X792 – Two months after Lucy began training with Laxus

Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail

KEY TO HIS SOUL

Rage, the burning rage that was often associated with the desire to kill, flooded his vision; Bickslow couldn't manage words on how furious he was, there weren't any quite good enough to express this feeling, and his chest began heaving as his breathing became unsteady. The pair standing before him had no right to be here, no right to be alive, and they sure as hell had no right to look at him like they were. Pity, that was what they saw when they looked at him, rather than the regret they should have felt. "Bickslow, look at you…you're like me when I was your age." His biological father wasn't joking, it was obvious they were related, but the Seith Mage wasn't in the mood for a sappy reunion.

"Get lost. You're the last two people on Earth I want to see. Ever." His tone was harsh, abrupt, and he knew Freed and Evergreen were watching him warily while Laxus sat up straighter; they weren't inside anywhere private so he couldn't kick them out, the diner was rather crowded though so it helped to keep people from looking over, and the pair blinked and smiled as if they hadn't heard him.

"Got my temper, ya do, kiddo." His mother commented softly, her eyes the same dark red as his own, and he hated feeling the aching pain of looking at them now; they hadn't wanted him, they'd told him that much, and he would never forget that day as long as he lived.

"I believe he said to get lost just moments ago. I'd suggest doing just that otherwise I won't hesitate to make a scene."

The group raised their eyes to see a very furious Lucy Heartfilia, Loke stood beside her and seemed rather put off while her eyes danced with righteous anger, the blond had her arms crossed under her breasts and Bickslow felt his killing intent rise as his father clearly checked her out while her mother snuffed her nose at the sassy little blond. He wasn't sure why she was doing this for him, they didn't even know each other. Laxus had talked about a big breasted weakling and that was it.

His mother was the one to speak. "I don't need a scantily clad little harlot like you tellin' me what I should and shouldn't do." Pale cheeks flushed with anger, Loke's eyes danced with rage as a low growl filled the air, and Lucy's expression became a disarming smile.

"I have every right to tell you what you can and can't do, Ma'am. You see my name is Lucy Heartfilia, daughter of Jude Heartfilia, who I know happens to be your employer. If you value your steady income and free house then you will leave this instant and never bother him again." The words were vicious, meant as a threat, and it was clear that she was being very serious. Bickslow watched the woman pale, considerably, before her form started to tremble. "Or did you forget that I knew all of my father's employees?" It was the way her eyes practically glowed as if she had some other magic, like she was hiding some power from them, which attracted Bickslow in an instant. His parents left, without another word to argue, and Lucy made sure that they were gone before turning to glance at him. "Sorry to force my way into the conversation but you seemed uncomfortable. Well, then, see ya around."

His hand closed around her wrist, her eyes rising to his covered face, and he pushed back the urge to hug the blond and instead let his appearance almost seem sinister. "There is one way to make it up to me." He face turned a vivid shade of red before she snatched her hand back, her slap was quite strong actually, and she walked away as she grumbled about perverts.

Laxus' chuckle seemed to break the group's silence. "Blondie has some fire to her, that's for sure, but other than a nice rack she doesn't offer much to the guild." Ah yes, Fantasia, and Bickslow pushed aside his discomfort of the idea of what they were doing; the old man wasn't stupid, he would surrender his position as Master to protect everyone, there wouldn't be a huge battle. Once Laxus was Master then the weaklings would be sent packing and the guild would not only become more renowned but they wouldn't be in such debt with the council all the time.

He would miss Blondie, for sure, but the Seith Mage would offer her a place by his side at least if she wanted to stay in the guild.

"Cosplayer…I never did thank you." They had been meditating, or at least finishing their meditating, when Bickslow spoke up. Chocolate eyes traced his face, the visor gone for once, and Lucy tilted her head as she tried to figure out what he meant.

After moments of being puzzled she decided to get answers. "Thank me for what, Bickslow?" One of his eyes cracked open, staring at her, and finally he opened the other and looked at her fully, Lucy was astonished how good looking he was without the visor but she wasn't going to say anything yet. Nightmares plagued her still, Bickslow's strength was low due to the anti-ethernano poison, and neither one were really ready for that.

