The Tenth Demon Gate…?
There was a roaring noise in Laxus' ears that had nothing for the storm that was intensifying over his head, as he took a numb step backwards, away from the approaching, smirking Demon. Tenth Demon Gate… His stomach and heart were doing a complicated dance, and he couldn't stop his gaze from flicking back to the mark that had no place being anywhere on Freed's skin, yet stood there in defiance of his feelings, livid against pale skin. Tartaros. Not only had they made war on Fairy Tail and forced Freed into a position where he'd felt that the only choice he had to save them was to sacrifice himself, but they had marked him, claimed him as their own against Freed's will. Worse, while that was one of the most visible signs of what had been done to the Rune Mage, Laxus had a feeling that was barely scratching the surface, and his hands curled into fists at his side as he stared at Freed, searching for some sign that his Freed knew where he was.
What did they do to you Freed?
It all made a horrible, terrible sense as the darkness surged around them, a living, breathing thing bent on destruction as it obscured his view of Bickslow and Evergreen, the Demon focused on him for the moment. That at least was a relief because it meant that he could focus on Freed, although he very little hope of them avoiding the fallout. After all, they were as much an anchor for Freed as he was, and they had already made it plain by following him here into hell that they weren't going to stay out this. For now, though he focused on the Demon, and took a deep breath, realising for the first time that he could scarcely smell Freed, the scent so faint that it was as though Freed had just brushed past the Demon rather than inhabiting the same body. Instead, the scent that filled his nose reminded him far too much of the Demon they had fought at the restaurant, and he felt sick as he realised that this was where Freed's sacrifice had brought him.
"Why?" He breathed, and this time he wasn't trying to talk to Freed but the Demon. He knew the answer already, knew that the Demon had been after his freedom all this time.
"I can understand it," Freed murmured, finally breaking the strained silence that had settled over them after Laxus had managed to coax him into bed with him. Wrapping his arms tightly around the Rune Mage to discourage any thoughts he might have had about slipping away. They both bore the evidence of his demonic side's latest break for freedom, Laxus' arms heavily bandaged from where clawed fingers had left deep gouges in his skin. While, Freed was equally bandaged from where Laxus and the others had been forced to fight him when the Demon had broken free in a settled area, hellbent on destruction.
"Understand what?"
"Why it wants to break free," Freed whispered. Carefully looking anywhere but at Laxus' face even though the Dragon-slayer had gently rolled him over so that they were facing one another. Keeping his gaze fixated somewhere in the region of the Dragon-slayer's chest. "Even if I didn't anyway, I feel it every time it gets control, that feeling of being trapped, locked away within your own body…unwanted…" Laxus bit back his immediate response that it was completely different because it was Freed's body, that he was the one that bore the brunt of both the break for freedom and whatever destruction was caused while the Demon was freed. He had a feeling that wasn't the response that Freed would accept right now, even if part of him agreed with Laxus, and instead, he took a moment, dipping his head to press a kiss to Freed's forehead.
"I don't think there's anything wrong with that," he said finally, choosing his words with care. "Understanding it I mean, because as hard as it can be to admit it is part of you." Freed's grip tightened, and he knew that his partner was listening carefully, searching for any rebuke in his words, any hint of fear or disgust towards the Demon that shared his body.
He wouldn't find it.
Laxus had made that mistake once, and only once, the first time he had come face to face with the darker side of Freed, and that had been more surprise and worry than anything. He didn't like it, and he had never hidden that. Still, he accepted it, just as he accepted the fact that Freed liked to live his life by a careful set of rules even beyond the Demon. Or that Freed could and would forget all about him in favour of a book, and that his partner was more than happy to tell him when he was being an idiot. It was part of him. "Even I can understand that much, but Freed…" He paused, knowing that it would play on Freed's innate curiosity, and sure enough there was a pause and then Freed lifted his head with a soft, questioning noise and slowly met his gaze. "The difference is the price of that freedom if the Demon was free…"
"I know," Freed cut him off, curling close, grip loosening on his arms in favour of his fingers sliding along the bandaged arms. "I know, but… sometimes, I wonder…" I wonder if it's right that I am free because we are one and the same… He didn't say the words, but he didn't need to. This was a conversation that they'd had far too many times before and one that Laxus had no real answers too unless they found a way to strip the Demon away completely. He didn't think Freed would accept that as an option even if it was laid before him because it would be too much like losing a part of himself. Laxus pulled him closer with a soft hum, the only acknowledgement of the words left unspoken, kissing him again, a silent acceptance of who he was.
