Slain Among Ice and Fire

by EnergyMageFrea

The truth behind what drives the SaberTooth Guild to be as ruthless and driven as they are has never been clear. Behind the stony face and heartless actions, lay a Guild of people who's true selves are kept hidden, for sake of pure fear of the Master. The only people who know the truth are those in the Guild itself, afraid... and prisoners, in their own ways. Like she was, trapped.

38. Chapter 38- Her

Chapter 38

Her

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's and Ideas

.:+:.

Two Days Earlier-

"... She... You were serious about that...?"

Everything went deadly quiet following the words, all those sitting in attendance around the table wide-eyed and stunned for the confirmation to something most of them would never have considered the truth... And nobody looking any more shocked and even unnerved than the band of Sherry, Toby, Yuka, Lyon and Gray.

Naturally so, given the subject of said confirmation... and how terribly close to their own hearts it all hit.

Doranbolt frowned, looking slowly away from the window he'd been staring out of, rigid in place and just about as grim-faced as a person could be. His expression was mirrored in basically everyone else, Fairy Tailers, Sabers, and Lamia alike, all of them strained and tired- but for now listening tensely to what had started as an innocent inquiry, and one only made now that, after days, things seemed to have settled and that Saber Wizard they had all been so focused on seemed to be finally reaching a point where she might actually be fine... And the question?

"You said something about Hora and a Demon of Zeref when we were fighting... What was that about?"

However none of them had really expected the answer they earned- save those in SaberTooth who had already known, and those in Fairy Tail who had been told too, like Lucy, Mirajane, and PantherLily. But those who hadn't? Like Erza, the Lamia Wizards, Gray, Juvia, and Gajeel even?

Complete shock

Doranbolt's attention landed on Gray, who had asked it, and now the Ice Wizard looked about three shades paler than he already had, Juvia beside him stiff as a board and wide-eyed just like he was, Lyon too.

"Why would I make that up...?" Doranbolt grumbled lowly, his arms crossed over his chest. Gray swallowed, hard.

"... I... None of us assumed you did, but that... That's hard to wrap our minds around..." Lyon mumbled tensely, answering in the place of Gray- who's voice seemed to fail him, and his voice was not the only one. The other Lamia Wizards who had all had their lives forever changed by Deliora could not have found words just then either, and Lyon only barely did before his voice died out, and his eyes dropped onto his hands on the table as they wound together tightly.

"... No kidding..." Gray hissed under his breath, Juvia casting the Ice Wizard a wary look.

Doranbolt paused, Ira beside him looking a little uneasy for the sudden subject and the memory of the whole thing, and for a few moments no one really said anything... Until Doranbolt broke the silence, shifting a little on his feet and letting out a heavy sigh.

"Yeah, I get that." The Rune Knight mumbled, leaning back against the wall beside the window slightly and shaking his head once. "Hell, I still have a hard time wrapping my head around it, and I saw it with my own eyes, once we managed to get back to her again." He mumbled, Ira nodding stiffly in agreement, his eyes trailing down toward the floor and stiff in his space- though his shoulders hunched at the memory of it, and naturally so.

Lyon paused at the words though, his head tilting back up again and eyes narrowing. "... Get back to her...?" He asked slowly, and Doranbolt grimaced at it, Ira too.

"She ordered everybody out of North Wind's Guild Hall, so we wouldn't get caught in the crossfire of the fight." The Rune Knight explained lowly, "The place was huge to start with, but once she really got into fighting the Demon a lot of the hallways in and out were messed up and caved in. It was harder than hell to get passed all that and to her, even with Ira tracking her location." He explained, Ira grimacing for the memory.

"... We almost didn't get to her in time at all..." The younger Rune Knight mumbled tensely, and Doranbolt stiffened against the words, his eyes falling closed and frowning deeply.

"... tch, yeah... Like I keep saying, she's crazy." Doranbolt grumbled,

"You shouldn't call her that." Ira muttered lowly and without skipping a beat, and Doranbolt stiffened a little at the scathing tone, but nodded stiffly.

"... Yeah... But how the hell else am I supposed to describe all the shit she does, and keeps doing?" Doranbolt mumbled, "No normal person rushes in and gets themselves nearly killed against a Demon of Zeref, is out for an entire week because of it, and then immediately jumps back into more fights and situations where they nearly get killed over and over again." He mumbled and Ira grimaced at it, his eyes dropping from Doranbolt and to his feet. Everyone else looked just as pained as Ira did for the words, though some more than others... plus a look of confusion and wonder that passed over Juvia's face, her head tilting faintly.

"How long ago was that fight with the Demon...?" The bluenette asked slowly,

"About two weeks ago... well, actually almost three weeks now." Doranbolt mumbled, and everyone went stiff as a board.

"What?" Lyon hissed, "You... You mean she went against the Demon not a week before the Games even started?" He asked tensely, and Doranbolt nodded just once.

"Yeah, like I said- immediately jumping into things and getting almost killed." The man grumbled a touch irritably, but everyone else just stared, their hearts dropping further into their stomachs than they already had, or had continued to do the more they learned about just how much had gone on.

Between the abuse from Jiemma and Minerva alike, the Possession Link, her supposed fate to end up dead, and the fighting in the Palace and with the Dragon's all, and then Over-Drive on top of it- how could there have been that too? How could she have even kept up with all that insanity, and all that getting hurt...? How could she have kept getting back up and kept going at all, and without end? And for what..?

For... For more everyone else's sake, other than her own...?

Her Guild's, her friends, Yukino and Lucy, and then eventually them? Juvia, Meredy, Lyon, and Gray, who she fought so hard beside against Callan, and then nearly decimated when at the end there so many people had lost their lives, before Time had gone in reverse?

Everyone sitting there all around the table in the quiet of the Inn- they all went rigid, shoulders hunching and swallowing hard against the thoughts, and the realization... A realization they had all come to before now, but for so many of them it never really hit that hard until right in that instant.

SaberTooth as a whole had been so oppressed, terrified, and abused- and not a one of the other Guilds had ever known it... But one Saber out of the lot seemed to have gotten the short end of just about every possible stick.

"... tch... she's really had a rough go of it, huh...?" Gray grumbled quietly, blue eyes flashing as he grit his teeth a little, and the comment made so many people hunch, and even flinch.

Lyon shot his childhood friend a tense glance from the side, his lips pulling into a thin line and swallowing, hard.

He was right, but Gray didn't even know the full of it... he was still so painfully unaware and so painfully clueless as to who she actually was, and what extra layer of horror and hardship there was to the story of all Horatia had been through, and how tightly her own hurt wound with Gray's. Hell, Gray still hadn't a real clue why what had happened with the Mini-Dragons and his apparent 'death' had hit Hora so hard- and hard enough to warrant such a colossal Spell as she had sent loose right after it.

An attack and surge of Magic born of nothing but pure emotion- pure heartbreak- and the need to protect something she had lost not once, but twice.

Lyon grit his teeth, forcing his eyes off Gray and shutting them tight, his hands on the table top lifting as his head bent, and he pressed his chin into them firmly.

He hadn't been able to tell Gray about it, not with all those days with Hora not getting any better and only going from bad to worse- he couldn't say it. Not if she might end up dead and gone, he could not do it... and still, even now with Hora seemingly starting to be on the mend- Lyon hesitated.

He wanted to say it, and he wanted it so badly and so much right then that words could not describe it. It felt so much like a betrayal to stay quiet, it had felt like so all this time, and it was eating at him constantly. Not once in a week now had it not been tearing up at his insides and weighing on his mind, and it only got worse each time he saw Gray fall quiet and start brooding.

Every time he saw little bits of ache in Gray swirling beneath the surface, even while the raven-haired Ice Mage didn't know why, or what for. It was agonizing watching Gray so many times the last few days and all those hours trying to help her as he teetered barely at the fringes of the truth, and still never get there. To see small seconds where Lyon swore Gray felt something, anything- something deep down where some part of him just knew, but still not know.

To see Gray grimace, everything about him worked up and uneasy, and even aching for that realization of how awful things had been for Hora all these years, and feel for her... but not feel the full weight of it, not even close. To feel for her but avoid what an even more awful blow and hurt it would be for Gray if he actually realized that it wasn't just this woman he'd met and been helped by that was in such a bad way, and had been for so long- but that she was actually his sister who had suffered that much.

It hurt Lyon a hundred times more than it would have knowing who she was, than if he hadn't- and it hurt worse to know that it would be a million times worse for Gray when he did realize it.

Lyon wanted to say it, tell him, stop this incessant state of not knowing and being eaten up by the decision to stay quiet- he almost did say it, because now his reasoning for keeping his mouth shut was losing weight... but another reason to not do it popped in, and he stalled.

Even if Hora might not die now, and might be okay, and get better... what right did he have to tell Gray that, before she did? What right did he have to reveal that truth for her?

Lyon hissed under his breath, his head bending a little more and his forehead pressing against his hands instead, shoulders hunching more than a tad and stomach churning painfully.

I don't have that right... this is between her and Gray.

He knew that, but it was still one of the hardest things he had ever had to do, and he felt sick for it, his posture folding a little more in on itself and rigid as can possibly be.

Gray glanced right, Sherry, Yuka and Toby doing much the same as they all caught the way Lyon seemed to hunch over in the corner of their eyes. They could see the way his hands trembled, and practically felt the sudden upsurge in unease and even turmoil in him just then- and where usually it would have been near impossible to see such a thing in the usually calm and reserved Lyon at all.

Gray swallowed, eyes flashing as they narrowed at the white-haired man, quiet. He'd seen the same thing in Lyon several times already the last few days, and no small amount of concern too- which he understood... because as Gray had already noted that night just before the Dragons showed up, Lyon and Horatia were strangely close. Strangely because they hadn't known each other that long at all, they'd only met a few months ago and not seen each other until that night- but all the same they were still that, close. And they way more than the 'chummy' Gray had described it as, because Horatia getting as hurt as she had had clearly worn on Lyon much more than Gray would have thought possible.

He didn't get it, he got the feeling there was something more between the two of them than he had a clue about- and Gray let out a small breath for the thought.

"... you really like her, don't you?" Gray mumbled quietly and out of nowhere, the inquiry causing Lyon to jump a little in surprise, his eyes snapping open and glancing Gray's way warily. "I've never seen you this worked up about anybody, ever... so you've gotta like her, and a lot." Gray pointed out quietly, and Lyon seemed to swallow, something about his expression twisting at the comment, and what was meant by it- but not twisting in the way Gray expected.

It wasn't nervousness, or embarrassment, or anything of the like... it was pained, and almost frustrated.

"Yes, I care about her, but not in the way you're thinking." Lyon replied lowly, and Gray blinked, his eyes narrowing further at the reply, but Lyon looked away again, shaking his head stiffly and letting out a very exasperated sigh.

"... You really have no idea what you just tried to imply... Or how inappropriate it is... I would never..." Lyon mumbled wearily, Gray looking quite confused, though Lyon never elaborated.

... And more than that... you really don't have any idea how much its killing me that you haven't seen it for yourself already, or realized it, Gray... Damn it.

.:+:.

Present-

He's totally out

Hora smiled sadly as she glanced down at Rogue, the Shadow Dragon Slayer deep asleep and completely dead to the world where he was on the bed and lying on his side to her right- close enough to have his arm bud up against against her hip and reach her, but not close enough to really let their body heat mingle... Which was for the best, seeing as how he was still rather warm from having a fever, and it wouldn't do them any good for him to overheat Hora by keeping close. She still had her own fever to worry about, and let run it's course all the way.

