He awoke with a start, his head throbbing. He felt like he had been hit with one of Laxus's dragon roars. He tried to close his eyes and get back to sleep, but to no avail. The harsh pang in his head not giving him a chance to rest.
He gave up. He pulled himself from his bed slowly, he discovered it wasn't just his head but his whole body that was racked with pain. He slowly got up out of bed, holding on to the walls for support. 'What did I drink last night?" He thought as he made it his bathroom. A shower would help, it usually did.
He got under the warm spray, breathing in relief as his muscles relaxed in the heat. His headache began to ebb, the harsh pangs whittling down to small bursts.
He turned off the water and dressed, walking back through his room, he opened the door. He was shocked, wasn't the night before all a dream. He stared for what felt like an eternity at the whole in the wall. His eyes scoured the floor noting every frame and piece of glass. Most of the pictures were now crumbled. He knew this would be hard to explain. He had to dispose of the evidence.
He scrambled down the stairs into the kitchen. He grabbed the trash can and a broom. Exiting the kitchen, he realized his job was much larger than he had thought. Every piece of glass was shattered. Picture frames, glasses, plates. Heck even the windows were cracked.
He went to work cleaning up the pictures first. He didn't think he just tossed everything. He knew he would have to find someone to fix the windows, hopefully his friends would stay out and he could get everything done by then.
50 frames, 20 glasses, 10 plates, and 6 cuts later he had everything in the trash. He placed the can outside and began getting ready to leave. He checked how much money he had, hopefully it would be enough for the windows. He couldn't find his visor anywhere, but decided he could look for it later.
He made it halfway out the door when he heard a familiar set of laughter. He cursed himself. Laxus and Mira were head towards the house. Deciding he would rather have Laxus see it without seeing him, he quickly turned to exit out the back door. He snuck around the back and watched as they entered the house.
He cringed as he heard Laxus's thundering voice. "What the hell happened?"
"Laxus calm down." Mira said softly.
"Everything is gone, were the hell is it?" He heard the sound of someone rummaging. He was trying to decide if he should run and wait for Laxus to cool down. "Who punched the wall in?" He froze, he forgot about the hole. The picture that was hanging there had been of Mira.
Bickslow figured now was the time to leave. He broke into a run, his body till hurting and ran into town. As soon as he thought there was enough distance between the house and himself he slowed his pace. He began to look for the window shop, he hoped there was a mage there who could help him out.
He entered the first shop he saw, not caring about the price. The man agreed to 70,000 jewel. Bickslow paid the man without a second thought. He gave the man his address and decided to start looking for a new visor or some of the wood he would need to make new babies.
This was a much harder task, visors were hard to come by and on top of that his had to be made to hold his magic back. The wood for his babies had to be durable, than there was the days it would take preparing the bodies, painting, getting the spell so that the wood would not rot, and then tracking down suitable souls for the containers. It wasn't an easy task.
Within an hour he had given up on finding either and decided to focus on getting some new glasses and plates. This took no time what so ever. He took the bag from the shop keeper and headed home.
He hoped that Laxus had cooled down as he neared the house. The lights were lit. Deciding that he better just face the music, he opened the door to find Laxus, Freed and Ever waiting for him. All three of them were scowling.
"So what have you been up to?" Freed said a hint of anger in his voice.
"Just running some errands." He pulled the bag up to show them.
"Did you think we wouldn't notice?!" Ever screeched at him.
"What do you mean?" He danced around the subject.
"I mean this." She said throwing a broken frame on the floor in front of him. It was the picture of Elfman proposing. He cringed. He had hoped they wouldn't check the garbage.
"What about the hole in the wall?" Laxus said angrily. He looked like he was about to explode.
"It was an accident." He said looking down.
"An accident…AN ACCIDENT! HOW THE HELL COULD IT BE AN ACCIDENT?!" The dragonslayer roared.
"It just was!" He was starting to get angry.
"You expect us to believe that! I know you've felt lonely but to go this far, Bickslow. What kind of man are you?" Freed jumped in.
"How would you know that, huh, you're never here? When was the last time we did anything as a group huh?" Bickslow snapped back.
Ever pointed at him. "You really think we would want to deal with you after this. You destroyed and then tried to throw out my boyfriend's picture!"
"Why does it matter, your never here to look at it." He jabbed back. His eyes were flashing red.
He felt burst of pain and fell to the floor. He looked up Laxus's fist was hovering over where he once stood.
"Leave…I don't even want to look at you right now." He didn't move from his spot on the floor. "I said LEAVE!"
He picked himself up off the floor, his nose was bleeding. He turned away from them ready to leave.
'I told you, you don't need them.' He froze, the voice had returned. 'Come, there is much to discuss.'
"Well… what are you waiting for?" Ever said.
He turned back to look at them. He knew this would probably be the last time. He smirked before making his way out the door. 'You know where to find me. Remember last night.'
He was half way down the street when he asked. "How are you doing this?"
Laughter. 'Bickslow, my boy you can do it to. Just command your thoughts and I will hear it.'
He thought it over for a second before taking the plunge. 'Is there more to this?'
'Very good, no this ability is quite simple. What do you plan to do?' His father asked.
'I...I don't know.'
'Come to me and we will talk.' Listening to his father's words, he made a left. He would get on the road out of town and allow the man to speak. It's not like it could make his day any worse.
He followed the road till he got to the edge of town, activating his eyes he entered the brush. Not thinking just acting as he made his way back to the stream. He let out a small laugh as he passed the fallen tree from the night before. The idea that he used it to get away from the man he was now seeking struck him as ironic.
