Bickslow P.O.V
I feel a sharp pang in my chest as I watch the members of the guild mingle, and rejoice at our return. We've been back for a little over a month now, but everyone is still so enthused about our return. Though even after seven years without us, the guild that was left behind still doesn't come around my team or Laxus. I don't blame them after everything we did. I feel the pang again. She would have been so disappointed in me. If she had been here she would have put a stop to my madness. A stop to me following Laxus and his crazy scheme. My chest starts hurting worse. A slight groan leaves my lips as I clutch at my chest, causing Laxus to look at me from across our table. Evergreen and Freed don't notice. Oh god! Today is our birthday…She would have been 31. She would have been married by now. Maybe even had a few kids for me to babysit, to chase around my babies. I'd have been an Uncle. Why? Why isn't she here?
I feel tears prick at my eyes. Thankfully my mask hides them from view. Laxus' beer slams onto the table, causing me to look at him. His eyes are widened by mere centimeters. He's worried. He wants to know what's wrong. Fuck! Why does my chest hurt so much? It used to do this when we were kids, when she was in pain or scared. I could always feel it. My body is tormenting me. Putting me through her pain because it's our birthday and she's not alive in order to celebrate it. What I wouldn't do to hear her call me… "Bixy-nii!" Oh god, her voice. I can hear it so clearly. I'm going insane. God this hurts so bad.
"Bixy-nii!" I hear her again. It's her voice. Why, why is this happening? The pain in my chest is so bad I crumple to the floor. My tears are freely falling and I'm clutching my chest willing the pain to stop.
"Bixy-nii!" Her voice is louder, sounds so scared. Was she calling out for me before she died? Is that why I'm hearing her frightened voice? It's been 18 years but I know it's her. I know it's her voice, tormenting me for killing her. For killing my other half, my twin.
It's so much pain that I can't even hear the sounds of the guild anymore, I don't know what's going on around me. Before I can cry out from the pressure on my heart, the vice grip of terror, there's a light touch on my face and my mask is moved off of my face.
"Bixy-nii?" She's so scared. Why am I seeing her now? Above my face is a feminine one, with red eyes identical to mine when not using my magic. The woman above me holding my head in her lap is crying. Her face is older. Matching my age. Her nose having a metal hoop at the septum, like a bullring. She has blue and black hair, like mine, except it's in a single Mohawk, spiked to perfection. Is this what she would have looked like had she lived past 13?
"Bixy-nii, please stop hurting. Please, Bixy-nii!" She's begging me to stop. How can I stop the pain? It's what she felt when she died! How could she want me to stop it when I killed her?
I see Laxus come into view next to the illusion of my dead sister, his eyes are wide in shock.
I part my lips to speak, "Azalea, I'm sorry I killed you! I'm so sorry! Please forgive me! Please stop haunting me!" I yell it. I beg for the illusion to leave me. I watch as her eyes widen and tears cascade down her face rapidly. The pain is slowly receding from my chest as her fingers caress the side of my face.
"You didn't kill me Bixy-nii. I never died." Her voice is soft. I'm surprised I can hear her. She's lying to me. Why is she lying to me? She's dead. I saw it. I saw her body, laying there next to papa. She was dead.
Her eyes start to glow softly, slowly turning into a bright vibrant green like mine do when I use my magic. She didn't have magic, so I know this is my imagination.
"Bickslow, I never died! I'm right here I'm really here. I've been looking for you ever since…ever since you left! I'm not dead Bickslow!" She screams the last part loudly her tears coming down faster. Her hands grip my face tightly. Her eyes glow even brighter as she forces me to look her in the eye. I can't tear my gaze away. I can't even blink.
