WARNING: Rated M for Explicit Graphic Depictions of Violence, Graphic Depiction of Rape/Non-Consensual Sex, Graphic Sex, Graphic Physical and Mental Abuse, and Mental Instability. Please read at your own discretion.

I do not own Fairy Tail; All major characters depicted in this fan-created fiction story belong to Hiro Mashima.

This chapter is Beta-read by the awesome YungVodkaDikost, if you haven't read any of her stories, you should go check them out!

CHAPTER 9

Lucy had told herself that she was not, under any circumstances going to fall asleep, well at least not before she was able to take a refreshing shower and replace the bedding with new clean linens.

She'd been lying in her own filth for way too long now and she was ready to be as clean as humanly possible once again. But of course, her weary body had started to betray her as the blonde could feel herself slipping into a light sleep while she waited for the silver-haired mage to come back.

The celestial key holder could feel her body lift up as it floated in the dark nothingness that was her unconscious mind. Once again, her vision was obstructed by the ink dark space that she had reverted back to while she slept in her borrowed bed.

Shadows swirled around her body leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake as they traveled up the length of her well-developed body. The foreign magic danced across her skin while it licked every exposed piece of flesh in an attempt to assert its dominance over her.

His dominance.

Lucy could feel the shadows as they curved around her body while the remaining magic slipped into her body just below the surface. She felt her skin crawl as the shadow magic drilled its way further into her body until it was practically merging to her pure soul. She could feel the darkness creeping over her as she fell deeper and deeper into the dark recesses of her own mind that she tried so desperately to ignore.

She could feel her body start to fall as the shadows drug her within their depths. She tried to scream, but her voice was muted when she felt the sound die within her throat. Her body jerked when she felt something grab her leg before she was forcefully slammed to the pitch ground by the unseen force. The blonde winced when she felt the grip on her leg tighten before she was drug across the black floor. No matter where she looked she was met with the inky darkness she had come to loathe and fear.

She tossed her head from side to side while she frantically tried to regain her composer when the invisible force released her from her restraints.

Lucy lifted her upper body from the cool ground as she attempted to crawl away from where she had been drug, unknown particles dug into her skin while she scooted across the jagged and unkempt floor. Even though she couldn't see anything, she couldn't help but feel that she needed to get away from the general direction the force had pulled her to.

Debris stuck into her palms when she pushed them down repeatedly to further her distance. The terrified woman let out a pained shriek as she felt her hair being grabbed before she was mercilessly pulled back the way she had come. Lucy's frantic cries echoed through the darkness as her head was snapped back around to stare into that snake-like crimson red eye once again.

"I'm always so bored when you leave my playground. So please forgive me if I seem all too eager to play with you when you come back home to me. Yet you always try to run from me. What a shame." Lucy tried to free her hair from his hold which only tightened when he bent his head back to release a maniacal cackle.

Lucy felt bile rise in the back of her throat as she his warm breath fanned over her cheek when he suddenly moved to bend down and rub his nose in the juncture of her neck and shoulder. Lucy's breathing stopped when she felt his tongue lick up the length of her slender pale neck all the way to her ear before he whispered into her.

"I will be here waiting for you, every single time you fall asleep. You will never be able to escape me, because this is where I live, dear Lucy. My shadow magic will burrow into your soul and build a permanent home soon. It's only a matter of time before you become a pawn to the darkness that is residing within you." Lucy's eyes widened when she felt his sharp canines graze the tip of her ear before trailing back down along the pale flesh of her neck.

She struggled within his grasp, scratching at the hand that held her hair just at the base of her skull. She let out a tearful shriek when she felt his chest press into hers while he brought his free hand up to hold her shoulder. His grabs were cold and painful as he pulled her forward with one hard tug before he sunk his sharp teeth into the supple flesh of her shoulder, as if he was marking her.

Lucy sobbed uncontrollably with her body was pinned against this terrible cruel man, she felt warm liquid slid down into the crevice of her cleavage as her body shook from both fear and pain. She could feel his magic raging within her body when he pushed more of his tainted shadows into her unconscious body.

Her body curved up into his when her back arched as the foreign magic merged with her, causing searing pain to tear through her small form. A horrifying scream finally ripped past her lips when she felt him forcefully rip his teeth from her body, causing the tearing of flesh to meet her ears. Lucy slumped back from his body as the pain overwhelmed her.