Hora had hoped the bath would help Rogue's fever taper off, though. And maybe it did a little, but it still persisted, and likely wouldn't let up until he caught up on all that sleep he'd clearly lost.

They'd finished up with getting all cleaned in the bath, having their injuries wrapped up again (both of them, though Hora more than Rogue), changed into clean clothes, and whatever else about two hours ago... During all of which they'd both still been a little nervous and fidgety with each other, even after all the confessions, getting things out in the air, and the kiss combined. They likely would be kinda awkward and easily flustered with one another for a bit to come, given the sudden shift in things between them, and all that had been laid out in the open- which wasn't a bad thing per say. It was just new, and something they'd have to go slow with and find a bit of balance and comfort in.

In essence, they'd have to give it some time. And hopefully now with all the insanity having to with the GMG, the Eclipse Gate, and everything else- they might actually have some time for at least a little bit now before something else went all totally screwy again.

Hora glanced away from Rogue's sleeping face and toward the half-curtained balcony doors to the left of the bed, the city dark aside from spare lights dotted among the shadows, and the silvery blue of moonlight. Her eyes flashed, frowning a little too herself and shoulders sinking.

... well, barring any amount of crazy that might crop up when I actually get around to... everything else I still haven't finished.

Hora bit the insides of her cheeks, her eyes moving off the balcony doors and back toward Rogue a moment, mulling, before she slowly started to shift toward the edge of the bed away from him as carefully as she could, and quietly too. It'd probably take a lot more than just her moving to actually wake him up with him being fairly out cold, but she wasn't gonna risk it, and besides- she had to be careful getting up for her sake too. Since she'd ended up twisting (and from what it still felt like, spraining) her ankle trying to get up and get to Rogue while he was having his nightmare, she didn't want to repeat the process getting up now.

She was less dizzy by now after having been up for awhile and shaking off some of the heaviness that came from sleeping. But even as she pushed herself slowly off the bed and onto her feet she felt a wave of lightheadedness hit her right off, forcing her to pause just next to it and lean against the edge with her hands for support until it tapered off again... eventually.

Hora forced herself a sigh, straightening up all the way and taking a tentative step back from the bed and in the direction of the balcony doors. It was slow going getting all the way across the room and reaching the doors, though mostly because she was doing her best to not make any noise or put too much weight on her right ankle in the process. She managed it all the way to the doors and opened one quietly and only halfway, slipping through the open space out into the cool night air, and then shut the door softly behind her.

She paused a moment, leaning back against the door and taking in a deep breath, cool night air flooding her senses with a million faint and faroff scent mixed in. One scent in particular that wasn't at all faint was that of ash and ice combined... You know, from the giant wasteland of fire and ice both, and the even more giant dragon shaped tower hovering over the city- courtesy of her.

She sighed as she glanced passed the balcony railing out toward the persistent remnants of her Magic, shoulders sinking faintly as her eyes traced along the icy white glow of moonlight filtering through the glistening ice so far off.

Speaking of things still unfinished- I do have to figure out how to undo all of that, hmm...?

'Yes, eventually.' Lixue murmured wearily,

She sighed again, shaking her head slightly and moving forward to the bench lining the railing on all sides, settling down slowly onto the cushions and tugging slightly at the shirt she had on as she went. All of the clothes she had herself were destroyed or dirty as hell, between North Wind, the Possession Link getting destroyed, the Dragons, and everything in between- so Rogue had brought her some clothes of Yukino's that the Celestial Mage had offered up for her. The clothes themselves were simple enough, some loose black pants and a light blue shirt striped in darker blue that was both sleeveless and backless- but being Yukino's it was likely a little looser than it was meant to be around the top.

Well anyway, it just feels better to be cleaned up, and in some clean clothes.

The fresh air feels great too, the smell of fire and whatever else aside... anything's better than a stuffy room still smelling of blood, sweat, medicine, and whatever else.

She settled in a bit in her seat, pulling her legs up onto the bench with her and leaning against the stone railing, propping her elbow up and settling her cheek in her hand wearily. Her eyes ended up wandering back over the city and toward where the ghostly statue of Callan was again, the moonlight fracturing and bending through the ice lazily while small bursts of pale blue flame glowed dimly down in dark streets trapped under heavy sheets of ice... and somewhere in the midst of all that Magic was the space in which it had started, where Callan had pinned her to the ground and she could nothing but watch while her Brother got ripped to shreds.

She grit her teeth slightly at the thought of it, trying hard to keep the memory at bay and from playing over again. She forced her eyes off the buried streets and away toward a different part of the city, one intact and filled with lights and evidence of life, people, and where any amount of destruction that might have been there before was long gone... Rewound and put back into place by Time fixing itself a second time, after it had jumped back one precious minute that allowed her to keep her Brother from being ripped away once more.

Shit... there's one more thing I still haven't finished yet. One last secret of all the many I've had to spill the last few months, or had spilled for me.

Everybody knows about Arden now, even if they don't all the details- what they do know and what little bits I actually told anybody is enough to get the basic picture... Same thing with Deliora too, though that one isn't even half a picture just yet.

Everybody knows about me being a Devil Slayer, and how it drives me insane, and is a pain in the ass, and about you being a Dragon Lixue, which kinda makes me a Dragon Slayer... and they all know about the craziness involving me supposed to have died in the Other Rogue's future, and all that too. Which with all of that, they know what Over-Drive is now too, because it was the Other Rogue who explained it instead of me.

And everybody knows about SaberTooth, and Jiemma and Minerva, and all their bullshit too... and the whole Possession Link thing on top of that.

So much shit I kept a secret from everyone or most everyone my whole life... All of it out now in the course of just a few weeks, or a few days... Hours even.

Hora's eyes dropped closed with a heavy sigh, chewing on the insides of her cheeks pensively.

There really is just one more secret left, huh...? Maybe the biggest one of the lot... Shit.

How the hell am I even supposed to go about explaining that though...? Or just saying it...? To him...?

'Hey, I know I've kinda popped up out of nowhere and been in your life for a week straight now, and I know I never said anything but... Well, kinda a funny story? Cause it's me, your little sister...? The one you've thought was dead most of your life and probably forgot all about by now..?'

Her heart twisted painfully with the hypothetical, forcing her to swallow back at that and what lump suddenly worked it's way into the back of her throat too.

That last bit was definitely spurred by an ever nagging (and rather dark) thought that maybe Gray would have by now pushed anything and everything having to do with her from his mind, and never wanted to touch it again. That maybe any memory or mention of her was something too painful for him to face, and he'd buried it with the intention of never bringing it back up under any circumstances... that idea he might not want to remember her, or know her now, because it would hurt too much.

Lixue had already told her not to think such things, and assured her that would not be the case- and in some part of her mind she kind of believed him- or at least wanted to believe him. But wanting that didn't stop the thought from still lurking, and the fear with it deep in her core. And it definitely didn't help anything that Gray himself hadn't even put any of it together himself- he didn't recognize her, or show any sign to knowing her in the slightest.

She couldn't expect him to of course, there was no way he could logically recognize her or even guess at who she was- she was not the person he remembered, if he remembered her at all. There was nothing to recognize, or realize, because the sister in his mind had been buried and dead a long, long time. He wouldn't, he couldn't- she knew that.

But hell if him not seeing it didn't still scare the hell out of her though

Hora hissed slightly, holding her breath against the way that fear and ache sharpened to a fine point suddenly, quickly trying to toss all thoughts related to it away and to stop pestering so much.

Please... just stop for now.

She forced a long and heavy breath, her eyes opening again as she did and shaking her head at herself faintly. Her attention moved back toward where the silhouette of the GMG Arena stood overlooking Crocus, dark and silent now and likely to stay that way until next year.

Huh... with Jiemma gone now, maybe we can join the GMG next year and actually have fun...?

Her expression softened slightly at the thought, dark blue eyes flashing in the dim and humming quietly to herself.

Maybe by next year I might actually have a chance to play in the Games myself, and not be such a mess with our Magic, huh?

'Hmmph... yes, surely in the span of a year you'll have a handle on it.' Lixue commented dryly, and Hora sighed, a small breath escaping her that sounded like a faintly exasperated chuckle.

Yeah, but hopefully it doesn't take me a whole year.

Hora paused, her attention on Lixue breaking off when something moved at the corner of her eye near the other side of the balcony. Her eyes quickly moved that way, her cheek pulling out of her hand and blinking once or twice in surprise as both she and the sudden (and very unexpected) visitor both went quite still for more than a few heartbeats, their eyes locked and utterly quiet.

He'd thought he must have been hearing things when he caught the sound of the door on the balcony above him open, and then thought maybe he was losing his mind when her scent filtered down toward him. Because she couldn't possibly be up and about right? Or at least she shouldn't be, even if she was getting better like Wendy and everybody else had said earlier- but there she definitely was.

He was stalled on the flat top of the railing, crouching on the balls of his feet after pulling himself up and stuck there once he actually laid eyes on Hora sitting there. Sitting there comfortably, skin still marred by scars and lines of damage, with bandages scattered about her person too- but there was no blood, no bruises. She didn't even look all that tired, she was just... kinda calm, and she looked almost totally okay.

But both 'calm' and 'okay' had been nowhere in reach for a week now, so it being there all of a sudden had him stuttering to a standstill without meaning to. She didn't even notice him being there right off the bat since he'd gone so still, and he hadn't a mind to say anything either. So he ended up sitting there staring without any plan or thought to not doing so, both of them quiet and in their own heads for the moment in the darkness, and everything around them swallowed up in deep bluish tinge owed from the starry night sky overhead, and the moonlight fracturing through ice so far off. She didn't move at all for a few heartbeats, since she seemed sort of lost in thought- but then she did, and it was so slight. Just a little bit, a little shift in her posture and her hair that caught the light differently for but a second- and in just one second the familiar red and orange got washed out in blue in so strange a way it looked almost... raven.

And for just that second it happened, he swore he'd seen that color hair somewhere else- swore that she was familiar in some way outside of having known her a few months now.

But Horatia finally seemed to notice he was there and turned, the light refracting again and her hair went straight back to being fiery, and he wasn't altogether sure he'd seen any of it at all. She blinked in surprise as her dark blue eyes matched with his onyx ones, and some fraction of that strange sensation of seeing them somewhere else stayed with him even as the split second came and went.

"... Salamander... Hey... I didn't realize you were here, you're up late..." Hora mumbled quietly (and maybe a little lamely), her voice breaking him back into the present, and Natsu stiffened a little against it, quickly trying to shake the strange sensations off entirely. He swallowed, hard, his eyes breaking away from hers a moment and he stiffly pushed himself up and off the railing, his feet making little a noise as they touched down and he stepped closer to where she was, while Hora reflexively shifted in her seat to face him more directly, pulling her knees in underneath her a bit. He got close enough to bring himself directly in front of her, and with perhaps a little too close than what was normal- which Hora noted immediately, but didn't really question it so much as the look on his face.

He looked almost... annoyed, for lack of a better word.

His face was mostly flat, and it didn't change at all as she said her little hello or addressed him. He just kept quiet, lips a thin line and almost expressionless, if not for the slight furrow in his brow, the way his eyes were glittering like mad, and the absolute rigidity of his entire body and posture. His hands were clenched into fists as his sides, and he hadn't actually looked back up to meet her eye after looking away and stepping down from the railing too... And when he did look up again it was slowly, tensely, his lips pulling slightly down at the edges as his fists balled a tad tighter.

Hora hesitated for half a second, a little unsure for a moment at the rather lackluster and not really normal behavior. This wasn't exactly the reaction she would have expected from the Flame-Brain for this being the first time they'd seen one another since she'd been conscious, and him not being the relieved, or at least happy to see her, that she anticipated from him had Hora growing quickly nervous.

