Luckily, me, Bickslow and Evergreen manage to calm Laxus down enough to talk to him. We lead him to the living room and I walk to the kitchen to make a cup of tea for each of us.
"Freed! Put some whiskey in mine, I need it!" Laxus calls out.
I peep my head around the doorway to look at Laxus.
"Will it make you any happier?" I ask.
"Well, it usually makes me sleepy." Laxus replies with a deep voice due to him raising it earlier.
"I'll put in quite a bit then." I say.
I grab the bottle of whiskey out of the cupboard and start pouring it in Laxus' tea. I think I put in a bit too much actually. Well, at least it might calm him down a bit... or knock him out for the day.
Come to think of it, I've never actually tried whisky.
I bring the bottle up to my nose and smell it. The strong waft of honey, nuts, and a smoky bonfire hit my nose, it smelt quite nice, almost like peanut butter on really crispy toast that has just caught on the edges of the crust.
Tempted by the slight aroma it has, I take a swig out of the bottle... only to taste this awful flavour.
I put the bottle down and start coughing, I run the tap and try to splash water in my mouth to get rid of the foul, burnt to a crisp toast taste.
Evergreen, trying to console with Laxus as she lightly rubs his back, comes into the kitchen.
"Freed? What are you doing?" Evergreen questions.
I turn the tap off and look at Evergreen, although she looks quite fuzzy.
"That whisky is terrible... I don't feel so good." I say softly, beginning to hiccup from where I gulped back the drink.
Evergreen looks at me with confusion and then picks up the whisky bottle.
"How much did you drink?" Evergreen asks.
"Just a sip." I reply quietly before giggling.
"A sip huh? You do realise this has a volume of 40 percent alcohol." Evergreen informs.
I lean against the counter as my head wobbles from side to side.
"Well, maybe I had more than a sip." I continued giggling.
"Freed! This is such bad timing for you to be drunk. You shouldn't even be drunk! You're not old enough yet!" Evergreen exclaims.
I stumble towards Evergreen and wrap my arms around her, she's so comfy.
"I just wanted to try it." I reply.
"There's trying it and then there's having two lots of it in one go. Let's get you sat down." Evergreen sighs as she tries to direct me to the chair in the living room.
Laxus looks at me with complete shock.
"What the hell?" Laxus questions.
"Is Freed bladdered?" Bickslow asks.
"Unfortunately, yes. He must've taken a big mouthful of that whisky." Evergreen answers.
Laxus chuckles.
"Ah, he's happy again." I say with slurred words as I grab onto Evergreen's dress.
"Get off Freed!" Evergreen exclaims.
"I'm laughing at you, donut. I never thought I'd see you pissed." Laxus says with a grin.
"I better bring the teas in then." Bickslow says as he heads to the kitchen.
Evergreen sits down next to Laxus as I try to make sense of what's going on, I feel a bit dizzy.
"So, what happened between you and Master?" Evergreen asks.
Laxus takes a deep sigh as he leans back on the sofa.
"You know what Ever, I'm done with his shit. I'm not gonna get into a full on conversation today because I'm at my wit's end, but he basically doesn't want my help." Laxus replies.
"Really?" Evergreen questions.
"Yeah, something doesn't sound right there, are you sure that's what he meant?" Bickslow asks as he puts the cups of tea on the coffee table.
"I'm not lying guys. I'm sorry, I'm just really frustrated at the moment. Can we just discuss this tomorrow?" Laxus asks.
"Of course, we don't want to make you feel any worse." Evergreen responds.
"Thanks." Laxus says.
Laxus grabs his cup of tea and begins drinking it. He takes a big gulp before sticking his tongue out in disgust and putting the cup down.
"I like a drink as much as the next man, but how much whisky did you put in this Freed?" Laxus questions.
"Only a teeny, weeny, tiddly bit." I reply with a giggle.
"A lot then." Laxus says bluntly.
"Do you want me to make you another one?" Evergreen asks.
"Nah, you're alright. I'm gonna head to bed. I just need some alone time." Laxus replies as he gets up from the sofa and approaches me.
I look up and see Laxus standing over me. He crouches down and looks me in the eyes. Although my head is hazy, and I'm struggling to make 100 percent complete sense of everything, I could feel Laxus' sadness communicating through his eyes.
Laxus strokes my face before kissing me on the forehead.
"I love you Freed. Please don't leave my side. I need you right now." Laxus whispers.
I snap out of my giggling fit and smile gently at Laxus as I stroke his forehead and hair.
"I won't leave you." I whisper back.
Laxus gives me a small smile before leaving the living room and walking upstairs.
We hear a door shut and look at one another.
"Something bad happened, it's obvious." I say.
"Yeah, I don't know what we can do to help him anymore." Bickslow adds.
"I know, I hate seeing him this angry and sad. All we can do is just be there to support him I guess." Evergreen replies.
"Yeah. I think we need to talk to him tomorrow, right after I get a good night sleep." I say softly, followed by a yawn.
"Yeah, once you get over your hangover." Evergreen grins.