"Red is such a magnificent color on you, I would like to see you completely covered in it." The blonde shook when she felt his hands twine with her long blonde hair to force her head back as he moved to bend down to get a better view of the skin he had marred, a sick satisfied grin played across his blood-stained lips while he admired the crimson liquid flowing from the punctures his pointed dragon slayer teeth had made.

Lucy felt anxiety rise in her chest as she took in the crazed red eye examining his sadistic work causing her breathing to stop when he moved in closer to her, until she felt his warm tongue lap at the trail of blood that oozed its way down her body.

The celestial mage was paralyzed with fear, so much so that she couldn't think, and she couldn't even breathe. The man moved his hand down from her shoulder to her arm before settling on the small of her back.

Lucy panicked when she felt his hard body press into hers.

Her mind fogged when she took in their proximity and the way his hand held her back, just above her rear. Lucy's heart fluttered within her chest as she screamed and flung her arm up into the air.

A loud slap of skin connecting with skin filled the darkness as it cascaded and echoed through the inky vicinity. Lucy stood still as she felt him remove his hands from her before she dropped to the ground screaming in agony.

Every part of her body felt like she was being boiled from the inside out, the foreign dark magic coursed through her as it raged just beneath the surface of her flesh. Lucy curled in on herself while she felt every fiber of her being burn in an inferno of heat she had never experienced before.

Sure, she had been burned by Natsu more times then she could count, but the heat she felt now was more than just a burning, it was complete agony that she could only assume had to be a fire straight from the depth of hell its self. Her body felt like it was being ripped apart on the inside as the shadows forced their way through her, making her insides their sadistic playground of torture.

"I can take the pain away. I can stop the agony, but only if you apologize for being so rude to your gracious host. After all, this is my home and you're just a guest here." Lucy didn't miss the amused tone in his voice as he bent to where his face was just inches from her own.

Lucy bit her lip as the pain grew more intense the longer she tried to remain silent. She threw her head back when she finally let out an anguished cry when she lost the feeling in her arms as she tried to force her body upright once again.

"I... will, never apologize to you." Lucy managed to grit out as the shadows licked around her body, she could feel the black wisps as they rose off her skin, creating a burning sensation as she resisted his will. She fisted her hands on the ground as she rolled onto her stomach, bringing her knees up to try and force her body to stand. Lucy shrieked as the heavy sole of a boot crash into her back causing her to flop back down onto her stomach. The breath whooshed out of her lungs as she was pinned to the ground with his foot.

"I have to say, I didn't believe you would last this long. You're interesting. In fact, I am elated that you are still fighting, it will be much more enjoyable once I finally break you." Lucy screamed as she pushed her hands to the ground while she tried to force his foot from her back, she quickly forced her body up, ignoring the scorching effect that the shadows had on her.

Her quick movement had been enough for the man to lose his balance as she felt the pressure release. Her flesh seared as she pushed her body to stand on her two feet once more, she let out a whimper while she caught her balance before she glared at the man that had also regained his footing to stare at her in some sort of daze.

"I will never let you win, this is my body, my mind, and I will not let you overtake me so easily. I would rather die than ever admit that I need your help. This pain is not more than I can handle. I would gladly take this pain if it meant that I am one step closer to pushing you out of my subconscious and my life forever." Lucy grit out between shallow gasps of breath.

She was in complete misery as the shadows ate her from both inside and out, but she was also proud of herself for standing up to him though she was completely terrified. Even now, as her body felt like it was about to give out at any given moment, she would never give him the satisfaction of believing that he had control over her.

Lucy swayed on her feet as she felt the dark magic surge within her with renewed vigor as the future dragon king regained his composure to glare right back at her. The blonde had fought so hard and she wasn't ready to give up yet, but she knew she could do nothing when she felt his hand wrap around her wrist before dragging her limp body to his. The celestial mage tried not to gage as she felt his breath once again on her face.

"You interest me, dear little Lucy Heartfillia. You are obviously out of fight, yet you talk big like you could control me, when it is in fact the other way around." Lucy tried to force his face away from hers, but he caught her other wrist when she tried to bring it up to slap him a second time. She could feel his grip tighten as he crushed both her wrist in just one of his palms before he brought his free hand up to swipe away some of her golden hair that had become matted in the drying blood on her shoulder.

Lucy winced as she felt the hair tug at the drying blood causing the ripped punctures to bleed once again. Lucy kicked and pushed as Rogue bent his head to her shoulder once again to lick and sink his teeth into the already sore location that he has maimed.

