"Rogue is not coming back..." Frosch mumbled sadly. Since Rogue had run away, the small Exceed stood by the window and pressed his paws against the glass as he looked outside. You watched him with a sad expression on your face and also a little taken aback by Rogues strange behaviour, before you walked over to Frosch and gently pulled him into a hug. Frosch looked up at you with teary eyes before he buried his head into your crook.

"He will come back. He just needs fresh air, I suppose." you tried to calm down Frosch. But the small Exceed was sceptical, especially since he always had no self-confidence. "Fro is weak. Weakness is not tolerated in Sabertooth. Rogue has promised to protect Fro…And always stay at Fro's side...But Rogue is gone. He left Fro behind…"

You pushed the cap of his frog suit slightly back and gently kissed the green Exceeds forehead. Frosch looked up again and hid his cat ears with his paws. Nobody had seen him like this before and he felt a bit naked when his costume was not sitting properly. "Don't think so poorly about yourself Frosch. I'm going to look for him and bring him back. You should have some sleep."

Frosch shook his head. "Fro wants to look for Rogue too." He said. You stroked his head and smiled. "But Frosch, if you get lost again you make Rogue and I concerned." You scolded him a little worried.

Frosch glanced away. "But Fro wants to do something. Can Fro come with you?" He asked with big eyes. Now it was very difficult for you to say No. But you had to. "You can't. I need to talk to him about something important. Among adults, you know. "

Frosch seemed to understand. "Fro understood. But you promise come back soon, okay?" Frosch asked and you smiled at him before you reached out your hand to him with an angled pinkie. "Great word of honour. "

Frosch nodded and put his paw around your pinkie.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

You ran through the streets and asked every passer-by whether they had seen someone with Rogues appearance. But nobody was able to help you and so you came to the clue that Rogue escaped unnoticed from the dust. "Wait...I still have my other pearls..." You mumbled and looked at your chain. A white pearl flashed and you clasped the jewel with your fist. "Lord of the misery and the crescent. I'll call upon you. Calamitas 'maid of disaster', Zehel!" You sang as a purple energy enveloped you , before a loud roar was heard and a white animal with wings appeared in front of you.

It had white fur and a small frail stature, but seemed like a gryphon with his wings. A large fur stripe hung in one side of its face and remembered almost of a "white version of Rogue".

"You called, Master?" Zehel asked and bowed reverently before his mistress. You bent down in front of it and put your hand on its head. "Zehel, I have told you, that we are friends. So no formalities."

Zehel closed its red eyes and sat up again. "I beg your pardon. In which case do you need my modest help?" the white apparition wanted to know. You sighed and shook your head. Zehel would probably never change. "Zehel, I want you to find a mage. Strictly speaking, a Dragon Slayer. Your skills are able to do that, right?" You asked.

Zehel nodded and focused. "I feel 3 Dragon Slayer in a radius of 100 km. One is using light. Another is using fire. And in close proximity a shadow user was spotted. Is this the one you seek?" Zehel asked as you nodded and hugged your partner. "Yes he is! You've done well! Please take me to the Shadow Dragon Slayer!" You ordered then. "Very well." Zehel closed its eyes and enveloped itself in white magic, before it grew bigger. Large enough to carry you safely on his back. You climbed on his back and from the sky, you could survey the area.

It was not long until you could see Rogue. He stood in the park in front of a small lake and just looked at the water. "We are going down here, Zehel." You spoke and Zehel obeyed.

The white maid disappeared in her pearl as you ran towards Rogue. "There you are."

The Dragon Slayer seemed at first to be surprised, but he did not even turn around. "...Oh. It's you.", He muttered softly and somewhat emotionless. "Is that all you have to say? Rogue, what the fuck is wrong with you? First, we laugh together and we are so close. Then you sleep in the bathroom and in the morning...you almost...And then you walk away so easily and abandon Frosch! What do you think you are doing? "

Rogue was silent the whole time. He turned to you and looked at you for a long time. "There is no excuse for what I almost did to you today. And I wish I had an explanation at hand, but unfortunately I have to disappoint you." He said and closed his eyes.

"But Rogue, I..."

'Why don't you look into her eyes? Just look at the disappointment, the pain you gave her.', His shadow laughed inwardly and Rogue growled.

"BE QUIET ALREADY!" He shouted. You drew back, startled. You thought that he meant you with that, so you clenched your fist and looked away briefly. "Well, then explain nothing to me. But go to Frosch damn it. Because of you he is worried and has allegations that he is no longer good enough to be with you!"

Rogue looked away and clenched his fists. Frosch...In his current constitution he considered himself definitely a threat for his helpless companion. First he had to defeat his shadow before more was going to happen. "Frosch…will be good without me for a short time. You two get along well, that he should stay with you for a while." He said and bit his lip. These words hurt him more than anything else, but he could not risk to come near Frosch – or you, until he defeated his darkness.

You, however, did not believe what you just heard. Where did the Rogue disappear to, you had come to know? The quiet, somewhat shy young man, that loved Frosch with all his heart and would not hesitate a single second to become ill with worry, as soon as the small Exceed would disappeared from sight. And now? Now he just pushed the little on from him into your arms.

"Rogue, I do not believe what I'm hearing! Frosch and you're inseparable!"

"WHAT DO YOU KNOW? Frosch must learn to be independent! You have no right to interfe…~"

SLAP

Rogue trailed off instantly. The blow to his cheek echoed through the branches of the trees. Your face was angry and you still held your hand in the air, with which you had slapped him.

"You really are the worst, Rogue. And I thought you had changed since you competed against Gajeel and Natsu. But you're still the same selfish bastard as before. I feel really sorry for Frosch!" You yelled at him as tears started to dwell from your eyes, before you turned and ran away.

Rogue stood there petrified, clutching his hand to his reddened cheek.

He looked down. His shadow grinned wider and wider. 'We do not need them. We do not need any of them.'

"Who's there?" Rogue suddenly asked and turned around to all sides, as he felt an ominous aura. "That was not nice." echoed a female voice that seemed somewhat familiar to Rogue. "This voice... I've heard it before…but where..." He murmured and dodged a purple sound wave that was coming out of the water. "Show yourself!" Rogue called out and already drew his sword.

At the water surface a vortex appeared that created quite a lot magical energy. Even Rogue's shadow seemed to be on guard.

The figure, which then hovered over the water, let Rogue's eyes go wide in disbelief. "Linde?!"

Before him was actually your strongest siren who had sealed herself in the Bivalvia world after using the Soul Siren at the Grand Magic Games. "You? What do you want from me?" Rogue asked and lowered his sword briefly. But then he had to block a Water Slicer attack that Linde shot after him. She used his movement to let her hair grow and captivate Rogue's arms.

"Rogue, I do not want to hurt you. But I have you to come along with me." Linde said, holding her forces back as she fought him. "Let me go! And explain to me what is going on!" Rogue growled and shot Linde a cold gaze. Linde sighed. "I'm sorry." The blue-haired siren spoke and began to sing a lullaby. Rogue could not block his ears because of his bounded arms and succumbed to the soporific magic.

Linde transformed her hair back and thought that she had won already, but Rogue's shadow had a different opinion. He stood next to Rogue and grabbed Linde with his shadow magic. Linde dodged and raised her hand. A ring was on her index finger, which shot a white magic at the shadow. Through the blending light the shadow disappeared into Rogue again and Linde took Rogue with her into the water.

"I hope I didn't do anything I would regret later…I am so sorry [Y/n]…"