Deep into the night, Sting began tossing and turning once again. His friends had not yet noticed, but he was suffering from an intense nightmare. Racked with guilt, Sting found himself facing flashbacks to earlier that night. Self-blame faded away and was instead replaced by extreme anger towards Jiemma.
And then he felt shame. The dream transitioned to watching himself stand before the guild as the master commanded that he remove his proud guild crest. It was the very crest he had worked so hard and trained so thoroughly to wear.
"Wipe it out! Wipe out the crest of our guild! My guild doesn't need weaklings! It doesn't need losers!"
As Sting watched the memory of his guildmaster's tyranny, he awoke with a startled yelp. He was covered in a nervous sweat and shaking a bit.
Natsu took notice, opening his eyes and rubbing the sleep out of them. One of his arms was still resting around Sting, who was now staring back at him.
"Oye, Sting, you feelin' okay?" Natsu whispered groggily.
Sting nodded in reply. "S-sorry. I was just having a nightmare, that's all. You can go back to sleep, I didn't mean to wake ya."
Natsu ran his hand along Sting's back, trying to comfort his friend. "Mm. Nah, it's okay. You wanna talk about it?"
"No. Talking isn't going to help me, I don't think." Sting replied. He knew he should be quiet, since Happy might wake up. Suddenly he pulled away from Natsu, getting out from under his grasp and standing up from the bed. "But I think I know something that will…"
Curious, Natsu looked up in anticipation.
Sting had rested a hand on his shoulder, covering up his Sabertooth crest. His fingernails dug into his own skin with frustration. This symbol was no longer something to be proud of. He was wearing the emblem of his own worst enemy.
"I… I'm going to get rid of this." Sting proclaimed. "I'm not a Sabertooth wizard anymore, and I never want to be. This ends here and now."
His hand started to glow with white light. As he prepared himself for the purification of his own flesh, suddenly the magic cut out. He tried again, but it was to no avail.
"Damnit!" Sting moaned with restraint, gripping his arm even more tightly. "I can't do it. Gah… Am I really this pathetic? That I can't get rid of a stupid freakin' symbol?"
Natsu too rolled out of bed and examined Sting's situation. He put a hand on Sting's, gently making him release his hold and moving it out of the way. Sting had been so furious that he had broken the skin around his crest, so there was a bit of blood.
"Sting. You've gotta control yourself. I know that's hard to hear, coming from me. I've got my own feelings towards those bastards."
Sting frowned in silence, looking a bit ashamed at the scene he had caused.
"But," Natsu continued, "If you really want that crest off so badly, I can get rid of it for you. Is that okay?"
Sting was surprised, but grateful. He nodded. "Thank you, Natsu. Whenever you're ready, then."
Natsu took a deep breath to gather his magic power, placing his right hand on Sting's shoulder mark. Soon there was a small red light and Sting felt an intense searing sensation. As quickly as he had begun, Natsu stopped the spell and removed his palm. Where there once was a Sabertooth crest, now there was only some light pink burned skin.
"Hm. Well it worked, but does it hurt?" Natsu inquired.
"It wasn't that bad. Tsk." Sting was toughing through it. "But, it does sting a bit. I should've known you were gonna burn me, heh."
"Sorry. I can take care of that for ya'."
Without waiting for a response from Sting, Natsu went to work. He held Sting's lower arm with both hands, and licked right up along the burn mark. Sting shivered.
"The hell was that for?" Sting barked, caught off-guard.
"It's a technique Igneel taught me for dealing with burns." Natsu replied, stopping. "You want my help or not?""
Sting was a bit uneasy, but he trusted the other dragonslayer enough to let him have his way. Nodding in approval, he knew it was probably for the best. Natsu resumed running his tongue along the seared flesh, tending to it with care. Much to Sting's surprise, the pain actually went away instantly. But he didn't tell Natsu this, he was strangely enjoying the wet warmth of a dragon's tongue. Just the idea that his friend was willing to do something like this was more than he could ask for.
When Natsu finally finished, he actually took notice of Sting's blush and the big stupid grin he had on his face. He didn't think much of it, he was just glad Sting was feeling better.
"All good?" Natsu presumed.
