Forgotten Memories

Chapter 12 – She Thinks She Knows

WARNING: This chapter was not beta read; I only proofread this.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairy tail, Hiro Mashima does


"She liked Rogue?"

The question was left hanging in the air as silence consumed the room, neither one of them wishing to speak. Sting knew that she liked Rogue. After all, he was the only person she told him about her feelings. At first, he told her that she had a weird taste in men for his friend was far too cold and distant to attract anyone, but he was proven wrong. Someone had fallen for him, two girls, and he ended up choosing the latter.

"She died during the eclipse project… didn't she?" Natsu said, his voice echoing. Sting nodded numbly, memories devouring his head. Her death had been a shock to him, even though she was kicked out of their guild for losing, he didn't expect she would die just like that.

"But then… was she able to tell Rogue that she liked him?" Gray asked, and his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

The blonde shook his head, a sigh escaping his lips. "She didn't have that much confidence. She wanted to tell him, but she would always catch herself in the end and say something else. Eventually, she was too late to say anything." He then smiled sadly. "Even if she did tell him though, nothing would have happened."

Jellal arched a brow. "Why?"

Sting chuckled, shrugging. "I've known Rogue for so long now and in all those years, he has never once been interested in relationships and girls."

"Until he met Lucy," Erza quickly added, a small smile gracing her lips.

The white dragon slayer went still before closing his eyes, smiling as well. "Yes, until he met Lucy." He opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. "He was completely mesmerized by her. He couldn't stop thinking of her whenever she was off on missions and kept spacing out. Minerva thought that it was starting to become a problem and wanted to get rid of Lucy, but then she sorted things out with Minerva and they became friends."

"What if she stole Lucy's memories?" Wendy asked nervously, her voice tiny and shaky.

They directed their gaze to her and the bluenette yelped, fidgeting. "I-I mean, you just s-said that Minerva-san wanted to get rid of L-Lucy. W-What if she isn't done with her yet?"

"That's impossible."

Wendy looked at Sting who gave her an intense stare, his eyes piercing right through her. "I think I would've known if Minerva did this."

"But it could be possible," the redhead said, frowning. "Although it's unlikely that Minerva would go that far. I had a chat with her the other day and she looked exhausted."

"Probably from paperwork," Natsu and Gray said.

Erza closed her eyes. "Or from worry."

"Minerva would never worry about Lucy," Jellal said, sighing. "We know that much."

"She's worried."

They stared at Sting once more. He stared at the floor, his jaw tense and his fists clenched. "Believe me, it's not her," he insisted, gritting his teeth.

Erza nodded. "Alright."

"Then if it is not Minerva, who could it be?" The bluenette asked. He had been wondering for a while now why anyone would ever hold a grudge for Lucy. Sure, she was a badass fighter, but she wasn't technically that evil. Maybe they were reading things too much.

He tilted his head to the side. "What if this is all just accidental? What if some random enemy just wanted to steal Lucy's memories?"

"And steal such a specific part of her life?" Erza said, frowning. "I think not."

"You know, this is actually hurting my head now," Natsu complained, massaging his temples. He received a giggle from Wendy and a chuckle from his friends. Sting, meanwhile, stared at him with utter disbelief.

"And here I thought a miracle happened."

The pinkette glared at him. "Shut up, blondie. Anyway, where were we?"

"Some random enemy may be just messing with her memories," Gray said, staring at Natsu in amusement.

"Ah right," the fire mage said, clearing his throat. "But if Lucy really was messed up by some enemy, and if that happens to be Oración Seis, then what happens next?"

Erza released a frustrated sigh. "That's what I was going to ask."


Lucy's mind was foggy when she woke up and she was adamant on staying in bed all day, but the smell of dinner being prepared made her think otherwise. Now showered and in a fresh set of clothes, she trudged down the stairs and headed to the kitchen. Her footsteps were light and her heart hammered loudly against her chest. For a moment, she was worried he'd hear her anxiousness.

And she happened to be right.

"Lucy," he acknowledged, looking over his shoulder to throw her a glance. "You're awake."

