A/N: I've noticed that I've been writing Sting as cursing like a mofo which is just 100% how I talk. I'm a terrible influence.

**TW for mentions of child abuse**


"I've missed you." Rogue spread his hands out, eyes fixed on Sting – eyes that were much darker than they should be. Black, patterned marks coiled up the shadow dragon slayer's arms, seeming to writhe and curl on his skin. A sadistic grin crossed Rogue's face and Sting shuddered, mind flashing back to that night.

"Rogue, please," he whispered, holding his hands in front of him in a placating gesture. Behind him, Laxus and Wendy stared at Rogue, eyes wide. "Get out of here," Sting hissed.

"Go ahead, I won't stop you." The voice was deep and gravelly and nothing like Rogue's, but it spilled from his mouth regardless. Laxus looked like he was about to argue, but Freed stirred in his arms and he thought better of it, backing away while keeping himself between Wendy and whatever was about to happen. "I'm only interested in this body for now. And you." He grinned at Sting.

"Rogue, I know you're in th-" Sting's plea was cut off by a tendril of shadow that snaked across the ground and wrapped itself around his neck faster than anyone could see. It pulled at him until he was standing on the tips of his toes, then dragged him towards Rogue.

"What a shame," the thing-that-wasn't-Rogue said, looking down at his body with a disappointed expression. "Rogue isn't here right now." Thick, dark tendrils were streaming out of him in every direction now, and the rest of the guild was backing away from them.

"Get...out..." Sting gasped at them, fingers prying at the shadowy noose around his neck. Lahar, stunned into silence up until now, took a step towards Sting. The coil tightened, and he gasped, feeling his face begin to turn red.

"Tsk, tsk," Rogue murmured, pointing a finger at Lahar. "You should have listened to him." He raised his hand and let loose a barrage of what looked like shadowy knives. They flew from his hand directly at Lahar's face, but before they could reach him, they struck an invisible barrier and dissipated. "Clever," Rogue snarled.

"I'm sorry," Lahar called to Sting, whose vision was becoming blurred. He turned to the Rune Knights. "Get everyone out of here," he ordered. They all stood for a moment, staring dumbfounded at the shadows swirling up Lahar's runic barrier. "NOW!" His shout was enough to snap them from their reverie.

Suddenly, there was another loud bang, and Doranbolt reappeared right on top of Lahar, followed by Natsu and the unconscious bodies of Evergreen and Bickslow.

"What the-" Natsu stumbled to his feet and looked around, taking in the bizarre scene. The guild was frozen as if in a terrified tableau, a group of council goons in the hall, Rogue surrounded by shadows that were choking Sting... "Rogue, what's goi-"

"G...g...ray," Sting choked out. "Get…him out of h-here…"

"Gray!" Natsu darted over to where Levy was attempting to lift the ice mage, who was pale and shaking. "What the hell is going on?" Natsu slid his arms underneath Gray and lifted him easily, heart skipping as his partner's head sagged limply against hits chest. He followed Levy away from Rogue and Sting, and the three mages ducked behind a table.

"Oh, you think those are your friends?" The shadow murmured condescendingly, stepping towards Sting and loosening the tendrils just enough for the blond-haired boy to choke in a stuttered breath. Rogue drew his hand down Sting's cheek, smiling wickedly. "They don't care about you. Nobody cares about you."

Natsu snarled, laying Gray gently on the ground and standing. He could see the Rune Knights trying to evacuate the rest of the guild, but they were all stubbornly refusing to leave. Lahar's rune barrier around the twin dragon slayers was keeping the shadows in, but everyone could hear what was being said.

"F-f-fuck you," Sting spat out, gasping for air. "You…aren't him."

"Oh, but I am," Rogue replied, studying his hand idly. A tendril of shadow began to wisp from his fingertips, and he frowned. "This body…this mind…they're broken." He looked puzzled, then reached up and fingered the scar that ran down his face.