Because is he actually like mad at me or something...?

Shit, I... I don't know, I can't tell...?

"Ah, are you... okay...?" Hora mumbled uncertainly, Natsu stiffened a little further at the question, his shoulders hunching a tad and she felt her stomach churn a little more for it, hesitating half a second more. She fidgeted a little in her seat, her arms pulling in toward her center nervously as a bead of sweat trailed down her cheek and she began looking increasingly uneasy- with Natsu looking much the same.

From the instant she asked the question to three seconds following it, the expression on the pinkette's face went from expressionless and sort of annoyed, to tense, uneasy, and then pained.

He sucked in a sharp breath of air out of nowhere, his shoulders hunching more than just a tad this time around while his entire posture seemed to fold in on itself just slightly. Hora stalled, wide-eyed and her heart skipping several beats in a row when tears suddenly came to life at the corners of his eyes and spilled down his cheeks not a moment later.

Tears

Hora bristled, her heartrate skyrocketing and all panicky and reeling in an instant.

O-OH MY GOD HE'S CRYING...?!

NATSU OF ALL PEOPLE...?!

Hora's hands shot up, waving back and forth frantically in a rushed, not at all calming or reassuring gesture, the Saber sweating up a storm.

"W-Wait, did I say something..?! N-Natsu please... Please don't cry...! N-Nothing's wrong, and e-everything's fine now I promise..! Everybody's fine- I'm fine..! I swear...!" She stammered quickly, but he just stiffened against the words. His eyes broke off her quickly, the pinkette tilting his head down so his hair hid his face from her view- and then he went down too.

Natsu dropped into crouching on the balls of his feet without warning, hunched over slightly with his elbows on his knees and trembling as the tears continued to splash against the stone beneath him. Hora jumped at the sudden loss in posture on the pinkette's part, her blood running cold and panicking way more.

S-SHIT WHAT DO I DO?!

H-HE'S LIKE REALLY REALLY CRYING..!

HOW THE HELL- I MADE NATSU OF ALL PEOPLE CRY...?!

She was two seconds away from her panic and nerves running away with her, but that train got stalled for half a second when Natsu sniffed a little, the pinkette shaking his head stiffly. Hora faltered as a shaky breath escaped him, the Dragon Slayer rubbing at his face with his arms as he wiped away some of the moisture tracking down his cheeks, bringing a sudden slow to the tears just about as quickly as they had started.

"... Sorry Hora, I didn't... I just..." He mumbled quietly and then trailed off, shaking his head again and rubbing a little more aggressively at his eyes. He forced himself a big breath after that, his hands falling from his face wearily as one of them dropped down into his lap, and the other came up toward her instead.

Hora went still, her eyes flashing as Natsu bumped his fist gently against her knee, his head tilting back up slowly to glance up at her, specks of moisture still at the corners of his eyes even as he gave her a shaky, but still genuinely happy smile.

"You didn't say anything wrong, or any of that, and I didn't mean to end up cryin' either." He mumbled, sniffing one more time and blinking, the last bits of liquid in his eyes glittering as they were shaken loose, while his smile grew a little softer, and a little brighter all at once. "I knew you were gonna be okay, Hora. I said that and I meant it, but I am really really glad you're gettin' better now." Natsu told her, Hora felt her heart clench a little at the words and the smile both, dark blue eyes glittering like mad. Natsu just smiled a little more though,

"So thanks for proving me right. You're pretty great, ya know?" He grinned, a toothy sort of smile that was a touch somber even still- but it was that same bright and cheerful he was oh so good at being, and she swallowed.

.:+:.

Hora couldn't look away from him, her gaze riveted as she held her arms lightly, her heart fluttering and uncaring of what stream of tears fell from her eyes, glittering in the faint moonlight and what little light glittered from the town below them. Her core felt warm, gently warm, not a raging fire, it was pleasant warm, that same warm she felt when she was with Sting and Rogue and Frosch and Lector... but this warmth was brighter, lighter.

But she had never felt this, and she couldn't really place the feeling either... It was like relief, and shock, and sadness, and happiness, all at once.

"H-huh..?" Natsu stammered, looking entirely unsure on what to do when he saw the tears falling from her eyes. His eyes flashed, his hands moving up slightly as he stumbled for something to say or do. "W-what? What did I say? I wasn't tryin' to-!"

He went rigid, Hora head falling as her arm moved out toward him, her fist lightly pressing against his chest as she stood in stillness, he blinked rapidly, unsure what the gesture was or what it even meant.

She lightly tapped her fist against his chest once more, ever so softly as she shook her head, her eyes moving back up toward him as she smiled, her tears having already come to a halt.

"... you didn't say anything wrong, Salamander." She said softly, her eyes glinting. He blinked, sweatdropping. "... It's just... no one's ever separated who I was from what my Magic is... I've never... but in your own weird way... You said everything right." She smiled a little more, he stared, seeing the gentleness appear in her features, the relief. She chuckled a little, her tears coming to a complete halt as she grinned at him slightly.

"I thought you were a little clueless before Salamander... But you're actually pretty great."

.:+:.

Hora's eyes flashed, a tiny breath of air halfway a chuckle escaping her despite herself for the grin, the gesture, the words, the memory of her doing this exact same thing to him before now- all of it.

This Flame-Brain I swear

"... Heh, well I'm glad I could live up to your expectations." Hora hummed, shaking her head a little in exasperation, though she smiled anyway. Natsu smirked for it, eyes glinting as he pushed himself up from crouching, his hand leaving her knee and instead landing on top of her head to ruffle her hair affectionately. Hora smiled a little more at the gesture, Natsu's hand pulling back after a sufficient amount of ruffling to let that hand land on his hips with his other one, the pinkette tilting his head at her.

"That said though, how are you feeling?" He asked lightly, "I wasn't expecting you up and about ya know." He commented, Hora nodded a bit.

"I'm fine Salamander, don't worry about it." She hummed, "And I needed some fresh air, so 'should' be up or not I didn't think a little stroll out here would hurt anything... Plus I couldn't really get back to sleep either, I'm a little tapped out on that by now." She murmured and he nodded a little.

"I guess that's fair." He murmured, shifting on his feet and stepping to her left, settling down on the bench beside her crosslegged, his hands on his knees.

Hora shifted a little herself to face him a bit more directly, "Hey, I actually wanted to ask you about what you said when the Dragons popped up." She told him and Natsu blinked,

"Yeah? What about it?"

"You said there were eight Dragons, and eight Dragon Slayers." Hora murmured, "Everybody else thought you didn't know how to count, and I get why they would- because to anybody else there was only seven Dragon Slayers... so how in the hell did you know I technically was too?" Hora asked and Natsu paused, looking a little unsure of the question for a heartbeat or two, before smirking faintly.

"Oh that? I saw that Breath Attack you let loose at the Dragon you were fighting when I was brawling with the Other Rogue." Natsu replied easily, "It was pretty big, so it would have been pretty hard not to see it- and I know a Dragon Roar when I see one." He chuckled lightly, Hora letting out a quiet breath for the explanation.

"... Right..."

"Hehe, plus that kind of explains your scent too ya know." Natsu kept on and Hora blinked, her eyes narrowing slightly in question.

"My scent?"

"Yeah, you smell like fire and stuff because of your Devil Slayer Magic, and you smell like ice too because of your Dragon- but there was always something really familiar about it at the same time I couldn't really put my finger on." Natsu told her brightly, while Hora instinctively stiffened for the word 'familiar', though Natsu didn't pause nor seem to notice, he just kept on. "But I get it know, there's a sweet sort of smell to you that all the other Dragon Slayers have too. It makes sense." He chirped and Hora let out a silent sigh of relief for the fact that he'd actually avoided any mention of her and Gray smelling the same like Wendy had.

Apparently he hasn't noticed that at all, or at least he's decided not to question it- and I am not complaining either way.

"Hmm, well you were right... though you did come to the conclusion of me being a Dragon Slayer faster than I did." Hora sighed, and he chuckled a little at it.

"Yeah, everybody said something about that. Kinda slow of you Hora, having a Dragon talking to you in your head all the time, being able to use his Magic, and not realizing what that makes you." The pinkette smirked, his tone very clearly teasing and Hora let out a slightly exasperated sigh, her head tilting back.

"Yeah yeah I know, I am very slow..."

"Nah, just a little slow."

"Hmph, shut it Flame-Brain."

Natsu chuckled again at the reply but let it be, a small section of silence falling between them for a moment. Hora's head tilted back down slowly, her eyes glinting slightly as she looked back toward Natsu, her face falling a little flat now as she sort of hesitated.

She knew what she wanted to ask next now that he was here and she had a chance to, but she wasn't so sure bringing it up would do either of them any good, or if... if she really wanted to know.

Her eyes dropped from Natsu, chewing on the insides of her cheeks ad stomach churning anew now with a sudden fervor and ache.

I... I don't know... I feel like I need to ask, but...

Natsu blinked, his eyes glinting as he noticed the shift in Hora's mood nearly immediately. He saw the way her shoulders hunched and her posture got a little rigid, and his own shoulders sagged a little because he was pretty sure of what was running through her head now to earn her looking so tense.

"What happened to that other guy is never gonna happen to this Rogue, you know that right? It can't happen, because even though everything went all wrong for him, all the stuff that happened to him hasn't happened to us." Natsu murmured, his voice causing Hora to jump and her eyes to snap quickly back up toward him. She swallowed, eyes glinting and her hands in her lap wringing together a little at the words, her eyes dropping from him again with a half-nod, but she seemed to cut it off.

"Everything... Did he... tell you what went wrong for him?" Hora asked quietly, tensely. "Why he ended up the way he was, and doing everything he did..?"

Natsu paused for half a second, his shoulders sinking a little more than they already as he grit his teeth a bit, while his hands on top of his knees got a little tighter too.

Why did he end up that way? What happened to that Rogue, that ended up breaking him...?

.:+:.

"... She's going to die... And all those Shadows that have always lurked around me, vying to drag me under and down into the Abyss... They'll have all the leverage they need once she is gone... And so in a year from now... Rogue will Fall..." The Other Rogue sighed lowly, "... In a year... That last bit of light Rogue has left after she's dead will go out, as Frosch gets killed... And then all of this just happens all over again."

Natsu grit his teeth hard, expression turning both scared, and furious all at once and he stepped up toward the Other Rogue, eyes blazing.

"She ain't gonna die!" Natsu snapped, shaking his head rather hotly. "Tch, when Over-Drive hit her before, you took her to Lamia Scale and Sherria managed to Heal her, didn't she?! Even if it wasn't all the way, it made a difference! And we've got both her and Wendy now, they can help Hora out and make sure she doesn't get bad! Plus Porlyusica's a great doctor, she's gonna have some idea on what to do to help Hora!" Natsu hissed through gritted teeth, his hands balling into fists at his sides. "And if Hora's Fire Magic starts to get out of hand, that won't matter either! She was with Gray and Lyon earlier, if there's anybody who can keep her Magic under control enough and keep her from overheating too much- it's them!" Natsu added hotly, "Hora's not gonna die, not with everybody else around to help her! She's gonna be fine! The future you went through is never gonna come true- she's gonna be there in a year, and two years, ten, twenty- fifty years from now! She'll be there for everything, and she will never let Rogue get consumed by shadows, or let Frosch die! Not a chance! Her Future has changed, she's not dead and she won't end up that way- her Future ain't gonna be what you saw!" The pinkette hissed and the Other Rogue simply blinked, unfazed, and rather unmoved by the quick and fervent dispute... Before he looked away after a moment, a small sigh escaping him before he cut it off a bit, his lips pulling into a tight line and red eyes glinting.

