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The smoke in the air burned Sting's lung with every sharp inhale. He ran as fast as his feet could carry him as the tears stung his eyes. The world had turned into a hellscape within the hour once the dragons were unleashed upon them. With Jiemma dead from Sting's raged fill attack, the guild had turned to the White Dragonslayer to lead them, and he did lead his guild.
Straight to their deaths.
It was a one-sided massacre against his guild. Nothing they used had a significant effect on the ancient dragons. Even with two dragonslayers on their side, Sting witnessed the devastation to his friends. For dragons who were nearly 400 years old, they worked in perfect synchronicity almost as if they knew what to expect from us.
Rufus and Orga were the first ones to be taken down. One of the dragons under Future Rogue's brushed off their attacks and retaliated with his own breath attack that swept the two off their feet. Sting and Yukino rushed to their aid, but a swarm of metallic dragons surrounded them before Sting could reach his friend. Instiniccally, The White Dragonslayer shielded Yukino from the onslaught brought upon the mechanical dragons. The stench of blood filled the air as Yukino screamed out in horror. Sting forced her away from the scene while she pleaded to see her friends.
Rogue was as soon taken away from the guild by a dragon with an army of those mini dragons following it. His dear friend and closest companion, Frosch, was trapped underneath the dragon's claw. The pain in Rogue showed when the dragon threatened to devour Frosch if the Shadow Dragonslayer attempted to flee. The raven-haired man mouthed a silent apology to Sting before resigning to his fate. The White Dragonslayer called out to his best friend in desperation.
With three of the guild's best now gone, morals were at an all-time low. Sting tried to rally them once more, but the despair in their eyes was growing exponentially. He knew wasn't as inspiring as Natsu, but there was still hope...right? Lector tried to put a brave face on for Sting, but the fear of death had a firm grip on the cat. Yukino was shaken by the catastrophe around them.
Minerva hasn't been account for since the end of the Grand Magic Games, but Sting had faith in the malady. Although she was manipulative and antagonist, Jiemma's daughter was an opportunist and survivalist. She had the capabilities to survive the apocalypse. Sting only wished she was here to intimidate everyone back in line...
The darkest hour of Sabertooth begun when Future Rogue appeared the guild with three dragons in tow. He came with two propositions for the remaining members of the guild.
Hand over Yukino's keys and Sting's head and he will spare everyone who bares the guild's mark.
Sting felt a chill run down his spine as he witnessed the desperation in his guild members' eyes consume them. Yukino screamed out in defiance as she stood before the dragonslayer. Lector joined in hopes of rallying his guild back to their sides. The blond dragonslayer stood in awe and shock. He had turned his back to the Celestial girl only three days prior, but she still defended him in his moment in need.
This was quickly ruined when the riot erupted, and all it took was one dragon eating someone alive. Sting watched in horror as the dragon cracked his guildmate's head open before chewing him into pieces. Future Rouge's smirk was burned into the deepest part of Sting's mind. The guild of tigers turned to the dragonslayer, celestial wizard, and Exceed.
Taking command, Yukino handed off Pisces and Libra to Sting and urged him to run. He was their last hope. Without him, the foundation of Sabertooth would crumble. The dragonslayer desperately screamed for her to reconsider and escape with him, but a gust of wind knocked the air of his lungs. Lector swept Sting off his feet and flew away at Max Speed. Yukino saluted the cat as he took heed to her words. On her last stand, Yukino summoned the blacken snake of the stars.
Future Rouge raised his left hand as a signal for the dragons to follow the escapees. Ophiuchus tried to slam the dragons down with a tail whip, but a single black thread pierced the heart of the white-haired fair maiden. A smirk graced Rogue's face as he left his former comrade to suffer a slow and painful death.
To him, it was a fitting death for the girl. She didn't bare the guild's mark, so dying alone was her only true option.
The tears in the dragonslayer's eyes stung and blurred his vision as Lector desperately tried to outfly the dragons on their tails. Skillfully dodging the roars and swipes coming from behind, Lector pleaded with Sting to work with him. They were the last of the guild as possibly the last mages alive. Once the dragons appeared, the guilds dispersed to control the amount of damage done across the city.
NO!
More than likely, Fairy Tail was still holding their own against the enemies, but neither knew how long those Fairies would hold out. Against the odds, Fairy Tail always came out on top. No matter the enemy...No matter the consquences...No matter the circumstance...They always won. The stories always painted them as champions of the world and matched by none. And a swarm of dragons wouldn't make a difference...right? Sabertooth might have failed, but Fairy Tail would bring the world to a brighter future.