His voice was almost detached when he replied, eerily soft. "For getting rid of my parents in that diner. I…I still stand by my choice of never wanting to see them again." Lucy opened her mouth to answer, no doubt to tell him it was okay or to ask why, so he held his hand up; she snapped her mouth shut, watching him, but didn't say anything.

"My parents abandoned me, when I was five, they had been beating me often and starved me; but one day I activated my Figure Eyes and forced my mother to nearly kill herself, nobody in our family had magic to it wasn't like they expected me to develop something like that, so they left me close to death near a circus where I was found by the ringleader." He watched her, she'd clapped her hands over her mouth in shock as her eyes widened, it was strange really to see the various expressions in her eyes and the way her soul changed colors rapidly due to her emotions.

"I know. Remember, I saw it, when you used your Figure Eyes to stop my panic attack; but…they are awful people, no real parent would beat or abandon their child like that." He watched the way she clasped her hands together now, holding his, and he decided it was now or never. He wanted to talk about it, at long last.

"I lived at the circus for two years, that's where I learned I was a natural acrobat, and I made friends with the other young kids that helped out. We did simple chores, cleaned up after shows or the animals…but we had a place we were happy. I think though that someone either got offended during the show, hated one of the crew, or even just wanted to cause destruction. I was seven when the place went up in flames in the middle of the night, we had just finished a show and us kids were allowed to stay up late for once, I had snuck off to go into town though and when I saw the smoke I ran back." His voice grew hollow, emptier, and Lucy's hold on his hands never wavered.

"I found my friends under a pile of burning wood, screaming for help, and I burned my hands something terrible trying to save them; but when I saw it, their souls, I wasn't ready for them to leave me. Instead of letting them go I called on that magic, that power, I wanted them to stay; I got my wish…and bound their souls to me. Never to age, never to remember their life, all they know is I'm their friend Bickslow and they stay by me for protection. I was locked up, someone blamed the arson on me, and not even a week later they tossed me into a mental hospital. The guard was a Seith Mage too she ended up teaching me how to control my magic, but they were keeping me there until they could prove me innocent since there wasn't much evidence or any eyewitnesses. None that were alive anyway." Lucy was tracing circles with her thumbs on his hands, her eyes never leaving his face, and he kept going.

His chest was losing the heaviness, his heart was hurting less, and he liked that he could just talk and she didn't say anything. "I was fifteen when they declared me innocent and released to the public, Illyria had taught me all about my magic and how to use it, and I was free. I met Laxus on my first train and he offered me friendship, he liked my magic where most people feared it, and I spent a year traveling before I joined Fairy Tail. But within my first year I learned that the arson was definitely a target, I was the target more specifically, and that my birth parents had been the ones to do it. I had no evidence save for the word of a soul only I could see, I had to keep it hidden that I knew the truth, and to this day I wonder if I had been there would I have been able to save them." He waited for something, anything, and was stunned as Lucy kneeled so she was on his lap and hugging him.

Her skin was soft, her scent was sweet, and he held her close as she stroked his hair. "They had some stupid grudge against you, their child, and destroyed lives to try and end you. I didn't understand why you hated them so badly but now I do. But just remember that you were seven when that place went up, Bicks, the only thing you could have done was get killed just like the others. If you had stayed they would have won." He had never thought of it like that and continued to hold her. The blond didn't know, and most likely never would, but her words were the sweetest music to his ears; the best thing he could possibly have said to him in this moment as he thought of his past. He blamed himself for the death of the others, that if he hadn't been born then they would still be alive, and Illyria had easily shaken that of him. But he knew their murderers, knew that they were still out there, and hadn't done anything about it; he hadn't avenged them.

"Those two will get punished for having such a vendetta against you, trust me, but for now it's best to remember that you're a powerful mage surrounded by people who love you while they are miserable and only have each other." A part of him wondered how she knew, Bickslow had always kept tabs on them since he was released from the psyche ward, how had Lucy known that they were alone and suffering that way?

He remembered the bond then, she must have seen more than his childhood memories, she must have seen most of them; and he felt like things might be okay now.

There will be closure with his parents. I promise.