"He's not…broken," Sting struggled, feeling a pressure at the back of his head that signaled he was going to lose consciousness soon.

"Of course he is," the shadow replied dismissively. Then he looked deviously at Sting. "But I could fix him."

"Oi, glasses! Lemme in!" Natsu's familiar voice broke through their conversation, and Sting's eyes widened. Rogue turned to the pink-haired dragon slayer and growled.

"Come any closer and I'll kill him." Natsu met Rogue's gaze levelly, eyes widening when a dagger of shadows coalesced in the dark-haired boy's hand. Instead of pointing it at Sting, however, he held it to his own throat. Sting began to cry out, but one of the wisps curled around his neck began to wrap around his head, and gagged him instead. Another coiled around his body, pinning his arms to his sides.

"Rogue, c'mon. I know you're in there." Natsu's voice was soft and comforting, like it had been when Rogue had died and Sting had lost himself.

"Of course he's in here," Rogue replied offhandedly. The dagger nicked his throat and a bead of red blood swelled there. "He's screaming at me right now. Doesn't want me to hurt you." The last comment was directed at Sting, who made a muffled cry, tears running down his cheeks. "I'm not certain what he sees in you, though," Rogue sighed, removing the dagger from his neck and twirling it casually in his hand. "How he could love somebody so weak." Sting didn't reply, just dropped his gaze and tried not to choke on the tightness in his chest. "He always cared for you. Waited for you. Even when you let that worthless bastard work you over."

"Rogue, stop." Natsu's voice was pleading. He could see the rest of the guild and the Rune Knights staring at the scene, listening to intimate parts of Sting and Rogue's life. Sting's eyes were downcast, but Natsu could see an embarrassed flush rising in his cheeks.

"Oh?" Rogue turned toward Natsu and grinned, baring his teeth. "They don't know?" Natsu's heart dropped and he took a step forward, but Rogue clicked his tongue and placed the dagger against his wrist. "Maybe they should. Maybe they would think twice about letting this pathetic, scared little BOY into their ranks!" Natsu shook his head, tears in his eyes, but Rogue ignored him. "That's what you are, isn't it?" Rogue turned back to Sting and raised his hand, laughing evilly at the flinch it elicited. "How many nights did you come back, bloody and bruised with broken bones? How many times did he have to stitch you up, bandage you, save your life? How many times did that bastard BEAT you and you just TOOK it?" Sting was full-on crying now, sobs muffled by the gag in his mouth.

"Please." Natsu looked up with surprise to see Gray standing beside him, pale and shaky but otherwise unharmed. "Please, stop."

"How about we play a game instead?" Rogue grinned. "This body – and this mind – are clearly broken." He gestured to his own head. "I can fix him, restore him to what he was and remain inside him. Or…" He paused and turned to look at Sting. Then he pressed the dagger down slightly into his skin, letting the blood well up around the shadowy blade. "Or I can kill him, and take you instead."

"No!" Natsu held Gray back, only succeeding because he was so weakened from his ice wall.

Sting struggled against the bonds around him and sucked in a deep breath when the shadows in his mouth disappeared. Rogue leaned forward and grasped his chin, forcing Sting to look into his eyes.

"So?" Rogue gazed at him coolly. "How about it?" From the corner of his eye, Sting could see Natsu signing something to him, but he refused to look. There was only one way out of this. He swallowed thickly and met Rogue's gaze.

"How about you go fuck yourself?" He snarled, then head butted Rogue as hard as he could. The dark-haired boy yelped in shock, dropping the dagger and stumbling backwards. The momentary lapse in Rogue's concentration was enough for Sting to break free of the shadow bonds, then leap forward and land on his partner, pinning him to the ground with an arm over his throat. He knelt on the other boy's hands, causing Rogue to cry out in pain.

"I'm sorry, Rogue," he whispered as his magic began to flare up around him. He slammed his palm into his friend's chest, branding his holy stigma there which burned through Rogue's clothing and onto his skin. White light flared up around him, burning through the shadows and forcing the markings from Rogue's arms.