Something about the Other Rogue's expression changed just then, in a small way, and it was so hard to see Natsu wasn't entirely sure it was there... But that dead, neutral, and nearly emotionless face of that man that had only changed to show rage- it was now, almost, faintly- hurting.

The Other Rogue shut his eyes tightly, his lips pulling a bit more at the edges and he stiffened, almost clenching his teeth. Natsu blinked, his own eyes widening when he saw the way the Shadow Dragon Slayer trembled a bit, his hands closing tightly into fists and digging slightly into the rubble of the gate he was laying amidst.

"... Tch... I... I don't think I can believe that... I don't see a way for her to... E-Even with all of that... Natsu Dragneel..." The Other Rogue hissed lowly, tensely so and Natsu stiffened, his eyes widening further and staring slightly when the black and white haired Dragon Slayer shuddered slightly, fangs gritting hard and Natsu faltered. "... Damn it... I shouldn't even care what you're muttering about but... Tch..." The man growled through gritted teeth, shaking his head at himself stiffly and grimacing- a hot, exasperated breath escaping him.

"... Hmph... I suppose it was foolish to think I could ever... Not feel anything... Even after all of this... And so long just... burying it... I... I wanted to feel nothing, I don't want to feel anything, or even consider, or... Or... Hope you might be right... Tch... I... I don't know if I can... I don't know if I want to...not... Not after all of this..." He hissed shakily and Natsu's eyes flashed, breathless and fixed to his spot.

This... This was a complete 180 from the person he'd spent the whole night battling back and forth with. The same person who had cut down the Future Lucy without remorse, or wounded Hora with absolutely no hesitation- the Other Rogue had not faltered the entire night on anything. Not on his plan, his actions, or his certainty that the Future would come about as he intended... But now? Now all of a sudden he was faltering, and maybe even...?

Natsu stepped forward half an inch, shoulders rigid and only eyes flashing in the low-light.

"Oi, why did you snatch Hora from your Inn and stick her on the other side of the city?" Natsu asked quickly and the Other Rogue went rigid at the question, red eyes snapping open and locking on the sky instead of the Fire Dragon Slayer, "In your timeline she wasn't out in the middle of Crocus the night Jiemma killed her, right? She was in the Inn with you guys, otherwise she would have run into us and Wendy would have saved her the first time around, right...? So why did you take her, and change that part of Rogue's Future?" Natsu pressed and the Other Rogue stiffened further, his eyes narrowing to slits and still staring at the sky and not the pinkette asking the questions.

He didn't say anything right away, and Natsu just watched, his face falling as the Other Rogue's expression broke a little with every second that ticked by- until eventually the Other Rogue hissed, his eyes scrunching closed furiously without warning, and Natsu's heart skipped a beat.

The strengthening white glow of the moon glittered off the single line of tears that suddenly managed their way passed the Other Rogue's tightly shut eyes, trickling down his cheeks as the man hunched slightly, his breathing hitching.

"... I... I thought it wouldn't matter if... If she died at the Inn or... Tch... I didn't..." The Other Rogue hissed shakily, his hand coming up and covering his eyes as he sucked in a trembling breath, the tears getting a little stronger and hitting the ground in sparkling drops. And with what he said next, his voice broke.

"... I... I didn't think... R... Rogue had to watch her get torn apart again... N... Not if he... D... Didn't have to... I thought... Maybe... Maybe it could work... W-Without having to see her... See her die... R-Right in front of us again..."

Natsu swallowed hard, frowning and his heart clenching terribly despite himself as he watched that utterly unrecognizable version of Rogue suddenly... Crumble

Crumble and cry, because of-

"... T...tch... I... I don't know if... You are right... Natsu... But... w-whatever happens... Please..." The Other Rogue stammered out, his voice shaking badly as his hand pulled away from shielding his face, and those glassy, grief-filled, and still so tearful red eyes locked with Natsu again. "... W... Whether she's there or... You have to warn them... W-warn Rogue... In a year... T-to protect Frosch... Warn him that in a year... F-Frosch gets killed by... By Gray Fullbuster..."

Natsu went rigid, his heart stopping and dropping into his feet all at once- a shiver running up his spine of near the same terrifying chill that had hit him when what Over-Drive had been explained... And his ears rang on that name, over and over.

Gray... Fullbuster...?

"... W...what...?"

.:+:.

Natsu's fingers dug into his knees harder, the pinkette shutting his eyes tight against the memory of it and all that came with it.

So, what happened to break the Other Rogue, and turn him into something unrecognizable?

It could have been a hundred things, all stacking on and piling one after the other- but it started with one thing in particular, and one thing at the end. The first being what they'd all been trying to avoid for a week now- Hora ending up dead, be it from Jiemma, the Possession Link, a Dragon, Over-Drive, whatever... and Natsu was fairly sure Hora must have already come to the conclusion that her death had a part to play in the Other Rogue going down the wrong path.

But what she didn't know was that last and very particular reason at the end there- nobody knew it, because Natsu hadn't repeated it.

Gray kills Frosch

He'd had that one sentence running through his head on a repeat since being told, and it was still just as unbelievable and shocking, and maddening as it had been the first time around. It didn't make any sense, because there wasn't any reason Natsu could ever imagine Gray doing such a thing, or why.

Sure the Popsicle got on his nerves, but murder? And of someone innocent, and who Gray hardly knew at all? There was no justification for killing Frosch in any way that Natsu looked at it, and even trying to imagine a scenario where it might happen and did was just... no.

Natsu grimaced, growling silently under his breath.

He didn't want to believe it, but he couldn't write it off either. When the Other Rogue said it it wasn't a lie, it was the truth, so it had happened even if Natsu himself could not imagine how it could. It happened, and if Time wanting to stay it's course like Hora had said was any indication- then in one year, somehow, for some reason, Gray will kill Frosch.

But... Maybe now that the Other Rogue's Timeline had gone all screwy with Hora surviving, would that last bit ever happen at all?

He didn't know for sure and that made him uneasy, and he definitely didn't want to add that unease to anybody else's shoulders by telling them. And definitely not Hora's shoulders, she already had enough to deal with and had dealt with the last few months, he didn't think hanging something that wouldn't happen for a year over her head was worth it.

Natsu sighed, the tension in his hands on his knees lifting as he glanced back up again toward Hora- her own hands still clasped together tightly in her lap as she waited rigidly for his reply.

No, he wasn't gonna tell her that, or anybody else. And it didn't matter if he did, 'cause he was gonna be there in a year and do what the Other Rogue had asked; to make sure none of that ever happened.

He let out another small breath, shaking himself out a bit and expression softening slightly.

"You were gone, Hora." Natsu started quietly, and Hora stiffened slightly against the very straight to the point answer.

So it really was what happened to me- shit.

I knew it... But hearing it doesn't make me feel any better about it...

... D... Damn it...

Something about her face must have given away how painfully her stomach and heart twisted for the confirmation, because Natsu seemed to deflate a little, the pinkette biting on the inside of his cheek for a second.

"Look, it doesn't matter what happened to him or whatever went wrong- 'cause none of that's happened for us." Natsu told her levelly, breaking into her thoughts and causing her to pause.

She looked back up toward him slowly, their eyes matching again as Natsu have her a small, entirely calm smile.

"Nothing's going wrong for us in our Time. Nobody died, everybody got out of the Dragon Fight alive and you did too on top of getting through Over-Drive. That Other Rogue lost you, and nothing went right after that- but this Rogue hasn't lost you." Natsu told her steadily, his onyx eyes glinting and with a sudden small sort of fire in them- and when he smiled a little more, that smile was all the more steady.

All the more certain

"None of that stuff that happened with that other future is ever gonna happen to us, because we're gonna make sure everything goes right from here on out, yeah?" He told her, his voice just as steady and certain as his eyes were, impossibly so.

There was no way he could sound or seem so sure of that- that everything was gonna be just fine. That they would make it just fine and it would be that easy... But he did, and damned if it didn't have her feeling a few pounds lighter for his sheer unending optimism.

And about a hundred times more sure of it herself, as well as more certain that it would be that easy to make it all fine, as she had already promised to Rogue before.

I'm still here, and we are gonna make for damned sure that none of what happened to the Other Rogue, the Other Lucy, or anybody else from that screwy future ever comes about. Not a damn chance.

Hora let out a small breath, her eyes flashing in the dim with a little fire of her own as she smiled back at him, her expression and gaze steady as can be as she gave Natsu one firm nod.

"Hell yeah."

Natsu grinned toothily, chuckling a little for the reply and nodding firmly back.

"There's that fire in your belly, huh?" He smirked, and Hora let out an amused breath.

"Guess so."

After that they ended up talking for some time, their conversation staying clear of anything tense and uneasy for the remainder it lasted. Natsu really did most of the talking, and a good portion of it was something of a repeat from the rundown Orga had given her earlier- but Hora didn't mind. It was nice to just listen and have a normal conversation after all the insanity, and Natsu seemed to be enjoying talking her ear off too.

We could probably both use something nice after all this

Once he wound down to the end of all his talking Hora smiled faintly, her expression softening for a moment.

"By the way Salamander, I have to say thank you." She murmured softly, Natsu blinked, looking lost a moment.

"For what?"

"For helping me." Hora murmured, "With the Over-Drive, and the other Rogue, and just... Basically everything." She murmured, eyes flashing as she gave him a small, almost sad smile for a moment. "Just thank you, really."

Natsu nodded slightly, offering up a smile in return and letting out a breath.

"You got it, that's what friends are for." He replied easily, and Hora nodded slightly back to it, but nothing else. Which was just fine, because Natsu was pretty quick to start up again and steer the conversation in a different direction.

He let out a big sigh and stretched his arms up above his head, before shifting off the bench and to his feet with a tilt of his head toward the far horizon.

"Well it'll be morning pretty soon, and if you're still not tired enough to hit they hay- how about some breakfast?" He asked lightly, Hora blinked. "You hungry?" He murmured, and Hora paused, her eyes dropping from him a moment and biting the inside of her cheek.

"Mmm... kinda." She mumbled, smiling a touch nervously. "The idea of food sounds great, but actually eating it might not be so fun... Either way though I wouldn't mind tagging along." She told him softly, and Natsu nodded, holding a hand out toward her in an offer to help her up,

"Cool, then let's go."

Hora took his hand gratefully and he pulled her up onto her feet with absolute ease, the pinkette hesitating to let her go right off even as she found her balance, and they headed toward the balcony doors. Hora took the lead in with Natsu close behind and watching her carefully as she went, but Hora seemed steady enough- though she was limping ever so slightly.

Hora didn't head straight across the room and toward the door leading out into the hallway, she sidetracked off toward the bed where Rogue was still fast asleep while Natsu drew up at the door and waited for her. The Fire Dragon Slayer leaned quietly against the door frame with his arms crossed over his chest, while Hora leaned onto the bed's edge with a knee and gently shook Rogue's shoulder trying to rouse him. It took a few tries, given how out of it he still was, but eventually he twitched a little, a weary sigh escaped him before his eyes fluttered open halfway, glassy and struggling way too hard to focus.

Hora bit the inside of her cheek, her expression softening for just how exhausted he looked as he tried hard to pull himself out of sleep and make sense of her above him. Then she bit down on her cheek harder when the bleary confusion in his eyes turned quickly into tired bits of panic and unease, the Shadow Dragon Slayer lurching slightly under her hand and instantly trying to get himself up and focus all the way.

