#thunder tribe

Evergreen snorted loudly. “And an old sofa,” she observed. Then she walked up to the mattress and sat on it. “Well, the bed is mine.”

Laxus raised an eyebrow. He wanted to fight but he bit his tongue, he couldn’t argue right away with the only decent guys in the guild. Although technically their first meeting had already been a fight.

“Here we go again,” Bickslow said rolling his eyes as Freed walked over to the sofa and sat on it, testing it as if he had to check if it was holding up enough. Laxus crossed his arms in annoyance, trying to find a way to get a seat either in the bed or in the sofa. Well, those three had created a team for him, so technically he could decide, right? They would do what he wanted without complaining.

“You could take the sofa, it’s not very comfortable but better than sleeping on the floor,” Freed said suddenly and Laxus frowned realizing he was talking to him. Laxus didn’t want to complain, but if Evergreen could be alone on the bed...

“And we’ll stay on the bed!” Bickslow said cheerfully.

“What? No!” Evergreen exclaimed. “I will not sleep with you again.”

“The right side is mine,” Freed said.

“Ok, I take the left one,” Bickslow nodded.

“We will not share a bed,” Evergreen repeated stubbornly.

“We always do, I don’t see what the problem is,” Freed retorted as he rested his coat and sword on a side chair.

“The problem is that you snore and Bickslow moves around all the time,” the girl complained. “I won’t be able to sleep with you two in my bed.”

“Youare the one who clings like a koala to me or him while you sleep,” Bickslow smiled in amusement.

Evergreen blushed slightly. “I don’t do it”.

“You do, and let me tell you it’s annoying, it’s already hot enough,” Freed said.

“I don’t, I just get crushed against you because Bickslow moves in his sleep,” Evergreen justified.

“Just say you’re in need of hugs,” Bickslow grinned.

“I don’t need hugs!” Evergreen exclaimed, banging the fan on Bickslow’s helmet.

Laxus looked at them a bit confused, wondering if they really had already slept together. Wasn’t that strange? And Evergreen was complaining just for the fun of it or did it really bother her sleeping with those two? Judging by how she gave up shortly after, Laxus speculated that she didn’t mind that much. Maybe she was just embarrassed to admit something like that to him. Not that he was interested in it, it just confused him a little.

“At least take a shower! And if you start snoring, I’ll throw you out of bed” Evergreen said.

“I don’t snore” Freed growled.

“You do”.

“Who goes to the shower first?” Bickslow asked.

“Me,” Evergreen immediately said jumping to her feet without even thinking about it. Laxus wanted to complain about that too, but the conversation the three wizards had had on the bed still confused him. Eventually he shrugged and decided to settle down on the sofa, the important thing was that he didn’t have to share a bed with one of those three guys.

***

“So, this is your home?” Laxus asked entering the living room, looking around curiously. He knew that the Raijinshuu had recently taken a house together thanks to the money they had saved from the missions, but he had never been there yet. Not that he was curious, not at all! He only went there because Bickslow insisted on showing him the house. There was really no other reason.

“Yes, nice right? The books belong to Freed, but Ever arranged them by saying that sorting them by color is aesthetically more beautiful. They’re still fighting over it,” Bickslow said, showing him a huge shelf full of books. Laxus didn’t know what to say, instead he watched the plants filling the living room. Bickslow must have noticed because he explained that too.

“The plants are Ever’s, Freed enjoys moving them to the least suitable places only to take revenge for what she did with his books. That’s why that is dry, it shouldn’t be in the sun,” the boy said, pointing to a vase with flowers that were actually drying out.

Laxus frowned, really Freed and Evergreen were so childish? He would never have said that.

“Well, it’s... nice,” Laxus muttered just to say something.

“Of course it is, and those knick-knacks are all mine,” Bickslow showed, pointing to some decorative objects. Laxus nodded as he looked around the room, then Bickslow dragged him into the kitchen, showing him the small table and the mess of pots that were still to be washed in the sink.