He took a shorter path this time, making it to the stream in less than 30 minutes. He looked around to find no one. "I must be going crazy." He said walking to the stream and looking at his reflection. He turned off his magic and stared down at himself. He had circles under his eyes. His nose had stopped bleeding, but there was a bruise forming.
Suddenly another reflection appeared beside him. "Sorry I'm late, I figured you would take the same path." The older man smiled at him. "What is this?" He said turning his face to look at the growing bump.
"Umm…Its…" He saw his father's eyes change pink and his skin suddenly felt warm.
"No need to explain, so they turned on you?" The man quipped and released him. His eyes fading back into their natural red.
He looked back down at the water, his eyes going wide. The marks were gone. Heck the dark circles under his eyes had disappeared. "How?"
A gentle laugh. "It's normal, you will learn." The man smiled.
He was at a loss for words. His eyes could do more than control human souls. This was news to him. Maybe his father knew a way were he wouldn't have to use his visor anymore, he could have perfect control over it.
"You want to control it don't you." He nodded, still shocked over the vast amount of knowledge his father had. "Go back to Magnolia."
"Why?" Now he was confused. Hadn't his father just asked him to leave the town?
His father pulled his face forward, opening his mouth. "This must be removed." He said glancing at his guild mark.
"I can't be in Fairy Tail?"
"Do you think they would want you? They already avoid you don't they?"
He hung his head. His father was correct for the most part he was ignored, for all he knew the guild put up with him because he was on Laxus's team, well he used to be on his team.
"Leave them. Come with me and learn. Turn your back on the false relationships you have built, son your better than that."
His words were sinking in and he found himself running the scenario over and over his head. It would be easy. He had no connection to the guild anymore. Why not remove the mark?
"I'll be back before sunset." He said looking his father in the eye. The man smiled and nodded in approval.
"I will wait here. If you need me." The man pointed to his head. "You know how to contact me."
He nodded back and turned to face the woods. He looked down seeing his visor on the ground. He bent over to pick it up. "Stop, you don't need it. You will never need it again." He left it as his father asked and started back.
Taking the path he came through the trees, it took no time for him to reach Magnolia. He kept his wits about him as he made his way to the guild. He expected to see his 'friends' waiting for him.
He opened the door to find the guild lively as ever. Natsu and Gray were fighting in the corner. Cana and many guild members were drinking at the bar. He sighed in relief seeing that the thunder legion was nowhere to be found. He took a deep breath and made his way up the stairs to the master's office.
He knocked. "The doors open." He proceeded forward.
"Oh Bickslow, what do you need? Going on a job?" The older man smiled from his desk. He had piles upon piles of paperwork in front of him. Probably all complaints from the counsel.
"I was wondering if you had a minute." He kept his face serious.
"I always have time for my children." The man said signing one of the papers.
He sighed. "I want to leave the guild." The quill slid, awkwardly marking through most of the writing.
"May I ask why?" Makarov asked.
"I just need some time to find myself." It wasn't a lie.
"Does Laxus know about this?" He questioned.
He looked down. "No, I don't wish to bother him with it."
"What about your team? I think your team would be bothered with you leaving." The older man pressed.
"They will be fine without me. Can we speed this up? I have a train to catch." He wasn't lying, technically he had somewhere to be.
Makarov's eyes widened. "You plan to leave without a party to send you off?"
"I don't want a big to do over it." He looked at the older man, pleading. "I just need to go."
Makarov sighed. "All right, come here." The old man took out the guild stamp. "I have to place this back over your mark." He complied sticking his tongue out. The old man pressed it down and he felt the spot grow warm. The stamp lifted, the mark of Fairy Tail was gone. "While you're on this journey of yours I ask that you follow the code we have for former members."
"Can do, I won't be asking anything of former clients, nor will I try to use the guild name for special privileges." The old man nodded as he turned to leave. "Master?"
"You don't have to call me that anymore."
"Can you wait till after the sunset to tell the guild, I'll be out of town then? I want to do this on my own and I don't want them interfere."
"You have my word." With that Bickslow exited the office. He made it downstairs. Over at a table sat Laxus, Freed, and Ever. They had a crowd around them. It would be best to leave as soon as possible. He snuck out of the guild without being noticed.
The sun was starting its decent down, as he walked back to his house. He wanted to gather some things. As he began to pack he felt a presence behind him. He turned fast, expecting Laxus, but instead found Ivan and his father.
"You need help?" The dark haired Dreyar asked helping Bickslow pack his bag.
"Why are you here? Seriously if they return…" He was cut off.
"Do not worry about it. They won't come back yet. When was the last time they stayed the night here?" His father had a point.
After his bag was packed the trio headed down stairs. Ivan picked up a photo, the one with all of them. The one from of the day the thunder legion had moved in. "Do you want this?"
He shook his head, it would just be a reminder. Ivan smiled handing the picture to his father.
"Son, I hate to do this, but we must delete this. We must destroy all evidence that you ever lived here." His father said not looking at him. "Are you prepared for that?"
He already knew the answer. He wasn't coming back anyway. "Yes, go ahead."
"Come on Remy, we don't have much time." Ivan said wanting to get out of Magnolia.
His father's eyes flashed orange, he looked down at the photo, and he was gone. Only Freed, Laxus, and Ever were seen laughing. He felt a mixture of sadness and relief, he thought his father would burn the house down. "Is everything upstairs gone too?"
"Yes, every sign of you living here has been erased. Now come it's time to leave." He said reaching out his arm for Bickslow to grab. He was confused. Ivan had placed his hand on his father's back and nodded to him. He understood. As the sun fell completely from the sky, Bickslow took his father's hand and with a flash disappeared.
To Be Continued….
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