Lucy whimpered when his razor-sharp teeth pulled at the raw wound, she felt her body give out as her legs buckled from beneath her, she was sure she was going to drop to the ground but was surprised when one of Rogue's arms snaked around her waist to crush her to him. Nausea swept over her when she felt her body mold against his taut form for the third time. She was so damn weak, she didn't even have enough energy to push away from him when he retracted his teeth from her.

"You taste so sweet." Lucy sobbed when she looked up to see the raw primal need in his scarlet eye while he licked her blood from his lips. He gave her a smirk as he wiped the rest of the remaining liquid with the back of his hand before he let her drop boneless to the floor. The blonde felt her body hit the uneven ground as shock and anxiety smacked her full force.

She was terrified, why did he look at her like that? He couldn't honestly actually have taken an interest in her? Not after all the sadistic shit he had put her through. This man was fucking insane. Lucy looked up at the tall figure looming over her as she tried to drag her body across the ground in a futile attempt to escape the man who made her spine freeze.

"I'm going to have so much fun with you, Luce..." Lucy froze as she looked back up at the eye, how even he could dare use that name!? He didn't have any idea who she even was. He had no right to call her by the nickname Natsu had given her. That was a special name that he had given her, and she damn sure was not going to let this insane man call her that.

"I don't ever want to hear you say that name again, in fact, don't call me by anything. You don't know me." Lucy grits her teeth as she swallowed her fear and glared up as the lone glowing crimson eye. Another peel of crazed laughter rung through the darkness as he drew in closer to her.

"I know so much more than you think, dear Lucy. I'm always with you, I'm just a figment of your imagination. Meaning, I know everything that you know." Lucy shook as she felt uncontrollable sobs rack her body.

So, she really had gone insane? His magic was definitely here, but had she really conjured up this imaginary man? Lucy grasped her head while she shook it back and forth.

"You're lying. I haven't gone crazy, at least not yet. There is no way I would imagine you in my dreams just to torment me." Lucy shook her head as tears streamed from her eyes. She knew that she was going to go insane eventually if she didn't figure out a way to remove his magic, but she believed she could atlease hold out until she could figure out something.

After all she had literally just found out the reason she was having the nightmares, and now she didn't even have time to research a way to fix it?

"Shut up, I'm tired of hearing you talk." Lucy looked up as she was met with a wave of shadows flowing over her body, causing her back to arch as the pain shot through her being. Lucy felt her eyes roll back in her head as the magic ate at her. She barely had time to register the shifting of her weight as he pushed on her shoulders before she was pushed down onto the ground.

Lucy's tried to retreat into solitude, but even in the recesses of her mind he controlled the shadows. She wasn't able to escape the feel of his hands as they slowly traveled from her upper body to her waist.

"You are annoying, but your body is amazing. I hope you don't mind if I indulge myself. After all, it's not like I'm the first to do with you what I please." Lucy looked up into the crazed lust filled eyes of her tormenter, what had she done so wrong in her life to deserve this type of treatment? She couldn't help but scream as she felt Rogue's arms circle around her middle before she felt herself being lifted from the ground, into his arms, and crushed against his muscular body.

"Don't touch me!" Lucy reached for her keys, but fumbled when she realized she didn't have them, or even her whip. She was completely defenseless in front of a blood-lusting predator that just so happened to only have his eye on her.

Lucy whimpered as the self-proclaimed dragon king pushed her hands up against what appeared to be a black wall, before he moved his head to her neck once again, Lucy could hear him inhale deeply as if he was taking in her scent before he groaned out loud. Lucy clinched her teeth when she closed her eyes, images of the bandit restraining and defiling her flashed behind her lids while her heart skipped frantically.

Lucy froze when she felt Rogue's hand glide along her exposed thigh before slipping to rest on her curved hip. She struggled to breathe as his rough touches, so strong and forceful reminded her of the experience she had endured not even 48 hours ago. Her head spun while he gripped her arms once again to bring them up above her head, trapping her wrists in just one of his large calloused palms.

"Oh, are you excited, Lucy? Or maybe I have just brought up some bad memories?" Lucy tried to kick him back while she felt him push his body further into her own as he cackled. The man was obviously taking enjoyment out of her raw fear. He was using what happened between her and the bandit as a way to get to her! Was he really going to try to do the same?

Lucy felt cold sweat drip down her back as terror rose up her throat in the form of small whimpers and sobs. Why did she have to be so weak? This was HER mind, her body! So, what if the future Rogue did something to her, she should still be able to control her own thoughts!

