CHAPTER 8

"Okay, Blondie. Our memory-make wizard, Rufus, is the person who's taken care of your injuries so far. Would it be okay if I sent him up to check you over? I can also send up some food up as well." The blonde dragon slayer sighed while moving to stand from the chair he had been situated in before giving his back a good stretch.

He'd much rather stay and chat with the two celestial wizards, but as guild master of the second strongest guild in Fiore, Sting just couldn't keep putting off the mountain of untouched paperwork that he knew was piled high on his office desk.

Usually he would just beg Rogue to finish the work load, but seeing as how the dark haired slayer had some issues of his own to sort out, he wouldn't even bother. The slayer could practically picture the various documents as they sat untouched while waiting for him to review and sign.

The Fairy Tail maiden's face visibly fell at the slayer's suggestion of bringing the memory-make male close to her. Even though the blonde had just been informed that Rufus had indeed been the one that had taken care of her wounds while she was sleeping, she was still apprehensive.

After all, having the male check her over while she was unconscious compared to when she's awake is two entirely different situations. Just the thought of having the masked mage's hands on her body made the blonde's stomach flip, causing an uneasy feeling to cloud her mind.

The Fairy Tail mage covered herself with the blankets while her body physically wilted back down onto the mattress. Lucy wasn't sure if she could mentally handle having a male prodding at her bare flesh right now, not when the memories were so fresh in her mind.

No, scratch that.

She knew she couldn't. Not right now at least.

The silver haired woman took notice of the way Lucy's body tensed while she remained silent on the bed. She couldn't help but think about how difficult it must be for the blonde to let any man close to her, regardless of how innocent their intentions may be.

Sting had spent roughly an hour in the infirmary before the beaten woman had felt comfortable enough for him to slide a chair up to the bed, so he could talk to her in a more appropriate and friendly manner. Asking Lucy if Rufus could come into the room where she had finally started to feel the least bit comfortable was asking too much in such a short amount of time.

The Sabertooth woman moved to grab her fellow celestial mage's hand to give it a light squeeze while letting her honey colored eyes slip back to her guild master who was still standing awkwardly by the door, obviously waiting for some kind of answer from one of the celestial mages.

"How about I go ask Rufus what needs to be done and maybe I can do it instead, does that sound better? I can also get you something to eat while I am down there. I won't take very long; will you be okay by yourself for about twenty minutes?" Lucy perked up a little bit as relief washed over her.

Yukino would never know how much of a blessing she was to the blonde right now. In fact, the Fairy Tail member was almost certain that the silver haired woman was secretly an angel disguised as a Sabertooth mage.

It had been so long since Lucy had let someone else help carry her hurt and her anguish, that despite the circumstances, she felt completely grateful to not only Yukino but all of Sabertooth. The blonde gave a slow nod letting her eyes show all the gratitude that her mouth refused to speak before the other woman's hand softly drop her hold, so she could then move to the door. Both Sabertooth mages turned back to look at their hurt Fairy guest once more.

"Just lay back and get some rest, I'll be back shortly!" The door shut with a soft click after both the slayer and celestial mage had walked out of the infirmary, leaving the blonde woman alone to her own thoughts.

Lucy took a moment to look over the infirmary, taking in all the details of the small room that she might as well consider her home until she was healed enough to leave. The medical space wasn't small, but it wasn't huge either, with only 4 beds and a small bathroom attachment, the room gave off a comfortable vibe that the stellar mage rather enjoyed.

Lying back onto the mattress, the wounded woman silently reminded herself to ask Yukino when she came back if it would be possible for her to take a shower. Her usual blonde hair clung to her scalp in thick clumps while dried blood and dirt caked the golden strands. Her skin was raw and aching as much as it was filthy, hot water would probably do her sore body some good.

Even though Lucy knew the silver haired Saber- bless her heart- had tried within the best of her available resources given the situation to wash her, there was nothing that could compare to a warm shower.

Oh, how the blonde key wielder just wished that she could wash away the evidence of her torture like it was nothing more than a horrible nightmare.

Maybe if she tried to scrub herself raw, she could rid herself of the feeling of disgust that dwelled deep within her.

She highly doubted it, but a girl could always dream.

The blonde sighed heavily causing an agonizing amount of pain to pull on her wounds as she let her chocolate orbs stare up at the ceiling. She felt the chain reaction of nerves lighting on fire from the small amount of movement she had willed her prone form to make.

Despite the pain, Lucy moved to turn her body slightly, letting the stinging pain serve as a calming reassurance that she was still alive.

A little worse for wear, but she had against all odds- survived.

The Fairy Tail mage closed her eyes, opening a door for hazy memories of slick and sticky crimson warmth to resurface to the front of her mind. The blonde shivered involuntarily at the memory of feeling the thick fluid as it had pooled around her unusually cold body, almost as if it was cocooning her in its foreign life-giving heat.