"H-Hora, are you okay, is something-?" He stammered out in a rush, Hora shook her head quickly, her hand on his shoulder pushing him back down the little bit he'd started to push himself up.

"I'm fine Rogue, relax." She assured quietly, "I'm sorry, I didn't really wanna wake you up, but I didn't wanna leave without letting you know." She explained softly, his eyes narrowing a little in question and confusion both. "We're gonna go and get some breakfast, I just didn't want you to wake up and me being gone without knowing why."

"... O.. Oh..." Rogue stammered, nodding slightly as his mind and the fog hanging over it seemed to sync up a little. "Okay... I'll come with you, just let me get up..." He mumbled, his shoulder pushing up against her hand again- and again Hora forced him back as gently as she could manage.

"No, you're still feeling like hell, you need to sleep." Hora murmured softly with a small shake of her head, "I'll be fine, I've got Salamander to keep an eye on me, and everybody else will too once they're up."

Rogue hesitated, worry clear as day on his face despite the exhaustion still lurking there. His red eyes glittered feverishly in the dim, the Shadow Dragon Slayer fidgeting slightly under her touch and searching, before swallowing rather hard.

"... Are you sure you'll be alright..?" He asked, his voice shaking just a tad and so, so concerned.

Hora's heart ached for it and warmed a little all at once, a somber sort of smile passing over her face a moment before it was gone, and she just looked calm.

"Yeah I'll be okay, I promise." She hummed softly, her hand leaving his shoulder and coming down gently on the crest of his forehead, her stomach twisting at the warmth of his skin still against hers, though she didn't let her face change in reaction to it. She simply brushed his hair back a bit from his face and smiled at him reassuringly, her eyes glittering in the dim. "Go back to sleep, I'll come back to check on you later."

Rogue nodded faintly, his eyes dropping halfway as a small sigh escaped him, his own hand moving off the bed to land on the back of hers for a moment.

"Alright... please be careful, will you...?" He mumbled, Hora nodded slightly.

"I will."

Natsu smiled slightly to himself in his space at the door, his eyes flashing as he watched the little exchange, his heart warming a little for it while it clenched a tad painfully at the same time.

He'd seen just how heartbroken the Other Rogue was when Hora got brought up, how terrified and haunted he'd been for the memory of having watched his Hora die when Jiemma destroyed the Possession Link. It shattered him in more ways than Natsu could probably imagine, and the horror of that had been enough to make someone so hellbent on destruction deviate from his plan in just the slightest way... one thing the Other Rogue allowed himself to waver on, because even after everything and all he'd done and turned into- he'd not wanted this timeline's Rogue to be forced to watch her die right in front of him.

Natsu's expression softened at the thought of it, his shoulders sinking slightly.

He'd wanted to spare this version of himself the pain of seeing her ripped away right in front of them- wanted that, even though he'd been trying so hard right up until the very end not to believe in any kind of hope that she might be okay. That maybe the way things went in his Time didn't have to happen, maybe she could live, somehow.

For someone who tried so fervently to deny any hope in that... that one decision on the Other Rogue's part to take Hora out of the SaberTooth Inn that night?

That ended up being the very thing that gave Hora any chance of living, and a hope to survive everything else that had come.

Natsu let out a silent sigh, his eyes moving away from Rogue and Hora and toward the balcony doors, his attention landing on the ghostly visage of Callan still looming over the city for a moment.

With just that one little thing... he ended up saving her, and he never knew it before Time undid him, and everything else he'd brought with him, and done.

Natsu glanced back toward the pair of Sabers, smiling slightly to himself at the way Rogue's hand lingered on top of Hora's, and she in turn lingered a few heartbeats more from pulling away.

Well, everything undone but her.

Her and all that came with her one life still burning brilliant and bright.

.:+:.

"... Manf this isf good!" Natsu smirked, the words muffled around the mouthful of food in his mouth and that he kept adding too without pause.

"Aye sir!" Happy trilled around a fish he was chomping down on, similarly to his Partner the Exceed had started chowing down not long after a very tearful, and very happy reunion with Hora a few minutes beforehand.

Happy was never really far behind Natsu as it was, so once he and Hora had made it away from the room she'd spent the last week in and down toward an eating hall (with Natsu mostly glued to her side as they went, worried and watchful the whole way)- Happy had popped back into the picture. And with that being the first time the tomcat had seen Hora up and okay, he'd thrown himself at her all tears and grins, and hadn't calmed down for quite a bit even with Hora patting his head and reassuring him several times over. Hora didn't fight against the fuss though, she just gave him all the time he needed to calm down and simultaneously prepped herself mentally for what more amount of fuss she was likely going to earn as more people woke up and headed in.

Hora let out a quiet breath, smiling faintly in amusement at the two boys stuffing their faces, before looking back toward her own meal in front of her and the smile faded a tad.

If only I could stuff my faces like them... Just looking at my food is making me feel queasy- that's to say nothing of actually eating it.

Hora grumbled a bit under her breath, staring moodily into the bowl of soup before her and twirling her spoon in the liquid half-heartedly a few times.

She had to eat though, she hadn't in way too long, and food was the quickest and surest way to get stronger after being sick and everything. Plus it'd probably do wonders for her in getting rid of being all dizzy and faint feeling, but she was afraid of really starting in, lest she end up sick to her stomach and throwing it back up.

That would seriously suck

Her eyes moved off the soup and around the hall a moment, scanning several empty tables lined up all over the space with similarly empty chairs accompanying them. The walls on one side were lined with windows and glass doors leading to several separate terraces and balconies overlooking the city, pale grey light filtering in as morning crept in slowly, and the sun kept fighting to break the horizon it hadn't quite made it passed yet. On the other side of the room sat some hallways leading to other spaces in the Inn, and a view of the next floor up where a few doors and rooms sat- all closed and quiet too.

Nobody besides Natsu, Happy, and herself were out and about just yet and here looking for food- spare Rufus, who had been here already when they came in and had been quick to get them sat down and with some food from the kitchens. Now the blonde was busying himself with setting out more plates, food, and whatnot, Orga close behind him and helping out with it- though the Lightning God Slayer seemed still half asleep.

"Mm... Mornin' Hora."

Horatia glanced away from staring at the far end of the room and to her right, Orga popping in beside her with a heavy yawn. He set a pitcher of water down on the table a bit in front of her, smiling tiredly at her as their eyes matched, and his hand coming down atop her head to ruffle her hair a moment. Hora let out a small breath at the gesture, but otherwise smiled and nodded to him,

"Morning." She replied quietly, Orga's hand pulling back from her head again as he shifted the stack of plates he had balanced in his other hand to being held with both instead.

"You're up early, trying to get a jump on everybody fussing over you?" He asked, smirking slightly, "You definitely look better, all cleaned up and everything. That'll put everybody in a much better mood, and maybe even help with there being less crying to go around." He told her lightly, and Hora let out a small sigh,

"Mm, hopefully... though it probably won't help much." She mumbled wearily and he chuckled at it,

"Probably not." He relented, shifting slightly on his feet to turn away from the table. "Well, try and eat a little before everybody else starts coming in, kay?" He hummed with a nod of his head toward her food, and Hora nodded, though slowly. He took that as answer enough and headed off again with his plates, rejoining Rufus at another table to continue setting up, leaving Hora where she was with Natsu and Happy still happily invested in their meals, and Hora staring back into her bowl still none too thrilled.

Well, gotta try at least

She took in a big breath and started in, slowly so and being careful to keep taking deep breaths between each spoonful of the soup she got through. The first few almost made her want to gag, but she pushed through it and all those spoonfuls after weren't nearly as bad... Well, until she got about halfway done with the bowl and everything really started to settle into the pits of her very empty stomach. As soon as it did the slightly nauseous sensation bumped up to a totally nauseous one, and she held her breath, letting go of the spoon and leaving it alone in the bowl, her arms pulling in toward her person and grumbling lowly as she dropped her cheeks into her hands.

Ah hell.. don't throw up... don't throw up... please...

Her stomach churned and she sucked in a small breath of air just to hold it again, burying her head in her arms while her forehead pressed against the tabletop, closing her eyes.

... ugh... it's just soup... soup shouldn't make me this queasy...

... tch... stupid Over-Drive... stupid Anti-Magic Poison... stupid being sick... grahhhh...

Natsu and Happy paused in their eating, both boys shooting Hora sympathetic glances as she buried her face further in her arms and let out a quiet, and very exasperated grumble that was only sort of muffled.

"That bad huh?" Natsu hummed, Hora just huffed a little.

"It's fine... I'm fine... just... gimme a minute..." She grumbled lowly, before trailing off again, her arm arms around her head tightening a little while she seemed to hunch over a tad further too. "...ugh... kill me please..."

Happy purred slightly in faint amusement, one of his paws coming down on Hora's back to pat her gently a few times while Natsu let out a small breath for the comment.

"There there Hora, I'm sure it'll get better before ya know it." Happy hummed lightly,

"Yeah, just take it slow." Natsu murmured, "And you don't gotta eat anymore than you feel like... Though you're gonna feel better the more you eat in the long run." He told her, "Gotta have fuel for that fire in your belly to get all strong and healthy again." He smirked, though Hora didn't actually see it, she could hear the grin in his voice, and sighed.

"... I know..."

They let her be after that, the two boys striking up a casual conversation between them in an attempt to take Hora's mind off her stomach for a bit. Which worked, she tuned into their voices and what they were talking about, and got invested in their conversation fairly quickly too- and did wonders on taking her mind off the nauseous feeling in her core.

Hora pulled her face up out of her arms slowly, settling her chin against the back of her hands as she propped her elbows up and glanced toward them, and just listened. Listened and watched not unlike that night when they'd come back after defeating the Dark Guild in the fake Jeihel, where both she, Happy, Natsu and Lucy had settled in, and simply talked and enjoyed eachother's company... Hora even felt herself getting a little drowsy again too, but she wasn't about to let herself nod off like she had back then.

She just smiled faintly after awhile, content as she kept listening to the two of them, completely calm and at ease. Which was kinda sorely needed, because even though she couldn't complain about what she and Rogue had done or talked about earlier, she couldn't really say it had been at ease during it.

Like she'd already said, she and Rogue would need time to get over being a little awkward and fumbling with one another. But even with that, and getting flustered... well, she was happy it'd happened, and everything had been put out in the open regardless of all the getting worked up, and nervous.

She smiled a little more at the thought of it, her attention on Happy and Natsu fading for a few seconds as her mind wandered. She tried to focus again, but she had no real chance to hone in on them before something else diverted her attention even more.

"... Horatia."

Hora blinked, glancing around quickly to the sound of her name and eyes widening a tad when she lay eyes on it's owner standing just beside her and the bench she was on, though she'd been totally unaware of him approaching or being there at all before he said something. Her dark blue eyes matched with his, both of them coming to a bit of an uneasy pause for a heartbeat or two, before Hora's shoulders sank a bit. She swallowed, hard, turning more in her seat toward him and elbows coming off the table as she drew her arms more into her center.

"Lyon." Hora murmured, the Fire Devil Slayer doing her best to sound cheerful and happy to see him- which she was, even if she instantly felt uneasy, But even just the sound of her voice had his usually neutral face pulling into something borderline pained. His shoulders hunched a tad and the rest of him went utterly rigid, his eyes glittering and filled with a million different things all at once- but most of them hurt, relief, strain, and all things in between- her heart dropped.

Shit

She leaned in a little, her hands coming up a little in something of a semi-panicked, semi-halting gesture, blue eyes glimmering and all nerves.