This was just ridiculous, but she couldn't help that even if her mind had conjured up this 'figment' he sure did feel real, he knew everything about her, and knew exactly how to toy with her to where she was on the edge of an anxiety attack, and that completely terrified her.

"If what you say is true, then you aren't real! None of this is!" Lucy choked out as his hands wandered once more, this time to her shoulder to move her blonde hair away from the blood crusted wound.

"That may be true, but I don't have to be real to ruin your life, I'll slowly steal your sanity, first with nightmares, then eventually you'll become paranoid, you'll start to see me in dark places, your mind with conjure images. I will torment you until you are nothing but a shell, one that I will be able to control." Lucy flinched away as Rogue's face moved closer to her face while he grazed a pointed canine over her cheek before bringing her face back with his free hand to look in straight into his eye.

"You'll be mine, completely." With that, Lucy felt his mouth on hers, she let out a startled gasp as he forcefully bit into the bottom of her lip. She could taste the metallic essence of blood as it slipped into her mouth. Lucy gagged when she felt his tongue roam over the outside of her lip, tasting the liquid for himself. She struggled against his grip, twisting and turning as his lips crashed into hers once more before he pulled back. Lucy stared back horrified as he licked his blood covered lips before releasing a satisfied growl while giving her the most sadistic grin she had ever seen before.

Mavis, please save her!

"So, the lion spirit actually did confirm that Blondie was the one to take out all those bandits with that crazy spell she tried to do at the GMG. She's got to be pretty powerful to do all that damage on her own, huh? She might be just as destructive as the rest of her team." Rogue stopped in his tracks as he watched Sting's retreating back. The ebony haired male knew that someone had to take out the bandits, but he didn't honestly believe that the fairy had done it all on her own, if she even had anything to do with it at all. It was an S-Class mission after all, and she proved herself to be a regular mage when she couldn't win either of her GMG battles.

So, she really was the one to defeat the bandits? That was interesting to the crimson eyed slayer, considering the fact she wasn't even able to fully complete the spell at the GMG. How could she have perfected it in just a few short weeks? Rogue was so lost in thought that he hadn't even noticed that the blonde guild master had stopped walking to turn and stare at him after he had realized Rogue wasn't following anymore.

"But she couldn't even finish the spell at the Grand Magic Games, she didn't win any of her matches." Rogue finally looked up as he waited for an answer, one that never came. Sting just shrugged while he turned back around to continue walking down the hall, Rogue followed close behind.

"Maybe she had always been that strong, and we just didn't see it." The blonde slayer suggested, Rogue shifted his gaze to his partner.

Yes, it was possible that the celestial fairy had been holding back, but Rogue didn't get that feeling from her while watching both her battles from up in their booth, it looked like she had been struggling, especially against Minerva.

The ruby-eyed male inwardly shuttered as he remembers the beating the blonde celestial mage had received from their former Lady, it had been hard to watch as his teammate mercilessly assaulted the poor woman.

"Hardly. She had to have just recently acquired that strength." Rogue ignored the undignified snort from his partner when they reached the staircase. Though he found it hard to believe that the small blonde had caused all the damage he had stumbled upon, he didn't completely dismiss it. He just wanted to know how she had come across that strength within such a short time.

"You're a jackass." Sting smacked the back of his partners head as they reached the second floor.

"Excuse me?" Rogue grabbed the blonde's cheeks before stretching them out as far as humanly possible, which caused Sting to grab the ebony haired male's ponytail and fringe in retaliation. The two slayers wrestled in the middle of the hall before Sting finally gave up when Rogue had started to draw in his shadows to make the blonde's hand slip through the thin air.

"Seriously, don't be such an ass, she's been through a lot in just a short period of time, plus we don't even really know her. If you want to know how strong she is, talk to fucking Yukino, or her teammates, or something. Geez." Rogue smirked while Sting rubbed his visibly red cheeks.

"I'm not an ass. You're one to talk, you egotistical bastard, you were laughing when Milady was thrashing her in the naval battle." Rogue fixed his hair before he crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the white dragon slayer while they started walking once again. Sure, the ebony haired mage knew he could come off as a little intimidating and blunt, but that was just who he was. That didn't make him an ass. It just made him… well, him.

The slayers tensed when they came close to the infirmary, both men could feel the magical pressure coming from the other side of the room, letting them both know that the dark shadow magic had returned once again.