She had lost so much blood and her magic had been completely depleted so much so that the Heartfillia heiress had been certain she was going to be reunited with her deceased parents. She was positive that there had been no hope for her of coming out of the situation alive.

In fact, Lucy knew that if the shadow mage hadn't of intervened when he did, she would have been dragged down into death's grip, never to wake again.

Lucy couldn't control the next shudder that shook her form when she remembered her body had been in the ebony haired male's arms while she had been unconscious. The very thought made her heart lurch with unwanted anxiety.

Though she knew that Rogue was the person who saved her from near death, and the dark haired slayer had nothing to do with her emotional trauma, the fairy just couldn't stop her stressed mind from placing both the future and current Shadow dragon slayer's together as one in the same.

The dragon slayer staring in her nightmares had proved time and time again that his sole purpose in her mind was to torture and make her suffer, and no matter how Lucy felt about the man that had come from the future- the blonde knew she couldn't blame the present Sabertooth wizard when the ebony haired male had so obviously gone out of his way to save her life.

Lucy's opened her eyes once again with an audible sigh; her head was spinning from overworking her still exhausted brain. The celestial maiden felt like she was forcing the large organ to work overtime as she tried to collect all her scattered and confused thoughts.

A thought crept into Lucy's still reeling mind, what if the ebony haired Sabertooth male was able to save her from his future counterpart's shadows?

Would that even possible?

Surely it couldn't be that hard, it is his magic after all.

But there was just one problem. If the blonde was hoping Rogue could take away the shadow magic from within her body, the slayer would have to be close to her, maybe even touch her to draw them out.

Lucy's breath hitched in the back of her throat as the realization crashed into her, could she even handle that? She didn't know if she'd ever be able to trust him enough to be so close to her, even though he may very well be the only person that can save her from the dark shadow magic. It was just a matter of whether she could be strong enough to be near him, which she knew was something she was not ready to do.

Lucy put her hand up to her head, her mind was overloaded with so much anxiety that it was enough to give her a headache. She just wanted things to go back to normal, why couldn't she just live happily ever after with her guild and her nightmare of a life be over with?

Was it really in her fate to be so miserable?

Was it completely necessary to have a foreign magic tear her apart from the inside out? Was it really something she was going to have to live with for the rest of her life? Because honestly, she didn't know if she could handle fighting back the shadows for much longer. She could never live in peace with the malice shadows that lingered within her.

Lucy covered her eyes when the bright golden light of a gate opening formed at the foot of her bed. She watched as Loke emerged in all his fiery glory before he hurriedly moved to the farthest wall away from her.

Lucy's heart broke as she sensed Loke's apprehension to be around her, he was afraid of setting her off or upsetting her once again. Lucy knew that it wasn't fair to her friends that she was scared, it was the bandits fault, not theirs, plus she knew that the lion spirit would never hurt her, he may love to play around and flirt, but it was all in good nature.

The blonde took in an unsteady breath as she motioned for Loke to come closer.

"Loke, I know you would never hurt me, please come sit down. Just don't touch me, okay?" Lucy watched as Loke's eyes widened before he pushed himself from the wall, taking careful steps as he approached her, just in case his princess decided to change her mind.

When he was directly in front of the bed, he pulled up the chair that was left abandoned by the white dragon slayer earlier and sat to the right of the mattress.

"I'm so sorry princess, I just didn't want to startle you. Master, Wendy, and Levy are on their way here right now to see you. I told them about what happened." Lucy's eyes snapped up as fear rushed through her body. Her guild knows just how weak she was now. She didn't want them to see her so defiled and broken, she was from Fairy Tail, a very strong guild, and she wanted her guildmates to be proud of her, not pity her.

The fact that they will be seeing her in another guild after her first solo missions so broken and beaten made her feel like a complete failure. The embarrassment stung like she had been whipped across the back. She was not worth the effort to come see.

"You didn't tell them about... You know... Did you? I don't know if I can handle seeing them if you told them, Loke." The blonde woman felt hot tears prick at her eyes, she could still feel the gruff of the bandit's stubble as if he had just forced his mouth upon her own moments ago.

She didn't want the guild to know just how weak she truly was. Her guildmates knowing she was attacked was one thing, but knowing she was defiled? That would be the icing on top of the cake, she wouldn't know how she was going to face them ever again.

"No, that isn't my personal information to tell, and Sting agreed to let you be the one to make that decision as well. But princess, please don't be scared to tell them, Natsu is going to know something is different about you, and all hell will break loose when he finds out if someone doesn't tell him beforehand. Just look at you. You won't even let me get close to touching you, how are you going to react when Natsu tries to hug you or sling his arm around you, because you know it will happen." Loke stood from his chair ignoring the screech as it slid back against the floor from his fast movement. The blonde flinched as the high pitched noise reached her ears.

