Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Fairy Tail

Sting almost regretted agreeing to help locate Natsu and his friends. Erza had come to him, explaining that Fairy Tail had been forced to divide their forces to rescue one of their own members from captivity. Yet, things weren't going quite as planned. Despite starting to realize that Sabertooth needed to change, that they needed to start making friends and relying on each other rather than power alone, this wasn't quite what he had in mind to begin that shift.

The battle itself had seemed chaotic when he approached. Really, Sting thought it would be Natsu at the center of the mess, not the stranger from before. Either way, it was impressive. He was a single man, holding off an army on his own and making the entire process seem effortless. Something about the way he glided so smoothly from one attack to another, then moving to defend, had left Sting wondering if he had been wrong about others. There were many forms of power, both in magic and in heart. This man seemed to have found another, excelling in physical strength beyond anything Sting had seen before.

Now, after watching that man collapse from a single simple spell, Sting realized the purpose of his warning about not using magic. The guy knew what would happen, so why? He didn't understand what the heck was going on. The gate was massive, but opening it didn't seem like it would devastate anything. In fact, the whole battle around him just seemed pointless. Each side seemed focused on achieving their goals, but he was lost as to what they were. Fairy Tail seemed to want to stop it, or at least Erza was fighting to do so, and he had yet to see any signs of the missing team they were trying to support by heading this direction. "Invel…damn it, this isn't the time to just take a nap." He shook the unconscious man, but he simply remained slumped on the ground, his eyes closed. Sting could see bloodstains on his clothes, though he didn't know how much was Invel's blood and how much belonged to others. Either way, he had to act quickly. The guards were closing in, raising weapons towards the spot where Sting knelt down over Invel's fallen form.

Lifting his own blade above his head, Sting glared at them. "Get away from here! Can't you see that he isn't fighting back anymore?" They didn't do anything to stop, simply moving closer regardless of his words. After all, Sting wasn't the one that could make them afraid, not with a sword at least.

"It…it won't open!" Another shout got the attention of one of the knights, the one that seemed to do nothing but guard the princess. "Something is wrong…the ice that man placed here, I think he interfered with Eclipse some how. I don't understand…how can something so small stop our greatest creation?"

Something exploded from within the castle walls behind them. This time, it was enough to distract the approaching soldiers, stopping them and making them turn towards the fire flaring out in the distance. "Ha! You think you're gonna kill Lucy? Well, I'm not going to stand around and let anyone talk about taking away her future. I don't care who you are, I'm going to show you why you don't mess with Fairy Tail."

"The same as always, Natsu. You always were an annoying little pest." Sting knew that voice. He froze, his eyes wide at the sight of the man standing up from within the collapsed rubble. Still, Rogue didn't look right. The black hair was still present, but half of it was pure white as well. He had a dark smirk on his face, glancing behind him with a smile. Standing in the direction of Rogue's glance was Princess Hisui of the royal family. "Your highness, I see you've taken my advice fully. We must make haste in activating the canon, before the attack begins."

"This is the man you met from the future, Princess?" The guard spoke, while Rogue seemed to gaze around the battlefield with a frown.

Hisui nodded in agreement, explaining what was going on, however Rogue spoke over her voice. "Is someone attempting to stop you? In the future I come from, only one interfered with this project."

By Sting's feet, Invel seemed to stir ever so slightly. His eyes flickered open, turning towards the man standing in front of them all. Meanwhile, Gray and Erza walked towards Sting, standing by his sides with grave expressions. "Something seems off about this. I don't know about you guys, but Natsu seems rather pissed at this guy claiming to be trying to help save our future."

"Because he's trying to kill Lucy! This bastard says Lucy has to die because she'll close the gate."

Invel seemed to try to stand, but Sting realized quickly the this was not something he should be doing. Pressing a hand to his arm, Sting shook his head. "Stay out of this. You're too weak as it is."

"Weak?" Invel smiled, leaning back against the ground and sighing. "Perhaps I am lacking in energy, but weak is never a term I'd use to describe myself." His gaze flickered towards the dark haired man, frowning ever so slightly. "You…you claim to be from the future? Then tell me…just why have you returned?"

"To stop the hundred dragons about to destroy Crocus, of course. This is the day it all began…the day we fell under Acnologia's reign because we were too weak to stand up and fight against him."

Who the heck was that? Gray seemed to have paled at the name, while Erza stiffened. They knew who Acnologia was. Invel didn't seem to react, though, so maybe it wasn't something he was supposed to know about. "Acnologia, you say? Tell me, did any stand against him when he began? I can think of quite a few allies of my own that would refuse to bow before such a being."

"All of us did. Fairy Tail, Sabertooth, Mermaid Heel, Blue Pegasus…every guild united forces to fight back. We all fell…and those that remained became livestock for him to breed for future meals."

"Rogue…that…you know I wouldn't let that happen." Sting watched him, seeing the man stiffen with widening eyes.

"Sting…ah, seeing you brings back memories. Perhaps you would have attempted to stop him." The Rogue before him flashed a dark smile. "You died before you even had the chance. Do you know how how dragon slayers gain more power, old friend?"

