Forgotten Memories

Chapter 13 – Frustration and Defeat

NOTE: Thank you Rosella6199 for beta reading this chapter. You are the best :3

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

Lucy stared at the team in alarm, looking away as soon as Gray met her eyes. She nibbled her lip in worry and immediately covered the gold ring with her other hand, allowing the silver band to be seen. Her breathing was shallow, and she tried not to scream in fright as they started to approach her. Her eyes started to grow wide, and before she began causing a rampage, her teammates arrived.

Rogue noticed her terror and was slightly thankful that it wasn't him she was afraid of. He placed a hand on her shoulder and she relaxed faintly. She looked at him from the corner of her eye, giving him a pleading look. He swallowed thickly and faced Team Natsu.

"Is there something wrong?" he muttered lowly, sensing Sting arriving. He caught a glimpse of the blonde leaning against the doorframe and he tightened his hold on Lucy gently.

Erza crossed her arms over her chest. "We need to talk with you."

He raised a brow. "So you aren't here for Lucy?"

"Well… although we'd love to talk with her," Gray started, his brow wrinkling as he noticed her tensing, "We have something important to tell you."

Rogue saw the reaction from his wife and leaned forward. "Must she leave?" he said lowly for only them to hear.

The ice mage nodded. "That would be better."

"Then she will," the other man said coolly, straightening and facing Lucy. "I need you to go with Sting for now."

"Why?" she muttered. "Am I too stupid to be involved in this?"

Rogue flinched. "It's not that. I'll tell you some of it later, I promise."

Lucy met his eyes and they both exchanged a silent look of understanding. She gave Gray another terrified look and stood up, shuddering. "I'll hate you if you break that promise," she said lowly and headed out the room with Sting who gave him an exasperated look.

"Lucy…?" Happy asked sadly, watching her leave helplessly.

Carla gave him a look. "Leave it."

After a long period of silence, Jellal stared at Rogue in amusement. "She seems to trust you now," he commented.

"Just a little bit," the man muttered and sighed, sitting down on Lucy's seat. "So, what is it you want to talk about?"

"We have come to the conclusion that Lucy's memories were stolen," Erza declared, her eyes meeting his crimson ones.

Rogue didn't seem surprised. Instead, he breathed and ran his fingers through his hair in distress. "I thought about too. But I think they messed them up as well."

"How?" Gray exclaimed, making the man winced. He knew the ice mage was eager to know, but he wasn't sure if he would feel the same energy if he answered his question.

Ah, well they have to know.

"Lucy thinks she's married to you," Rogue whispered, his voice laced with pain and anguish. Gray froze, his eyes widening. The others stilled too, staring at the defeated man with a terrified gaze. Rogue refused to meet any of their gazes as he directed his to the floor instead, his heart aching terribly against his chest. Oh how he missed his wife.

Gray was the first to break through the deafening silence, his voice quivering. "W-What… W-Why me?"

"How should I know?" Rogue said harshly, clenching his fists in an attempt to calm himself. He could feel the shadows lashing around him, daring him to do something, to release the pent-up anger and frustration inside.

Hate was such a bittersweet thing. He couldn't even control it.

"B-But… she shouldn't have mistaken you for me…" the ice mage mumbled, falling back onto a chair.

Rogue shrugged, massaging his temples. He cleared his thoughts of violence. "She claimed to have gone through a flashback, and she saw my proposal. However, she said it was you who were there and not me."

"Then it is indeed a possibility that her memories were not only stolen, but played around as well," the redhead muttered, cupping her chin in thought. Jellal looked at her in worry, knowing fully well that she was going through a battle herself inside. Lucy was like a sister to her, and to know that she was being toyed around like a doll made her boil in ire. But if the people around her barely had the power in them to remain composed, she had to be.

"We have a feeling it's Oración Seis," Natsu spoke up, his voice making Rogue's eyes snap towards him. The shadow mage frowned at this information, urging him to continue. The pinkette nodded in silent understanding. "It appears that the mission she took involved a dark guild. Unfortunately for her, Oración Seis happened to be the guild stationed at the designated area."

Rogue cut to the chase. "And what do you propose?"

Wendy interrupted then, her stutters driving him insane. But he waited patiently for her to speak. "I, um, suggest that w-we k-know first how b-bad the damage is to L-Lucy-san's brain."

"Her amnesia is now permanent," he said, his voice betraying his impassive eyes. "That's all I know."

Their eyes widened. "What?!"

"Sting didn't tell you?" Rogue inquired, raising a brow in silent amusement. He bit back the feeling, cursing himself. He of all people shouldn't be feeling amused at the turn of events.

Erza regained her composure once more, closing her eyes. "No, he didn't."