The celestial maiden knew that Loke was right, but she didn't want them to know. She didn't exactly know how she was going to face Natsu, or Gray- or even Master just yet. She let the tears spill from her eyes while she let Loke's words penetrate her mind.

She was so completely screwed up that she wouldn't even be able to let her best friend hug her without freaking out.

She missed the fire dragon slayer so much, but now, she didn't know how she could even see him how she was now. She didn't want Natsu getting upset and burning down Sabertooth's guild or burning something important.

She let out a sob as she caved in on herself once again, that damn bandit had ruined her. He ruined her for anyone else, all her friends, anything in her future, she felt like it had all been ripped away from her grasp. She would never be the same, not fully anyway.

Loke reached for her, he wanted so bad to comfort her, he knew she didn't want the guild to know, but when the pyromaniac found out by her screaming at him not to touch her or he smells a different scent on her, he will get confused and want answers.

Answers Lucy wouldn't be ready to give.

There really was no way around the fact that Fairy Tail would figure out the truth, and when they did, chaos was liable to break loose. Right now, the guild only knew half of the truth, they didn't even know everything about what happened to his princess. Loke shook his head as he was forced to watch his key holder suffer.

Lucy was petrified when she felt the dam on her reserve break once more, she hadn't thought that far in advance. She hadn't even thought about how Natsu would react when he saw her. Her lion spirit was so right, the fire-breather would automatically reach out to touch her, and she would reflectively either scream or smack his hand away- and if he didn't get the message- she would go into a full-on panic attack, something she did not want to put herself or Natsu through.

Mavis, why did everything have to seem like the world was against her?

Crimson eyes observed as the silver haired celestial mage bounced down from the last step of the staircase then over to the bar before she made her way over to the table that the shadow mage, Rufus, Orga, Frosch, and Lector were sitting at. Rogue averted his gaze while he tried to keep his curiosity from showing when Yukino pulled out a chair to sit between Orga and Rufus.

"How is she doing, Yukino?" The memory make mage ask, Rogue observed the female saber when she sighed then put her chin in her hands while leaning her elbows onto the table, it was obvious she was having a real long hectic day. After all, she had been in the same room for hours on end today.

"She is doing a lot better, and I am glad for that, she even let Sting sit close to the bed while we all talked for about an hour. I came down to get some food and ask you if there is anything I need to do to her wounds. She was very nervous when Sting suggested bringing you in to check her over." Yukino stated while she trained her attention on Rufus, oblivious to how crimson eyes widened just a fraction of her statement.

So, Sting went back into the room to check on the fairy? The shadow slayer guessed he shouldn't be that surprised, he was the guild master and the blonde buffoon should know how guests are faring while in his building, but still...

Why didn't he let Rogue know that he was going to check on her?

The ebony haired male was worried about the girl as much as everyone else, maybe even more so since he knew exactly what his shadow magic was capable of.

It was absolutely frustrating that he was basically being told he was not allowed to see the blonde celestial key holder, for god sakes, he was the one that found her, and is most likely the only one that could save her from his shadows.

The fact that he had to fix the woman and not be close to her when the shadows and just her scent alone pulled him closer? It was like asking rain to fall without the help of clouds- impossible.

Rogue was being drawn to her and it was driving him mad that he couldn't even check up on her and test out theories or even try and lure the shadows from within her so neither he or the blonde would have to deal with the situation anymore.

Rogue directed his attention back to Rufus and Yukino as he listened to them talk about what exactly Yukino needed to do to take care of the fairy's wounds. It seems Rufus was even a bit upset he wasn't really welcomed in the infirmary at the moment as well. At least the ebony haired male wasn't the only one, it seems all guys are off limits for now.

Except for that bastard Sting- of course.

The blonde guild master would be the one that went and made himself comfortable with the fairy.

Rogue felt a tick form on his head while he let his frustration overwhelm him. How dare his moron of a guild master not tell him he was going to see the blonde! The crimson eyed slayer pushed himself out of his chair intent on seeing his lighter haired twin. His mind so consumed with his thoughts that he didn't even take notice of the others watching him leave the table with confused looks.

Rogue could feel the small pull of shadow magic and smell the wafting of the blonde's tears before he even made it to the landing of the first floor. The ebony haired saber paused to look up the length of the staircase pondering why the woman was crying.

Crimson eyes narrowed as thoughts of the fairy being alone with no one else in the room with her, it was impossible to know if his counterparts dark magic was twisting its way back up to the surface of her skin, getting ready to attack her once again. Rogue stomped up the steps as genuine concern edged him to the second floor. He turned immediately to walk down the lengthy hallway, following the smell of salt in the air until he was at the infirmary door.