“It would’ve been my turn to wash, but since Freed hid my painting somewhere, I’m leaving them there to annoy him,” Bickslow explained.

Laxus frowned. “You draw?”

“Of course! I colored all the wooden ornaments and my dolls. And I did that painting” he said, pointing to one on the kitchen table. It was actually very beautiful, it was a landscape of a stormy sea, and the colors were spectacular. Laxus had never known that Bickslow could paint.

“Come on, I’ll show you the rooms,” Bickslow said dragging him out and Laxus followed. Bickslow first showed him his room, which was actually very tidy, contrary to what Laxus had expected, full of tubes of paint and with a painting in progress. Evergreen’s room was filled with plants, and had a huge mirror and some fairy-shaped knick-knacks. Freed’s, on the other hand, had a desk with so many books and papers on it that it looked untidy, even if it really wasn’t.

“He complains that there aren’t enough shelves, but he keeps buying books”. Bickslow muttered as he closed the door. “Oh, here’s the bathroom,” he said, throwing open the door.

Laxus, a little awkward, just leaned out because it seemed that someone was inside. In fact, Evergreen was standing in front of the mirror and was putting on makeup. In addition, he could hear the water from the shower flowing.

“Don’t open the door like that, or you will have my makeup ruined. Hi Laxus,” the girl said.

“I showed him the house,” Bickslow smiled.

“You like it?” Evergreen asked.

“Um, yes, it’s nice,” Laxus muttered.

“Did you also show him my room?”

“I showed him all the rooms”.

The water in the shower stopped.

“I hope you washed the pots before showing him the kitchen!” Freed’s voice exclaimed and Laxus blushed slightly as he saw a silhouette behind the shower curtain. What the hell? Did he shower while Evergreen was there? And did Bickslow come in so casual?

“No, I won’t wash them until you get the painting back,” Bickslow said crossing his arms over his chest. Laxus heard Freed mutter something, probably swear words.

“In any case, get out of here, I’m washing!” Freed yelled when he finished muttering.

“I brush my teeth and go out,” Bickslow said.

“Not now, I’m putting on make-up,” Evergreen complained.

“Just get out of here, I was there first,” Freed growled.

“Lock yourself next time”.

“I swear to God Bickslow, I petrify you if you get close to me while I do my makeup.”

“That lipstick looks great on you, Ever,” Bickslow said.

Evergreen smiled and looked the mirror, gazing at herself satisfied. “Thanks, it’s new, I bought it yesterday. I don’t know whether to put some lip gloss or not”.

Bickslow took the toothbrush without Evergreen noticing it and winked at Laxus, who continued to look at them confused in silence.

“I wouldn’t put it, your lips are already beautiful like this,” Bickslow said starting to brush his teeth.

“You’re right,” Evergreen nodded, looking pleased. At that moment Freed peeked out from behind the curtain.

“Can you get out of here?” he growled. Then his gaze fell on Laxus and he widened his eyes blushing like mad. “What the fuck Bickslow, why are you letting Laxus into the bathroom?”

“What’s the problem?” he asked confused with the toothbrush in his mouth. “It’s Laxus, he’s now part of the group.”

“Get the fuck out!” Freed barked, drawing runes in the air. Laxus hurried out before he was hit by anything. Shortly thereafter he saw Evergreen and Bickslow teleport in midair in the middle of the living room, both of them fell to the ground. Bickslow with the toothbrush still in the mouth and Evergreen with a strip of lipstick on her cheek.

“I will kill you!” Evergreen yelled.

Bickslow instead chuckled as Laxus watched them upset. The only thing he could think about was that he was happy not to be part of that group.

***

Laxus smiled smugly as he walked towards the Raijinshuu house. The three boys had just returned from a mission and judging by the rumors they were called the strongest team in Fairy Tail. They had destroyed an entire dark guild and everyone was surprised. Laxus could only be proud of it, as they were his bodyguard.

He went to the house of the three friends and knocked.

“Whoever it is, throw them out,” Laxus heard Evergreen say thanks to his hearing and he frowned.