"Well, now you know," Rogue said sarcastically. He was surprised he could even act this way at a time like this. But did he really care? His wife was practically gone. It was basically like going through a divorce, except he didn't have a say in it.

Gray sighed. "Please stop that."

"Stop what?" the other man muttered, unable to hide the distaste in his voice.

"You know what I mean."

Rogue sighed, the tension easing off his shoulders. He tilted his head back and said, "Go on and share what you've discussed then."

"Well, from what we've gathered, we have two suspects—had, I mean," Erza began, clearing her throat. "One is Oración Seis, as you know, and the other is Yukino Aguria."

His eyes narrowed. "But she's dead."

"Exactly," the redhead said calmly. "That's why I said we had two suspects. We asked Sting if there was anyone who liked you, and he told us that Yukino used to love you."

Rogue stiffened.

"Did you know that?"

Slowly, he shook his head and Erza smiled sadly before continuing. "Anyway, it is obviously clear that the guild is the only suspect left, and since we've clashed before, it's hardly impossible for Lucy to meet them again."

"Do you have any leads on where they are now?" the red-eyed man asked, cracking his knuckles. He stared at his slender fingers for a while, waiting for a reply.

"No," Erza breathed out, her shoulders slumping forward as she did so. "We don't know their current whereabouts nor do we know if our suspicions are correct. If we attack them head on without knowing the truth, things will get messy. However, if we leave this be and search for another cause, then the problem will stretch out forever and by the time we've realized the truth, Lucy would be far too gone for us to bring back."

"Hn," was all he could say, not that it was really a word. His lips were a thin line now, and he couldn't get rid of the crease on his forehead. What the redhead said was true, but how were they supposed to get tabs on their suspect if they had no knowledge of their location?

Natsu spoke then in a low, growling but stable voice. "I could try to sniff them out, but their scent has changed and I don't have anything of theirs."

"Then we will have to begin by gathering information," Rogue said, his lips tugged down in a frown. He didn't like the idea of wasting precious time for complicated things such as gathering information, but if it would help Lucy regain her memories then he was willing to throw away his resentment.

"But how?" Gray asked, frowning as well. "It seems like after Lucy faced them, they left the town they were dominating. No one knows where they are now."

The shadow mage smirked, looking at him from the corner of his eyes. "Easy." The word rolled off his tongue smoothly. "We just have to ask if they've seen crazy looking people and describe their appearance. We can even show them a drawing of how they look like."

"Reedus can handle the last part," Natsu said, his lips starting to stretch into a grin.

Wendy, however, was not encouraged. "B-But… do we really have to go back to M-Magnolia? This will take up more o-of our l-limited time."

"She's right," Jellal said, laying a hand on the girl's shoulder. "We're already wasting our time by gathering information. We have to think of something else."

Rogue sighed, the action making the little bluenette start. "Verbal description it is then."

"After we learn of their location, what do we do next?"

"We have to come up with a plan," he said, shrugging. "And then we take action. Pretty easy, no?"

Gray exhaled heavily, leaning back on his chair. "It won't be easy when we actually do it though."

"What will we do if they really are the ones who messed up Lucy's memories?"

Rogue stopped halfway from taking a sushi, his fingers twitching. His eyes darkened at the question and he lowered his head, his voice sending chills down their spines. "Then we take them back." He flexed his fingers.

"And kill."

The two blondes were on their way to Catherine's house, the light from the lampposts casting shadows over their faces and illuminating the dark path. Their footsteps clanked loudly on the cobble street, and their breathing was prominent over the silent night. Lucy's shoulders were tense as she dragged her feet over the other, forcing herself to walk. She never wanted to leave the house, but if Rogue didn't want her to hate him, then he would have to spill some information.

Why did she think he'd care if she hated him though?

She was left baffled when they were out of the house and onto the streets. What made her say such a cruel thing? It was like she was playing with his feelings although she didn't really know why. After she had said those words, a deep pang was hitting her heart ever since.

She pursed her lips—this was bad.

"Lucy?"

She looked over to Sting who appeared to be frowning. She offered him a wavering smile before dropping it, a sigh leaving her. His frown deepened. "Are you okay?"

"I'm not." She looked away. "I'm worried."

Sting furrowed his eyebrows. "You're worried because of Rogue?"

"No," she mumbled, her lips tugging down into a frown. "I'm worried for him."

The dragon slayer's eyes widened and he blinked, suddenly confused. "For a moment… I thought I saw the Lucy that I knew flash before my eyes."

"Sting?"

The said man snapped out of his train of thought and smiled weakly, returning to the topic at hand. "Why are you worried for Rogue? He's strong, you know. And he doesn't want to be belittled, especially by you."

"By me?"

He slapped his hand over his mouth and cursed under his breath. "Me and my stupid mouth!"

"A-Ah, but he'd be furious if I belittled him the most, he gets pissed off easily by me."