The ebony haired slayer's heart dropped when he neared the infirmary door. Soft feminine sobs could be heard emancipating from just the other side. Crimson eyes shut as the shadow mage contemplated on what he should do.

Rogue backed away from the door until his back hit the wall of the hallways behind him, he could still hear her quiet cries while she released her grief and sorrow through small whimpers and sniffles. Turning to face the wall, the Sabertooth mage pressed his forehead onto the cold interior, never had he felt a more overwhelming need to comfort someone he didn't even personally know.

Her smell, his magic, her cries, it was all too much to handle. He felt like he was being torn into two different halves. One that didn't want anything to do with the broken fairy crying in the room across from him, and the other half wanting nothing more than to comfort and soothe her and be as close as possible to her.

Rogue blamed that half solely on the magic that was calling to him, of course.

Rogue pushed his head harder into the stone wall before pushing off it completely, turning to face the door once again. His head snapping forward when he caught the voice of a male coming from the other side of the door, where the sniffling fairy could also be heard.

The dragon slayer couldn't make out the soft whispers enough to tell who the masculine voice belonged to, so he moved forward until he was only an inch away from the only barrier between the blonde woman and himself.

Should he knock and see if everything is okay? He was going to have to get closer to her eventually if he wanted to take his magic away from her, why not try and start now?

The more familiar she becomes with him, the faster he would be able to force out his magic and the fast she would be back on her way to Fairy Tail along with her maddening scent.

When Rogue tapped on the door with his knuckles, he suddenly had second thoughts. What if she has an anxiety attack just from the sight of him? The ebony haired male stepped back as he considered if he should merge with the shadows before it was too late, but he could already hear the telltale sound of a chair being pushed back then feet shuffle to the door.

The shadow mage swallowed his panic while he put on his usual expressionless mask. Ruby orbs watched as the door swung open halfway, the blonde's lion spirit slipped through the doorway and slammed the door shut before Rogue could even get a look at the fairy on the bed.

"What are you doing here?" Loke narrowed his eyes incredulously causing Rogue to glare right back at the spirit, both refusing to remove their gaze from the other male's eyes. Loke rolled his eyes after a few minutes passed by in silence, really though, why was Rogue there?

"I wanted to see how the Celestial mage is doing." Rogue let the words slip from his mouth without thinking after the lion looked away. The crimson eyed slayer's emotions were in a flurry of turmoil as one part of himself really did want to check on the blonde woman, and really was worried about her wellbeing, while another part just wanted to get the hell away from her until he figured out just what he was going to do about her.

But the blonde's tears had made him stray from his original destination to see his guild master and the first part of himself had won the battle.

"LUCY is fine, why do you even care? Shouldn't you be figuring out a way to end the torment that your future self-had inflicted on her?" Rogue watched as the lion became agitated, causing Rogue to smirk inwardly, oh how he loved to piss people off sometimes, especially when it's someone he didn't particularly care for to begin with, though he could have gone without the reminder that he did have more important things to do than gawk at a closed door.

"I could smell her tears and I was under the impression she was alone, if I knew you were with her, I wouldn't have bothered." Rogue dismissed the angry zodiac with a scowl before turning to face the direction of the staircase. The shadow mage was about to begin his trek back to Sting's office before a calloused hand reached out and grabbed his arm just above his elbow. An annoyed ruby iris looked back at the lion and was shocked to see the grief written across the spirits now pained face, all agitation completely washed away.

"She isn't doing well. She's finally beginning to see just how much that monster of a bandit had stolen from her, plus she's too scared to rest- her nightmares terrorize her. Please tell me you have thought of something, I'm going to go crazy. She is a mess and I can't even get close enough to comfort her!" The ebony haired dragon slayer watched as the celestial leader's raw emotions of pure anguish play across his bruised face.

Rogue had realized that the celestial maiden held up in the guild infirmary was no doubt miserable right now, but he had never stopped to think about how all her loved ones must feel as well. The pain the blonde woman's friends will feel for her was no doubt going to cause a lot of anguish not only for the blonde herself, but the people that loved and cared for her.

Crimson eyes slipped closed while the shadow mage tilted his head up towards the ceiling with a sigh. Rogue recognized that the lion was using him as a beacon of hope in the darkness that was clouding his master's life, and the ebony haired male sincerely hoped he wouldn't disappoint him and everyone else that cared for the blonde.

Crimson eyes snapped open as a new piece of the puzzle snapped into place with the spirit's words.