That's how this story is supposed to end!
They win the games and save the world, right!
In the darkest hours, Fairy tail is always the beacon of hope!
SO, WHY!?
WHY IS NATSU DRAGNEEL'S CORPSE LIE BEFORE HIM?
"Sting!" Lucy's desperate scream priced his dream and shocked him awake. That's right. It was only a nightmare. A truthful nightmare, but nothing more than a terrible nightmare. "Sting, what's wrong?!"
A small groan escaped his lips as he sat upward in his bed. His heart was pounding rapidly against his ribcage. His skin was soaking the bed with sweat. To his left, the blond dragonslayer saw the pain in his new partner's eyes. "What happened? You started thrashing in the bed and screaming Yukino and Natsu's names. Your magic kept flaring; I thought would activate Dragon Force by accident."
"I was?" He gripped his throbbing head. "Shit, it felt so real. I thought was reliving everything again."
"Do you want to talk about it?" Lucy sat on the edge of his bed. "Whenever Natsu would get night terrors about Igneel, I would comfort him the same way."
Sting initially flinched at the sound of his childhood model's name, but he tried to hide his fear with feint confidence. "Hehe, the great and terrifying Natsu gets night terrors? I never would have guessed."
"Please, let's be honest with each other," Lucy held his hand in between her hands. "We're all that each other has left."
"That's the problem. Why did I get to survive? Yukino died in my place, and I just ran away with my tail between my legs." He cried out. "I couldn't stop Minerva from holding Lector as ransom! I couldn't fight Fairy Tail when they were on their last leg! And I couldn't protect my own damn guild! I'm a coward. I shouldn't be here."
"If you're a coward, then that must make me a burden," Lucy let out a hollow chuckle which surprised Sting. He didn't think the Light of Fairy Tail to be capable of self-depreciation. "I was chosen to be a member of my guild's strongest team. And yet, I lost to Flare on the first day. The only reason I earned any points was because Minerva felt generous. Everyone else had a moment to shine. Natsu winning in the double battle. Erza took down a hundred monsters. Wendy tied with Godslayer. Gray beat Rufus and Lyon back-to-back. Cana showed her mastery of Fairy Glitter. Mira beat Jenny with one hit. Laxus wiped out an entire team on his own. Juvia amazed the audience with her mastery of water. And me? I only held them back."
A moment of silence hung in the room as they collected themselves. Lucy cleared her throat and smiled softly at Sting. Her smile warmed his heart. "But you, Sting? You're strong. Master Mavis recognized your strength and placed her trust in you. There's no point in playing the blame game. We all are responsible for the choices we made then and right now at this moment. Mavis gave us the chance to rewrite that disaster, and I'm going to do everything I can to save my guild. I might not be as strong as Natsu or Erza, but I'll be damn if I'm going to give anything less than my very best. What about you Sting? What are you going to do because whatever it is...I'll be by your side no matter what."
"I...I want to save Yukino and my guild from those terrible deaths." He forced his voice out of his throat as he stared at Lucy with amazement in his eyes. "They didn't deserve to suffer, and I won't late Future Rogue beat me again."
"That's what I've been waiting to hear," Lucy's lips curled upward as he raised up from Sting's bed. The fear of abandonment flood his system, and Sting was holding Lucy's wrist before he could realize what was happening. "Hmm? Is something wrong?"
"Er um...Can we share a bed for the night? Just for tonight. I...I don't want to feel alone right now." Sting admitted with a bit of hesitation in his voice. He didn't intend to sound desperate, but the memories of his friends were still fresh in his mind. The wound wasn't healed completely. "I'm not co-coming onto you. I promise. It's just that-"
"I understand," Lucy slid into his bed as Sting stammered through his sentence and curled up against his soaked body. "I know where your heart is, Sting."
"Hey Lucy, I want you to know that you're wrong about that stuff from earlier." Sting wrapped his hand around her waist and pull her a little bit closer. "You're not a burden. You might not know this, but you have the power to change people for the better."
"Thank you, Sting." Lucy murmured as she slowly fell back to sleep.
Two hearts of two guilds came to understanding. Both witnessed the horrors of Future Rouge's slaughter, but they continue to live on. Every beat from their hearts proved that they will continue on their journey until the future is rewritten. Sting and Lucy might be down, but they're far from losing.
A/N: It's sorta an apology for missing last week. I got caught up with my family during Thanksgiving, and the same might happen during Christmas. I'll do my best to these chapters out.