"Ah, please don't cry, okay..? I don't think I can handle someone else doing it I'd never expect to, and l-least of all you..." She stammered quickly, the Ice Wizard pausing at the words with a blink of surprise- while Natsu broke off in his and Happy's conversation rather abruptly, the pinkette glancing to the side and away from everyone with a bit of an embarrassed grimace when he caught the comment.

Lyon hesitated half a moment or two more, his face falling slightly flat again as he seemed to process the words, before his shoulders sank a little and he almost seemed to smile wryly, and for just a millisecond. His hand came up toward his face, palm covering his eyes for a moment as a tiny breath of air escaped him, shaking his head once.

"Heh... I won't, I promise." He mumbled, his hand moving up off his eyes and pushing his hair back a bit as he glanced back down toward her, the smile fading just as quickly as it came and being replaced with sheer ache. Hora nearly winced to see it, her expression twisting faintly and hands dropping a little in air before her. Lyon didn't linger long on standing there though, he shifted on his feet, bringing himself closer to her without warning.

"Forgive me, I can forego tears, but after everything else... I would be remiss if I didn't do this." The Ice Mage told her softly, settling down with one knee onto the bench just in front of her- and without a further word he leaned in, his arms suddenly engulfing her as he pulled her into him, trapping her in a firm, and completely unexpected embrace.

Incredibly unexpected actually, because this was Lyon. Even in the short time Hora had come to know him, she knew he wasn't really a touchy-feely person, he was too reserved for that kind of thing. Hugging was not something that was really in his repertoire, so to have him doing it now all of a sudden had her kinda lost... and then more lost when his hold around her grew even tighter, the Ice Wizard burying his face deep into the crook of her neck while his entire body bent over more, pulling her just about as close as was humanely possible.

Almost... desperately so. Like he was holding on and wasn't sure she was actually there in his hold.

Hora stalled, her breath catching in her throat when she felt the faintest tremor run through his body pressed up against her, her heart that had already dropped into her feet clenching itself into a million knots when it hit her.

He... He must have been so stressed out this entire time.

Gray didn't know about her still, that'd been made clear by Rufus when he had talked with her, so that meant that Lyon hadn't told him. Even through everything that had gone on, her reaction to him being killed by the Mini-Dragons, her pleading him not to die again, both Gray and Lyon helping keep her alive while Over-Drive raged with fire, and then further while Gray kept having to siphon over his blood to replace all she'd lost- Lyon had said nothing about her, or who she was to Gray.

Somewhere in all that chaos, panic, fear and uncertainty that revolved around just trying to keep her life intact, Lyon had made that decision to not say a thing. He kept what he knew to himself and he didn't tell Gray, even when likely everything in him wanted nothing more than to do just that. He said nothing. He kept her secret for her the whole time.

Hora swallowed, hard, her hands winding around him in turn and fingers gripping tightly to the fabric of his shirt.

I never wanted to leave him with that hanging over his head for so long... tch, shit.

Hora shut her eyes tight, hugging him back near as tightly as he was, her arms shaking a little for it and biting down hard on the insides of her cheeks.

"... I'm so sorry... I didn't mean to force you to have to keep... that to yourself, Lyon..." Hora mumbled quietly, her voice scarce above a whisper and shaking faintly. "E-Especially when you had to... help keep me alive... shit I am so sorry..."

Lyon let out a small breath, the Ice Wizard giving her a small squeeze in reply to the words, his head shaking slightly against her neck.

"Don't apologize." He murmured, pulling back slightly and releasing the hug enough so they could be face to face again, his hands coming down gently on her shoulders as he smiled, just a little. "You're alright now, that's all that matters. Everything else will come in it's own time, when you're ready for it." He hummed and Hora hesitated a moment, before she nodded slightly, and offered up a small smile in return for him.

"... Yeah..." She mumbled, her eyes flashing as Lyon leaned back and settled into sitting on the bench instead of leaning on it, Hora's hands retracting in toward herself as he did it, but lingering a little. "Thank you Lyon, for everything."

"Of course." He murmured,

"... Since when are you two so buddy-buddy?"

Hora and Lyon both jumped slightly, their attentions turning toward Natsu as he asked the question, the words slightly muffled as he kept chewing his current bite of food. Both he and Happy were looking at the pair, watching the whole exchange rather curiously and looking lost- naturally since they had had dealings with Lyon before now, and he'd never been all that friendly with anyone. Plus they'd not really known much about him and Hora interacting at all before now, so the hug and everything was a surprise.

Lyon and Hora both paused, exchanging glances with one another for half a second, before they both looked back toward the Fairy Tailers with smiles on their faces- faint and cool in Lyon's case, while Hora's was a little softer.

"Pretty much since we met." Hora replied lightly, and rather vaguely, while Lyon just nodded once in confirmation. Natsu and Happy blinked, looking a little more unsure of the answer, but they never got a chance to question it any further.

"Oh, there you are Lyon- ah! Hora, you're up!"

Sherria popped in beside Hora and Lyon without warning, Sherry, Toby, Yuka and Jura trailing into the room not far behind the Sky God Slayer. The young girl beamed, blue eyes glinting as she locked gazes with Hora, smiling brightly as she gave the Saber a quick once-over.

"You look much better this morning!" The girl chirped,

"Yes, you are looking well." Sherry hummed, stopping beside the younger and crossing her arms over her chest. Hora smiled slightly at the comments, nodding a little.

"Yeah, I feel better." She hummed, and their eyes seemed to gleam a bit.

"That's wonderful to hear." Yuka murmured politely, Toby nodding vigorously in agreement.

"Yes! Yes!"

"Indeed. It's quite a relief to see you up, Horatia." Jura told her coolly, Hora stiffening in surprise at the words. Jura smiled faintly, a small chuckle escaping him and he linked his hands together in his sleeves. "And might I say, you truly are a splendid Mage. The show you made of your Magic was spectacular." He told her with a small dip of his head toward her. Hora went rigid, her eyes going wide and heart jumping at the compliment- from a Wizard Saint- her cheeks flushing slightly in no time at all. She averted her eyes from him quickly and rather sheepishly, clearing her throat a little nervously.

"Ah, t-thank you..." She just managed to stammer out a might breathlessly, which earned several amused smiles from basically everyone.

"Ah, you're so modest."

Hora jumped again, her head snapping up and around for yet another new voice to pipe in without warning or knowledge of it's owner being in the room. She didn't have any time to turn all the way around before someone's hand came up and found the side of her head, pulling her sideways into them for something of a hug. Hora's breath caught in her throat as her head bumped against Erza's chest, the Devil Slayer's face going about as red as Titania's hair was as she was pinned there in place with no room or opportunity to pull away from the firmness and finality of the woman's hold on her. Hora froze, her face burning like fire and her heart skipping several beats in a row, Erza smiling down at her as she kept the Saber pulled against her chest.

O-Oh my god is... is Titania Erza hugging me...?!

"Hmm, your modesty it's quite cute though, even if it's a bit unnecessary. Jura is right, you are a wonderful Mage." Erza hummed lightly, the words making Hora flush even further- if that was possible.

H-Holy shit, d-did I just have a Wizard Saint AND Titania say that...?! A-About me...?!

"He is also right about it being a relief to see you." Erza kept on, her hand shifting off Hora's cheek and finding the top of her head instead, rubbing her hair a bit. Erza tilted her head down a bit to get a better look at Hora's face, their eyes matching fully for the first time as her smile softened a little. "I am very glad to see you doing better." Erza murmured, her voice dropping to something a little quieter for a moment and Hora blinked, stunned into stillness for a second at the words... before she seemed to relax a little, nodding once.

"Thank you, Erza." The Saber hummed, smiling faintly in return even despite the blush not letting up. This time Erza paused though, her eyes glinting at such a sweet face and smile from the younger, her own smile fading for half a second in faint surprise when a tiny pang of familiarity hit Erza straight in the core without warning.

Something about that smile, her face... Erza had seen it somewhere before, but she wasn't sure where.

She shook it off quickly though, instead letting herself get swept up in how adorable Hora looked just then. The redhead grinned, her free hand moving up off her hip and forward to pull the Saber even closer, sweeping her up in a full hug instead of a half one- which nearly pulled Hora off her chair, not that Erza seemed to notice.

"You are too cute!" The redhead sighed, Hora's hands reaching for one of her arms and the edge of the table at the same time- which she missed the table. But thankfully Lyon reached a hand out and caught hers to steady her without a word, looking amused while Hora let out a tiny sigh of relief, letting herself stay trapped in the hug and smiling nervously still- but smiling nonetheless.

Uh... huh... okay... this is weird... but kinda nice too I guess...?

"Careful Erza, you're going to knock her over." Mirajane hummed lightly, the white-haired woman coming up on Erza's shoulder and stopping between her and Sherria.

Woah wait, when did Mira get here-?

Erza blinked at the words, before seemingly realizing what she was doing and quickly loosening her grip around Hora, releasing the Saber and her hand lingering on Hora's shoulder just long enough to make sure she was steady again and wasn't going to fall. Lyon's hand didn't leave Hora's until she was fine again too, the Devil Slayer shooting both him and Erza a thankful smile once she was situated again.

"Apologies, I got a little caught up." Erza told her, Hora shook her head a little.

"N-No, it's fine..!" She assured quickly, her hands waving a little in front of her in what was supposed to be a reassuring gesture... but they ended stuttering slightly when her eyes moved off Erza to glance toward Mirajane, and then she realized the Take-Over Mage was not the only person who had popped up all of a sudden.

It was actually like... a lot of people all of sudden, and still walking in from either hallway, ushered in by the noise and the smell of food awaiting them, only to draw up in surprise when they noticed her there amidst a steadily growing crowd of people all bunching in. Among them Hora's eyes snapped to the familiar faces of Sting, Frosch and Lector with Yukino in tow and a few others in the Guild- Dobengal, Othan, Keiyye, and so many more she had known for so long. And walking in with them were members of the other Guilds, Lamia, Blue Pegasus, Fairy Tail- you name it.

Hora's eyes flashed, her gaze locking with Lector and Frosch as they came into the room first, the Exceed's stuttering slightly in their walking when they saw her- and then they'd sprouted wings and taken to the air not a second later. And with their rush across the room, a bunch of the others got caught up in their stride and pace too- namely there was a head of blonde hair that broke off from Wendy and Carla coming in, and then someone smaller and who Hora didn't quite recognize right away (not that she had much time to try).

Hora stiffened, her heart skipping a small beat and smiling nervously at the several people moving super super fast in a beeline toward her.

Ah crap-

"Hora!"

She got swallowed up in several pairs of arms, all of them whisking her up in their grasp and sort of fighting for space to hold on to her. But even with overlapping arms and whatever else, and not really enough space between any of them at all- they still held on. Hugging her tight in all different directions, trembling, their bodies hitching as breathless sobs made their way up their throats, tears spilling from their eyes- either grinning from ear to ear as they did, or just burying their face into their body and never wanting to let go.

Frosch, Lector and Lucy were those hugging on to her know that she'd been able to pick out before getting (almost) tackled- the Exceeds in her lap and pressed against her stomach, while Lucy had hooked her arms around Hora's shoulders and had her cheek pressed up against the side of Hora's head as she cried. But the last one?

Hora stiffened, her eyes widening when ashy-blonde hair tickled her cheek and the familiar scent of Ira hit her nose, the young Rune Knight hugging her arm tightly, tears at the corners of those green eyes of his. He smiled shakily up at her, the tears spilling down his cheeks and looking both pained and thrilled all at once- while Hora kinda stalled, both out of surprise that he was there at all, and at the fact that he was not at all in uniform. Seriously, she'd never seen him in anything other than his Council clothes, and that was 90% of the reason she hadn't recognized who he was as he was rushing over here.