"Lucy has nightmares every time she sleeps? That most likely means that the shadows live in the recesses of her subconscious and only come out when she is sleeping." Emerald eyes gazed at the ebony haired slayer before giving a weak nod in confirmation.

If his shadows only affect Lucy when she is unconscious that would make it a whole lot simpler for the ebony haired male to be near the blonde when his magic come out of dormancy. He might be able to slip by her side while the celestial mage was sleeping to watch over her, that way she wouldn't need to worry about being around him.

"If I can stay with her when she's sleeping, I might be able to draw more of the magic from her. It would also be better since she's afraid of me and won't let me near her." Rogue gauged the spirit's reaction as the orange haired male's defeated and hopeless look was replaced by one of renewed hope.

The dragon slayer rolled his eyes as the sound of soft footfalls were approaching from the staircase while the aroma of fresh food assaulted his nostrils. The ebony haired male didn't even have to turn around to know that it was his celestial guildmate bringing up the blonde mage's food.

"Rogue, why did you leave so suddenly-" The silver haired mage looked from both the slayer and spirit before narrowing her gaze.

" What are you even doing here?" The suspicious glare the short haired woman shot at him had the slayer raise his eyebrow in amusement before shaking his head at her and sidestepping away.

Yukino stuck her tongue out at the ebony haired shadow slayer before thanking the zodiac spirit when the fiery orange haired male opened the door to the infirmary for her. The silver haired celestial woman gave her fellow guild mate one last glance maneuvering her body within the doorway since she was juggling two dishes within her hands.

Ruby eyes widened once again as a wave of the blonde wizard's scent came barreling through the open door, the slayer's nostrils flared causing the crimson eyed male to turn toward the door right as it was being shut. However, Rogue didn't miss the shocked expression of the blonde as her cocoa brown eyes widened when she lifted her gaze from the bed at the last second before the door closed only to be met with his equally as surprised ruby orbs.

"So there really might be a way for you to help her?" Loke's voice brought the stunned slayer back down from his thoughts as he turned back to face the spirit. Rogue tried to ignore the way his heart skipped a beat for the small second that his eyes fixated on the sad and lonely gaze of the bedridden blonde.

Her scent had completely overwhelmed him, it was sweet like strawberries but had a hint of darkness that was no doubt his own magic. He had been completely mesmerized by the smell that he couldn't even look away from her chocolate colored eyes, something that disturbed him.

"Yes, as long as she consents to the idea, then there's hope." The dragon slayer watched as Loke's face fell somewhat before he smashed his own head into the wall next to the door frame, much like Rogue himself was doing earlier.

"She's never going to consent to have you in the same room with her. I can barely get close enough to her, how do you expect her to let the man that is the star of her nightmares sit next to her while she is sleeping?" The spirit pushed back his fiery auburn locks before rubbed his forehead where he had just rammed into the wall.

Rogue knew he had a point, but the slayer didn't want her not to know. What if she woke up one night and saw him there without knowing his true intentions? Then they would be in a much worse predicament.

"Those are the terms. I suggest you convince her that it's the best and only option we have right now." Rogue turned once again, he could still smell the lingering scent as it washed over his skin, creating goosebumps.

The slayer needed to get out of that hallway- away from the blonde fairy before he himself lost his mind. He listened as Loke sighed before the spirit opened the door once more. Rogue, not wanting to get caught up in the wave of her scent again, merged with the shadows and willed himself to move up the staircase and to Sting's office. He reemerged right outside the door before knocking and entering, not even waiting for a reply to be welcomed in.

Rogue walked into Sting's spacious office only to find said guild master laying on the floor on his stomach snoring. The shadow dragon slayer clicked his tongue in annoyance before he moved to Sting's side, using his foot to step on the white dragon slayers back before yelling to wake up. The blonde jumped up from the ground so fast that he almost knocked over the lamp on his desk while he looked around cautiously before his eyes landed on the slender stature that was his fellow slayer.

"What the hell, Rogue?" Sting rubbed his leg where he had hit the corner of his desk in a pathetic attempt to act like he hadn't been sleeping. Rogue chuckled as he watched Sting's dismayed face. Payback was so sweet.

"Payback, for waking me from my nap earlier. On another note, I heard you visited with our fairy guest earlier." Rogue glanced at his slayer twin before moving to sit on the couch in the corner of the room while Sting sat at his desk.

Crimson orbs glanced out of the office window; he hadn't realized how much of the day had already come to pass. So many distractions had made him lose track of time.

The sun would be setting soon, maybe the lion would get an answer from his blonde master before night sets in. Truth be told, Rogue wanted to stay in the room with the fairy while she slept, the faster he removed his magic, the faster she would leave, and he wouldn't have to deal with an annoying pulling sensation on his magic all the time.