"That's a good point. I better quickly head out and get some medicine for that." Bickslow replies.
Bickslow leaves the house and Evergreen puts a blanket over me.
"For Laxus' sake more than anything else. You better sleep down here tonight." Evergreen jokes.
"Thanks." I reply as I begin to fall asleep.
The next day...
When I woke up, I felt disorientated. I couldn't initially figure out where I was as I attempted to open my dreary eyes. When I finally managed to gather more consciousness and I felt a bit more awake, I realised that I was in the living room; I also realised that I had a throbbing headache from yesterday.
I wander into the kitchen to grab a glass of water. On the counter, I notice some tablets and a note from Bickslow. As instructed, I take two of the tablets and lean against the counter, waiting for the tablets to kick in and sort out my head.
I hear the creaking of the stairs and peep my head around the edge of the door to see who it is. I see it's Laxus and return to my initial position.
Laxus enters the kitchen, just wearing his pyjama bottoms and his hair unbrushed. My face glows red and I quickly turn around to compose myself.
"I'm so happy!" I whisper to myself.
"You alright there Freed? You're not still hungover are you?" Laxus asks.
I face Laxus again.
"Well, maybe... I might not be so hungover if I gave you a hug." I hint.
"Come here then." Laxus says with a grin.
With my heart filled eyes I approach Laxus swiftly and wrap my arms around him, pressing my head into his warm chest. Laxus wraps his arms tightly around me and rests his head on top of mine.
"I feel like we haven't done this in ages." I comment.
"It was only yesterday morning." Laxus chuckles.
"Oh yeah." I giggle.
I release Laxus as we move into the living room and sit together on the sofa.
"What happened yesterday?" I ask.
Laxus sighs as he rubs his face with his hands.
"I talked to Master. I apologised to him and explained what I thought about his health. I was right in thinking he wasn't doing too well." Laxus replies.
"Oh... so what happened after that?" I continue to question.
"Well, I offered to help him to take the strain off of things. You know, I didn't say I wanted to be Master straight away, I just mentioned that I could take some of the jobs off of his shoulders, be like a half master." Laxus explains.
"That sounds reasonable, what did he say to that?" I ask.
"He said no. I'm not strong enough or experienced enough, Freed." Laxus replies with anger in his tone.
I feel sorry for Laxus since I know that he was genuinely prepared to help his Grandfather, but what Master Makarov said to him, although it made perfect sense, it's broken his bond with his Gramps. I have to tread on eggshells to help Laxus with this problem.
"Laxus, I'm really sorry to hear that. I agree that you helping your Grandfather with guild duties would've been a great thing to do, but I also see where Master Makarov is coming from." I explain gently.
"You agree too, you think I'm weak." Laxus snaps.
"N-no! I don't Laxus. I love you no matter what, but I'm not saying you're weak. I'm just saying that maybe you aren't quite ready to become Master of Fairy Tail yet." I reason.
Laxus brushes his hands through his hair as his frustration rises.
"What should I do! What else can I do to become Master!" Laxus exclaims.
"Gain more experience, maybe complete higher tier job requests." I suggest calmly.
"But I've done job requests for years now, I've become S-Class!" Laxus replies with sadness.
"What's going on?" Evergreen questions as she enters the room with Bickslow.
"Laxus has been declined the role of Master at Fairy Tail, he doesn't think he's strong enough and that's why he hasn't been chosen." I explain as I rub Laxus' back soothingly, trying to cuddle him into me.
Bickslow and Evergreen are stood in silence, stunned by what they are witnessing. We rarely see Laxus in this state.
"Laxus, you are extremely strong, you're like one of the top wizards in Fairy Tail." Bickslow comments.
"Yeah, I really admire your strength and magic ability. Just because you've been rejected now doesn't mean you won't become Master in a couple of years time." Evergreen adds.
"What if the old man doesn't last that long? With his heart condition, I don't know how much more he can take." Laxus says with concern.
"Well, you flipping out like this won't help. You need to accept that this isn't the right time yet." I explain.
Laxus cuddles into me, grasping onto my t-shirt tightly. I feel his warm tears seeping through the fabric. I gently stroke his head and feel tears surfacing my eyes as my sympathy for Laxus' situation grows.
Laxus let's go suddenly and stands up. He wipes the tears from his eyes before turning to face the three of us.
"I'm not gonna give the old man the satisfaction of seeing me cry. I've got a plan, and it will ensure my place on the Fairy Tail throne." Laxus grins.
"What plan?" Evergreen asks with concern.
"How do you guys feel about a long business trip?" Laxus questions.
"Business trip?" I say with confusion.
"If the old man wants someone with experience to help him run the guild, then I'll give him experience. We are gonna take on a 10 year quest." Laxus says confidently.
The three of us are shocked at Laxus request.
"You're joking right?" Bickslow chuckles nervously.
"No joke, buddy. If we take on and complete a quest that hasn't been solved in ten years, then that will give us plenty of time to train, grow stronger and prepare us to lead Fairy Tail to victory." Laxus replies.
"What if Master still says no? He might still decline if we've been away for a really long time." I mention.