"... Ira..." She mumbled, and he nodded a little,

"I'm so glad you're okay, Hora..!" The young boy told her breathlessly, Lector and Frosch letting out little mews and shaky words of agreement what Ira said, while Lucy nodded a little, her blonde hair mixing with Hora's as she did.

"W-We've been so worried about you...!" Lucy stammered, her hold around Hora's shoulders getting tighter. "I'm so happy you're alright, Hora... I was so scared we were gonna lose you..." The blonde hissed shakily, Hora swallowed, her eyes flashing.

She snaked her free arm around Lector and Frosch both, while she pulled the arm Ira was holding on to closer to herself and him closer into her, while Hora adjusted her head enough to nuzzle her nose against Lucy's hair and cheek, smiling sadly.

"I know, I'm sorry I worried you guys." Hora murmured softly, "But I'm okay now, everything's fine." She murmured, dark blue eyes glimmering as she looked from Ira, to the Exceeds, toward Lucy and then out toward everybody else- Lyon, Sherria, Natsu, Erza, all the other Fairies, all of Lamia, and all of SaberTooth too as they continued to crowd in and migrate her way. Hora smiled faintly, her eyes meeting all of theirs in her sweep, even if only for a few seconds- and though there were a few missing, she didn't let the idea of it linger long at all. It was enough to see the smiles, and even see some smiles appear after their eyes matched just briefly- Hora let out a small breath, nodding faintly to them all as a whole, her voice soft and steady.

"I'm alright, everything's gonna be okay from here on out, I promise."

Man did the mood of the entire inn lighten after that.

She heard near everyone say something, some light, happy comment- some heartfelt exclamation, a murmur of how good it was to see her, how happy and relieved they all were that she was up and that she was starting to get better. She hadn't any time to garner a response to all of the comments, nor the questions, but she tried her best to give everyone some part of her attention, some smidge of a connection and acknowledgement to help put them all the more at ease.

She kept her smile up the whole time, dark blue eyes glittering as she glanced around all those smiling and expectant faces, all pushed together, shoulder to shoulder and all bright, shinning eyes on her- and she didn't have any issue keeping a smile that time. The pleasant humm of all their voices and gentle calls of greetings and well-wishes had any amount of exhaustion she felt far from her mind. Their warmth of happiness and the cool relief on their faces, and sheer glee even had the guilt she felt for worrying them all dulling down a bit too.

This... this was so nice.

Just everybody being there, all happy, all content- even if some of them were crying, it didn't matter. They were there and they were so comfortable, even when being all together where most of these people would never have dreamed of being 'together' in any sense of the word a week prior.

SaberTooth, Fairy Tail, Lamia Scale, Blue Pegasus, Mermaid Heel- everyone.

So, so many people you would never have seen even in the same room together without being at each other's throats, or shooting dirty looks at one another. People you would never see waking up in the morning together, enjoying a meal together, talking with one another, or just genuinely being happy and content to be in the company of each other.

But there was none of that tension or unease that had always been hanging over SaberTooth because of the face they had to put up with Jiemma around. With that gone now, they could just be themselves- which helped tremendously, but even that hadn't solved everything right away.

SaberTooth had been uneasy and awkward when all the Guilds had been called by the King to discuss the Dragon's invasion, which was understandable. All the rest of the Guilds hadn't exactly been receptive to them to start, but after Erza vouching for them the Sabers seemed to buck up a bit, and definitely fought hard to prove themselves to everyone else when chaos broke out. But even with that, this was a little odd to see, because this level of being content and happy between all of the Guilds seemed to have happened a little fast... and normally it would have been fast, but after a week of everybody being all worried over one person in particular, and people from all different Guilds working together to help her- fast made sense.

And even being fast, and sort of unexpected, and spurred by something as painful as it had been- this?

This was... kind of amazing, actually.

There was no hesitation or apprehension in any of them as they walked in tandem, or bunched in together shoulder to shoulder, all of them finding her in the room and immediately all breathless smiles and relieved faces as they crowded in- all of them just genuinely happy.

And the biggest part of that happiness was a collective joy at seeing her

Gray let out a small sigh, his arms crossing over his chest and leaning against a beam attached to the second floor railing with his shoulder, watching quietly the commotion going down on the floor below. He'd ventured out around the same time most everyone else had, though he had no want of food at the moment, so he'd stayed on the upper floors instead of heading down. Which ended up being the better thing just then, since he didn't really wanna bandwagon on the whole 'pile in and see Hora' thing going on down there.

He was fine to watch though, and it was definitely something to see... though he had to wonder if Hora herself even realized how central she was to all this coming together.

Sure, everyone had made their connections with SaberTooth and the other Guilds in their own ways without her being involved- but most of those 'connections' had to do with rivalry and anger spurred from the Sabers actions and behaviors against everyone else in the Grand Magic Games. It wasn't a great way to establish a relationship and familiarity, and it would likely have stayed as anger, resentment, and unease if not for the common link between all of them; Hora.

It was Hora's friendship with Natsu, Happy and Lucy that paved the way for her friendships with Wendy, Carla, Erza, and Mira- and through them what made it all the easier for the rest of Fairy Tail to warm up to SaberTooth as a whole.

It was Hora's friendship with Lyon, Sherria and the other's in Lamia Scale that cemented SaberTooth further into the other Guild's focus, and care, once she got hurt and needed help.

It was Hora's relationship with the Magic Council- and DoranBolt, Lahar, and Ira in particular- that made fighting the Dragons all the easier, because for once the Wizards actually had the Rune Knights on their side and at their backs.

It was even in many ways Hora's influence that gave SaberTooth some extra push to try and be better, and show who they truly were- people who were worth getting to know, and forming relationships and connections with. Because she was the standard they wanted to live by; someone who had already been being herself around everyone else and all the Guilds, even when it was dangerous for her to do so under Jiemma and Minerva's rule.

So this? Everyone together, everyone working to know each other, and getting to know one another and be comfortable?

It all started and revolved around just one person...

Gray let out a heavy sigh, chewing on the inside of his cheek as he watched DoranBolt pop up next to Hora, the Rune Knight bonking the fiery-haired girl on the head lightly, looking agitated and a little scolding all at once- but just so. Mostly he looked tired, and neither the bonk on the head nor his voice had much bite behind it as he grumbled something along the lines of 'I told you not to go getting yourself killed, didn't I?' to her.

Gray swallowed, his eyes flashing.

... Hell, everyone being together and alive was owed to her too. Because he very well could not have been here and alive if not for her, that fact had been drilling further and further into his head every day since that night. And he could not stop the whole ordeal from running over and over on a repeat in his mind either.

It had been playing on a loop in his head the whole time, each iteration of it leaving him all the more sure his death had happened, and then gotten rewound. With each play through of the memory, he became a hundred times more uncertain and confused with it because of the way she'd been crying, and looked so genuinely scared, and sad. He didn't understand why she'd have gotten so worked about about him, and he definitely did not understand the part about him not dying again before she 'got the chance to' do... something.

A something he didn't know, and still after a week of brooding on it, still hadn't figured out. And with not getting it, that other something about her that had irked him from the very start was irking him a little worse, and now making him wary and reluctant to even be around her, or approach her.

He'd wanted to know what that thing was that she needed the 'chance to do', and he'd wanted to understand her better to get to the root of why she irked him, and why she'd been acting so weird... but with the days winding down and all those questions and memories hounding him, he was getting more uneasy about the whole thing in general, and now he wasn't all that sure he did want to know.

It was crazy, but the idea of actually asking about it made his stomach churn so much he felt queasy... and then he felt like he wanted to throw up when a ghost of that sensation that'd hit him when he'd been sitting with her in that tub came to the surface again and again, and all at the strangest times.

The feeling of her hand in his, heavy and warm from fever that stirred something deep down inside him that hadn't been touched in so long he didn't know what it was, or where it came from... But still some other part of him felt he should have known.

It was maddening, and nerve-wracking, and didn't at all help that growing sense of not wanting to know or find out, or even talk to her about any of it.

Gray let out a heavy, slightly agitated sigh, turning from leaning against his shoulder and instead leaning with his back pressed to the railing.

He had to ask about it though, there was no avoiding it forever... Because even if he didn't want to know, he needed to. And he had to thank her for what she did to save his life at the end there, regardless of anything else.

He had to talk to her

Gray cast a glance over his shoulder toward the commotion below one more time, where everyone was talking and calling things out, bunching in close together, looking happy and more at ease than anyone had been in a week, and even longer for some. His shoulders sank as a long, low sigh escaped him, his eyes dropping closed as he looked away again.

Eventually... he had to talk to her eventually, but right now?

Right now everybody just needed a break and chance to be happy after having been the complete opposite of that all week.

Right now everyone just needed to... have a day.

Gray sighed again, shaking his head slightly and push himself away from leaning into the railing. Juvia glanced up from where she was standing a few paces down from him, the bluenette's head tilting in question as he stuffed his hands in his pockets, and his shoulders seemed to sag in clear exhaustion.

"Gray-sama...?" She mumbled quickly, Gray pausing half a second at the sound of her voice and casting her a small glance from the side. Juvia wrung her hands together in front of her a bit apprehensively, blue eyes glittering as she gave him a worried and questioning look- naturally so, since he'd been basically drained and damn near anemic the last few days from all the blood transfusions and whatever else. He hid it well but he'd definitely been feeling weak and unsteady, especially when he got up too fast, and Juvia of course worried like none other.

"Are you alright?" Juvia asked softly, Gray nodded once, his expression softening for just half a second.

"Yeah I'm good, don't worry about it." He murmured, the Ice Mage taking a small step forward and tilting his head up the hallway in the opposite direction of where Juvia stood. "I'm gonna head out for a walk, I'll be back later." He told her, and Juvia stiffened.

"Juvia can come with you-" She started quickly but Gray shook his head,

"No, I'm good on my own." He murmured, turning slightly from her and starting away, waving a hand as he went.

"See you later, Juvia."

Juvia swallowed, her fingers twining together a bit more tightly as she watched Gray walk away all until she couldn't see him any longer. Once he was out of sight her eyes dropped, shoulders hunching a bit while her core churned worriedly.

Gray had been acting off since everything had happened... and Juvia understood it, she really did, after that terrible vision of him dying (which actually had happened before Time stepped backward), and all the rush and effort afterward trying to stop Over-Drive. A lot had happened, a lot of bad... but usually he bounced back faster than this.

Juvia's gaze trailed slowly toward the railing and the floor below, her attention landing on the fiery-haired figure of Horatia among the many.

It had something to do with her, Juvia was certain about that. About Hora and her weirdly tense behavior around Gray with no reason behind it. About her steadfastness in saving his life, about the pain she'd had in her face when he had died, and about all the trying to save Hora's life through blood and ice both... about whatever it was that irked Gray and Juvia both about the Saber, and had been irking them from the start.

Juvia grumbled, her eyes narrowing to slits as they locked with Hora, a small huff of air escaping her as her cheeks puffed up a bit in frustration, her eyes flashing in the shadow of the railing's overhang above her.

Love Rival

Hora stiffened, a shiver suddenly racing down her spine out of nowhere and putting a little hitch in what was otherwise a very at ease and buzzing atmosphere and mood from everyone around her. Her attention on Yukino and Lucy in front of her broke off for a moment as she glanced around the room quickly just out of sheer reaction, trying to pinpoint what the sudden spine-chilling sensation came from, but finding nothing. And it came and went in about a heartbeat, leaving her confused and a slight bit unnerved.