Rogue threw a quick glance to Sting before he rushed to the door, his hand gripped the handle while he took in a deep breath. The shadow dragon slayer braced himself as he ripped open the door while the rush of the fairy's unusual scent crashed into him, causing his nostrils to flare as he felt the familiar magic permeate the room.

Both Rogue and Sting froze as they took in the sight of the only occupant in the infirmary.

Rogue couldn't stop the sharp intake of breath while he watched black wisps of shadows lick at the celestial mage's body. The magic twisted and warped its way around her as it created a flame-like appearance. The girl's face was contorted in a mix of anguish and agony while her back arched off the bed, her hands balled into fists tightly by her side.

The shadow slayer hardly took notice of Sting ducking his head back out of the room to yell for someone to get Yukino and Rufus. He was too caught up in watching the dark magic dance across her skin as it ate away at her very being.

Rogue had never seen his shadow magic radiate from someone like it was doing to the fairy. It was uncontrolled as it violent thrashed about at the top of her skin, and was obviously too much for the woman to handle as she softly whimpered while her body seized up. The crimson eyed mage could only imagine the raw pain and suffering the blonde must be enduring. He felt bile rise in his throat when the thought that it was his future counterpart that had caused the celestial mage's pain in the first place.

Indirectly, he was to blame for all of this.

A scream ripped from the fairy's lips as they trembled in terror, causing Rogue to spring from his rooted spot by the door. He moved over to the bed ignoring the tingling of his own magic as it begged to mingle with the darker shadows. Rogue examined the celestial mages face while she thrashed her head against the pillow, tears streaming from her clenched eyes.

The shadow mage cautiously pushed his hand through the flame-like shadows, pausing when he felt the powerful magic pull on his own. He let his hand rest on the celestial mage's forehead while he brought his other to rest on the back of her neck to keep her from thrashing about. He slowly moved to sit on the edge of the bed while he leaned his head over hers to concentrate while he tried to force some of the dark magic from the woman.

The shadows surrounding the female mage pulsated violently as Rogue tried to carefully force them from their hiding places within the blonde woman. Even though he didn't exactly know if the same method he used the first time to drive some of the shadows out would work a second time, he proceeded with great caution. Who knew what the lasting effects could be if he ripped out too much of the magic all at once, especially if it had started to merge with her celestial magic, or worst, her soul.

Rogue glanced to the doorway when he noticed three figures step through. All eyes were on him as they watched in shock and concern while he tried to calm the raging magic that was in a whirl-winded frenzy as it lapped at both his and the fairy's body. His ebony hair flew around his face as the magic grew in power.

"The magical power is spiking too high, if I remove any of the magic while she is like this, I might accidentally hurt her. I have to wake her up." Rogue glanced back at the small group that had formed while he had been trying and failing to extract some of the erratic magic.

"Rogue, can't you just eat the shadows or something, this is getting pretty out of hand!" Yukino yelled from across the room, Rogue had no doubt in his mind that she was frightened for the other celestial mage while she hugged what looked to be clothing to her chest. They had become so close in such unfortunate ways.

"No, I can't these are dark and tainted shadows, they are not normal like my own. They could make me extremely sick, and then I wouldn't be able to help her at all." The shadow mage shook his head while he ran his fingers through the blonde wizard's hair, he had no idea why he felt like that was the right thing to do, but being up so close to her while having her scent sucker punch him in the face made him feel like he needed to comfort her.

She was obviously terrified and in pain, and he couldn't help but feel responsible for her agony. The least he could do was try to comfort her, no matter how bad he may be at it.

Rogue ran his fingers through her hair one last time, letting it linger at the top of her head while he prepared himself to wake the unconscious woman. He pulled away from her head slightly before he looked down at her face once more.

The crimson eyed male couldn't control the gasp that escaped past his open mouth when he witnessed the blonde's watery eyes suddenly snapped open. Rogue was surprised by the unexpected movement, but it wasn't the suddenness that had startled the slayer into an interested shocked daze.

No, what had shocked him the most was that her usual chocolate brown irises were non-existent as he stared into her eyes. There he sat, on the edge of the fairy's bed, staring straight at her face, only to be met with a pair of crimson red irises that mirrored his own.

Rogue's mouth fell open while he tried to form a coherent sentence to tell the emotionless women that he was not going to hurt her but as soon as he thought he was able to formulate a proper sentence, he was sent sailing back into the infirmary wall with a loud thump as he slumped to the ground in a daze. The magic that was dancing on the blonde's skin had flared up one final time as if the power was rejecting his touch.

