A/N: I have to tell you guys beforehand; I've never liked Sting or Lecter. At least, I hadn't before I read Chapter 300. IF YOU HAVEN'T READ CHAPTER 300 YOU SHOULD NOT BE PROCEEDING ANY FURTHER! A-Hem. Well, anyways, this is just my little way of honoring Lecter, an Exceed who I didn't pay much attention to, until now.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: If I owned Fairy Tail, GaLe, NaLu and GruVia would all be canon and Lecter wouldn't have died… So no, I don't own it.

"VANISH!"

Time stopped as the master of Saber Tooth turned to face the small exceed. Sting could feel his heart beat speed up, saw Rogue turn to face the scene, but he was too slow.

Lecter was there for a moment, looking confused and almost devastated, and then the blast hit.

"LECTER!" Sting screamed as his only true friend, the only being who had been with him throughout his whole life, was blown into non- existence.

"Sting-Ku-"

Then he was gone, the n of Kun still hanging in the air where the small black exceed used to be-

-where he still should be- alive and well.

But he wasn't.

Silence set over the room as the members of Saber Tooth stood motionless, not believing what they had just seen. The master stepped back, seeming almost appeased with himself as he did so.

"Ah… Ahh…. Lecter…. Dissapeared." Frosch sobbed, and it barely took a moment for Rogue to dart forward and hold his Exceed in his arms, blocking the small cat's body with his own.

But Sting didn't hear them as they held each other close and spoke each other's name for the comfort of knowing each other was there and still well. Tears were starting to run down his face. He couldn't be- he shouldn't be crying, he was stronger than that. He was a Dragon Slayer, a Dragon Slayer who, many years ago, had held a certain Exceed close and told him not to cry, because he'd be strong for him. But suddenly, it didn't seem to matter anymore as truth started to set in and tears flowed harder than ever.

"What an eyesore, a cat using the crest of our guild…" The master spoke, and the dams suddenly broke.

Sting screamed; his agony and sorrow piercing the room with a last useless attempt to bring Lecter back to his side.

"You're noisy Sting." Jiemma spoke, and the White Dragon Slayer turned to face him, shaking.

"How could you…" he demanded, but his voice was shaking too hard for him to finish, "how could you…"

"SHUT UP! It was just a cat."

No. Sting's shaking fist clenched. Lecter was not just a cat. Because he was so much more than that- so much more to him than anyone ever knew or would ever know.

Faster than time could see, the shaking stopped, and Sting straightened up. He surveyed the people around him, his shocked guild, Rogue holding Frosche like he should be holding Lecter, and then let his eyes pierce his master.

And seconds later, his eyes weren't the only thing piercing the master of Saber Tooth. Because there was something the Master had missed when he was building the strongest Guild and eliminating all the flaws-

And that was one very simple fact.

You don't mess with a Dragon Slayer's Exceed unless you're willing to die.