"You already know the answer." For half a moment, he could almost pretend that it was Freed who had answered him because the irritation was purely his partner, an unfortunate reminder of how close the boundary between the two was. Then he met the Demon's eyes, and all he could see was the hunger for destruction, of him, of the Raijinshuu, of Freed himself. It had its freedom, had found some way to lock Freed away deeper than Laxus had ever seen, to the point where he could barely smell him, and there was no humanity in the dark depths of those eyes, and it still wasn't enough. It wanted to make sure that Freed had nothing to help him fight back, no reason to even try to break free.
"I do," he replied straightening. "But this is different, isn't it?"
That seemed to catch the Demon by surprise because it paused in its approach and there was a flicker in its eyes, not quite human, but close as confusion clouded its expression for a moment. As though it hadn't expected understanding from Laxus of all people. It didn't have to know that the words tasted foul in his mouth, or that he wanted nothing more than to reach out and shake it until whatever hold it had over Freed broke and it was his partner he was holding in his arms. "Different…" The Demon murmured, more to itself than to Laxus at this point, a hand coming up to press against the new guild mark on its shoulder, sharp claws tracing the edges of it, and Laxus half expected to see blood welling, but it seemed more thoughtful than intent on harm right then. "Yes, I suppose it is…" Laxus blinked at that, having expected it to snarl and dismiss his claim, not this strangely civil tone. "After all, this time, none of you will be driving me back into the darkness."
The attack when it came was unexpected, that last word morphing into a snarl as the Demon lunged at him, and Laxus barely managed to throw both arms up in time to deflect the worst of the attack, feeling the claws tearing into his skin. There was no reprieve, darkness whipping towards him and Laxus had to retreat, only to find his way blocked by the barrier the Demon had erected earlier. The moment he brushed it, the writing came to life, burning a deep crimson and there was an ominous crackling of energy at his back, and even as he leapt forward, he knew that it was too late, as a dozen dark tendrils lashed out towards him. They burned as they wrapped around him, ice and fire combined, and then he was being yanked back into the barrier, and all he knew was pain, and somewhere over it, the sound of the Demon laughing.
But this is different, isn't it?
Freed had almost wanted to weep at the quiet question. In fact, he had a feeling that the only reason he hadn't was that he didn't dare do anything that might tip the careful balance they were in, Laxus and the Demon facing one another, and Freed a helpless spectator to a situation he couldn't influence. Run away, he wanted to shout at the Dragon-slayer, at the rest of the Raijinshuu who he could feel tentatively probing the barriers the Demon had set up. Leave me, he wanted to beg, even though he knew from past experience that they wouldn't. Although Laxus was right, this time was different, and maybe if they knew what he had done, they would listen to him this time, but he couldn't tell them. His lips were moving again, but not with the words that he wanted to say but with the Demon's words. "Different…" There was a general sense of puzzlement, followed by pain. An awful tearing sensation in his mind as he felt the Demon rifling through his thoughts and memories until buried deep, he found a conversation with Laxus that even Freed had half-forgotten. The Demon grinned at him in the darkness, sensing his dismay, but not letting its glee bleed outwards, as instead it ran clawed fingers over the guild mark on its shoulder.
The guild mark that Freed had been mercifully oblivious until the Demon had shown it to Laxus. Seeing it now out of the corner of his eye, it left him feeling sick to his stomach. He had never been able to do anything about the scales that spread across his skin when the Demon took over, or the scars that such lapses in control unavoidably left behind, but this was different. Worse. The chains that shifted and shimmered across his skin burned, and left him trapped and helpless in his own skin, but that mark was a brand, a loss of self that he wasn't sure he would ever be able to come back from. "Yes, I suppose it is…" The Demon was speaking again, and Freed had the impression that it wasn't just answering Laxus. But also gleefully acknowledging his own dark thoughts, pressing hard enough for blood to well just beneath the mark so that Freed would not be able to forget it. "After all, this time, none of you will be driving me back into the darkness."
Freed hadn't felt the bunching of muscles, and the attack when it came caught him by surprise as much as it caught Laxus, and his heart was in his mouth. NO! The web was around him again, holding him in place, forcing his head forward so that he couldn't look away from the sight of Laxus retreating into the barrier. The Dragon-slayer's expression giving away to alarm and then pain, as tendrils wrapped around him and yanked him back into the barrier. LAXUS! LAXUS! Freed fought then, in a way that he hadn't been able to fight for himself, flinging himself against the restraints, again and again, barely feeling the pain that washed over him, retaliation for his defiance. Every part of him fixated on Laxus.