Rogue looked up at the bed from his spot on the floor, the fairy remained motionless while the shadows slowly died down and eventually dissipated completely. He snapped out of his shocked phrase as soon as he heard a heart-wrenching sob come from atop the mattress before Yukino dropped the clothes to the floor to run to the other celestial mages side. Sting walked over to where Rogue had been tossed to lend him a hand to help him up.

The ebony haired male took the offered hand as he let Sting help him up, but promptly brushed Sting aside to walk back over to the bed. Yukino had wrapped her arms around the sobbing fairy, cradling her to her chest like a mother would do to a small frightened child. The crimson eyed slayer knew he was not imagining things, the fairy had actually controlled the shadows, forcing them to push him away from her as soon as her blood red eyes had opened.

"Did you just control those shadows?" Rogue stood looming over both the celestial mages as he waited for the crying woman to answer. He had questions, and he wanted them answered.

Now.

If she was able to control the shadows, even just a little, then that meant that the magic had gone as far as adhering its self not only to her body and mind but to her actual being, something that could either kill her, or make her extremely dangerous. The shadows would no longer be a foreign element in her body.

"Rogue, back off. That's not how you talk to someone who is already scared shitless of you!" The shadow dragon slayer deflated a little when the silver-haired woman glared up at him. He knew she was right, but this information was extremely important, and he needed to know now.

"Please Yukino, this is very important, you know I'm not trying to scare her." Rogue hated when it sounded like he was begging, but right now he was willing to do whatever it took to get answers from the sobbing blonde in Yukino's arms.

The shorted haired woman alternated her line of sight from Rogue and Sting to Lucy a few times. The blonde slayer walked over to pat her, causing her concerned and confused face to land on his face. Sting rubbed her back before he nodded his approval. Yukino looked down at Lucy once more before looking back at Rogue to nod.

"Lucy, did you make that magic attack Rogue?" Yukino whispered into the blonde's ear just loud enough for both the dragon slayers to hear as well. Rogue's breathing hitched as he watched the blonde lift her head up a little to look up at him, but she quickly averted her gaze back to the mattress.

Her eyes were brown again, but he knew for a fact that he had seen her eyes when she first opened them, and they were the exact the same color as his. But why where they brown again?

Just another question to add to the ongoing list.

"I don't know." He heard the soft whisper as it carried through the infirmary, her light, and timid voice, coated with the evidence of her trembling made his heart skip. It was such a hypnotic sound. Of course, he had heard it before, when she was yelling and cheering for her teammates during the GMG. But right now, with her scent, his magic, and the knowledge of her eyes changing to match his own thrown into the mix, he just couldn't stop from gazing down at her.

"Please, stop staring at me." Rogue frowned when her voice trembled while she pleaded.

Such a nice voice shouldn't be laced which such fear.

Rogue looked away to take in the damage that had been done to the room where he had landed against the wall had cracked just a bit, but not too bad. It was still a powerful hit, though.

"I know you detest me and I make you uncomfortable, but I need to ask you a few questions. I need to know what is happening, so I can get a better understanding of how to help you." The dark haired man kept his eyes on a corner of the wall while he talked. He didn't miss the small intake of breath as she tried to calm her nerves before speaking.

"Look, I don't hate you or anything. I can't hate you when you haven't done anything wrong to me. I realize that you are not the same person as the man that caused so much destruction after the Grand Magic Games. But it is hard for me to differentiate between the two of you sometimes." Rogue snapped his head back to stare openly at the blonde who has her eyes trained on the mattress while she fidgeted under his gaze.

She didn't hate him, and she didn't blame him for all the pain and suffering she was enduring? Had she already gone insane? Rogue was shocked, he was almost completely positive that this small woman would have developed a loathing hatred towards him. He wouldn't blame her if she did, of course.

Just look at all the reason she had to despise him, and the list was pretty long. But something about Lucy reassuring Rogue that she doesn't hate him, made the male want to sigh in relief. Maybe they would be able to figure out what exactly was going on with her, together.

"I don't think I can control the magic, it felt like I was burning from a whole different type of heat I never experienced before, and trust me I've been burned a lot since I've joined Fairy Tail." Rogue listened when the fairy sniffled as her voice shook while she explained. He was slightly upset that she was refusing to look up at him while she spoke, but it was understandable, he was just relieved she was talking to him a little. He had felt so left out of the loop since he brought her to Sabertooth.