"What are you DOING?" The shadow screamed from Rogue's body, struggling against the stigma which rendered him unable to move. Sting felt sick – he knew that being in this position was one of Rogue's worst fears, but this was the only way he could keep control of the demon. "Let me fix him! Let me make him strong again!"

"Shut UP!" Sting roared, placing his palm on the side of Rogue's face and forcing the holy light out through his fingertips. "I told you then and I'll tell you again – Rogue is PERFECT! Do you hear me?" He grunted, pulsing wave after wave of magic into Rogue's body, focusing on destroying the darkness inside of him. "He's not broken and he's not weak! He's the strongest fucking person I know!"

"He…can't even…speak," The demon argued, snarling and pushing back against Sting's light. He may not have been able to move, but he could still control his shadows. He wound them around Sting's arms, forcing as much magic into them as possible until they were burning his skin.

"He doesn't have to speak," Sting snarled, gritting his teeth against the pain of his blistering skin. "I know exactly what he needs to say." He shuddered, starting to feel dizzy and lightheaded. Shit, he thought. I'm running out of magic. "He has endured so much, and I love him." A small part of his mind felt embarrassed, knowing that everyone in the guild hall was watching this encounter. "I love every single fucking thing about him."

"We all love him." A familiar voice from behind him – Gray. Then he felt two hands on his shoulders – one icy cold, one burning hot. "And you can go back to hell." Then Sting felt a surge of energy moving through Natsu and Gray and into his body. It sent a flush right to his face, and his arms began to tingle. Holy shit, he thought. This power is…incredible. He felt the bright crackle of fire intermingling with the sharp edges of ice, and he wove that into his own magic.

"What do you think you—" Sting reached up and clapped a hand over Rogue's mouth, remembering that night so many years ago when he had scared off the demon this way. Rogue snarled and bit him, but he kept his hand in place, letting the blood drip down onto the floor.

The power continued to flow through him, and suddenly he felt more – lightning and water and so many different kinds of magic that he couldn't identify. He cried out, feeling it lance through his body like wildfire, arcing into his own magic and tinging the edges of the holy light with a million different colors. Rogue screamed underneath him, unable to shake off the stigma holding him in place, and Sting's face was wet with tears.

The light pulsed, growing and growing until Sting was certain it was filling the entire guild hall. The shadows around his arms burned away into nothing more than wisps, and he could feel Rogue going limp underneath him. He gazed into his partner's eyes, willing them to return to normal, and he could swear that something in there recognized him.

There was a final, blinding flash, and Sting sagged forward, removing his hand from Rogue's mouth. He gasped, pulling in a sharp breath, then rocked back onto his heels and looked down to see…Rogue. Just Rogue. No darkness, no patterns up his arms, just terrified, tear-filled eyes and a shaking chest and trembling hands.

"Rogue," Sting gasped, dismissing the stigma and leaning forward, pulling Rogue into his chest. "It's okay, love. It's over. The demon is gone, it's okay. You're safe." He sobbed into Rogue's hair, stroking it frantically with shaking hands.

"Sorry," Rogue wept into his chest. "Sorry, sorry, sorry." Sting shook his head, tipping Rogue's head back and pressing frantic kisses to his face.

"No sorry," he sobbed. "Not your fault."

He felt a tentative hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Natsu, pale and shaky. Sting leaned towards him and Natsu dropped to his knees, reaching out and putting his arms around both boys. Gray joined them on the other side, and they formed a protective cocoon around the twin dragon slayers.

"What the hell just happened?" Lahar's voice was incredulous. The Rune Knights were still standing in shock, some mildly singed by the explosion of magic power, eyes wide and dazed.

The entirety of the Fairy Tail guild was gathered on one side of the room, all shaky and pale, but smiling and hugging each other. Master Makarov was still on one of the tables, wiping tears from his eyes and gazing proudly at his children.

"Did they just—" Lahar's question trailed off into a bewildered silence.