"Y-yeah. Wow. You're really incredible sometimes, Natsu."
"Heh! It's just a simple burn relief technique, that's all."
"That's not exactly what I meant..." Sting admitted.
Natsu looked a bit perplexed. "Eh? Like I said, enough of that stuff. I do what I do because I want to and that's all."
Sting smiled, thinking to himself. That doesn't really make it less incredible.
"So! You're a free wizard now." Natsu redirected the conversation, sitting down on the carpet.
"O-oh! Yeah, I guess that's true. I'm sure Sabertooth will be after me for some time, but they certainly don't own me anymore." Sting replied, kneeling down next to Natsu.
"Well," Natsu continued, "Are ya' still up for being a guild wizard? Because, you know, you'd always have a place here in Fairy Tail."
Sting's heart skipped a beat. "S-seriously?! You think they'd let me join… Even after how I treated them?"
Natsu nodded confidently. "Of course! Just look at Juvia, Gajeel, and Laxus. We're a guild of the present. As long as you make your intentions clear, I'm sure Fairy Tail would be happy to accept you."
"Wow…" Sting pondered it. "Me, a Fairy Tail wizard? I can't believe it."
"Yup. It's up to you in the end. But if you care what I think, I hope you'll stay."
If he hadn't been told not to, Sting would've probably been groveling and thanking Natsu again and again. But instead, the two simply sat there in silence. Words weren't really needed.
When Natsu got up, he motioned to the bed. "You comin' back to sleep?"
Sting lay down on the carpet, grabbing the pillow from earlier. "Nah, it's okay. I'm feeling better now- you can have your bed back. You've done enough for me."
"Tsk. You sure love to make things difficult for yourself. If you wanna do somethin', just do it." Natsu called him out.
"No r-really!" Sting insisted, embarrassed that Natsu already had him all figured out.
"Fiiiine. How about this." Natsu jumped off the bed, suddenly tackling Sting. "We'll have a little brawl, and the loser has to sleep on the floor."
"Ack! Damnit Natsu!" Sting resisted playfully, trying to throw the sudden heavier weight off of himself.
"C'mon, is that all you've got?" Natsu teased, taunting the younger dragonslayer.
Sting replied not through words, but by throwing all his weight into rolling out from under Natsu. Surprisingly, it worked, and soon Sting was the one pinning Natsu down instead.
"I can't just let you walk all over me, Natsu. Even if I'm grateful- I've got a reputation to uphold, ya' know!"
"Grr! I wouldn't have challenged you if I thought I was gonna lose!"
"WOULD YOU TWO QUIET DOWN?!" Happy suddenly exclaimed.
Both dragonslayers started laughing hysterically at the outburst. Natsu got up and apologized to Happy, promising to be quiet before stealing a blanket and laying back down on the carpet.
"So, guess neither of us won. Does that make us both losers?" Natsu wondered.
"I think so. Guess we'll both have to sleep on the floor then." Sting agreed.
Natsu smiled, closing his eyes and stretching out face-up along the floor. He rested his head on the one pillow from earlier. "Ah, that's a real shame."
"Yeah…" Sting relented. He was a bit nervous, but seeing Natsu's closed eyes made him feel approachable. Sting felt the strange urge to get close to Natsu, driven by the same powerful sentiments he had felt earlier when Natsu was being so compassionate. Carefully, Sting lay down next to Natsu and rested his head on the other dragonslayer's chest. It was a bit awkward at first, but he felt so safe and comfortable.
Of course, Natsu was expecting this and once again put an arm around Sting. He pulled the blanket over them, hugging Sting tightly. Soon, he felt Sting hugging him back.
"Night, Natsu." Sting whispered.
"Night." Natsu whispered back.
Morning sun had just begun to illuminate the main foyer of Fairy Tail's inn when a loud knocking rang out from the door. Of course, no one was awake to answer it after last night's festivities. Someone pushed the door open, not having much patience. He stepped inside, followed by his companion.
"Roguuue… Fro is tired." A small green cat cried.
"Hmph. Well, we have to keep searching. We have to put up a good show, and it will be better if we find him before someone else does."
"Fro thinks so too…" Frosch groggily agreed.