"He... he said I made him up, that he's just a figment of my imagination that has been conjured, though his magic is definitely as real as you and me, but…" She trailed off as a whimper escaped her open mouth. The slayer watched as Yukino rubbed her back, urging her to go on.

Lucy shivered as she remembered the nightmare she had just woken from. Through the intense pain caused by the shadows, she could feel a pressure on the back of her head as if someone was gently running their fingers through her hair.

"He said that even though I imagined him, he will always be there to torture me. He will always wait until I fall asleep, so he can 'enjoy' his time with me. Everything always feels so real in my nightmares. Everything." Rogue's eyes shifted to watch the Fairy Tail mage grip the sheets of the bed tighter as her body tensed. He felt a hint of implied wording at the end of her sentence.

Just what exactly happened in her nightmares that could cause magic to physically manifest on its own, what type of sick twisted games did his older self put this already traumatized woman through?

"What did he do to you in your nightmare?" The ebony haired man couldn't help the deep growl that rumbled low in his chest as his words slid past his mouth without him thinking of the repercussions. The fairy shivered violently while she shot her head up to look at him, fear evident in her horrified gaze. She tried to push away from Yukino to move closer to the edge of the bed before Rufus stepped in to keep her from trying to get up, which caused her to scream as he touched her arm.

Rogue hadn't been thinking when he had let the growl reverberate through the room, he had all but forgotten just how afraid she still was of him, and he let his carelessness send her straight into an anxiety attack as she tried to move far away from him.

Maybe Sting was right, he was an ass.

Fuck.

Just as he was finally getting some answers from her he had to go and scare her. The shadow dragon slayer took a small step back while Yukino tried to calm the hysterical blonde.

"Lucy, Lucy it's okay, I'm here. Sting is here, that's the present Rogue, remember. He's not going to hurt you, he's trying to help you. I'm sure he didn't mean to scare you. "The silverette sent a death glare over her shoulder while she consoled the hyperventilating blonde.

Both Sting and Rufus send the ebony haired slayer questioning and irritated looks while they remained standing still, Yukino had finally calmed Lucy down enough that she was breathing normally once again.

Just as Lucy was settling back down on the mattress once again the door opened to reveal both Lector and Frosch. Rogue took notice of Frosch's teary eyes before he waddled over to jump onto the bed between both the celestial mages. Rogue carefully analyzed the blonde, scrutinizing her reaction to the close proximity of Frosch. He didn't want his feline companion to get hurt if for some reason she was afraid of him touching her as well.

"Miss Fairy! Fro has been so worried about you, Rogue wouldn't let me come to see you, but I couldn't wait any longer, is Miss Fairy feeling better, do you want some fish, Miss Fairy?" Rogue sweat dropped as he watched the fear in the girl's eyes be replaced with hearts before she grabbed Frosch in her good arm and hugged him too her chest, making the ebony haired slayer worry about the little cat suffocating.

Rogue was about to try and snatch the Pick frog suit exceed from the Fairy's arms before he heard a soft laugh ring through the infirmary. He stopped to watch as the blonde cuddle Frosch closer to her, taking comfort in his presence.

"You remind me of Natsu's exceed, Happy. It makes me feel a bit better. I'm Lucy, and you are Frosch, right?" The shadow mage couldn't help the small smile that rose to his lips when Frosch properly introduced himself, as Fro, of course. Rogue took the moment of peace to step closer.

"I'm sorry I frightened you. I didn't realize that would upset you earlier. I didn't mean to make my words sound so forceful." Rogue stepped forward while Lucy settled back in the bed with Frosch in her lap before turning her chocolate gaze to his. Hesitation and fear still lingered in her eyes as the slayer moved a little closer to the bed before he lowered himself to his knees to the point where he was just a bit shorter than eye level with her and full eye level with Frosch.

"Frosch is my exceed and he was with me when we found you on that trail. He's been extremely worried about you, even though we didn't know exactly who you were at the time." Rogue brought his hand up to pat Frosch's head as the little cat beamed up at him.

Frosch was such a great friend, and he knew the blonde woman needed something familiar to her around, and if Frosch was what she needed, the slayer guessed he could share the little feline for a bit.