Walking out from the castle, Lucy seemed to be joining with worried eyes. No one moved to fight, but Sting felt an odd shiver rush through him at the look in Rogue's eyes. He had never seen Rogue look like this before. However, it was Invel who answered, glaring at Rogue. "Killing other dragons. So…you know of the secret plans, do you? And the one who claimed murder was a despicable act fell to that darkness himself…how ironic. Perhaps I misjudged the two of you…it was not Sting destined to kill his allies, but you."

Sting froze. Invel couldn't be right. Rogue would never betray him, no matter what happened. The two of them had fought side by side for their entire lives. They trained together, with both Skiadrum and Weisslogia. They killed their mentors together, and grieved together when the task was done. Together, they agreed to never let that grief show again, to speak only of how powerful they would become to honor the sacrifice of their parents. "Plans? You are an interesting one…I wonder how you are aware of the truth yourself. That makes you dangerous…and I suspect the person interfering with what must be done!"

Rogue lunged forward, seeming to target Invel. The mage saw it coming, narrowing his eyes and trying to move again. However, his weakness made his arms give out before he even got to a sitting position. Grimacing, Sting moved forward instead, white light flashing in his hands. He slammed a fist into Rogue's stomach, sending him flying back to the ground. "I don't know who the hell you are…but there's no way Rogue is going to become you. I'll make sure to stop that future from ever existing…and I'll wipe that smirk off your face for even suggesting that this is what will become of my friend!"

"You're defending him?" Rogue laughed, shaking his head. "I must admit, it took me some time…but I now recognize you, Invel Yura. Such a shameful state you are in…your emperor would be disappointed in your performance, I think."

There was a look of rage burning in Invel's eyes, but Sting ignored him completely. "Say whatever you want to try and turn us against each other. I know you're lying…because if you were correct, I'd smell dragons in the air by now. Natsu, maybe my senses are weaker, so would you like to confirm the lack of dragons in the area?"

Smirking, the fire dragon slayer approached Rogue from behind. "Not a hint…something tells me you aren't so certain of this future of yours now, are ya?"

As if in response, an odd light seemed to swarm Rogue's figure. It was golden, an aura surrounding him and making his eyes widen. "No…it cannot be. Why is this happening? The gate is in front of me…" He trailed off, his eyes seeming to spot the ice formed on the surface. "Winter General…well played. Perhaps I was wrong about you, but that does not mean you will not face me again. Watch the shadows…they are always waiting for their chance. When Frosch died, that was when I lost. Sting…for what it is worth, I am sorry. Power was not worth the loneliness it caused…"

That was all he had time to say before he faded away completely, a sad smile on his face. Still, Sting had heard enough. Frosch would die somehow. That would trigger the grief Sting had felt, the rage that led to him nearly killing the master of Sabertooth. That rage was what Invel warned about, the rage that would make friends kill each other without thought. However, Invel seemed to be lost in thought, looking up towards Sting. "Will you take his lessons to heart? Strength is something of value…but it comes with a price. You cannot gain it without sacrificing something of equal value. This is the way of the world, the way it creates balance between all things."

"That wasn't Rogue, and I don't believe what he said for one second." Sting knelt down, seeing something almost empty in Invel's eyes. Really, it had been there from the moment they first met. Looking into them could almost spread a chill into one's body, invading everything and spreading that numbness to the world. "I'm only strong because I rely on my friends…because I want to fight to keep them safe. Sacrifice them for power? There's not a chance in the world anyone would be stupid enough to believe it was the only way."

This man needed to understand that. Sting himself was only just beginning to grasp how important that was, after watching the way Fairy Tail fought. "Then you will one day see that a cost will still be paid. Fighting for friends creates weakness, strengthening resolve in return for inspiring sacrificial actions in battle." He frowned, studying Sting for a moment. "Is…I suppose that is where my confusion lies. You defended me, fighting against a man that claimed to be your friend. You had nothing to gain as a result…yet you still fought. There is no reason for you to protect me. I've said little that could be viewed as kind words towards you, and in fact, I'm certain I've done little more than inspire anger in you before your competition. Why did you make such a sacrificial action on my behalf? You did not know that my spell would interrupt the energy drain from Eclipse as well as its activation."

"You don't really make friends often, do you?" Gray spoke, shaking his head and patting Sting's shoulder. "I don't know who you are or what you were doing here in the first place, but if you weren't here, things could have gone a lot worse. Whoever the heck that guy was wanted us to open the gate…which means nothing good would have come from it."

"Dragons would have come from it." Lucy joined them, speaking with a smile and looking down at Invel. "Thanks for stopping them, by the way. I'm Lucy. As for the spell…I realized it while we were fighting Future Rogue. Dragons simply don't exist in this time period. The only way they could be here—"

"Would be for the gate to open and connect with the past." Invel smiled, looking pleased with her assessment.