"Hello?! Anyone home?" Rogue called out upon seeing the empty bar room. No one responded, so he kept wandering inside. He found the staircase which led up to the bedrooms, but as he began climbing it another figure appeared at the top.
Lucy thought she had heard someone rummaging about, so she was wandering downstairs to check. Noticing the Sabertooth guild crest on Rogue's shoulder as well as the warning Sting had given the night before, she suddenly tensed up. She grabbed her golden keys defensively, glaring at Rogue.
"You! What are you doing here?" Lucy scowled.
Unmoved, Rogue remained nonchalant. "I'm looking for a friend. Maybe you've seen him?"
Lucy eyed the unwelcomed Sabertooth suspiciously. "I'm afraid I haven't. Now get out of here- before someone with less restraint finds you."
"Lucy? What's going on?" Yukino called from behind, just now waking up and approaching the confrontation. Rogue was surprised to recognize the voice, but knew he had a lead.
"Yukino!" He called out to her.
"Rogue?!" Yukino ran up next to Lucy. She looked down at her former ally as well as Frosch.
"Yukino, I'm glad you're alright. But- what are you doing here?" He asked.
Yukino climbed down the stairs to stand next to Rogue. "I've been staying with Fairy Tail ever since the incident. What about you?"
"Please don't be alarmed. I'm looking for Sting, but I'm not trying to hurt him. I just have to warn him that all of Sabertooth is after his head. Minerva has had us scouring the city all night." Rogue stated calmly.
Yukino sighed with relief. "Oh. Thank you then, Rogue. But we already know."
"We?" Rogue inquired. "Does that mean Sting is here?"
Yukino was about to reply, but Lucy cut her off. "Even if he is, how do we know we can trust you?"
"Lucy! Come on! Rogue is the closest thing to a friend that Sting has. We can trust him." Yukino insisted.
Lucy paused to think. Uncomfortably, she agreed. "Fine. But don't make me regret this, Rogue. Yukino, I think Sting is still in Natsu's room. Take them there?"
She nodded, motioning for Rogue and Frosch to follow. They climbed the stairs and headed down the right hallway while Lucy went back to her room. Yukino approached a small wooden doorway at the end of the hall.
"This is it." She said, knocking lightly. When she didn't get a response, she opened up the door just enough to peer in. What she saw next- she was not at all prepared for. Sting and Natsu were both sprawled out on the floor, totally unconscious and sleeping on each other. Though unexpected, she thought it was oddly endearing. Blushing, she quickly closed the door and accidentally slammed it. Frosh was startled.
"S-sleeping!" She informed Rogue. "Guess we'll have to come back later."
Unconvinced, Rogue pressed her. "The hell? Let's just wake him up."
"No, Rogue! I'm sure he's had a long night, he probably needs to recover some more."
"Ugh. Fine then. We'll wait."
The three walked away from the door and headed downstairs to wait. Though Yukino was confused, she was able to contain her curiosity enough to be discreet. She considered talking to Sting about it later, but for now she would give him some space.
"Frosch?" Rogue looked to his companion.
"Hi." He replied.
"I think it's about time you go back to hiding. I don't feel safe having you out here- I wouldn't want anyone from Sabertooth to see me here just waiting around."
"Fro thinks so too…" He conceded.
With a flash of shadow magic, Frosch vanished into hiding and Rogue was left alone with Yukino at the bar.
Natsu instantly awoke upon hearing the door to his room slam shut. Instinctively he tried to get up, but realized there was a person on top of him. Messy yellow hair, strong arms, soft blue shirt- it was Sting. Memories of last night's events came back and he relaxed under his friend's warmth.
Oh right.. He thought to himself. Jeez, that sure got out of hand quickly.
Natsu was always happy to comfort someone in need, but he was surprised at how receptive Sting was to his advances. In the span of just one day the two dragonslayers had somehow gone from a fiercely heated battle to cuddling on the floor of a bedroom. He just assumed Sting had been in such a bad spot that anyone's care would suffice, but secretly Sting was overwhelmed with joy that it was Natsu specifically.
Sting was still totally out of it, but Natsu knew it was probably best if they got up sooner than later. He ran his hand through Sting's hair, petting him gently to wake him up. It wasn't long before Sting noticed, sleepily yawning and opening his eyes slightly.