“It’s Laxus”.

“Come in!” Bickslow yelled loudly. Laxus raised an eyebrow wondering why they didn’t come to open the door but shrugged: those three were weird. When he walked into the living room, he quickly realized why they hadn’t come to the door.

Evergreen was sitting comfortably on the sofa, and she was brushing and braiding Freed’s hair. Meanwhile Freed was sitting on the carpet and busy putting the nail polish on Bickslow’s nails, so he was unable to move. Laxus smiled slightly, almost not believing that those three were the same people who had taken out a dark guild.

“Hey!” Evergreen exclaimed.

“Did you hear how we carried out the mission?” Freed immediately asked instead.

“Yes,” Laxus said, smiling a little. “You’ve been great”.

All three lit up their faces.

“Of course we were baby, did you have any doubts?”

“Anyway, those wizards were really weak,” Evergreen commented forcing Freed to bow his head.

“It was actually boring,” Freed considered. “Some even called themselves S-class wizards, I wonder based on what.”

Bickslow and Evergreen nodded in agreement and Laxus approached them observing them a bit curious. He sat down on the sofa and asked about the mission, letting them brag about their abilities. The three deserved it and it was fun to listen to them anyway. Laxus didn’t wonder since when he got along well with those three guys, instead he observed the way Freed painstakingly put black polish on Bickslow’s nails.

“Uh, do you want too?” Bickslow asked suddenly, perhaps noticing his gaze.

“Huh? No,” Laxus said quickly.

“I mean if you want me to do something to you. Ever and Freed are already busy but I can do something else for you. Hair, beard, makeup, tattoo,” he shrugged.

Laxus frowned. “Tattoo?”

“Yes, I do tattoos. I made one myself on my calf, I show you”.

“Now don’t show him anything, because I won’t put your nail polish back on if you ruin it,” Freed clarified right away.

“Quiet baby, it’s dry”.

“It is not,” Freed said moving forward to grab his friend’s wrists. At that gesture Evergreen tugged Freed’s hair back.

“Stay still or you’ll ruin everything.”

“Don’t pull, it hurts,” Freed snapped.

“You’re the one who moves”.

“Because Bickslow doesn’t stand still.”

“Anyway, I can get you a tattoo, Laxus”

“Not now, wait for the nail polish to dry.” Freed said. Bickslow snorted and rolled his eyes as Laxus smiled slightly. Having a tattoo would have been cool.

***

Laxus felt the mattress move and opened his eyes sleepily, unable to hold back a yawn. He looked around and it took him a few seconds to realize he wasn’t lying alone on the bed. He frowned in confusion as he watched the three boys. Bickslow was lying next to him and was drawing something on a pad of paper, Freed was sitting cross-legged on the end of the bed and was reading a book, while Evergreen was resting his feet on Laxus’ legs applying the nail polish.

“What are you doing in my room?” he grunted as he pulled the headphones off his ears.

Freed looked up from the book. “Actually, I should ask this question since it’s myroom”.

Laxus frowned but a glance around was enough to understand that this was indeed Freed’s room. Had he fallen asleep on Freed’s bed? How the hell had that happened? And why had no one woken him up and instead they were all on the same mattress? Laxus also wondered how they all could fit, since Freed’s bed wasn’t that big.

“Oh”.

“If you have to move, tell me. I don’t want to ruin the nail polish,” Evergreen said closing the bottle of pink nail polish and Laxus wrinkled his nose at the annoying smell. He didn’t move, however, so as not to annoy her, although he wondered when the girl took that liberty with him.

“What time is it?” he asked sleepily, running a hand through his hair.

“Five, you can sleep more if you want, we have nothing to do,” Freed said, looking down at the book again. Laxus nodded briefly, even though he didn’t think he’d be able to sleep with the three of them in the same bed. Maybe it was a stupid thought to have since he had just done it.

“Can I have a headset?” Bickslow asked and Laxus hesitated. He was about to tell him that he wasn’t giving his headphones to anyone but when he saw what the friend was drawing he stopped. Bickslow was drawing a picture of the four of them, all sitting together on the roof of a house. Laxus had seen Bickslow drawings before but he had never seen him draw anything on them.