Then the Dragon-slayer screamed…
The Demon was laughing, cackling as it advanced on Laxus who was thrashing, caught between the tendrils and the barrier. His head thrown back as he twisted against it and Freed could see markings like the chains creeping over his own skin beginning to spread across the Dragon-slayer's skin. Stop it! Stop it! I won't fight. I won't let him call me back. You can have me, this body, just, please… Freed was begging now, and not caring what he was saying, what he was offering. He had always hated when his loss of control hurt anyone, especially those nearest and dearest to him, and it had almost broken him more times than he could count, but not like this. It had never been like this. The Demon's desire to hurt, to kill, so potent that he could practically taste it, and so he begged, teetering on the edge, ready to shatter himself completely, to abandon all hope if it would protect Laxus and the others. Please, he whispered, slumping in the restraining embrace of the web, as he forced the fight to drain from his limbs. Please…
There was a pause, and Freed couldn't breathe, waiting to see if his words would be heeded or if in his desperation he had just signed the Dragon-slayer's fate, knowing that it could go either way with the Demon's capricious nature.
Then Laxus fell silent.
Freed frantically looking at him, terrified of what he might find but unable not to. Laxus was still conscious but slumped against the barrier, still held in place by the tendrils and breathing heavily, blood trickling from his nose and mouth. Laxus. He ached to reach out and soothe the pain written across the Dragon-slayer's face, to wipe away the blood, to kiss him…pain sparked through him this time, stronger than before. It was his turn to cry out, and out of the corner of his eye it seemed as though Laxus had twitched, head tilted as though he had somehow heard Freed's cries from where he was buried. You will tell him, break his heart, destroy it…then I might show mercy, the Demon was there, purring in his ear, making sure that he couldn't miss its words even over the pain wracking him, and Freed's heart twisted and splintered there and then. There was no thought of refusing it though, he didn't have the strength, didn't have anything but a desperate, burning hope that he might at least be able to spare them.
I will…
Laxus hadn't expected the pain to end like that, and something told him that it wasn't a good thing, even as relief flooded him. He could taste copper on his tongue, wincing as he realised that he had bitten it in the throes of his agony. He could have broken free, he was reasonably sure of that, the problem was he wasn't sure if the Demon – and by extension Freed – was connected to the tendrils or the barriers. Knowing that was how Freed's barriers had worked, and not sure if that had carried over to these. Then there was Bickslow and Evergreen, still out of sight. However, he could just make out their voices and movement through the darkness, cut off from him, and cautious of the barriers but ready to try and burst out, who might have been caught in whatever backlash he triggered.
So, why had it stopped now?
The Demon was toying with them, he knew that much, but he couldn't see it taking mercy on them, and it must know that the longer it took, the more chance there was of them fighting back. Or more importantly, of them finding a way to reach Freed no matter how deeply he was buried in his own body, so why risk it, and why now? He lifted his head, which was much harder than he liked and studied the Demon which was stood a short distance away, eyes unfocused as though it was having an internal conversation. As though Freed was fighting, Laxus thought and dared to let himself hope, letting his head slump towards his chest and taking a moment to catch his breath, even as he gathered his strength and magic, ready to attack the moment Freed gave him the signal.
"L-Laxus…" He stiffened. The Demon was many things, and its earlier act of being Freed had come worryingly close to tricking him for a moment at least, but there was so much emotion in that single wavering word, that no one who wasn't human could ever hope to emulate it. He lifted his head again, and this time the Demon was waiting and met his gaze.
No, not the Demon, or not entirely…
Freed was looking back at him, one eye a swirling mix of turquoise and darkness, and his expression was wrong, stilted, as though he wasn't entirely in control of his facial muscles, and a low growl rumbled in the Dragon-slayer's throat. It was his partner who was speaking, but he wasn't in control, his consciousness, his voice only reaching the surface because the Demon allowed it, and it was clear it was a short leash as Freed quivered and gasped, as though struggling just to breath with his body caught between conflicting minds.