She flushed under his gaze and rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. "I… I thought I smelled something."

The barest hint of a smile formed on his face. "Ah, this?" he said and gestured to the pan he was holding. She stood on her toes and took a look, her mouth nearly watering at the sight. She slowly dropped back on her feet and nodded timidly.

He chuckled and turned back to the stove. "You better sit at the table and wait then. It's almost finished."

She did as she was told and sat close to where he stood. With this, the view of the pan was clear and she could see how it was going. She licked her lips in anticipation and immediately looked away when she was caught staring.

"Are you that hungry?"

She jumped in her seat and lowered her head, nibbling on her lower lip. She couldn't trust her voice to speak, so she merely nodded. As if she was being backed up, her stomach released a growl and her face reddened even more—if that was even possible.

Rogue's lips curled and he said, "Well, I suppose that's just it. I was kind of surprised to see you, of all people, approaching me. I didn't think you would do it."

She looked at him in shock, her eyes wide. For some reason, she was deeply hurt by his comment. "Why?" she whispered lightly, her voice wavering.

"You're scared of me," he stated. "I can see it in your eyes. I know from the way you speak, the way your shoulders are set, the way you avoid my gaze and look elsewhere—it's obvious, really." His tone was bland, but she could tell he was hurting. She just didn't know why and that frustrated her.

The blonde nervously fiddled with the hem of her shirt. "I-It's not that I-I'm s-s-scared," she stammered, mentally cursing herself for doing so. "I just… I suppose it's aftershock."

"Oh?" he enquired, raising a delicate brow. "How so?"

She swallowed thickly and licked her lips again. "W-Well… think of it as taking an animal out of its habitat. If a bear is used to the wild and it is moved to the zoo, then it will be scared, right?" His eyes stared at her for a long time. "W-With the amnesia… it's kind of like that. You take me out of my guild and into a new one. I am removed from my house and moved into a different one."

He remained quiet for a long time, the sound of oil popping and the fire flaring the only sound that could be heard. At last, he said, "Are you saying you wish to go back?"

She looked at him, startled. "No," she said quickly.

He raised a brow at her quick response and grunted, turning back to the stove. "Then there's nothing to worry about. Give it another few days and you'll be used to living here in no time."

"You… You really think so?" she whispered, her voice shaky.

"Yeah. Why?"

She bit her lip. "I mean… Catherine-san said it turned… p-permanent."

Permanent.

The word struck him like a knife that he nearly dropped the pan. He turned off the stove instead and held the counter on each side, leaning forward. Jarring pants escaped his lips and he closed his eyes, swallowing heavily. "Ah."

"Are you…" she paused to press her lips together, "worried that I may never recall my memories?"

"Frightened," he said without a thought. Lucy looked at him with wide eyes, surprised. Although he didn't seem to notice as he continued speaking. "Frightened, is more like the word."

"Why?"

He blinked out of his reverie and started moving; pouring the food he cooked onto a plate. "That, I can't tell. But maybe someday I will."

She lowered her head in shame. "I… I look forward to it."

"I can say otherwise," he said, amused. Sighing, he placed the food on the table and sat in front of her, taking his chopsticks. Their eyes met and he arched a brow. "I thought you were hungry?"

She stared at her plate and nodded. "I am."

"Then eat." The deep timbre of his voice sent a chill down her spine and the hair on the back of her neck rose. She resisted the urge to shudder and she nodded again, proceeding to take her food.

They descended into silence as Lucy uncomfortably ate her meal. Rogue didn't seem too bothered by the lack of speech, and although he was eyeing her every now and then, he wasn't expecting her to say anything at all. Pleased, he enjoyed dinner.

She peeked at him through her thick lashes, admiring his strong demeanor. If he was a real dragon, she had no doubt he'd be very beautiful. She could picture him with midnight scales roaring through the dead of night. Crimson eyes would pierce her soul, and she knew fully well how that felt. He would be a breathtaking dragon indeed. And that spelled trouble, for even the most beautiful things could be toxic.