“Uh, ok,” he said handing him a headset. Bickslow happily took it and began to move his head as he continued to draw. Laxus shifted his gaze back to the ceiling, thoughtful of how he had ended up in that situation. Then he felt the mattress move again.

“Does it bother you if I put myself like this?” Freed asked stretching his legs and tucking his feet under Laxus’ thighs. Laxus wanted to tell him that yes, it bothered him a lot, but in reality, it wasn’t true. To tell the truth, he didn’t even mind that Evergreen was using his legs to rest her nail polish or whatever it was. Not even sharing headphones with Bickslow was annoying.

“Do what you want,” he muttered. Then he closed his eyes and buried his head back on the pillow.

The start of the journey

The dust was still raised after the explosion, the roof of the building was collapsing and a wall had crushed several people to the ground. It was all destroyed, a tree trunk had been broken, the garden fountain submerged by broken statues, and lifeless bodies could be glimpsed among the rubble. The statues in the garden, however, were for the most part still intact, and the more Evergreen looked at them, the more nausea rose and the urge to vomit grew. She tried to get away from there but the effort she had made so far made her fall to her knees. She put her hands on the grass and threw up.

“It’s all over. We’re leaving,” Freed said, the boy she had come to know inside that prison. Evergreen had never looked at him for long for fear of killing him too, she only knew he had long green hair. She nodded but threw up again.

“Let’s go” the other boy said.

“Wait, she’s sick,” Freed said.

“Let’s get the fuck out of here!” Bickslow exclaimed again. Evergreen looked up confused, she didn’t look Bickslow directly in his eyes, but she didn’t need to do it to know he was sobbing. He held his hands to his ears and shook his head. “I can’t take it anymore, I can’t stand them. Let’s go quickly”.

What was he referring to? There were only them there. They had destroyed the building and killed all the wizards who had captured them. They made sure they didn’t leave anyone alive, because they didn’t want to be caught again. They didn’t want to be used for their magic again. None of them three wanted to experience again what they had endured in those months, killing people and enduring the experiments that had been done on them. Forced to use magic all the time, just for experimentation.

“What are you talking about?” Freed asked.

“Them, fuck. All of them… damn, I have to leave.” Bickslow growled as he turned and walked away. Evergreen looked at his figure, the boy was limping, blood was running down his leg and he kept holding his hands over his ears almost trying to run away. If only he hadn’t been hurt, Evergreen was sure he would.

“I want to get out of here too. Can you walk?” Freed asked. Evergreen nodded and stood up. She was just tired but luckily, she didn’t have leg injuries. She threw one last look at the statues and her eyes filled with tears. She couldn’t believe she killed all those people. Now that she saw all the statues one behind the other, she realized the number of times she had used her magic and she felt like throwing up even more. She was a monster.

A yank on her arm made her turn around. “Don’t look. Just walk,” Freed ordered.

Evergreen obeyed, despite the pain in her shoulder. She walked off following Bickslow, who kept yelling at something invisible to leave and sobbing as if something was hurting him. Evergreen then understood: the souls he had stolen from people. Bickslow had been used like her, he had killed innocent people so that those wizards would study their power and probably those souls were still there. Evergreen had no idea how that magic worked and she barely understood the concept of soul, but if they were still there, they had to hurt Bickslow. Maybe it was worse than she had to endure, because Bickslow could still hear their voices.

She turned to Freed and glanced at him. The boy had a tired expression and his face was covered with blood and dust. His hair more red than green and Evergreen wanted to puke again. However, he didn’t seem as upset as they were at the idea of having killed so many people. Maybe because he didn’t have to look at statues or souls, maybe not seeing the corpses he didn’t realize how many people he had killed and tortured.

“Where are we going to go?” Evergreen asked as they walked.

“I don’t know,” Freed replied. “But we will figure it out”.

