. I want you in Fairy Tail. Then you'll be family. Come on! So long as you stick by me, I'll eat any lightning that comes your way."

He arched an eyebrow. "Eat?"

"Yeah! I'll eat it, and that way it won't hurt you. And if I eat it, I can get stronger, strong enough to protect you. So stick with me, and you don't have to fear the thunder."

Freed loosened up. Laxus was strong, a Lightning Dragon Slayer. Freed knew he could trust him. Those eyes were the eyes of a boy becoming a man, the sort of man who would lead others, and one day he would be the strongest wizard in the guild, Freed just knew it!

A hand stretched out to him. Freed looked and it, then back up into that blue gaze. Determined, he grabbed the offered fingers. Laxus yanked Freed to his feet.

"The storm is ending," Laxus pointed out. "Gramps must have beaten whoever was causing it. Let's get you registered in the guild, and then I want you on my float for the Fantasia parade."

There was a flash, crackling, and Freed felt the tingle of electricity and speed. This time, he squeezed Laxus' hand tighter and knew he would be safe. When it was over, they were in a warm building filled with people, tables, chairs, and chatting.

"Laxus! You're back!" someone called out.

A small red-headed girl walked up to them. "Who is this?" Her cold eyes gazed at the drenched boy in a hooded cloak.

"His name is Freed. Erza, is my grandfather back?"

The girl in tiny armor shook her head. "Master should be back soon, though."

"I'm here," said an elderly man.

Freed looked amazed. This … was the master of Fairy Tail? He was shorter than even Freed!

"Did you have a good snack, Laxus?" the grandfatherly man asked.

"Heh! I didn't even have time to eat any lightning."

Freed looked up at him in astonishment. Wait, was he being literal earlier about eating lightning?

"Gramps, I found this boy out in the open about to be crushed by the hailstorm."

"It was good that you protected him. That's what I told you to do, protect the townsfolk, not fight."

"Yeah, yeah," Laxus grumbled. "Hey, he's a wizard and he's homeless right now."

"He's probably hungry. Laxus, fetch some soup and hot tea for the poor boy."

Laxus patted Freed's shoulder. "When you get your guild mark, you should make it green like your hair. That'd be awesome." Then he trotted off to fetch the food.

Makarov took a seat and looked the newcomer over. "Well, Laxus seems to like you," he chuckled. Freed felt himself blush. "That boy doesn't open up to many people, and he never obeys me like that without griping the whole time. There must be something special between you two."

"N-no! We just met. He pulled me out of the storm, and I used my magic to warm him up."

Another wizard wandered by with a pregnant woman by his side. "Fire magic? Hey, me too!" he declared, thumbing his chest proudly. "I'm gonna teach my son fire magic when he's older." He lovingly stroked the woman's bulging belly. "Isn't that right, my little Romeo? When you come out into the world, Daddy's gonna teach you to be strong and brave."

"Fire?" This time, it was a boy younger than Freed wearing only his underwear. "If you use fire magic, then you're my rival."

Freed jolted. A rival? "Ah, n-no, not fire magic. Dark Écriture."

The naked boy shrugged and turned away. "Never heard of it. If it's not fire or ice, I'm not interested."

"Gray, your clothes," Makarov said offhandedly. While the boy freaked out and went searching for his pants, the master stroked his mustache. "Dark Écriture. Letter magic, and a powerful form of it," he noted, looking impressed and eying the boy again in another evaluation. Could someone so young really know a magic that strong? "So, you want to join Fairy Tail, eh?"

"Yes, please!" Freed cried out. "I came all this way to join the guild. I really want to prove myself. I … I can follow all the rules."

"We don't have many rules here," Makarov chuckled, realizing that if he made rules, his brats would only break them. "Show me an example of your magic."

Freed thought about it. Something to impress the guild master, something powerful and showy. Then he saw Laxus round the entry of the kitchen with a drink and a bowl balanced in his hands.

"Um, is Gildarts here?" Freed asked softly.

Makarov pointed out the man sitting in a corner drinking heavily while a small girl with the same color of eyes watched him. Freed pulled out his rapier and began to write in the air. He had to make this his absolute best work, but at the same time he should not take too long or it'll seem like he was clumsy. Perfection and speed: his magic teacher had drilled that concept into his head, but Freed never before needed to write runes quickly.

By the time Laxus arrived with the food, Freed was ready. "Dark Écriture: Sadness."

The runes flew forward and struck Gildarts, making the older man cough out his beer. Just as he looked ready to yell and figure out which brat was playing a prank on him, tears welled up in Gildarts' eyes. His chest jolted, his nose began to turn red, and in just seconds he was wailing loudly. The little girl put her hand over his arm.

"Da- … Gildarts?" she asked worriedly.

He grabbed her up and hugged her closely. "Cana! It's so sad. So horribly sad!"