Still, even as she watched him, she couldn't believe he was the same person who scared the daylights out of her during the Grand Magic Games. It was almost a shock to see him behaving well, and for him to communicate so freely with her was a marvel. She would never dare voice out her thoughts, but if she ever did, she'd probably faint from blushing too much—which, she might add, was odd for she didn't use to be like that.

But then again, things have changed since the little incident that happened. It was strange. She didn't feel like she was forgetting things, and life was flowing fine for her. If this was what it felt like to have amnesia, then she was starting to doubt her past memories as well. Frowning, she chewed on a sushi and diverted her gaze as Rogue caught her staring. She could hear her heart pounding in her ears, and she could feel it drumming loudly against her ribcage.

After a while, he finally looked away and resumed eating. She swallowed the food in her mouth and inwardly sighed in relief. She thought she was going to die with the look he gave her. It was far too intense for her to handle.

The silence stretched on, and Lucy started to itch. She wanted to speak, although she didn't really know what to talk about. And she doubted he'd start the conversation. Judging from the way he ate contently, she was sure he'd prefer the tranquility. Pursing her lips, she looked back at her own plate to see it empty. She debated on getting more sushi, but finally decided against it. She leaned back on her chair and drank a glass of water, ignoring his gaze as she did so.

At last, she put the glass down and met his eyes. Goosebumps prickled her skin and she forced herself to form words despite of the lump in her throat. "I…" she paused to lick her lips, "have a question."

His eyes narrowed slightly in alarm. "What is it?"

She sucked in a deep breath and stretched her left hand out, the gold band around her finger glinting brightly under the light. She failed to notice the color draining from his face.

"Aphrodite told me this ring isn't just for display so it's been bugging me again. Who am I married to?" she asked politely, although her voice gave it away. It was deep and menacing, almost like a growl. She was desperate to know why she was wearing it. Every time she tried to take it off, she felt empty and decided she needed it. She wore it every day since she found out about it.

He held her gaze, trying to muffle his harsh breathing. He stiffened at the question but ignored it, trying to act normal. His head was swimming. He couldn't think straight. He needed air. With a soft whimper, he opened his mouth to excuse himself when the door was suddenly slammed open.

"I'm home!"

His shoulders didn't relax at Sting's voice. Instead, he stood up and muttered a quick apology before heading out the dining room, passing the said blonde who looked at him with questioning eyes. Sting looked at Lucy and raised a brow. "What happened?"

She clawed her fingers through her hair. "I d-don't know myself."

"What do you mean?" he asked, his brow wrinkling in confusion. He could tell that the aura was still tense after Rouge walked out, and he didn't want to be caught up in it but this was big.

Lucy sighed and buried her face in her hands. At that moment, Sting's eyes widened at the bands on her left and right ring finger. His throat ran dry as they sparkled, and he knew then what really happened. What was left now was to confirm his suspicions.

He steadied his voice. "Lucy, I need you to tell me what happened."

"I… I asked him who I was married to," she whispered, sounding defeated. "And all of a sudden, I had a flashback."

Sting's eyes widened further and he fisted his hands, stopping himself from slamming them on the table. "What was it about?"

Lucy shook her head. "I… I can't—"

"You have to tell me!"

She jumped, startled by his outburst. He was standing in front of her now, his chest heaving in and out with heavy breaths. She gulped and nodded, lowering her head. "I just… I was wondering who gave me these rings. I figured one must be from a proposal while the other was from when I got married. The question that I wanted to be answered, however, was from whom did I receive this?"

She turned quite for a few moments, before resuming. "A-And then I figured Rogue would know, since we're teammates and all. But when I asked him, he looked like he went into shock. I was about to ask him what was wrong, when my head blacked out and I remembered something."

That got his attention.

"I was… standing on a hill," she whispered, her eyes distant. "And a man hugged me, slipping the ring on my finger. And he whispered in my ear…" her lips tugged into a small smile, "'Marry me?'"

Sting's breath hitched. "D-Did you see his face?"

She met his eyes and gave him a painful smile. "That's the problem," she said and looked at her hands. "I saw it. I saw who he was."

At that very moment, he dashed out of the room. Lucy stared at the gold ring on her hand and curled her fingers experimentally, before releasing a sigh.