***

Evergreen felt a little better. Thanks to the help of Bickslow who had grown up on the streets, they were able to steal some food and find some blankets. They also found a warehouse to hide in, so they didn’t have to be on the street. She squeezed into the blanket as she watched Freed eat a piece of bread, his hands were shaking and there seemed to be something dark coming from him. She was pretty sure his eye behind the bangs was throbbing. Freed lifted his head and she quickly shifted her gaze before losing control of her magic.

“Are you still hungry?”.

“No,” Evergreen said hugging the blanket. Instead, she looked at Bickslow, who was talking to himself. Or maybe with some souls. He did this often but she could never see anything. Maybe he was just crazy.

“Okay, I found it,” Bickslow said turning to them. He didn’t look either of them in the eye, instead he stared at the wall behind them. “Pappa told me that there’s an abandoned house not far from here. Tomorrow morning, we go there”.

“Will we live there?” Freed asked.

“For a while’. Unless you have somewhere else to go. If you wanna go back to your parents…”.

“No,” Freed said right away. Evergreen looked at him sympathetically, Freed’s parents had sold him to those wizards as soon as they discovered his demonic power. From what little he had told her it must have been a situation similar to hers.

“You wanna go back to your parents?” Bickslow asked turning to her. Evergreen didn’t know what to answer. She loved her father but… he had let her wife sell her. He hadn’t objected and Evergreen knew she wasn’t going to be accepted at home. Not after what she had done to her sister. And her father had never chosen her, he had always chosen her wife, for whatever. No matter how much he said he loved her, he never chose her.

“No” she decided after a while.

“Then we’ll go there. Life on the street isn’t easy but you’ll get used to it,” Bickslow said.

“Wouldn’t it be better to get a job? Or a place that hosts children?” Freed asked.

“Like the wizards who captured us?” Bickslow asked with a hint of irony.

“Of course not,” Freed said.

“You may not have understood how things work on the street, but it’s not easy. Especially here, children are being taken as slaves all the time. I spent years running away from those wizards before they got me, and it’s not just them. There are many enemies everywhere,” Bickslow said with some irritation.

“Maybe we should get out of Bosco,” Freed proposed.

“And where would you like to go?” Bickslow asked, arching an eyebrow.

“We could go to Fiore”.

“What would change?” Bickslow asked. “There or here things are always difficult for us”.

“But the slave trade is forbidden in Fiore,” Evergreen said, recalling a lesson she had had. Freed nodded in agreement with her as Bickslow frowned.

“And so?”

“So, we’ll be in less danger,” Freed said.

“We could take the train, by stealing some money we will be able to buy tickets” Evergreen said. The possibility of escaping from that country gave her some hope. The fact that she was not alone also helped her, she felt safer with the two boys. Even if they were as desperate as she was. “At least we won’t risk being sold to other wizards,” she reasoned.

“I don’t wanna get on the trains, there are controllers everywhere and once I lost control of the magic” Bickslow retorted crossing his arms. “And not even my friends agree”. Evergreen arched an eyebrow still thinking that having invisible friends was weird but she didn’t say anything. Freed spoke instead.

“Why don’t you put them inside some object?”.

“Eh?”

“Your friends,” Freed explained. “You said that those wizards made you control souls and that they made you insert them into objects. If you did, we could see them and talk to them too,” he explained. Maybe he too, like her, was a bit perplexed to see Bickslow talking to the void.

“Why you wanna talk to them?” Bickslow grunted. “No, I don’t. I don’t wanna force them to stay inside stupid objects. They’re my friends, I don’t control them,” he growled. Freed didn’t insist.

“Anyway, we should take the train. If you’re afraid of losing control of the magic use glasses,” Freed said. “In fact, we’ll get it for her too,” he said pointing to Evergreen.

“I’m not sure I wanna get out of here anyway,” Bickslow muttered.

“Well, we’re two against one, so that’s the final decision,” Freed decided.