"Freed…" Laxus didn't let his fury bleed into his voice, knowing that he might only have this precious moment to try and breakthrough to Freed and convince him that he wasn't alone. That he still had reason to fight, regardless of what had been done to him, or what he had been forced to do while under the Demon's control, and for a moment it looked as though Freed might shatter just from the soft tone. What did they do to you? What did they force you to do? Because Laxus would never believe that Freed had done anything willingly to lead to this moment, at least not beyond sacrificing himself to protect them, allowing the Demon to get that first foothold, but even that had been out of his control. A moment with impossible choices that Laxus had made worse by trying to handle it himself, leaving Freed to deal with the aftermath. "Freed, none of this was your fault. If…"
"Enough," Freed's voice was quiet, but Laxus heard him clearly enough, just as he saw the waver from a moment before had bled into his body, his partner's hands trembling as he curled clawed fingers into his clothes as though afraid to leave them free. "You shouldn't have come here." That sounded more like what Laxus and the others had been expecting when they'd first found him, the element that had been missing from the Demon's performance, but there was something wrong with hearing it now. Or rather with the way that Freed had said it, because it wasn't the desperate, pleading that the Dragon-slayer had come to associate with such requests, where hope and despair, and a need to protect them, even from himself overwhelmed the Rune Mage. There was ice in those words, or something colder, something brittle and fragile, and studying Freed, Laxus had a sinking feeling that it was a reflection of Freed at that moment. That a single misspoken word or even the softest push might shatter Freed at this moment.
"Yet, here I am," he said, cautiously testing the waters, even as he tugged on his restraints as surreptitiously as possible. There was nothing to like about the current situation, but there was something about Freed's demeanour that had him on edge, and his attention shifted to the eye that was still wholly dark, intensely aware that the Demon was still there. Listening, weighing their words. What game are you playing? He thought, before focusing on Freed, on the turquoise and flicker of too-human pain that greeted his next words. "We were always going to come for you." Please don't have forgotten that he thought, because no matter how often Freed had pleaded with them not to come, he had always known that they would, that faith as much of an anchor as they were.
"Yes, I knew," Freed replied, voice cold and emotionless and Laxus had to check that it was still Freed speaking or as much of Freed as was being allowed this outlet, a shiver crawling down his spine. Behind Freed, he could see the darkness fading, revealing Bickslow and Evergreen held at bay by similar tendrils. However, they seemed to have avoided being caught by them so far, the pair freezing at whatever they saw in Laxus' expression, eyes darting between him and Freed. He shook his head, a silent, urgent warning as he saw Bickslow taking a cautious step towards Freed, but it was too late, and the tendrils lashed out, drawing a pained grunt from the Skeith mage as he was trapped against the barrier although it didn't light up as it had with Laxus. Freed didn't react to the movement or the result, even though he must've been aware of it, at least no physically, but Laxus had long since learned to look for the little signs. Freed was stubborn at the best of times, and sometimes it was the only way for Laxus to know what was in his mind, and that was why he caught the anguish that flickered all too briefly in Freed's almost human eye before his partner sighed as though disappointed. "I had hoped the fact that I had this," he lifted a hand to gesture at the mark on his shoulder, doing an admirable job of stopping the quiver in his hand as he did so. "Would have stopped you wasting your time with this farce, but evidently this was too subtle."
Laxus blinked at the words, and the tone, so cold and dismissive that anyone who didn't know them would have thought they barely knew one another or worse that they were enemies. It wasn't Freed, and yet at the same time, it was. Because it was Freed, who was staring at him, although the turquoise was darkened with too many emotions for Laxus to put a name to.
"Freed, what the hell are you saying?" Evergreen demanded, starting forwards as though intending to march up to him and slap him or maybe hug him until he came back to himself, only to be forced to lunge forwards as the tendrils lunged for her too. They missed her, but she was trapped, unable to move closer or back as the barrier shimmered in warning behind her. "You expect us to believe you had any part in any of this?" It didn't silence her though, and Laxus was grateful, as he wasn't sure that he trusted his own voice right now as he studied Freed, trying to work out what was going on. Was this a trick? Was Freed lulling the Demon into thinking that he was on his side? He desperately wanted to believe that was the case, but there was something in the gaze levelled at him that told him that wasn't it.
"Haven't you worked it out yet?" Freed's voice cracked out like a whip, and the darkness around him deepened for a moment. "I knew from the moment Tempester walked into that restaurant exactly what he was, and what he offered me." Laxus filed away the name – not liking how it was spoken, as though the Demon was still alive even as he remembered his words. Do I have to die once? Did they have a way of coming back? What did that mean for Freed? Would he come back like this, even if they managed to force the Demon back?