"Gray…"


He stopped in his footsteps, tensing at the name that left her lips.

"She thinks it's Gray?!" he thought with disbelief. He gritted his teeth. "At least we can still keep the truth hidden. But for now, I have to tell Rogue."

Sting stumbled up the stairs, cursing over and over under his breath. He had never felt so panicked before in his life. But it wasn't the time to be pondering over that. There was a bigger problem at hand and although he hated to be the one to break it to his friend, he knew that he had to tell him.

He arrived at the third floor and stopped to catch his breath. He gasped for air and with one last inhale; he walked towards Rogue's room. His footsteps were loud, and just like he predicted, the shadow dragon slayer opened his door to glare at him.

"You're too loud," he grumbled.

The blonde grasped his shoulders, shaking him wildly. "It isn't the time to be complaining about me!" he barked, his voice rough and hoarse.

Rogue furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "What's wrong?"

Sting shuddered, trying to form words. "Lucy… she… something about—"

His friend sighed and ushered him in the room. "Rest for a bit first," he merely said and the blonde sat on a chair. He glimpsed and saw a stack of papers on the desk and scattered pens, along with a few books. To his left he saw the familiar bookshelf that was completely full, and he knew that there was a dresser somewhere behind him close to the bathroom. He inhaled through his nose and smelled strawberries.

Lucy.

He shook his head and faced Rogue, his breathing now stable. He swallowed thickly. "Lucy said she had a flashback when she asked you who she was married to."

Rogue's shoulders went rigid, but he urged the blonde to continue.

"She recalled you proposing," Sting said slowly, watching as his friend's eyes widened in dread.

"I have to—"

"Wait," he cut it. "There's more."

Rogue pressed his lips together and nodded, his clenched fists turning white. Sting diverted his gaze from his knuckles and met Rogue's eyes. "She said she saw who it was."

He paled even further.

"But she didn't think it was you."

He stared at him with a baffled look. "Pardon?"

Sting sighed and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. He frowned. "She thinks it's Gray."

Rogue's jaw dropped in disbelief. "B-B-But! How could she think I was Gray? We don't even look alike!"

"I thought the same thing!" Sting cried out, groaning. "She must have only seen the hair."

"Are you implying she didn't see my eyes?" the shadow mage inquired, his crimson orbs narrowing dangerously into slits.

The blonde shrugged. "It's a possibility."

Rogue bit his lip, pacing back and forth. Sting watched him in silence, knowing fully well that right now, they were both a ball of nerves. After a few more minutes of pacing, the man faced Sting. "I think there's something wrong."

"I agree," the blonde said.

Rogue's jaw clenched in worry as he looked out the window, grinding his teeth together at the sight of Team Natsu closing in. "I think we're dealing with something more than just a normal amnesia."

"We thought about that too," Sting said, sighing. "Maybe we should…"

"What?"

He shook his head. "Never mind."

A loud voice alerted them of Fairy Tail's arrival and they met each other's eyes. Rogue was the first to look away, heading out the door. "Let's go. If you are right and Lucy thinks she's married to Gray, I doubt she'd want to see him right now."

Sting heaved a sigh and nodded, following his partner. Whatever happened next, he didn't know. He only hoped things couldn't get worse than it already was.


A/N: I think I'm turning evil now, leaving all these confusing stuff behind. Fear not! I'm working on the next chapter. I'm planning on gathering them though, so that when school begins, I can update every week or so. We'll see... anyhowww, what do you think of the chapter? XD If you liked it, well leave a review, and don't mind the mistakes, they are idiots.

Edit (03/16/15): I edited the part where she asked him if she was really married, instead she asked who she was married to. Sorry for the confusion I caused.

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P.S Good Meets Bad has just ended. If any of you haven't read it yet, I suggest you do :)

"False interpretations may lead to false accusations."

Byee! -Anne :D


- Please support/read my other stories: Celebrity Issues, The Devil and the Assassin, Fragile, Life's Challenges, Queen of Stars, A Love That Lasts Forever and Going Against The Current.