"Yes, I wanted to see if she was feeling better, it took me a while to even get to sit close to the bed, I'm a little scared of how Natsu is going to react when he comes here. Because I know for a fact she won't let him near her. I don't want the guild to be destroyed. "The ebony haired male observed the guild master sigh before shaking his head.

The shadow mage slumped on the couch while resting his hand on his cheek. For some reason, the thought of Sting and the blonde celestial mage conversing together made him uneasy.

Rogue knew Yukino was acquainted with the blonde fairy, being that they are both celestial mages and Fairy Tail had helped the silver haired woman after she had been kicked out of Sabertooth during the GMG. So, it didn't surprise the ebony haired male that the Fairy Tail mage was clinging to the other celestial mage as the only familiarity she knew in an otherwise strange place.

But had Lucy really opened up a little to Sting as well? Was she starting to see his lighter twin as another lifeline in the Sabertooth guild?

Rogue felt a weird feeling rumbling throughout his chest when he thought of Sting, Yukino, and the blonde mage talking together. Here he was basically bonded to the woman in an odd magical way, yet he was forced to stay away from her even though the pull had his emotions going haywire while they clawed their way into his usual apathetic exterior.

"I need Lucy to consent to me being in the room with her while she sleeps so I'll have a chance to remove my magic, she doesn't even have to be alone with me. Someone else- maybe Yukino- could be there as well. As long as I am able to be next to her when the magic attacks. I might be able to draw some, if not all the magic from her. The lion spirit is going to try and convince her." Rogue watched Sting nod as his expression turned from interested to concerned.

"I don't think she is going to agree to that, Rogue. From what she told both Yukino and I, the Rogue from the future tortures her almost every night when her nightmares hit. I hate to break it to you man, but she is completely terrified of you because of what the nightmares do to her. I've never seen someone so damn terrified." Rogue narrowed his eyes. So, the fairy was opening up to Sting more. Even enough to tell him about what his future counterpart's magic was doing to her.

"What has she told you about these nightmares?" Rogue couldn't help the question as it just tumbled from his curious lips. He was a bit upset that he couldn't ask the blonde questions directly, and was forced to go off indirect conversations from others to get information that could be important. Everything that she could tell him might be able to be a clue in how to rid his foreign shadows from her celestial body. The shadow mage inwardly cringed as the blonde slayer quirked a brow while giving him a sly smile.

"Is my emotionless bastard of a partner, dare I say it, jealous?" Sting laughed as heat rose up to Rogue's face, painting his cheeks a tinted scarlet- much like his eyes. The ebony haired male turned as he clinched his fist while the overly jovial master poked fun about how he actually does have feelings.

Finally having enough of Sting's banter, Rogue turned back after he was sure his blush had faded to smack Sting upside the head with his balled fist.

"Are you going to tell me what you know, or not? Because we both know damn well I am not allowed to talk to her right now, so I have to get my information from other people!" The shadow slayer smirked as Sting rubbed his head where a whelp had started to form Rogue's abuse.

"Alright! Alright. Damn, calm down, you emo freak. I'll tell you what I know so far, but Yukino might know more than me." Rogue let his emotions calm while he listened to Sting talk, making a mental note to corner Yukino soon to get information from her as well.

"From what I was able to squeeze out of her, she had started to have nightmares right after that huge shit storm with the Eclipse Gate. She had watched the future Rogue kill her future self and was freaked by it so much that she started having nightmares. Apparently, at that time she didn't realize she had any of your crazy shadow magic in her, she actually figured that out right before she woke up earlier- something about the future Rogue telling her in her nightmare." Sting looked out the window.

"She said she can feel it now. She can feel your magic in her. Almost like it's surrounding her, like the Future you is watching her every move all the time. This damn blondie is going to go crazy if we don't do something to stop your fucking magic, Rogue." Rogue's mind ticked as it processed every single word the blonde spoke.

It made sense to him that the fairy felt like she was being ripped apart, especially since that was how it was supposed to make you feel. The only question Rogue had was why hadn't she gone insane yet? Never in all his years of using shadow dragon slaying magic had he seen someone fight off the magic as it was attacking for so damn long.

What the hell is this woman?

"I need to see her for myself." Rogue gazed at the stunned blonde dragon slayer, he could tell the blonde was about to protest, but the ebony haired man just held up a hand as he thought for a moment.

Yes, he definitely needed to see her, and evaluate the situation a little better. He couldn't stand not learning from the source anymore, there were just too many loose ends and too many questions for him to guess and wait.

If the fairy didn't want to see him, he wanted to hear it from her lips for himself. He was tired of everyone else telling him what to do when the celestial mage had a voice of her own.