"That won't matter my little donut. We'll come back as heroes, he won't refuse." Laxus reassures.
All of us are silent as we try to absorb Laxus' off the cuff plan.
"Well, it could be an interesting adventure, I could become queen of the fairies." Evergreen says excitedly.
"That's the spirit, Ever." Laxus replies.
"If Ever is in then I guess I can't say no." Bickslow answers with a grin.
It all comes down to me. What do I want? The pros would be that I spend more quality time with Laxus as well as see more of Fiore. The cons would be that I won't see Cana or Master for a long time. I love Laxus to bits and I know I spend more time with him than with Cana and Master, but Cana was the first friend I made and the one who helped me discover my love for Laxus in the first place. As for Master, well, he was the one person who gave me a home.
I know I won't be leaving them forever, but I can't help feeling that things will be different when we get back... and not for the better.
"I do feel reluctant to embark on this journey, but we're the Thunder Legion, we dedicate our lives to Laxus and support him the best we can. Plus, I couldn't stand being without you for years. I'm in." I state.
"Thank you everyone, this will be brilliant, don't you worry." Laxus says with a grin.
"When do we leave?" Bickslow asks.
"As soon as possible. Grab breakfast, pack your bags and we'll grab the job request from the board." Laxus explains.
"Cool, I'll also let Cana and Master know." I reply.
"No." Laxus says suddenly.
My heart sinks.
"Why not?" I ask.
"I don't want people knowing our plans. Master might think I'm doing this for the wrong reasons if he finds out specifically why we're doing this quest." Laxus explains.
"Cana is a close friend of mine though, she's helped me through some tough times and I've already hurt her once by declining to train with her for the S-Class trials. I don't want to keep anymore secrets from her." I argue.
Laxus remains silent until he wraps his arm around me.
"Okay. Because I love you, I'll let you get in contact with her. We don't have time for conversations so just write her a quick letter and post it to her." Laxus replies.
"Ok. Thank you." I reply as I kiss Laxus on the cheek.
I run up the stairs and get dressed quickly. I pick out all the essential clothing and toiletries I need and pack them in a suit case. I made myself two slices of toast and slowly ate away at them whilst writing the letter for Cana.
'Dear Cana,
I'm sorry that I have to write this letter instead of talking to you in person, but I have very little time. Me, Laxus, Ever and Bickslow are going on a ten year quest. There's no specific reason behind it, we just want to challenge ourselves for once. I'm sorry that I have to abandon you once more, but please remember that I hold you deeply in my heart and I will write letters to you when I can. I don't know when I will return, but hopefully we can hang out when I get back. Finally, I hope that you get a chance to tell Gildarts that you are his daughter, be brave.
From Freed.'
I seal the letter in an envelope and greet my friends at the bottom of the stairs.
"You guys ready?" Laxus asks.
"Yes." The three of us say in unison.
As we walk to the guild with our luggage, we stop by Fairy Hills so I could post a letter to Cana; instead, we bump into Levy.
"Hey guys, you going on holiday or something?" Levy asks.
"Yeah, something like that. I just wanted to drop off a letter to Cana." I reply.
"Oh, well Cana is still in her room at the moment, I can pass it on to her if you'd like?" Levy questions.
"That would be great. Thanks." I respond as I hand the letter over to Levy before we set off towards the guild.
As we arrive it is still quiet, giving us the perfect opportunity to grab a quest and disappear.
We walk up to the balcony and look at the ten year quests.
"This one is twenty five miles away, so we'll have to catch the train, but it looks like a good quest to try." Laxus mentions.
"Are you sure your stomach can last that long?" I ask.
"There will be train switches in between, but I'm sure I can handle it." Laxus says nervously.
"So, we're going to be taking down a dark guild? No wonder this quest hasn't been done yet." Bickslow states.
"Yes, but it pays extremely well and it will lift up our ranks in this guild if we can complete it." Evergreen replies.
"Let's take it and go." Laxus says in a hurry.
We leave the Fairy Tail guildhall, not knowing how long we will be away from it for. I feel sad at the idea that I'm leaving my home and the members of the guild that were kind to me, but I do feel excited that I'll be hanging out with my best friends and my boyfriend for a long time. Our new adventure begins.
Later that day...
Cana runs into the guildhall with Levy and a letter in her hand.
Out of breath, she calls out to Master.
"Master Makarov!" Cana shouts.
"I'm right here Cana, there's no need to shout." Master Makarov says with a smile.
"You look worn out, what the hurry little one?" Gildarts asks as he is sat at the bar with Master Makarov.
"It's Freed, he's taken a ten year quest with Laxus and the Thunder Legion. I'm scared... I worried he'll never come back." Cana says with worry as she begins to cry.
"It's fine Cana." Levy says reassuringly as she gives her a hug.
"A ten year quest? I mean, they're qualified because they have Laxus on their side, but I wouldn't have thought this was a good idea." Gildarts voices his concerns.
"Me neither. I think I know why they're doing this, I just hope that punk is doing this for the right reasons." Master Makarov replies.