Laxus roared with laughter. "You did it! You really did it! You made Gildarts cry like a baby. Gramps, you gotta accept this kid. He's gonna be my partner. I'm gonna form a team with him."

Makarov chuckled to see his grandson so enthusiastic. "Very well. Just some questions. Full name, age, magic, likes, and dislikes." Makarov pulled out a guild card, ready to fill it in."

"Freed Justine, I'm twelve, I use Dark Écriture and I'm learning Jutsu Shiki. Likes … um … well, I like musical instruments. I like to play flute and guitar and piano and…" He realized Makarov had looked up at him strangely. Here he was, a boy in tatters, but his parents had made sure he had a refined education that included piano lessons since he was three. "Ah … j-just musical instruments," he blushed. "Dislikes: thunder … no," he said softly, and he smiled up at Laxus. He had no need to fear thunder anymore. "I'm not sure about what I dislike anymore. Oh! Gum! Like, when someone is smacking gum while talking. Ugh, that makes my skin crawl."

"And your guild mark? You can pick the color and location."

"Green! And … location?"

He wondered where Laxus had his. He did not see it readily. He looked around at others in the guild. Some were instantly visible, some were hidden.

Then he remembered Laxus grabbing his hand to pull him out of the rain. He remembered taking Laxus' hand to join him on the way to this guild. He looked down at his fingers. One day, he would be so strong, he could write runes with his fingertips. One day, he would be strong enough to grab Laxus' hand and pull him up. They would fight side by side as equals. They would learn each other's fighting styles, eat together, play together, work together, until he knew this boy like…

"Like the back of my hand," he whispered privately. He suddenly thrust out his hand. "There! On the back of my hand."

Makarov chuckled. Getting stamped somewhere highly visual took guts. They could never hide the fact that they were a Fairy Tail wizard. Everyone would see the mark and know instantly. However, he saw the determination in the boy's eyes. No wonder Laxus liked this kid.

The stamp pressed down, and when it raised back up, the mark was firmly on Freed's skin. He held his hand up to Laxus proudly.

"Look! I'm officially part of Fairy Tail!"

Laxus ruffled up his green hair. "That's great. We'll have to take a mission later. First…"

An hour later, the streets of Magnolia were drying out, and a parade sparkled down the main avenue. Citizens cheered, happy to be the home of Fairy Tail. The Fantasia parade was a good way to see all of the wizards and what they could do.

On the last float was Master Makarov. Next to him was Laxus, and slightly behind Laxus was Freed, timidly looking around at the crowds.

There was a crackle, and lightning raged down from the sky. Laxus had two hands out, practically glowing. Freed instinctively yelped, but then he firmed up. This was Laxus' magic. He would never hurt his friends.

"That's awesome," someone in the crowd cried in awe.

"Well, he's Makarov's grandson, after all," said another person.

The lightning stopped, and Laxus glared to where he heard those words. It used to be a thing of pride, being the grandson of the guild master, and great-grandson of one of the founding members of Fairy Tail. The guild was in his blood! However, as he got older. Hearing his powers dismissed as 'it's because he's the master's grandson' pissed off Laxus more and more.

"Where's Dad?" Laxus asked his grandfather, who wore a joker suit and was tossing out lollipops to the children in the crowd.

"He's probably out causing trouble again," Makarov sighed, but something dark passed over his face. Ivan was more than just trouble. Although he was Makarov's son, he had been corrupted by darkness when he was still young. Ivan had been Pretch's protégé and developed a dark, sadistic side. It took all of Makarov's patience not to kick that man out for good, except he knew that would devastate Laxus. It was hard enough that Laxus lost his mother. To lose his father as well … Makarov wanted to avoid that if at all possible, but he had a feeling this would be an issue real soon.

"Who's that kid?"

"I've never seen him before."

"Is he another one of those orphans? Fairy Tail sure is taking in a lot of orphaned children these days."

Freed drew back, self-conscious of their words. Here he was, a Fairy Tail wizard for only an hour, and he was riding with Master Makarov in a place of honor.

"Do something, Freed," Laxus urged. "Can you write something to show off your magic?"

"It's not showy at all," Freed said in disappointment. "Oh! But maybe … it's still a hard spell, but maybe I can do it this time." Using his finger like his teacher had instructed, he wrote the runes onto his own body. "Dark Écriture: Wings!"

Suddenly, glowing wings formed on his back. Freed managed to lift up, but he could not really fly yet. That would take stronger runes, more rules, and lots of practice.

"A fairy, Mommy!" a girl in the audience shouted. "There's a real fairy with Master Makarov."

Freed blushed, and Laxus laughed happily.

"Hear that, Freed," he called up to the flying boy. "You're a real Fairy now."

Freed grinned in excitement. A real fairy … a real member of Fairy Tail!

The End