"I... I never got to thank you for saving my life..." Rogue looked up from Frosch to see the blonde fidgeting as she obviously felt uncomfortable, a light pink color flushed her tear stained cheeks. The shadow mage stood up and moved back closer to where the others had been standing, not wanting to upset her again by being so close.

"I just did what was right. No need to thank me." Rogue looked away when he could feel the heat rise to his face. He was never good at this sort of stuff. He didn't want to feel like anyone owed him anything, and for her to say that he saved her life made him actually feel a bit uncomfortable himself. Sting took notice of his partners blushing cheeks as the dark-haired slayer tried to hide it from the two women.

Sting smirked as he slapped Rogue's back while clearing his throat.

"Well, what do you say we let blondie take her shower, the first group from Fairy Tail will probably be here in the morning, meaning we got a lot of shit we have to put away before they get here, just in case things get a little crazy." Sting grabbed Rogue by the back of his shirt before he tried to drag the shadow dragon slayer out the door. But before Sting could fully accomplish his goal, the shadow dragon slayer forced him away, so he could ask an important question that he almost forgot about.

The whole reason they even came to the infirmary was to see if she would be okay with him staying with her at nights, while she slept so he could work on forcing the shadows away from her. If he left now without asking, he might not get to try tonight before the first group from Fairy Tail arrives. Once they do arrive, the slayer would have to tread carefully depending on who was in the first group.

"The spirit did tell you, what had to be done in order to remove the shadows, correct?" Rogue watched as the blonde visibly gulped before she nodded her head slightly, causing her blonde locks to cover her eyes. The shadow mage waited for her to answer the question he knew she already knew was being implied.

"As long as Yukino agrees to stay and if I can cuddle with Frosch… Then, I guess there would be no harm in you staying in here, if I can even fall asleep again after that last nightmare… It still has me a little... Disturbed." Rogue watched her shoulder tensed at the last part of her sentence, which had him wondering just what happened.

It must have been bad to cause such a reaction from the magic. He would have to watch her close since she wanted to keep Frosch at night as well. He didn't want him getting hurt if the shadows decided to go haywire once more.

"I can agree to those terms. I will be back later tonight once I am sure you have fallen asleep." Rogue told Frosch goodbye before he stepped into the hallway where both Sting and Rufus were waiting for him.

"So… she's pretty cute, huh, Rogue? Will this be your first time having a sleepover with girls?" The ebony haired slayer faltered in his steps while he whipped his head around to glare at the blonde slayer before whacking him upside the head. Rufus causally walked away as both the slayers began to fight in the middle of the hallway once again.

"What was that for?! I saw the way you were blushing you emo freak, when's the last time you even looked at a girl. I'm just trying to help you out, damn!" The blonde slayer threw his hands up in the air in defeat as Rogue whacked him once again.

"Oh, would you just be quiet. Like you said, we have a lot of work to do before the first group of Fairy's arrive in the morning." Rogue waved Sting off as he walked down the hallway.

Fucking Sting always trying to get in his business! Of course, the woman was cute. Any man with a working set of eyes could see she was beautiful.

That was beside the point, the blonde fairy was damaged in more ways than one, and he would be surprised if she let anyone close to her again, especially him. The shadow dragon slayer was part of the problem as well as the solution, and he couldn't afford to get himself more involved with her than he already was.

It was a sad and unfortunate truth, especially if the shadows had already started to join with her.

the real narnia- Development indeed! You pretty much nailed everyone's reactions, I believe, I tried super hard to tap into the minds of the characters to keep them in line with their personalities so I hope I did them justice. :P The next few chapters will mostly revolve around Rogue and Lucy's odd development while Lucy tries to come to terms with herself and the situation she has been placed in. Soooo, in other words- DRAMMMMMAAA! XD

MotherOfDragons1227- They are the cutest, I swear! Rogue doesn't know how he feels about Lucy yet, so he is mostly agitated. XD Natsu willlllllllll most definitely flip!

NinjaKitten93- The development between Sting and Yukino is there already, they just don't tell anyone about their secret rendezvous, even though Rogue can most definitely smell Sting on Yukino and vice-versa, most likely why the dark-haired slayer likes to mess with Yuki so much. XD

Giki- Thank you! I am glad you are enjoying this! I try not to make you guys wait too long for updates. :)

CoSmO333- I'm glad you like it! I know, I feel Rufus would be great at so many things given the capabilities of his magic! The sky is the limit for him! XD It would make sense for him to learn some medical techniques given the fact that he is part of a guild and we all know how dangerous some mission requests can be. :P