"Yes, they just defeated a demon," Makarov replied, crossing his arms and looking coolly at the Rune Knight captain. "And I believe that closes your investigation, if I'm not mistaken?" Lahar blinked a few times, gazing over at the four boys holding each other in the centre of the chaos.

"He…there was…" Makarov cut him off with a dismissive wave.

"That boy is nothing short of incredible." He glared at Lahar. "If you attempt to enter my guild again without my permission, or try to harm one of my children, you yourself will face the true wrath of Fairy Tail."

"I think it's time we returned to the Council, Lahar." The bespectacled man turned to see Doranbolt standing behind him, arms crossed and an unreadable smile on his face.

"Yes…I…" Lahar trailed off, not noticing when Doranbolt gently touched the back of his head. His eyes went blank for a moment, as did the rest of the Rune Knights. Makarov looked at Doranbolt, amusement glittering in his eyes.

"Captain, what happened, sir?" One of the knights turned to Lahar, confused. He opened his mouth to reply, but Doranbolt cut him off.

"Captain Lahar took a blow to the head, but he'll be just fine." Lahar turned to him, confused. "We were fighting the demon, remember? It came to Fairy Tail, and the guild helped us defeat it."

"Y-yes…" Lahar said tentatively, then began nodding as the false memories locked themselves in place. "I believe the Magic Council owes you all a great debt of gratitude." He turned to his knights and motioned for them to exit the guild hall. "Master Makarov, thank you for your assistance." The tiny guild master harrumphed, then gave Doranbolt a nod of appreciation as he followed Lahar from the building.

Sting didn't even notice the Rune Knights leaving. He could feel his arms blistering and bleeding, and the cut on the back of Rogue's hand looked deep, but he couldn't bring himself to stand or speak. He noticed with detachment that his fingers were starting to go numb.

"Hey, you're safe now." A faint voice broke through his tears, and he recognized it as Natsu. Why was he being comforted? Rogue was the one who needed to be helped. He looked up and realized that Rogue was gazing at him with a look of concern on his face, but he wasn't crying anymore. Sting's chest heaved and he realized he was still crying. They were ugly tears, sharp and hard and spilling down his cheeks and onto the floor. His chest heaved with sobs, and he knew the entire guild could hear him but couldn't bring himself to care.

"Sting, look at me." Natsu tilted his chin up gently and he met the dragon slayer's eyes, but found it difficult to focus. His hands were entirely numb now, and his heart was racing so hard he thought he might stop breathing. "Take a deep breath, like this." Natsu's voice was echoey, like it was coming through a tunnel. Why did everything feel so far away? He focused on the rise and fall of Natsu's chest, trying to calm the panic in his body.

"It's okay," Gray murmured into Rogue's ear, holding the trembling boy as he watched Sting fall apart. "He'll be okay. It's not your fault." Rogue sniffed and wiped his eyes, wanting to reach out to his partner but unsure if it was a good idea. He saw Wendy approaching cautiously, and felt relief flood through him when she knelt next to Sting, placing a gentle hand on his forehead.

"Sleep, Sting," she whispered softly, and Natsu caught the blonde boy as he slumped toward the floor.

"It's over," Natsu whispered, more to himself than anything. Tears were spilling down his own cheeks, and he looked at Gray and Rogue with a combination of exhaustion and relief on his face. "It's over."


A/N: Can you tell I'm a sucker for the Buffy-esque "power sharing" concept? I really think it's important, because the whole superhero, typical-masculinity thing is to give one person ALL the power to fix everything. But why not SHARE that power, and help each other?

Poor Sting, his PTSD is awful. I know they were getting better, but honestly, life isn't like that. It's not like - oh, I have great friends now and they support me so I'm fixed. Recovering from abuse/sexual abuse/trauma is a long and difficult road and I wanted to portray it honestly.

On an unrelated note, I realized when writing this that Mest/Doranbolt is ridiculously OP. He can teleport AND alter memories? It's a good thing he's not evil.