Suddenly images, memories that aren't my own, flash through my mind: "Bixy-nii! Where are you?" Where is he? He was supposed to go to the lake with me today. He better not be trying to play hide and seek with me. I'm never good at that game. He's too good at hiding. I sigh as I start to search the house for Bickslow. Before I can get to far into my search I hear screams coming from outside. My eyes widen as I run through our home to the front door, without hesitation, I slam the door open and run into the bright light of the sun. The image before me causes tears to prick at my eyes. The town! There are so many screams as I watch men in weird uniforms throwing fire into houses, attacking villagers. The most horrific thing I see is papa standing in front of Bickslow with four men surrounding them.
"Bickslow!" I scream loudly as I see one of the men lunge at him with a sword. Bickslow turns to look at me, his eyes wide, he doesn't have time to dodge. As the sword goes to plunge into Bickslow's back papa moves in front of it, the sword slide's through papa's stomach with a sickening squelch. Bickslow's eye's widen. I feel someone grab me from behind and try to pull me away. I scream and thrash against the man. I watch as Bickslow screams and a green light shoots from his eyes and starts to surround his body. Whoever had a hold of me drops me to the ground.
Without thinking I scramble to my feet and run towards Bickslow. "Bixy-nii!" I scream as I run towards him. The light around him gets brighter and swirls faster. I can hear the men that were attacking him scream in pain. I feel splatters of liquid splash across my face and arms as I get closer and the scream of man dies down. I'm so close to him. I feel a stinging pain as I enter the green light swirling around him. I scream before I feel something swell inside me and burst outside of my body. The pain dies from me as I wrap my arms around Bickslow.
"Bixy-nii!" I scream again holding my eyes shut as I squeeze my brother. Another burst of light, a loud cracking noise like thunder and I feel a pulse push out of Bickslow and through my body. "Bixy-nii!" I scream one more time before everything goes black.
I gasp at the memory from Azalea. The images speed through my head again. Her eyes are still glowing green as the do, before I'm sucked into another memory. I sit underneath a tree, trying to get as much shelter from the rain that's pouring from the sky, as I can. I hold my legs to my body and close my eyes. It's been a week since our village was destroyed. Since Bickslow disappeared. I know he's alive. If he wasn't I would feel it. I would feel so empty if he was dead, I know I would. He's alive. "I'll find you Bixy-nii. I promise I will find you!"
I feel her memories pull out of my mind. Looking at her eyes, they've stopped glowing. "Azalea…you're real!" I smile sadly. I move so quickly she has no time to react, and pull her into a hug. I don't care that the whole guild is watching me cry like a pansy. All that matters is that my sister is alive.
I feel her arms wrap around me tightly. "I'm alive Bixy-nii." I hold her to me for a few more moments before pulling away. I wipe my face with my hand, removing the tears. I move to put my helmet back on, but it's smacked out of my hand. I look at Azalea in shock.
"I haven't see your face in 18 years. Are you really trying to deny me that?" She hisses at me. I can feel her anger resonate through my body. God, it's been so long since I felt her emotions through our bond.
I clear my throat. "I have to wear it, Azalea." I speak softly.
Her anger gets worse. She grabs my mask, and before I can speak a marionette about a foot tall grabs it from her hands and destroys it with a beam of green light. What in the actual fuck?
"You're not wearing it anymore, Bickslow." I gulp. She only ever says my full name when she's serious. She's more terrifying then Erza and Lucy combined when she's pissed off. I nod at her to afraid to say anything. Standing up I reach a hand out and pull her up as well.
Taking a look around the guild I notice everyone staring at us. Natsu and Gray have each other in a headlock, but they aren't doing anything other than staring. Elfman isn't yelling at anyone to be a man. Erza isn't stuffing her face with strawberry cake. Lucy is looking at us with concern in her eyes, I can see tears dropping from them. Why is she crying? She always did have such a big heart. I smile at the guild. Not my normal smile, with my tongue sticking out, but a genuine happy smile, one I haven't used in 18 years, one that was always reserved for Azalea.
"Listen up assholes! This is my twin sister Azalea." I shout to everyone in Fairy Tail. "Though, I don't know if we would be considered twins now sense she's like 31 as of today and the time skip stopped my aging at 23!" I feel a hard slap to the back of my head.
