Chapter 6: The Boy in the Rafters

Lisanna knew she wasn't allowed on the second floor. She'd get into huge amounts of trouble if anyone noticed her, but, well, that was one of the advantages of still being small. People tended not to notice her. And if someone did notice her, she was definitely going to blame that terrible influence Natsu was supposedly having on her. She was curious.

Oh, not particularly about the second floor. That really was more of Natsu's thing. No, every time she had looked up for the past three days, Lisanna had be able to spot somebody crouched up in the rafters near the ceiling watching the wizards below. Most nine year olds probably would have been afraid, but Lisanna was not most nine year olds. Her older sister was Mirajane, and her best friend had freaked out the entire guild by deciding to take a nap literally in the middle of last year's Fantasia Festival bonfire. Somebody deciding they wanted to hide up in the rafters of the guildhall was more odd than anything else. Maybe the person was new and still shy? Lisanna could understand that. Fairy Tail was a pretty rowdy place if you weren't used to it.

Whatever the reason for the person's hiding Lisanna was curious and bored. Natsu and Happy had run off on another lead about Igneel after the master had specifically told them not to. They were going to get it when they got back. But until then, Lisanna had a mystery to solve.

She stole up the steps. Nobody noticed her go.

Bickslow liked the noise. It reminded him of the circus before the bad times. But down on the ground there were too many people too close. Too many souls. It was safer up here in the rafters. Nobody could sneak up on him. Nobody could hurt him. And he couldn't hurt anybody else.

Down below the souls of Fairy Tail's wizards twinkled like stars. It was harder to see them in detail this far away with his visor on, but that was the idea. He could still see more than he'd like to. Like that girl down there with the long, straight black hair who looked to be around his own age. She was telling off two boys, one with white hair who looked contrite and one with black hair who looked surly and was only wearing boxer shorts for some reason. All three of their souls had the pale blue sheen of ice magic, but hers was cracked and damaged from experimentation like Bickslow's, though not nearly as badly. Hers had less damage and showed signs of healing. His… did not. Maybe she had found the other end of her red string and that was what was helping her? Bickslow couldn't tell – it was impossible to make out people's red strings from all the way up here.

He tucked himself more firmly against the upright he'd been leaning on and absently cradled his broken arm against his chest. The pink haired woman had had to re-break it when she realized that it had already started to heal crooked. At least it was in a proper cast now instead of the best left-handed splint Bickslow had been able to make on the run. Once it was healed Laxus had promised that he could go on jobs with him and Freed and Evergreen. They were the first people Bickslow had ever met who hadn't either gone running or started reaching for the needles as soon as they learned what his seith magic could do. Which definitely made them nuts, but that was okay because Bickslow was fairly certain that according to the rest of the world his head wasn't screwed on quite right anymore either. Besides, they had interesting souls, and Bickslow thought that that was important. And he wanted to find out what was up with Freed's red string. Was it possible to have a one sided string?

There was a soft noise to Bickslow's left. He whipped his head around and… oh… wow. That had to be the most beautiful soul he had ever seen. It shone with rainbows and light like a cut diamond in a sunbeam. It sparkled. Bickslow had never been so badly tempted to reach out and touch.

"Hello?"

The small voice startled him, and Bickslow blinked a few times until he could see the person's body instead of just being dazzled by their soul. His control was usually better than that.

A small, pale girl with white hair was looking up at him. Her eyes were large and the clear blue of ice magic. She looked like a piece of a winter's day.

"Er… hi." Bickslow didn't do people. He used to – back in the circus – but in more recent years, not so much.

"I'm Lisanna," she told him. "What are you doing up in the rafters? Are you shy? I haven't seen you around here before."

"Uh," Bickslow hesitated. His babies, who had all been perched above him until now, were crowding behind his back, the cowards. "I'm Bickslow, and I'm new." He stuck out his tongue to show her his guild mark – he liked doing that. It meant that he belonged somewhere again. Subconsciously, he tugged down the cuffs of his long sleeves. Kid looked to be at least three or four years younger than him – wouldn't do to scare her off by letting her see his arms.

"Nice to meet you, Bickslow," Lisanna beamed at him.

"Nice to meet you, too." This was all kinds of awkward.

"Nice to meet you! Nice to meet you!" chorused his babies, popping out from behind his back, apparently over their previous nerves.

Lisanna startled and then just smiled and waved at them. Man, this kid had definitely grown up in a wizard's guild. The wave, though, drew Bickslow's attention to her right hand. She had two red strings tied to her pinkie finger. She was one of the lucky people with a choice. The string closer to her fingertip was a bright, vibrant, healthy scarlet. That bond was already forming strong and true. The other was much paler, more potential than anything else. Maybe she hadn't met that person, yet. Bickslow felt the faintest of tugs on his left pinkie finger but ignored it.

"Why are you up here?"

Bickslow didn't say, 'Because Laxus and the others left on another job and they're the only ones around here I trust not to break out the pitch forks and torches once they find out what my magic can do.'

He settled instead on,

"It's quieter up here – not so crowded."

Lisanna nodded understandingly.

"It can be pretty overwhelming. Especially when the three o'clock bar fight star-"

"Lisanna?" The call drifted up from the hubbub below.

Lisanna's eyes widened guiltily and one small hand covered her mouth.

"Mira's looking for me! I've got to go! I'm not supposed to be up here," she confessed. She paused and gave him another smile. "I hope you come downstairs soon! I'm sure everyone would love to meet you!"

He gave her a hesitant smile in return.

"Maybe I will."

Lisanna's smile brightened, and then she darted away on silent feet.

Bickslow blinked. Had her second string just gotten… brighter? It couldn't be….

He pushed his visor up to take a better look. Without his visor on Lisanna's soul blazed like the sun. He almost had to squint against the brightness. Now that he could see properly he could trace that second faint red string. Trace it all the way back to his left hand and the pale, solitary string tied there.

Numbly, he let his visor fall back into place.

He'd never actually thought he'd find the other end of his string, and he'd never imagined that there would be such a gorgeous soul on the other end. But… well…

In a way he was glad for that second, bright red string. A soul made of pure sunlight didn't deserve to be tied to a soul as broken as his. But maybe, someday, they could be friends. When she was a little older. Bickslow smiled to himself. He liked that idea.

A/N: Did I just bring a more complicated version of the red strings of fate into this? Why, yes. Yes, I did. #noregrets But more on that later.

This chapter is partially dedicated to the great and wonderful blanania, whose glorious artwork is a large part of how I ever ended up shipping these two. You haven't seen blanania's work? Take a minute and look them up on either DeviantArt or tumblr - all of their art is an absolute treat! (They draw the big four - not just Bixanna.)

As always, thanks for reading!