Spoilers for chapter 300.
My heart is broken now. Poor Sting…
I never really intended to write another thing about Rogue and/or Sting-especially not Lector or Frosh…but apparently, Mashima made me think otherwise.
This is my take on what might happen to Rogue and Sting after the incident…
Chapter Summary: His partner, the one person that stuck by him through thick and thin, was gone. Where? He didn't know, and that was the problem. Rogue-centric.
Characters: Rogue, Frosh, mentions of Sting and Lector.
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort
By the way, welcome to the twentieth chapter. Although I'm not in the mood to celebrate…
~From Dragons to Dragon Slayers~
Ch. 20: In The Dark
Rogue walked through the bustling city of Crocus, a sack containing all his belongings thrown over his shoulder. In his arms was Frosh, who had cried himself to sleep from today's incidents.
No one seemed to notice him walk by, even past the crowds of people he could not avoid. It wasn't that surprising, really. No one ever noticed a shadow.
His own shadow lingered slowly behind him, as he passed by a little shop illuminated by bright lights.
Light, his mind automatically thought of a cocky blonde…
Rogue was in a terrible state at the moment, with nowhere left to go, all his valuables stuffed into a sorry excuse for a bag, and no more than Frosh and his own shadow as his own companions.
Was this how Yukino felt? Probably. The thought of his white-haired friend only intensified the grief inside of him.
Although, the Shadow Dragon Slayer knew very well that there was someone who was suffering a hundred times more than he was.
His partner, the one person that stuck by him through thick and thin, was gone.
Where? He didn't know, and that was the problem.
After the council had gotten an idea of what had happened back at the lodging, Sting made a run for it.
Rogue didn't get to say goodbye.
Sting was the one that made him open his eyes, to see all of the excitement he was missing out on in the world around him. He truly was a shining light, as his magic would show.
"Count your blessings", people would usually say. Rogue's eyes were pinned to the pavement below him, whilst he thought of what he still had.
Frosh.
Clothes.
Money.
It wasn't much, compared to the luxury they had had in Sabertooth, but Rogue knew better. He had much more than Sting. What did he have? A little bit of money? A change of clothes for tomorrow? Ridiculous. Sting probably had less than the clothes on his back.
He felt the feeling of emptiness coursing through his body with every step. He felt like he was walking nowhere. Where was he supposed to go anyway? With the limited money he had, there was no way he could sleep in this town (reminder: the Capital of the country), unless he skipped tomorrow's meals. But then what? How would he get money? By joining another guild?
The last question was meant to come out in sarcasm, but somehow Rogue's mind began to wander.
Quatro Cerberus wasn't his type, Blue Pegasus seemed a little too…flashy, Mermaid Heel was out of the question…that left him with…
Lamia Scale?
The Shadow mage shook his head. He couldn't/shouldn't/wouldn't lie to himself anymore. For the longest time, he had wanted to join Fairy Tail.
Their guild radiated with warmth.
The man he looked up to, Gajeel, was there.
Gajeel had destroyed their guild hall once upon a time, according to the stories he heard. But even so, he had been accepted into Fairy Tail.
If they accepted an enemy, they would accept him, right? All he needed was the courage to go ask them once the tournament was over. He didn't need his pride or his strength anymore. There was nothing left of him, except for his hopes that the guild would take him in. No longer was he the Shadow Dragon of Sabertooth. Now, he was just Rogue Cheney, the Shadow Dragon Slayer, looking for a place to stay for the night.
Rogue stopped, feeling the pink and green Exceed stir in his arms.
"Rogue…?"
He immediately felt that warmth in his chest whenever Frosh said his name, "I'm here."
"Rogue…where are we?"
"In the outskirts of Crocus," he replied softly, "I'm looking for somewhere to stay."
What the little Exceed asked next made Rogue flinch.
"Where's Sting and Lector?"
Rogue stared blankly at the ground for a few moments before Frosh spoke up again.
"They're…it wasn't a dream, Rogue? Are they…gone…?"
The dark-haired man sighed, "I'll tell you when we find somewhere to sleep tonight."
If we find somewhere to sleep tonight. Rogue corrected himself in his mind.
Tears started to form in Frosh's eyes, but he just nodded, "O-okay…"
The rest of the walk was silent. Frosh was too scared to speak, in danger of breaking out into sobs.
Rogue was instantly reminded of his partner whenever they passed by a lit building, which was, approximately, every ten seconds. And whenever he saw a shop selling cookies, he was instantly reminded of Lector, who adored the said treat. Rogue vaguely remembered Lector eating a pack of cookies yesterday, when everything was okay.
Where was Sting now?
Was he still in Crocus, hiding in an alleyway?
Had he already been captured by the Rune Knights?
Or was he safe somewhere far, far away?
Rogue knew nothing. He wished he could see his friend again, maybe not to prove his innocence (because Rogue wasn't sure if he could do that), but to help him escape the council.
For now, he would have to be strong for Frosh. He'd done it countless times before. Except that this time, it was much, much harder.
There were so many things Rogue didn't-and might not ever-know.
But he knew one thing for sure.
Sting was light.
And he was shadow.
Likewise…with no light…
There was no shadow.