She blinked and laughed softly, nodding. "I suppose you are right," she said gently under her breath, sighing. "Anyway, about your question…" she trailed off and tilted her head upward, allowing her hair to cascade down her back.

"I just… have a feeling that I can't bear to lose him." Her eyes sparkled under the light of the moon. "Don't ask me why, I really don't know the answer to that. I just feel that way."

Sting released a breath he didn't know he held, his eyes softening at the sight of her bathing under the moonlight. He stared up as well, stopping in his footsteps to admire the midnight sky dotted with stars. He fisted his hands that were kept in his pockets, his eyes firming with determination. "Don't worry, Rogue," he thought, smiling grimly at the thought. "It seems like you still have a chance after all."

He closed his eyes. "I won't let anyone take Lucy away from you. This I promise."

"Sting?"

That was probably the second time she said his name just to catch his attention. He looked at her, surprised to find her already at the other block and he grinned, rubbing the back of his neck. Catching up to her, he walked by her side and said, "Sorry, I was thinking of something."

"About what?" Lucy asked, arching a brow. Apparently, she was amused at the thought of Sting thinking.

The other blonde shrugged. "Some things. You don't have to worry your pretty little head about them."

The Celestial mage twitched and resisted the urge to hit him on the head. Instead, she continued walking and shrugged. "Suit yourself."

Catherine's house slowly came into view, and Lucy found herself standing in front of the gates. Sting called out the girl's name, and after a while, the brunette lazily walked out. She was dressed in her sleeping clothes, and her hair was disheveled from sleep. Lucy frowned. She just realized how late it was.

"Sorry for bothering you," she said, bowing slightly.

The sleepy doctor yawned and waved her hand. "It's alright," she said and ushered them to the house. "Come on, let's talk."

Lucy and Sting looked at each other before following the brunette inside. They sat on the couch with Catherine sitting on a spinney chair in front of them, rubbing her eyes groggily. "So, why are you guys here?"

"No particular reason, actually," the dragon slayer stated, shrugging. "But we needed to get Lucy away from Rogue and the others."

"Why?" Catherine asked, her eyes shifting with curiosity.

"They're discussing about Lucy's…" his eyes stirred to the said girl. "Condition," he finally said.

The brunette stared at him, bemused. "Don't they know it's already permanent though?" she asked, quirking a brow.

Sting laughed nervously. "I forgot to tell them. I'm sure Rogue already told them though."

"Perhaps that will be all they need," Catherine mused quietly, eyeing Lucy from the corner of her eye. With a satisfied smile, she turned to Sting. "Will you be leaving her in my care then?"

"If it wouldn't be a bother," the man grunted softly. "I want to be part of the discussion too, you know."

The brunette smirked, strands of coffee hair falling over her flashing eyes. "Well, you can leave her here. She will be in good hands," she said coolly.

"Like I would doubt you," Sting said, scoffing as he stood up. He looked down at Lucy and smiled. "Well, I'll leave you in her care, alright?"

The woman rolled her eyes. "I'm not a child."

"You are now," Sting joked, laughing before he headed towards the exit. "Take care of her, okay?!"

"Yes, yes, now go," the brunette said, pushing him out the house. She closed the door shut and leaned against it, one hand gripping the doorknob tightly. Her eyes switched into darkness and her lips formed a small amused smile.

She will be taken care of indeed.

Rogue sighed, clawing his fingers through his ebony hair. He glanced at the clock and saw that it was nearing midnight. A frown adorned his face, a certain blonde-haired woman popping in his mind. He leaned back slightly in his chair. He had a bad feeling, but he couldn't tell what was wrong. One thing was for sure, though.

He was concerned about Lucy.

A soft cough caught his attention and he looked at Gray who lowered his head, his hair shadowing his face. "I'm sorry."

The shadow mage swallowed hard. "What are you apologizing for?"

"Lucy thinks I'm her husband…" Gray whispered. "I bet you hate me right now."

Rogue stared at him, slightly bemused before chuckling. "I do." His eyes hardened. "But I know you didn't mean it. This is all the fault of our enemy, and I can't be angry at you for being caught up in it. For all I know, you may be able to help her."

The ice mage whipped his head up to stare at him in astonishment. "What are you saying?"

Crimson irises clashed with his deep ocean ones, a smile gracing his lips. "Maybe she should have ended up with you instead. If she did, maybe things wouldn't have turned out like this."

"You regret being with her?!"

Rogue looked away calmly. "No."

"Then why say this now?!" Gray barked, catching the attention of the others. Natsu saw his rival's hands seething out cold vapor and could feel the chill himself. Erza frowned, watching the two with a firm gaze while the exceeds, Wendy and Jellal watched idly by the sides.