“Right, and then life is better in Fiore,” Evergreen agreed. She actually didn’t know, but from what she had studied and from the stories she had heard it seemed so. There were no slaves and the children weren’t in danger of being kidnapped. Indeed, she had also heard that there were guilds that welcomed orphans. Evergreen just hoped they weren’t like the last guild they were sold to.

“What you know about it? Anyway, there are six of us,” Bickslow retorted.

“We’re not counting your friends, as we don’t see them,” Freed muttered.

“Are you saying they don’t exist?” Bickslow snapped with suddenly bright eyes. Evergreen could see the green light even without looking him in the face, his whole body was surrounded by a disquieting halo.

“Can you stop?” Evergreen exclaimed and before Bickslow got mad she changed the subject. “What’s your problem in going to Fiore? Do you have something that binds you to this place?” she asked. Bickslow snorted and crossed his arms.

“No”.

“Then it’s settled, we’ll go to Fiore,” Evergreen said firmly, and then softened her voice. “You will see, you too will be happy when we are there”. Bickslow didn’t reply, instead he lay down on the ground.

“You better sleep, because we wake up early tomorrow,” he said before closing his eyes. Evergreen followed his advice and curled up in the blanket, seeking as much warmth as possible. Before closing her eyes, she thought she saw strange green lights around Bickslow, and she wondered if those were the souls of his friends.

***

They had made it. Thanks to Bickslow’s help they had stolen some money and had taken three train tickets. Evergreen almost didn’t believe it, she felt a little agitated because she was afraid that someone would discover them or that some wizards would capture them, but they were almost at their destination. A few hours and they would leave Bosco forever.

“Evergreen, you’re glowing,” Freed said.

“Heck, you’re really glowing,” Bickslow commented. Evergreen looked down at her hands and realized that her skin did indeed emanate magical light. It wasn’t the first time this happened, every time she was agitated, she lost control. It usually only happened to her eyes but when she was exaggeratedly agitated to her whole body, it began to glow with its own light and if at first Evergreen had adored it -because it was just like the magic of a fairy- then she realized that it wasn’t a good thing. Especially when the light became so blinding that no one could look at her.

“You will attract attention, calm down. And you hurt me too. It’s impossible to look at you,” Freed complained, covering his right eye with the hand. Evergreen glared at him, it wasn’t her fault that she was shining and Freed really had too sensitive eyes. Bickslow watched her smoothly from behind the glasses.

“Give her your cloak,” Bickslow said.

“No, the sun bothers me,” Freed replied.

“What the fuck are you, a vampire?” Bickslow snapped. “Give her this cloak or she’ll attract attention,” he said. Freed snorted and let the hood slide off his head. He handed it to Evergreen who made sure to cover herself up, while Freed narrowed his eyes in annoyance and turned away so as not to have to look at the sun. Neither she nor Bickslow had ever figured out what his problem was, but it seemed Freed was pretty bothered by the light. That was why he always had the bangs in front of his eyes, even though at first Evergreen had thought it was to hide his black eye.

“Come on, let’s get on,” Freed said as he walked towards the train.

“Are you sure this is the right train?” Bickslow asked.

“Yes, don’t you see the writing?”. Bickslow followed Freed’s finger to a sign but his gaze was blank.

“I cannot read”.

“You cannot... really?” Freed asked surprised.

“I grew up on the street, how you think I could’ve learned?”.

“Oh right,” Freed muttered. “If you want, I can teach you”.

“I don’t need it” Bickslow retorted, but before Freed could answer Evergreen cut them off.

“Stop talking, let’s get on before the train leaves,” she said walking quickly. She couldn’t wait to set foot outside Bosco and breathe a little safety. And honestly, she didn’t care if Bickslow could read or not. The three got on the train and sat in their seats. Freed quickly closed the window curtains, while Bickslow muttered something to his invisible friends. Evergreen looked down at her still glowing hands and hurried to hide them under the cloak before anyone saw them. When the train left, she felt a little better, she just hoped that the journey would lead to something good.

Final notes: At the beginning this piece was part of a longer project but... long projects aren’t for me. But I could write separate one-shots about them.