"Mm.. Morning." He grumbled to Natsu.
"Mornin'. Sleep okay?"
"Yeah. Thanks to you." Sting rolled off of Natsu, getting out of his way.
Natsu sat up, stretching his arms over his shoulders. "Heh, no problem."
Both of the boys were still sitting against each other, smiling in awkward silence.
"Natsuuuuu!" Happy cried, entering the room. "Oh! You're still on the floor. Sleeping with your new boooooyfriend?"
"Oye! Shut up- Happy!" Natsu grumbled back, blushing. He turned to face Sting. "Don't mind the little pest."
"Aww.. I was only teasing!" Happy admitted.
Sting just watched passively, not really sure what to say. Boyfriend? Heh. Yeah right. Sting thought to himself. Natsu was just being nice. And besides- I'm not.. And no way is he..
"Anyways!" Happy continued, "That Rogue guy from Sabertooth is in the bar! And he's with Yukino! I dunno what happened."
Sting suddenly got up, alarmed to hear Rogue's name all of a sudden. After all, he had fled so quickly last night that he didn't even get a chance to part ways with his old ally.
"Rogue is here?!" Sting demanded, heading for the door. "I've gotta head down."
"Sting, wait!" Natsu called out.
"Hm?" He turned back around.
"...Your hair." Natsu was giggling.
Sting turned to the mirror to see his hair was super messy and all over the place due to the previous night's events. Embarrassed, he fixed it quickly. Damnit Natsu!
"Be careful, Sting."
Sting opened the bedroom door and stepped outside. He ran down the stairs excitedly and turned the corner to see his former ally Rogue sitting alone at the bar nonchalantly.
"Rogue!" Sting called.
"Sting! You really are here!" Rogue replied, visibly excited.
Sting sped over and suddenly hugged Rogue.
"H-hey! The hell's gotten into you, Sting?" Rogue sat still.
"Sorry! Sorry!" Sting pulled away. "I'm just glad you're okay. I didn't know if you had escaped or not after last night."
Rogue sublty grinned. "Heh, it's okay. Yeah, I'm okay. I'm not surprised to find you here, but I am surprised that you're up on your feet. The way you left last night…"
Sting grimaced at the thought of last night's tragedy. "Right… I know. I'm sorry I abandoned you like that. I couldn't control myself."
"It's alright, Sting. Really. I know I would have acted the same if anything had happened to Frosch."
"Frosch is okay? Oh thank goodness." Sting sounded relieved, and he sat down next to Rogue.
"Yeah. For now, I've hidden him somewhere safe until this all boils down. I got to see Yukino as well. You just missed her."
"What about you, Rogue? You got thrown out of Sabertooth too right?"
Rogue paused before shaking his head, gripping something tightly in his palm. "After you struck the master last night, he became unconscious. Suddenly my failure seemed a lot less significant. Minerva was furious and started commanding all the guild members to seek you out. I watched from the shadows but she detected me and called me out. I was threatened and then given a proposal. She suspected you might reveal yourself to me over any other guild member, so she gave me this letter. If I deliver it to you, I will be absolved of my punishment."
Sting looked down at the tan envelope which Rogue was grasping. He handed it over, and Sting pondered opening it.
"So… Rogue, you only wanted to find me to save yourself?"
"N-no! That's not true at all." Rogue insisted. "I'm glad you're okay. I really am."
Sting wasn't convinced. "It's hard to trust someone with motives like that. I know you understand that."
Rogue sighed. "Listen. I'll prove I wasn't just doing it for Sabertooth. After all this is over, I'm going to quit Sabertooth for good. At least this way Minerva won't be after my head."
"Rogue…" Sting whispered happily.
"It's for Frosch's sake too. Hmph. That guild is only going to cause us trouble."
"Sorry for doubting you." Sting apologized.
"It's unimportant. Let's get back to the main point." Rogue continued. "I will give you this letter, but I want to see what's inside. I don't want her toying with you, so let's go somewhere private and discuss it. Is that okay?"
"Oh. Right, that's fine with me. How about the wine cellar?" Sting suggested.