"I'm just stating possibilities," Rogue said, his voice low. "Lucy can go to you now that she thinks you're her husband."

"Stop it," the ice mage rasped, his head pounding. "Stop sounding like you don't care for her anymore."

"I do!"

Gray jumped, startled.

"I love her, okay?!" Rogue exclaimed, sweat sliding down his face. He heaved in deep breaths and gulped. "I'd give her my life if that could bring her back. I'd search every crook, nook and corner of the world just so that I can hold her in my arms again."

The room descended into silence, Rogue's heavy breathing sending chills down their spine. His white clenched knuckles slammed on the table, the bang surprising everyone. He licked his lips wearily. "But she doesn't know who I am to her anymore. She doesn't remember how I held her every night as she cried into my arms due to nightmares, how I loved hearing her sing, how I ached for her touch all the time, how I adored her even with her hair all messed up, how I felt like the luckiest man on earth when I saw her walk down the aisle, how I felt complete when we finished our vows, how ecstatic I felt on our first night—she doesn't remember any of that now!"

Gray gritted his teeth and looked away, his fists unclenching. He could hear Wendy sobbing behind him with Jellal comforting her and Erza. He too couldn't stand it anymore, his heart aching.

"You don't know how it feels, to wake up every day and realize that the person you love doesn't remember who you are," Rogue whispered, his voice cracking. "You don't know how agonizing it is to look her in the eye and tell lies about who you really are to her. And to see her cowering in fear because of you? That hurts like hell."

He closed his eyes, blood pounding in his ears. "And I don't even know if things will ever be the same again, because if I was in her shoes and I remembered everything, I would still be too damn frightened to tell her I love you, to sleep on the same bed every day and to see her face every morning." He laughed bitterly. "It'd be a miracle if she didn't do that."

The ice mage forced himself to meet his eyes and when he did, he violently shuddered. But he swallowed down his pride and stayed firm. "Don't lose hope, Rogue. The victor of this battle hasn't been decided yet."

"I think it already has," the man mumbled, sliding out of his chair. He stopped walking by the doorway and looked over his shoulder. "Unfortunately, it isn't me."

No one dared move as he left the room, their held breaths releasing in relief. Wendy still sobbed, her shoulders shaking and her cheeks wet. Erza, however, had calmed down and was helping Jellal with soothing the little girl. Carla and Happy were both sniveling, while Natsu started to approach his best friend.

"It's alright, Gray," he whispered, laying a hand on his shoulder. "It's not your fault."

"Y-Yea," Erza said, offering him a weak smile. "Rogue's going through a very rough time and it must be hard for him to appear so composed."

Wendy sniffed. "H-He must be b-breaking inside."

Another wave of silence washed over them and they listened to the crickets singing outside the house. A wind blew in, pushing their hair back as they all stood still, eyes on the man who hid his face in his hands. Insects flew around the light bulb, and even though Erza would've killed them already from irritation, she remained by Jellal's side, unmoving. The silence was deafening, but no one knew what to say to break it.

The minutes went by, words left unspoken and tears still falling. They realized that it was already midnight, and they needed to leave quickly. It was obvious from the display earlier that Rogue wasn't in any condition to talk about their plan anymore, but they couldn't move from where they stood. An invisible chain held them there, frozen but breathing. It dragged on, the quietness, until someone finally decided to end it.

Natsu clenched his free hand and tightened his grip on Gray's shoulder, his eyes firm. "Gray, listen."

The ice mage lifted his head to let him know he had his attention. "Rogue is… strong," he started, unsure of what to say next. With a heavy exhale, he said, "But even the strongest man can break if you apply too much pressure."

He waited for the others to speak, but as the cold wind of the night greeted him, he merely continued. "This is one of the problems he must face if he wants to be with Lucy again. I know he doesn't mean what he said. Hell, he even admitted he still loves her."

Gray nodded weakly, wordless.

The pinkette's jaw tensed. "But knowing Rogue, he will never give Lucy away."

After another long silence, Jellal inhaled sharply and faced them. "Yea, Gray," he said, smiling gently at the raven-haired man who eyed him wearily.

"Then what do you call that?" Gray croaked, wincing. "Anger?"

Jellal shook his head.

"That's called frustration."

A/N: Gaaah! I feel so bad now. Anyway, I won't tell who is the mastermind behind this... tragedy but believe me, it's not Catherine... partly. I don't know, you just have to wait for the later chapters to find out who it is! HAHAHA. I left hints about who it is though... if no one can guess who it is then that's too bad :P

I'm enjoying writing chapters for FM right now. Don't ask me why, I just do. So I whipped up a long chapter :D I'm planning on updating this stories with longer chapters so you should thank my muse for the burst of motivation for that.

Anyhow, if you liked the chapter, leave a review below :D

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Byee! -Anne :D

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