"I need to hear it from her, I need to hear that she doesn't want to try and let me remove the magic. I don't want to hear answers from anyone else anymore about this situation, unless it is directly from her mouth to me." Rogue took in Sting's wide eyes and agape mouth, it was no doubt Rogue had just flat out told his best friend that he wasn't going to listen to anyone anymore, but he just couldn't take the tiptoeing around.

This was his guild as much as anyone else's and he was the deciding factor in the fairy's life right now.

"Should we go talk to her, then?" The ebony haired slayer felt his usual façade slip to reveal his shock. He hadn't been expecting Sting to give in so easily, even though he was glad that he did. Maybe the blonde guild master understood that it was difficult for Rogue to know what to do when he couldn't even talk to the woman himself.

Whatever it was, Rogue was grateful his friend agreed.

Lucy felt the spike of fear slide up her spine when her watery chocolate gaze locked on to that visible scarlet orb for the second time that day. Right when Yukino had stepped through the doorway, Lucy had looked up only to catch a glimmer of the man that shot fear through her very being.

But even though it was a small glimpse, she could see the shocked expression clear across his face, and even though the blonde was paralyzed by her fear, she couldn't help the curiosity as to why he looked so dazed.

"Was Leo here to keep you company while I was gone? I am glad if so, I didn't like leaving you alone. I brought up some Chicken soup and bread for you, so you need to eat now, okay?" Yukino cheerfully put the dishes down on the table before turning back to the star-struck blonde.

After not getting a response from the other celestial maiden, Yukino looked over her shoulder to see that the blonde was still sitting with a perplexed look on her face.

" Lucy?" Yukino waved her hand in front of the other celestial mages face in hopes of getting the woman's attention.

The blonde shook her head as she brought her full attention back to the silver haired girl. Yukino gave Lucy a questioning look before turning back to get the small bedside table from the other side of the room for the bedridden woman.

Lucy tried to listen to the conversation that was still going on outside, but all she heard were muffled voices. The blonde was very distracted from her physical body as her mind raced with questions as to why the shadow mage was standing just outside her door in the first place.

Was he the one that knocked on the door. If he was, why?

She wanted desperately to thank the crimson eyed slayer for saving her life, but she was so caught up in the adrenaline rush of fear that would course through her body every time her eyes would sweep over his lethal form. He was dangerous to her, even though she knew he was not the same man. He was still so similar that it had her on edge, and her emotions crossing over while they tried to function properly while anxiety took hold.

"Cy... Lucy. Are you okay? I've been talking to you for about two minutes, but you've just been staring at the door." Lucy gave Yukino an apologetic smile before she moved her body up a little into a sitting position. Her body screamed in agony as every little burn and cut stretched and pulled while her stitches strained against their man-made retrains.

"I'm sorry, Yukino. I just have a lot on my mind, is all. Did Rufus say anything about me being able to take a shower? I feel gross." Lucy tried to keep her attention on the other celestial mage as she brought her meal over to the table before sitting it down while the silver haired mage sat on the bed next to Lucy.

"He said that would be fine, and to just keep the bandages on while you shower so soap will not irritate your injuries too bad, we will change them once you are done. I can help you up and into the shower, and bring you another set of clothes." Lucy smiled fondly at Yukino. She was so extremely blessed to have someone as caring as her to help her in such a rough time in her life.

"I would really appreciate that, Yukino! Thank you for helping me so much, Umm... Why was he outside of the infirmary?" Lucy watched as Yukino took the bread before breaking in half and giving Lucy a small bit for her to eat. Lucy took it, staring at it for a long moment before plopping the lump in her mouth. Lucy hadn't realized how long it had been since she actually ate, as her stomach growled to be fed. Both Yukino and Lucy laughed after the noise died down.

"Who knows, Rogue just a little different and weird, we were all sitting at the table in the guildhall before he just up and left randomly, I found him talking to Leo when I came back to bring you your food." Yukino handed the blonde the bowl of chicken soup.

Lucy's mouth watered at the smell of the soup wafted up into her nostrils. She brought a spoonful up to her lips before blowing on the small contents while the infirmary door opened once again. Loke walked through the small opening as Lucy averted her eyes down to the bed, not wanting to get another glimpse of the shadow mage.

"I'm sorry, Lucy, I didn't mean to be gone so long. But there is something we need to talk about." Both celestial mages looked up the spirit while he pulled up the chair once again before sitting and putting his palm on the palm of Lucy's injured shoulder. Lucy jumped a little from the contact but calmed her heart as she took in the sight of her spirits worried eyes before she looked to Yukino once more to see her curious gaze on the lion as well.

"What is it, Loke?" Lucy swallowed the spoonful of now cold soup while she watched as Loke pushed his glasses back up on the bridge of his nose.