"Anything where we won't be interrupted is fine. Lead the way."
Sting got up and led Rogue behind the bar. There was a long set of stone stairs that went a floor down beneath the tavern. When they got to the bottom, there was no one around as expected. It was just a dusty room full of wine barrels and cobwebs.
Carefully, Sting opened the envelope up and provided some reading light for with his magic. He began reading it aloud to Rogue.
"Sting. Since you are reading this, it means my suspicions were correct. You have fled to Fairy Tail and they have taken you under their protection. I want you to know that you won't get away with what you've done. It doesn't matter how much Fairy Tail tries to protect you; every active member of Sabertooth will be looking for you until you are returned to me alive. Nowhere will be safe. However, there is a way to save yourself- and I'm even willing to incentivize it for you.
My dear father may have made an error in judging your power. I am not going to repeat his mistake. Unlike Rogue, I do not expect you to desire future involvement with Sabertooth. But I do believe you loved your friend Lector very dearly. What if I told you that-"
Sting gasped as he read the next bit. He passed the letter to Rogue, unable to continue reading aloud. Rogue anxiously grabbed it and began reading.
"What if I told you that Lector is... still alive."
Sting had tears welling up in his closed eyes with disbelief, and even Rogue was taken by surprise.
"Oh Lector..." Sting cried
They sat in silence until Rogue collected his thoughts and continued reading.
"That's right. He's right here with me. I thought he might become a useful bargaining chip, so I saved him just before my father would have done away with him. He could be with you again, Sting." Rogue rested a palm on Sting's shoulder, trying to ease the continuing messages. He got Sting to open his eyes again and they both read through the remaining text in silence.
"You are no longer a part of Sabertooth- yet I have something you want. Surely we can come to an agreement? Sting Eucliffe, I am prepared to let you go free and return your companion- but in return I will have you take care of something. As we are now, I do not believe Sabertooth will triumph in the Grand Magic Games. But with your unique position, I believe you could turn the tides. I know you are familiar with Natsu Dragneel. The shame he brought on you is rivaled only by his own incredible power. You've infiltrated Fairy Tail, so taking his life by surprise shouldn't be too difficult for someone like you. One life for another. If you do not accept my offer- who knows what will happen to your little friend? I trust you will make the right decision."
At the bottom of the page, there was a small pawprint mark signed in ink. There was no mistaking it- it was Lector's paw.
"Sting…"
"..."
"I know this hurts, but we really have to think about what to do here." Rogue whispered.
Sting weakly nodded, wiping away faint tears.
"Sting, I don't doubt Minerva has Lector. She has proven time and time again to be tactful and cunning- a prediction like this would be simple for her. I can't guarantee she will go through with her word and return him to you, but it seems like the only choice that could end with you seeing Lector again. What do you think?"
"As much as I hate to admit it… I think you're right." Sting acknowledged solemnly. "But I just- I can't! I can't just backstab someone like that- and especially not Natsu! He's been nothing but kind to me- you more than anyone know how long I idolized him! Would you really kill someone for Frosch's sake?"
"Yes. I would kill even Gajeel if it meant saving Frosch." Rogue spoke bluntly. "I would despise myself for it, but I just know that's how I would react in your situation."
The sharp and confident answer surprised Sting. He didn't really know how to respond, he simply clenched his fists together from a combination of hatred and despair.
"I know it's a tough decision, Sting. Just remember, the final day is just twenty-four hours away. I've told you what I think you should do, and I hope you'll consider your options carefully. Natsu is just another human being, but Lector is like family. I won't try to sway you any more than that."
Sting nodded again, fuming. "Rogue… I guess, well, I'll be thinking about it."
Rogue offered his friend a hand, helping him to his feet. "I should go. I have to report to Minerva and announce my withdrawal from Sabertooth. After that, I will do everything I can to investigate the safety of Lector. At any rate, I don't think I'm awfully welcome here anyways."
"Right- I understand." Sting accepted as they began walking back up the stairs.
"And Sting?" Rogue looked down.
"Yeah?"
"Please take care of yourself. Lector isn't the only person who would miss you..." He whispered in a hushed tone.
"Oh. Rogue- I'll do my best. Thank you." Sting gathered enough strength to wave goodbye and soon his friend had left him sitting alone in the Inn's foyer once again.
