quoting shakespeare chapter 12. it makes me feel so smart XD. also inspired by 21 Guns - Green Day

MUAHAHAHAHAHA! I am so evil this chapter! heheheh *wrings hands evilly*

ok so I went on the FT wiki and apparently, Frosch is gender-neutral and referred to as 'it'. I have seen both 'he' and 'she' used in the manga, so I took it upon myself to decide Frosch's gender. for this story, Frosch will be female because...well...I cant see her as a him...

anyway, please review! hope you enjoy!

Chapter 12

Rogue

"Elfman!"

Rogue turned at the sound of Sherry's voice. He and she seemed to be the only ones left standing, though it was clear that Sherry wouldn't be able to hold off Katsuko for much longer.

Shit! We're losing!

"Shadow Dragon's Roar!" Rogue yelled, blowing his breath attack straight at the blond man.

"Bad idea," the blond smirked, "I use Air magic, remember? That Roar is nothing but a mere trifle."

Rogue's satisfaction was raised an inch in seeing that his attack seemed to be more than a trifle, though it was still pushed aside.

"Shadow Dragon's…Claw!" Rogue swiped at his opponent with the giant claw, which, even though it was made of shadow, was still substantial enough to leave a red streak all the way across the blond man's face. He hissed in pain, reaching up to touch the cut.

"Shadow Dragon's Slash!"

The blond man spat blood, new hatred gleaming in his eyes.

"You've ruined my looks with that. What happens when I hurt something that's important to you?"

"You already have." Rogue glared. The Dark Mage took no notice.

"Air Make: Slicer!" this time he wasn't aiming for Rogue, but rather a small green-and-pink shape to his left.

"FROSCH!" Rogue screamed, reaching forward. But a spray of blood erupted from Frosch's stomach where the air had sliced her, jolting her awake.

Distracted as he was, Rogue didn't see or hear the punch of compacted air until it was too late. Grounded, Rogue grunted in pain as he felt something in his shoulder pop.

"Air Make: Bind." Rogue was abruptly secured into place by invisible ropes of air, unable to roll away or get back on his feet.

"Air Make: Blade." The blond man stood over him, a triumphant version of his usual expression smirking down at him. Rogue grasped desperately for an idea; what to do? What to do? The last time he'd tried melting into shadow, his evil alter-ego, Shadow, had taken control of him, and he'd do anything rather than go through that experience again.

Ah, shit, what do I do?

Rogue squeezed his eyes shut as the air blade dropped towards his chest, silently sending up a prayer of sorts.

God help me. If you don't, I understand but please watch over Frosch.

And his prayers were answered, though not in the way he expected.

"Ice Make: Shield!"

A sheet of ice flashed over Rogue, stopping the air magic in its tracks.

"Ooh, Gray-sama you are sooooo brave!" another voice drooled, and suddenly, Rogue was surrounded by people. People he recognized from other guilds, as well as his own.

"You okay?" a bare-chested man entered into Rogue's view, the Fairy Tail emblem stamped on his chest. He seemed vaguely familiar, maybe someone who had been hanging around Natsu or that cute blond chick from the same guild.

"Th-thanks." Rogue nodded as the Ice mage helped him up; bending his pride to others was not something that came easily to him, and he didn't usually say the words 'thank you' to anyone except Frosch occasionally.

Frosch

"Frosch!" Rogue panicked as he remembered the events of the past few minutes. He didn't know what was going on or why all these people were here, but right now he was just glad to be alive and Frosch was his priority.

Gildarts Clive was blasting apart the manacles that had chained the prisoners, and Rogue rushed over to catch Frosch as she fell from her hanging spot on the wall. Her blood stained his shaking hands but he didn't care, undoing her pink frog suit. So much blood was pouring from her stomach that he couldn't even find the cut.

'Take care of Frosch' was what Natsu had wanted him to know. Somehow, the Fire Dragonslayer had known this was going to happen.

"Rogue…" Frosch cracked her eyes open, bringing Rogue back to the present.

"Frosch, it's gonna be okay. I promise it's gonna be okay." The words were as much for his benefit as they were for hers.

Please let Frosch live. Please, please, I'm begging you!

Once again, his prayers were answered by a Fairy Tail mage.

"Do you need me to heal your friend?" a small figure asked, kneeling down beside them. it took a moment for Rogue to recognize her.

That's that girl that battled Sheila last year. Wendy – the Sky Dragonslayer. That's right! She can use healing magic!

"Yes." He answered. Then, "Where did everyone come from?"

"We saw that you guys needed help," Wendy replied, "So the guilds grouped together and came. Probably more people came than was needed," she observed, looking around, "But nobody wanted to miss out on anything, so everyone from Fairy Tail, Lamia, Pegasus, Mermaid, and Sabertooth is here."

"I see."

Wendy held her hands out over Frosch's wound, lighting them both up with blue healing magic. Suddenly, her eyes flew open and she gasped a little as the magic died down.

"What happened?! Can't you heal her?!" Rogue asked. Wendy shook her head sadly, the glint of a tear in the corner of her eye.

"She's been mortally wounded." Wendy whispered, "My magic can't heal fatal wounds. If it were poison I'd be able to expel it from her body, but it's a wound, plain and simple. I'm sorry. I'm useless…"

"Fro doesn't think so." Frosch was still able to muster up a smile, despite being told that she wouldn't recover. "It's just my time, is all."

Frosch…is going to die?

"Frosch…" Rogue's voice caught in his throat as he held his friend tight. "Please don't leave me. Please don't."

"Fro won't leave you!" Frosch argued with weak indigence.

"Frosch…I don't think you have a choice." It broke Rogue's heart to say it.

"That's not what I meant." Frosch corrected. "Just because my body is dead doesn't mean I've left you."

"That's right." Wendy agreed quietly from the corner.

"To be or not to be. That is the question." The Exceed continued. "Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the Slings and Arrows of outrageous Fortune…well, I know I won't have to face a Sea of Troubles any longer. But Rogue, you are my best friend. You taught me that it's okay to be a frog in a cat's body. We've been through years of turmoil and hardship together. My life might end here, but right now, I'm choosing To Be. I want you to remember me, Rogue. Because as long as you remember me, then I will exist." Her breathing grew shallower and shallower until it was barely discernable.

"Of course." Rogue replied, tears running down his face, "Of course I'll remember you. I'll fight for you always. Because friends are the most important things a person can have."

"Fro. . .agrees."

"Goodbye, Frosch." The Dragonslayer whispered, closing her eyelids with his index and middle fingers.

"That blond man over there." Leering, Shadow rose up from the depths of Rogues conscience where he had been lurking, "He's the one who killed her. I must have my revenge! You and I will kill him together."

"NO!" Rogue replied, squashing Shaow's voice down back to where it had come from, "You think Frosch would want that? You are not taking over, Shadow. Not again."

"You must face the truth. I am who you really are. You are Shadow."

"I am Rogue" he corrected firmly. "I am Rogue, I am Rogue, I am Rogue."

"…You may have won for now," Shadow sunk back down into the darkness, "But I'll find a way to breathe with your lungs, to run with your legs, to capture your magic. And when that day comes, Rogue will be no more."

I can't see frosch as being one to quote Shakespeare, but I couldn't resist throwing it in there...

well, see you next chapter with Natsu!

~ice