"Rogue may be able to take the shadows away from you... But to do that he has to be in the same room as you when the magic attacks you again." Lucy felt Loke rub his thumb onto her palm while he tried to soften the blow from the news. The blonde's eyes grew wide while she let her mind race with the small bit of information he had fed to her.

It was too soon for her to be in the same vicinity as the shadow mage, she wasn't strong enough- at least not yet. There was no way she could do what Loke was suggesting, even if it was the only way, she didn't believe she could allow him close to her.

"Loke... I can't..." Lucy started to shake a bit as her mind tried to formulate a coherent sentence. Yukino took the bowl from Lucy's lap and moved it back to the table before grabbing Lucy's other hand for herself, careful not to hurt the blonde's injured shoulder.

"Lucy, Rogue is a great person. I know the future Rogue was an evil man, but our Rogue is nothing like that monster. He would never dream of hurt you." Yukino twined her fingers with Lucy's. She used her other hand to rub her uninjured shoulder in a nurturing manner. Lucy could still feel Loke's hand on her own while she contemplated what to do.

Lucy wasn't an idiot, she knew that the future and present Rogue were two different people, but she couldn't make her emotions behave long enough for her heart to notice that difference as much as her brain did. Her heart told her no, but her mind told her it was the only way.

"I know, but I can't... I'm not strong enough to be near him, Yukino, Loke, please don't make me do this. Please!" Lucy felt the anxiety grip her heart and squeeze until she was gasping for breath, her heart raced as it clamped down harder and harder until she let out a loud sob before backing away from both the silver haired woman and her spirit, ignoring the pain shooting through her body.

How could they try and make me do this? They don't understand.

No one will ever understand.

"Lucy! Lucy, calm down, everything is okay, we aren't going to make you do anything you don't want to do. Shh, everything will be fine, no one is forcing you to see him. He just wants to try and help you as much as everyone else does. Hell, he came here to check up on you because you were crying, and he thought you were alone in the infirmary by yourself." The orange haired zodiac leader tried to reason with the panicking blonde.

Lucy felt her heart calm slowly when Loke's words met her ears. Had that man really came to check on her because he thought she was crying alone? Did he really want to help her? Lucy wiped the tears from her eyes.

Mavis, when did she become so pathetic?

I'm such a complete disaster.

"Listen to me, Lucy. Wendy is on her way, she is going to heal what she can physically, and Rogue wants to help by taking away your pain mentally. He is a friend -an ally- remember? Sabertooth and Fairy Tail are on great terms now. Please calm down and think it through. You don't even have to be alone with him." Lucy flinched as Loke took her hand once more before bringing it to his lips for a soft kiss. She pulled her hand from his soft grip before she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"I will consider it. Just give me a little time to think it over, please." Lucy looked at her trusted spirit. He nodded his head while Yukino took her spot on the bed once again.

"Of course, princess, but I am afraid it is time for me to return to the spirit world. I'm still healing myself. Loke gave her a small smile before he turned to open his gate once again. Lucy and Yukino watched as the spirit dissipated from their world and back to his own. The blonde woman looked at her fellow celestial mage who gave her a genuine smile.

"Everything is going to be just fine, Lucy." Yukino took the bowl of soup from the table once again before placing it back onto Lucy's lap. Lucy stared at the soup and bread, she knew she was still hungry, but her anxiety attack had made her lose her appetite. The silverette sensing something was wrong, grabbed the bread once more before tearing another piece and holding it out to Lucy.

"Finish eating then you can take a shower." The Fairy Tail mage looked at the food with renewed enthusiasm at the thought of a warm inviting shower invaded her mind. Lucy took the bread from Yukino's hand before shoving it into her mouth, she ate diligently bit by bit until the bowl was empty and bread was completely gone.

Yukino smiled at Lucy before place the bowl back on the table again.

"Great! Now, let me head to my room and get a change of clothes, then I will be back, and we can get you into the shower, alright?" The short haired woman stood from the bed as Lucy nodded her head before she let out a small yawn. Though she had been asleep for some time, she was still tired and eating only made her more aware of just how exhausted she truly was.

Lucy watched Yukino open the door before slipping through and shutting it again with a click. Lucy laid back on the bed slowly being careful not to hurt her injuries too much, she couldn't wait for Wendy to get here. Maybe she could heal her just enough to where the blonde could move about more freely. Lucy yawned once more as she shifted her head onto the soft overstuffed pillow before she closed her eyes.

She would stay awake until Yukino came back, at least, that's what she kept repeating in her head before she fell back into the world of complete darkness.

Guest de France- Thank you! There is some Sting/Yukino in later chapters, and there is some Natsu/Lisanna too, but not much! I hope you enjoy!

Iana- They do eventually come to a solution! :D

the real narnia- Thank you! We are getting to it so it shouldn't be too much longer! :)