Fan art by infinite-atmosphere, posted on AskFraxus blog.

askfraxus.tumblr.com/post/129457166312/your-pic-yanked-me-out-of-depression-i-had-a

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It was peaceful here. The hill had a commanding view of Magnolia with the bay sparkling on the horizon. It would have been a nice place for a date, if not for the ... company.

"I miss you," Laxus said softly. "It's not the same. We don't even hang out anymore. Evergreen has Elfman, and Bickslow ... he changed. He took it hard. Maybe even harder than me."

He let out a sigh and looked up at the puffy clouds floating across the sky.

"I'm going away," he whispered. "I don't know where I'm going yet, just ... not here. Not around them. Either they look at me with pity, or they act the same as ever: laughing, drinking, brawling, like nothing happened. Both piss me off. I don't even know what I want of them, but ... maybe it's not them. It's me. It's us. I can't ... I don't want to get over it. Everyone says I need to, but ... dammit, I can't. And I don't feel like I should have to."

He grimaced, and his eyes slammed shut against the burn.

"How could I move on?" he hissed softly.

He took an unsteady breath and let it out in a slow stream to calm himself.

"So, I'm going away. I'll get stronger. I have to! I can't go through something like this again. Ever! I swear to you. I swear!" he shouted passionately. "I'll be strong enough. Next time, it won't happen. No one will get hurt, not on my watch. No one! I'll be strong enough to protect them all."

His chest shuddered, but he straightened up, ignoring the tears on his cheeks.

"I swear to you, Freed: it'll never happen again."

He pulled a bundle of red roses out from behind his back.

"I know these weren't your favorite, but I always wanted to give you some. Just 'cuz. I regret not doing a lot of things, so ... I'm starting with this." He looked at the flowers, then down in front of his feet. "Happy birthday."

He leaned over and set the roses against a gravestone with a carved epithet:

Here lies Freed Justine
Fairy Tail wizard, loyal bodyguard, beloved friend.
He followed his own rules to the end.

Those succinct words were not enough. Freed had been so much more to Fairy Tail, to him. More than just a guildmate, more than a bodyguard ... more than friends.

This was only a marker for his body, though. His spirit lived on in all of them.

"See ya, Freed," he said, and Laxus trudged away.

The red roses shined against the green grass of this cemetery hill.