Ooookay

Any memory or recollection of the little hiccup in the mood got pretty quickly forgotten after that though. There was just too any people and too much going on, everyone getting in their fifteen minutes, hugs, tears, what have you. She felt a little exasperated after awhile with the crying in particular, but honestly it was so nice to see everybody smiling, and just genuinely relieved and with their moods lifting. And she had fun seeing everyone again too, and also felt relieved herself to get a good look at them all and see for herself that they had all come out fine in the end, and that she was the one who'd gotten the worst of the lot in all the craziness.

(Even though some part of her ached a little for a lack of a certain Ice Wizard from Fairy Tail... but that was fine, she wasn't sure what she'd even say or do if he popped up right now)

It took a bit, but the rushing from the start wound down after awhile and people got to a point of settling in and getting comfortable, while also giving Hora herself a little more space. They gave up on bunching in altogether and started spreading out, taking up residence at tables all around the room and digging in to the food that had been waiting patiently to be eaten while everyone got their greetings and whatnot out of the way. There wasn't enough room at the table Hora was at for everyone to sit at eat, even as big as it was, but there was some shuffling of chairs and pulling of the other tables in a bit closer and out of their preordained spaced before everyone really took their seats and settled down all the way.

Lyon didn't move from sitting on her right even as people began to shuffle around, and Natsu and Happy mostly stayed where they had been- though they moved a bit to let Lucy and Yukino find room to sit down with him, and Sting sat down on Yukino's opposite shoulder from Lucy, with Lector on the table in front of them while Frosch hopped out to go check on Rogue.

Erza, Kagura, Milliana, and Mira sat close together with Gajeel, PantherLily, and a bluenette Hora didn't recognize, while Wendy and Carla took up a comfortable place with Sherria and the other Lamia Wizards a bit further down, Rufus and Orga sliding in with that little group and looking content as can be. Ira and DoranBolt stuck a closer to Hora on account of the sort of rocky relationship the Council had with the Guilds, and Hora didn't mind.

Everyone else in Fairy Tail, SaberTooth, Blue Pegasus, Quatro, Mermaid Heel and Lamia Scale combined spread out, sitting at all the other available spaces, the clink of silverware on plates mixing with pleasant conversation being struck up and held steady regardless of Guild or affiliation.

The clamor from before of people calling out toward her and crying dulled down, but only a bit. More so it shifted, the attention diverting from her and finding other places to settle, spurring up conversations and to start forming connections that would grow and last even once all of this was over with, and everyone headed home again.

Hora smiled faintly, her arms crossing on the table top and falling so easily into listening to them all, chatting here and there and genuinely enjoying herself- even with something so simple as just sitting down for a meal and talking- something so normal that she'd had so little opportunity to do as of late, and she'd not realized how much she really needed it.

This really was so nice... So perfect even.

She ended up losing track of time since she was so content where she was, and she did eventually manage to get through the rest of her soup and a few little things on top, her stomach settling the more time went by and she could really let herself sink into the calm and pleasantness of the mood and atmosphere... and it didn't really occur to her that a few hours had passed before someone's hands came down lightly on her shoulders and disrupted her attention on Sting and Natsu butting heads (playfully) over who would be winning an eventual rematch one day.

Hora jumped faintly, her head turning and tilting up toward the newcomer in surprise in question, her dark blue eyes matching on red as her face lit up in surprise and faint hints of relief.

"Rogue, you're up." Hora hummed brightly, before faltering not a second later and she seemed to grimace. "Ah shit, I was supposed to go check on you, I'm sorry-" She mumbled quickly, but Rogue shook his head a little, smiling faintly.

"Don't worry about it Hora." The Shadow Dragon Slayer told her softly, his hands shifting as one of them came up and landed lightly on the top of her head instead. "Frosch came to keep an eye on me in the meantime." He explained, said Exceed popping up from behind Rogue's shoulder and waving a paw her way with a grin.

"Fro!"

Hora nodded a little toward both Rogue and Frosch, "Oh, alright- then thank you Frosch." She murmured, and the Exceed nodded happily in return. Hora let out a breath at it and met Rogue's eyes again, her head tilting under his hand a bit and searching a moment. "Well anyway, how are you? Are you feeling any better?" She asked of him, and Rogue nodded once.

"Yes, much." He admitted softly, and she smiled a little for it, eyes flashing.

"I'm glad."

Ira on Hora's left shifted in his seat a bit, prodding DoranBolt as he got to his feet and ushered the man up after him. The young Rune Knight caught Hora's attention briefly for a moment then, earning her eyes off Rogue with a smile cast her way.

"We should probably be heading back, Hora." Ira told her quietly with a nod of his head toward DoranBolt, who just kinda huffed but nodded in affirmation anyway. "I'll tell Lahar you're doing better and that you said hi, alright?" He murmured, Hora nodded slowly, offering up a smile for him too.

"Alright, thank you."

"Yep."

The Rune Knights broke off and headed out, Hora catching Rogue's eyes again as they did and motioning toward the now empty seat beside her. He took it without a word, his hands coming off her shoulder and head as he settled in, Frosch hopping off the Dragon Slayer's shoulder and onto the table with ease. Hora waited patiently for Rogue to sit all the way down before tilting her head toward the food set out on the table ahead of him.

"You should probably try and eat something." She told him and he paused, nodding once in affirmation of the words, but pausing for a moment in actually starting in.

"Alright... but did you eat anything?" He asked quietly and Hora smiled a little at the concern that made it's way into his voice as he asked the question, nodding lightly.

"Yeah I got plenty, don't worry." She assured, and he hesitated half a second more, before slowly turning his attention on actually eating something as she'd asked.

His arrival earned calls and greetings from a few people- Sting and Yukino in particular- where the latter was more than quick to make a comment on Rogue's appearance and how he looked better now, with sleep and actually taking a bath, and everything else. Rogue seemed to bite his cheeks a little with it being pointed out, but he kept his cool and simply nodded to the comments, mumbling a 'yes I do feel better now' in return, and only that.

(Though Orga did call out something about being glad he didn't have to 'end up knocking Rogue out' after all, and Hora glanced between them both looking confused and a little concerned all at once... Not that anybody elaborated on it, and Rogue ignored the Lightning God Slayer and his comment entirely- so Hora had to kind of stay quiet and let it go.)

The conversations from before started up again, and with just as much ease as they had had starting in the first place. Hora kept mostly to herself, her attention divided between everyone talking and Rogue as he got through with his meal- and much faster than she herself had been with her own food, unsurprisingly. Once he was done Rogue got talking too, though only a bit and here and there, since he had always been the more quiet and reserved one between him, Sting, and Hora combined- even when they had been altogether and alone. But he did talk a bit, and he seemed to be enjoying himself too, which put Hora all the more at ease. It was great to see him lightening up and quit being all guilty and tense, even if it was just for a bit.

Hora's shoulders sank, her eyes dropping halfway too and she leaned into her elbows on the table just watching them all, keeping up with each little side conversation, but always constantly moving to the next... and the more she did, the more the actual content of the conversations started to blur, and their voices seemed to be kinda melding together into one big drone.

She jumped faintly after awhile, her head bobbing before she snapped herself back, taking in a deep breath and stifling a yawn forming in the back of her throat. She could feel the exhaustion lurking from earlier creeping up now, even when it'd refrained from taking over before and forcing her back to sleep after the bath- it was making it's move now, swallowing her up and quickly so on the back of that pleasant drone of their voices in her ears, and the sensation of a full stomach.

She probably ought to have called it quits and gone back to the room and the bed there... but hell, she really didn't wanna leave.

It's too nice here to leave, even if I am tired... Just being able to hear everybody talk, smell them... I don't want it to end just yet.

Hora blinked, her eyes shifting slowly toward Rogue on her left, pausing a moment as she watched him watching everyone else talking for a second or two- before shaking herself out slightly and adjusting.

She inched closer to Rogue on the bench beside her without a word, her arms uncrossing on the table's surface and reaching toward him silently, hooking one arm under and around his to hug it slightly to her, her other hand finding the same arm. Rogue stiffened faintly in surprise at the sudden contact and closeness, his head turning quickly her way and blinking several times in question- though Hora didn't pause. She just hugged his arm a little tighter, her head falling lightly against his shoulder, eyes already half closed, and her weight sinking a little further against him as she let out a low, deep breath.

Rogue hesitated half a second or two after that in surprise, before his mind seemed to catch up with him again and he relaxed. He adjusted slightly, positioning himself in a way that would make it easier for her to lean her weight against him all the way, and more comfortably too. He did it without saying a thing, and Hora said nothing to it either- she simply nuzzled closer into him, her dark blue eyes dropping fast, and Rogue's free arm reaching across the table in front of him to land gently atop her interlocked hands.

She was asleep within minutes, her breathing easing into something low and slow, Rogue watching her quietly for a long time afterward as his attention on everything but her faded to none. He figured she must still have been tired, but she was so quick to fade off he wondered if she'd actually gotten any sleep while he had...?

He didn't know, and he had very little time to wonder on it before he realized that the drone of all the voices in the room, and specifically the ones around where they were, had suddenly died out to near nothing. And with the sudden silence came the very distinct feeling of eyes on him- many eyes.

Rogue glanced up slowly, his eyes narrowing slightly to find that basically everyone at the table around them were now staring- all of them with smiles on their faces, both weary for seeing Hora had actually fallen asleep, and altogether amused at who she'd decided to nod off on, and the rather adorable position it actually was.

Sting and Lector in particular looked very entertained with it, both of them smirking as they caught Rogue's eyes- though Lector said nothing. Sting on the other hand leaned in a bit across the table, chuckling quietly under his breath with a certain glint in his eyes that was echoed in several others, like Lector, Happy, Orga, and even Erza and Gajeel too.

"Heh, look at you two." Sting chuckled lowly, his eyes flashing. "You finally stop pinning after her?" He asked quietly, and very bluntly at that, while also earning snickers from Happy and Lector both. Rogue stiffened against the question, his lips pulling into a thin line and face flushing slightly red all without him wanting it to, or meaning for it too. The Shadow Dragon Slayer grit his teeth slightly, looking away from Sting a bit haughtily and nervously all at once, growling a bit under his breath as a little flare of annoyance and embarrassment sparked in his core- because Sting was clearly teasing him, and Rogue did not at all care for it in that moment.

So Rogue huffed, his eyes shutting and pointedly not looking back at the blonde for even a second, while his voice dropped to something low enough only someone with Sting's hearing could hear what Rogue said next;

"Tch, I don't know- have you stopped pining after Yukino yet?"

Sting's jaw snapped shut so hard the clack of his teeth against each other was audible, and Rogue did not need to see the blonde's face to know it'd gone beet red. The retort also earned Natsu, Orga and Gajeel to burst out laughing, the three of them easily picking up on the words even as low as they were- and Sting whipped around on them all, flustered and red-faced still... while Yukino and everybody else looked between them, completely lost.

"S-Shut up...!" Sting snapped hotly, but the laughing just kept up, and Rogue huffed once more, and all to himself.

That's what I thought

Rogue shook his head once, tuning out the sudden commotion and cracking his eyes open again to glance down toward Hora still fast asleep even despite the noise, and increase of it. The faintly agitated look on his face softened as he did, the blush remaining as his eyes glimmered, and he smiled a little.

But yes, there was no more pining. Just... Her

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Ahhhhhh so much good and happy stuff this chapter! Things are settling finally ;w;

I do hope you enjoyed this chapter, and look forward to the one coming next monday! We are getting closer and closer to the end, and to the thing you've all been waiting for! XD

Anyhoo, thank you for reading! And please, follow, fav and Review if you can!

Thankies, see you next week~!