I look at Azalea and see her eyes narrowed at me. "It's rude to tell people the age of a lady!" She yells, and with that the guild goes back into its normal chaotic state. "Besides," she says quietly. "I was frozen in time for seven years."
I look at her and blink. "What?"
Azalea P.O.V
I bite my lip as I look at Bixy-nii. "Well, see, you know how we've always had a strong connection? We can talk with out speaking, and we've always been able to share our memories. I know you were frozen on Tenrou for seven year, I think because of our weird twin thing we have going on, that when you froze, I did as well." I tell Bickslow. I had tried to think of a logical explanation ever since I found out what had happened to Bickslow and myself, and that was the only thing I could think of.
Bickslow's eyes move from looking at me to the large blond man beside me. I turn my gaze towards him as well. As soon as my eyes meet his, I feel something inside my chest shift. My eyes widen and I feel my face heat up. My heartbeat starts to quicken and I feel an odd warmth spread threw my body. My entire being tingles as the blond man gazes at me. His eyes that started off hard soften as we stare.
"Fuck, really?" Bickslow shouts loudly, causing me to break mine and the blond mans eye contact. "I mean, really Azalea? I can tell from your eyes and your soul that you're like me, we have the same magic, so I know what just happened! I felt it through our fuckin bond! I mean…really?"
My face flushes as realization dawns on me. Oh sweet Mavis this is embarrassing.
"Why the fuck are you yelling at her Bickslow? She just got here. You haven't seen her in forever!" The blond man speaks from beside me. I notice how tense his body has suddenly gotten.
"Damn it Laxus!" Bickslow yells. Laxus? The name sends shivers through my whole body. That's his name then. "Her fuckin soul shifted. I just got her back and you gotta go and make her fuckin soul shift!"
Why the fuck does she get to find her soul mate, and I can't even tell Lucy she's mine. Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!
Bickslow's thoughts enter my mind. He's really upset to make that happen on accident.
"What do you mean I made her soul shift? I didn't do anything to her!" Laxus says, a low growl emits from his throat. Oh no! Mavis please Bickslow don't say it!
"I mean you're her fuckin…"
Before Bickslow can finish saying anything. I slam my hands over his mouth. "Don't you dare Bickslow. I mean it. If you say it, I will fuck you up!" I hiss at him so lowly that only he can hear me. He narrows his eyes at me. I just grin my tongue sticking out of my mouth. "I'll tell whoever Lucy is. " I whisper dangerously. His eyes widen and he just nods.
"Holy shit!" Laxus says. "You even fuckin smile like him!" I release Bickslow and grin at Laxus the same way I did to Bickslow. The blond man shakes his head and chuckles. "Well," He speaks again. "Since you're here, and I doubt your going to want to leave Bix again. Lets go get you a guild mark."
Join the guild? That could be fun. I mean I'm never going to willing leave Bickslow again, nor can I leave Laxus now, so I might as well. I nod my head enthusiastically. Laxus grabs my hand, causing a jolt of electricity to course through me. It was pleasant. He goes to lead me away from Bickslow. "Wait!" I exclaim.
"Bickslow where's your guild mark at?" I ask him curiously. Bixy-nii grins at me with his tongue hanging out of his mouth, I chuckle seeing the black Fairy Tail guild mark on it, and let Laxus drag me away.
He pulls me up a set of stairs with a very small smile on his face, but he doesn't say anything. We come to a door at the top of the stairs and Laxus pushes it open, startling a small old man sitting at his desk. Well, that was rude of Laxus.
"Hey gramps!" Laxus shouts, "We have a new recruit!" He pulls me into the office and closes the door behind him.
The small man looks at me for a moment and then looks down to mine and Laxus's hands entangled, and he smiles wide.
"Well then! I am Master Makarov Dreyer and the oaf who is next to you is my grandson in case you didn't know we were related. I do Hope I get great grand babies soon!" The old master says loudly with little hearts in his eyes, this causes Laxus to growl again.