"You knew…? That was what you were frowning about?" Bickslow demanded, still trapped and struggling to get free now and Laxus wanted to curse, as Freed glanced towards him, a smirk on his lips.
"Of course I knew," Freed stared at Bickslow for a moment, and at this angle, Laxus couldn't make out his expression for a moment, but whatever it showed had Bickslow paling and slumping, and Evergreen falling quiet as she stared at Freed as though she had never seen him before. Freed, what are you doing? Laxus refused to believe that this was what Freed wanted. Freed rarely said the words, preferring to show through actions rather than words, but the three of them were his family, closer than the rest of the guild put together, and he would do anything for them. Laxus' eyes widened, and it took everything he had to choke back the snarl that was building in his throat, just in time too because Freed's attention swung back to him now, and if it was possible, his expression was even colder. Almost like he had forced himself to look during the Battle of Fairy Tail when he had been pushing himself to keep going, to keep following Laxus' path despite his doubts, only this was ten times worse.
"Freed…" He whispered, even as he caught Bickslow and Evergreen's eyes and gave the tiniest of nods even though his attention never wavered from Freed.
"Enough," Freed snapped, and this time Laxus caught it, the echo of laughter beneath his voice. The Demon enjoying every moment of this. He almost admired Freed's ability not to flinch, or let any sign of the Demon bleed through as he met Laxus' gaze, and it was the Dragon-slayer who flinched as he felt the gulf opening up between them. "Hell has opened, if you hadn't noticed," Freed gestured around them, at the Cube, at the statues of the rest of the guild and this time Laxus didn't see any hesitation, any distress as Freed looked at the nearest Fairy Tail mages. "The guild is gone, you're the only ones left, and soon even that won't matter. Not when Tartaros succeeds."
"So, kill us then," Laxus said, not looking at the others. "If you're with them if you're so confident that Tartaros will win, then why bother showing us mercy?" Because that was what Freed was trying to do, and Laxus knew that he might have just blown that opportunity out the window. Was sure of it, when for a moment the expression of Freed's face was utterly, devastatingly human as his face crumpled, and in that instant Laxus saw or the terror, desperation and love that had been missing before.
Then the Demon stepped forward, both eyes dark once more and filled with unholy glee.
"I might have even let you live if you'd just played along, just to watch him break," it crowed, and Laxus did snarl now, letting his magic build around him. He had played nice before, but that was over, especially as the Demon looked at him and smirked. "He was so desperate, so willing to offer me everything just to give you and them a chance, and you threw that back in his face. When this is done, I want you to remember that you're the ones that broke him, not me." The words hurt, more than the earlier attack, more than any physical wound that the Demon could ever hope to inflict, and Laxus embraced it, took it to heart, even as he lunged forward as thunder roared, and lightning crackled around his body.
"NOW!" He bellowed, as the lightning struck the tendrils, illuminating the area with golden light tinged with crimson, as his magic spread through the darkness to hit the barrier. There was no finesse to his efforts, he didn't have the time or patience to unweave the runic magic behind those barriers. If it even bore more than a passing resemblance to Freed's runes, and he was distantly aware of Evergreen and Bickslow mirroring his efforts. His tiny nod, a silent confirmation that they had no choice but to fight if they wanted to bring Freed back from this.
The Demon moved then, lunging towards him again, Freed's face twisted into an awful, feral expression, but it was too late, the combined assault bringing the barriers crashing down with deafening groan that grated on Laxus' sensitive hearing. And then the Demon was on him, but before it could do more than take a swipe at him, clawed fingers leaving bloody furrows across his face, the other two were there too. Their combined attacks forcing it back, as they moved to flank Laxus who rose to his full height, ignoring the blood that he could feel trickling down his face. Expression hard as he stared at the Demon who had immediately rallied, darkness rising behind it, writhing towards them and Laxus could feeling the rolling hunger in the blackness.
"Freed," he said, softly, calmly, as though everything wasn't falling apart around them, pretending that he could see some spark of Freed in the dark eyes. "We are going to bring you back," he repeated his earlier word, firmer this time. The promise written in the gathering storm above, and the magic that crackled around the three of them, as with a howl of defiant rage the Demon attacked again. The darkness rushing towards them in a deadly, devastating wave.