Still, Sting saw that it was a hollow gesture. He wasn't even looking happy with that smile, just going through the motions of congratulating Lucy on her conclusion. So, Sting rose to his feet, holding out a hand towards Invel. "Yeah, thanks. You asked why I helped you? First of all, that person wasn't my friend. The Rogue I know…he wouldn't sacrifice me for power, no matter how desperate he became." Invel said nothing, while Sting took a deep breath, turning to meet the wizard's icy blue gaze. "Secondly…maybe you weren't kind, but you were honest. Really, you don't strike me as someone who would just try and say a few kind words to anyone for no purpose. You say the truth as you know it, and maybe that is darker than what most of us agree with, but sometimes…we need to hear that such things are possible."

"I do not understand. This still does not explain your desire to defend my well being in any form."

Rubbing the back of his head, Sting realized Invel was not taking his hand to rise to his feet. He awkwardly let the other hand fall to his side, looking away. "Doesn't it? You were right. I was angry, and I wanted to lash out at everyone around me. Thinking about your words…they stopped me from doing some pretty impulsive and stupid things in the competition. I wanted to destroy Fairy Tail by myself…but remembered what you said might happen if I gave in to that anger. So, maybe you aren't a nice guy. Who really cares? I still think you did enough to be considered my friend to some extent, don't you?"

There was a stillness to Invel, almost like he was waiting for Sting to take back those words. However, he seemed to simply nod, slowly sitting up and closing his eyes. "I see. Perhaps making friends is simpler than I always believed it to be."

"Wait…you say that like you don't have friends." Lucy glanced at him, biting her lower lip.

Behind her, Natsu approached and crossed his arms over his chest. He studied Invel closely, leaning forward and inhaling deeply. Meanwhile, Invel seemed to stiffen, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly as the dragon slayer did so. "And I'd say you're right. He doesn't smell like other people…most people have their own scent mixed with the scents of their friends who've been around them for a long time. He just smells like…himself and Crocus."

Reaching out a hand once more, Sting met Invel's gaze levelly. There seemed to still be an odd glare in them, his eyes following Natsu's movements, but he slowly met Sting's gaze instead. "And that's no way to live your life. You said before that you knew someone who lost their comrades. I bet seeing someone in that kind of pain made you afraid of it yourself…that you saw this at a very young age." He smiled, watching as Invel remained stoic, refusing to respond with even a change in expression. "Sure, it hurts to lose those around you. However, I promise I won't hurt you like that. You're afraid of getting close to people because you fear the pain of losing them. The joy of knowing them is even greater than any pain that comes later…so why not try? Try and make a friend, Invel. I'll show you that it isn't so bad…and I'll show you that sometimes, you can make a friend that will never leave your side, no matter how bad things get."

The wizard seemed to be thoughtful, much like usual. Sting wondered if this guy analyzed everything ever said to him, based on how he seemed to often speak in riddles and keep his thoughts to himself. However, he slowly began to nod, taking Sting's hand and rising to his feet. His skin was surprisingly cold, making Sting have to resist the urge to pull his hand away from a chill almost as cold as grabbing a block of ice. Still, Invel looked away once he was on his feet, not moving but standing still as his strength gradually began to return. "You say that now, but in the end, you will be lying. You do not know who I am…nor do you know a thing about me."

"So? I know that you just fought to stop a disaster from happening. I know that you hate seeing brutal violence…because you told me you didn't want to see a bloody end to this competition. Maybe you've got way too much skill with a sword for most people to believe that to be true…but you aren't a bad person, wanting others to die."

There was an odd smile on his face as Invel chuckled slightly. "I suppose you will simply have to wait and see. Be my friend if you wish…but do not say I did not warn you. I am not a kind person…and while I may dislike it, I have no qualms about killing others. Some situations require drastic measures…and sometimes, there are those who you cannot abandon, asking for things which we cannot refuse."

"Are you sure you don't have a friend? Because the way you talked just now…it sounds a lot like there's someone you have to protect." The guards were moving near Hisui as Gray spoke, more concerned with the princess and failed project than the no longer violent wizards.

Meeting his gaze, Invel shook his head. "He is not a friend. After all…if we were friends, I suppose I would be dead." He didn't seem to explain any further, and Sting was left watching as Invel began walking away. Before long, he began following after the wizard, his mind thinking back to the way he spoke before. Invel knew someone who killed anyone thought of as a friend. Was that really the only person Invel had ever been around enough to understand? Sting didn't know for sure, but he was going to find out. He was going to learn just who this guy was, and one day, he'd show Invel that he was wrong about friends in general. He was going to show the winter wizard how to properly embrace the connections he made, and enjoy life with others rather than alone because of the path he had chosen.

This chapter was a bit difficult to write and revise. I wanted it to tie into the events going on between Natsu, Lucy, and Future Rogue...but I had difficulty trying to figure out exactly where they were in canon when Eclipse was about to activate. So, I gave my best estimation, and had the fight between Future Rogue and Natsu bring them out to the rest of the people gathered. This is really my first time writing a story focusing on more minor characters too, so if you feel like Invel or Sting are a bit OOC, feel free to let me know what seems off about them (I often feel like I write Sting too closely to Natsu's personality, and I can't quite pinpoint what about this chapter just felt...off for how I wrote Invel.). Either way, please leave a review and tell me what you think!