With this intense ultimatum now weighing down on him, Sting needed a few moments of calm isolation to gather his thoughts. Unfortunately, fate was not kind enough to give them to him. Just as soon as Rogue was out the door, Sting heard a voice from behind.
"Oye! Mornin' Sting!"
Natsu's unexpected voice nearly gave Sting a heart attack. Of course it was him. It had to be him. Sting was fortunate enough to be facing away from his friend, giving ample time to react. I can't panic. I've got to act natural. Keep my options open- don't arouse suspicion. You can get through this, Sting.
"N-natsu! Oh, hello." Sting spoke nonchalantly.
"Hey, how are you feeling?" Natsu approached from behind.
"Not great- but a lot better." Sting lied.
"Mm. Good to hear. Uh. Hey Sting, how did things go with Rogue? He still around?"
"Rogue? Oh, right! Err, Rogue just told me what I already knew. He wasn't sure I knew all of Sabertooth was after me. Once he confirmed I was safe here, he left."
"Aw, I was kinda hopin' to say hi. Well, whatever. He's a good friend for coming all this way to look out for ya'." Natsu stepped behind Sting and casually ruffled his hair.
Natsu didn't mean much by the gesture, but Sting suddenly felt like time had stopped around him. An intense chill rocked his core as his friend touched him. Right now- in this very moment- this person was doing everything he could to help him. Yet, this was the same person he was considering killing just minutes ago? He was overwhelmed by guilt. N-no way. I… I can't hurt Natsu. How could I? What the hell was I even thinking? But Lector- god damnit- no! There's gotta be another way…
The time Natsu spent in contact with Sting was only a second or two, but it felt like an eternity to Sting. Before Sting even realized it, Natsu had pulled up a chair and was sitting next to him. The inner cold feeling melted away as Sting saw Natsu's warm smile. He seemed so innocent that it was almost endearing. The poor dragonslayer was blissfully ignorant to what was going on around him.
"Anyways, Sting." Natsu broke the silence. "So I was thinkin' about what we talked about last night. About you joining Fairy Tail and stuff. I realized that if you did that, you could actually participate safely in the Grand Magic Games tomorrow- on our side! We could really use you, and I know you'd wanna give Sabertooth some payback. So… What do you think?"
Normally Sting would have been ecstatic to hear something like this, but with his current circumstances it was debilitating.
"Oh! Well, jeez… I don't know if I'm ready for that so soon. And besides, I've already imposed enough on your guild. I don't want to go bothering your guild master too."
Natsu grew a sly grin. "Hehe. I thought you might say that! So while you were busy down here, I went and bothered gramps for you!"
"Y-you didn't!" Sting exclaimed.
"I did! And he accepted you! Well, it was more like, 'Damnit! Do whatever the hell you want, Natsu- just let me get back to sleep already!' but that's just as good."
Natsu was acting like an excited little puppy over this whole ordeal.
"Well, you've got me this time Natsu."
"Damn right I do! So, do you accept admission?"
Begrudgingly, Sting nodded.
"Alright! By the power loosely invested in me, I welcome you to Fairy Tail!"
"Natsu. Thank you… It means more than you could ever know."
Sting reached up and placed his palm where his Sabertooth Crest used to be. Small tears were welling up in his eyes, but Sting turned away to hide them from Natsu.
"No problem! I know you'll be happier here. Everything is going to get better from here on out. I promise."
Sting simply nodded, accepting everything his friend said while masking his true feelings. Inside, he was an emotional trainwreck. It was nearly impossible to maintain an ongoing internal dialogue and still speak properly, but Sting was doing the best he could.
Right now, Natsu and Lector were both still alive. There was still time to make things work. But how? It just didn't seem feasible. Even with Natsu's help, the two dragonslayers couldn't possibly take down Minerva given all the protection her guild was providing. And especially not with her holding Lector hostage. Sting's odds were starting to look awfully grim. He had all but given up hope.
Oh Natsu, you have no idea how much I wish that could be true...
AN: Wow, that sure took a lot out of me! I do hope you liked it. Sorry I can't make promises about when there will be more- all in good time.