"Knock it off old man!"
Makarov clears his throat and looks at me seriously. "Now my dear, why would you like to join Fairy Tail? Also, what magic do you use?"
I breathe deep to try and calm my nerves, what if he doesn't like my answer? I feel Laxus squeeze my hand in a reassuring manor.
"Well…My twin brother is here and I just found him after 18 years, so I really don't want to be apart from him." I speak softly.
Makarov's eyes widen. "Who is your brother dear?"
I grin sticking my tongue out, "Bickslow!"
Makarov's eyes widen even more if that was even possible, and he falls out of his chair. He quickly gets back up. "Well, I can't say no to an answer like that. Now your magic?"
"The same as Bixy-nii! I'm a seith mage!" I pull on the invisible strings of my magic and two soft pops are heard, revealing my marionettes. "These are the souls that I've collected. I only have two. Their names are Hansel and Gretel. They're twins! Just like me and Bixy-nii!" I say. The excitement radiating from my voice. With two more pops my marionettes disappear. They like to be on their own a lot, especially when it comes to being inside a building with so many people.
"Well, child. Where do you want your guild mark?"
I do my signature grin. "Same place as Bixy-nii! We are twins after all!"
With a small chuckle, Makarov stamps my tongue with the guild mark.
Bickslow P.O.V
I sigh as Laxus drags my sister away. That was the most hectic reunion ever. Sweet Mavis. How in the hell am I supposed to deal with my sister and Laxus? It's only a matter of time before the pull is too strong for her to resist it. I sigh again. I don't know how I'm managing to resist it with…"Bickslow?" A soft voice breaks through my thoughts.
I look up to see a pair of beautiful big brown eyes, they're filled with so much worry.
I plaster my signature grin on my face, "Hey Cosplayer!" My babies repeat me. Oh Mavis! The babies! I'm gonna have to tell Azalea about papa!
"Are you okay Bickslow?" Lucy asks softly. I bring my attention to her again. I can feel my soul shifting inside of me once more. It's reaching out to her.
"Yeah, Cosplayer. I'm good." She smiles at me, her million watt smile, that lights up the dark reaches of my black cold soul.
"I'm glad Bickslow. I'm so happy you found your sister." She sits in a chair beside me. Why is she doing that? We usually don't just sit and talk. She only ever says hi to me. What is going on?
Before I have the opportunity to say anything I see Laxus dragging my sister towards the guild doors. She looks at me and sticks her tongue out. I chuckle seeing her guild mark on it. "What's so funny?" Lucy asks with a smile. She didn't see it.
"Azalea got her guild mark on her tongue." Lucy places her hand over her mouth and giggles. God it sounds like magic.
"You know Bickslow, you have beautiful eyes. It's about time someone destroyed your mask." She says seriously.
I gulp. What? Why isn't she afraid of them? She should be. After what I did at Fantasia.
"I…How can you even talk to me, let alone look me in the eye?" I ask my voice turning hard, my face like solid marble.
She frowns and I see her eyes start to water. "I don't understand…did I do something wrong?" She asks her voice heavy with sadness.
What? She hasn't done anything. She's a god damn angel. Why is she asking me this?
"Lucy!" I call her by name, her eyes widen in shock. "You didn't do anything. It's me…what I did to you. Fantasia." I whisper the last word. A heavy sorrow fills me.
I feel that Bixy-nii. Stop being sad. I hear Azaleas voice in my head, she used to do that when we were kids. Feel my sorrow through our bond and cheer me up no matter how far we were from each other. I sigh.
"Bickslow…" Lucy whispers. Her eyes are soft and filled with an emotion I can't place. "I forgave you for that, I forgave you for that, as soon as it was done and over with."
I don't say anything I just look down at my hands. I hear her stand up. Please don't go Lucy. I feel so calm when you're around. I wish I had the guts to say that out loud. A small hand grabs my own. I look at Lucy.
"Let's go for a walk Bickslow. Me, you, and your babies."