The older pink haired woman was tending to her garden when she spotted the group heading towards her with a white haired teenager in tow. Sting was carrying her in his arms and despite Rogue having covered her with his cape, she shivered violently against the Light Dragon Slayer.

Polyusica frowned, much as she hated humans there was something different about the girl they were bringing to her. She stood from her garden and headed into her house while calling to them, "quickly. There's no time to waste."

Natsu blinked before looking to Lucy, "is she actually-?"

"Worried? It seems so," Lucy replied.

Once inside of her home, Porlyusica indicated the bed which Sting readily laid the girl on.

"Now you can leave. I'll send her to you when she's recovered," Porlyusica stated.

Sting, Rogue and Yukino let out a simultaneously surprised utterance of, "huh?!"

"I don't like humans. The less interaction I have with them, the better," Porlyusica replied as she began preparing several items for use.

She let out a heavy sigh before adding, "if I'm right about this girl it won't take me long to heal her. Why not go grab something to eat at the guild hall? I'll send her over there once she's no longer in danger."

Now the three members of Sabretooth as well as the Dragon Slayers of Fairy Tail, Lucy and Gray sat in the guild hall. Gray was once again the victim of Juvia's undying affection and proclamations of love. Natsu was devouring his sixteenth plate while Gajeel was strumming his guitar, Levy was sitting next to him.

"So how long is it that you've been going out now?"

Lucy's question was pretty innocent, yet Sting looked to Yukino who glanced at him from the corner of her eye, and replied, "four months."

Lucy gave her fellow Celestial mage a warm and content smile, but Yukino's smile was shy and reserved. Sting had a look of disgruntlement on his face at his girlfriend's expression.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing at all," Yukino lied, there was definitely something wrong but not something to be discussed outside of their relationship.

Rogue kept quiet and began sketching a drawing in a small notebook.

"I wonder how that girl's doing. She was pretty bad off," Wendy wondered out loud. It was spoken concern to serve two purposes. One, to quell her own fears, and two change the subject. Sting gave the youngest Dragon Slayer a grateful smile as he attempted to console her, "she'll be alright. Porlyusica's a pretty good healer, isn't she?"

"Yeah, you're right," Wendy conceded as she finished her rice ball.

Grey looked to the doorway soon as Wendy had adverted her eyes to finish her food and spotted a white haired girl now dressed in a red halter top and denim short shorts. Around her waist was a black leather belt, she also wore red sandals on her feet and in her arms was Rogue's cape. She seemed to be scanning the guild hall with her eyes before heading over to them, and holding the article of clothing out to Rogue. She offered a kind smile as she spoke, "thank you for letting me have this, but you can have it back now."

Sting, Rogue, Yukino and Natsu all gained stunned expressions on their faces as they regarded her. Rogue wordlessly took the cape back from her but offered her a small smile in acknowledgement. The girl gave a small nod in Rogue's direction before heading out of the guild hall.

Natsu's voice broke the silence, "Where are you heading?"

"To find what I need to get home," The girl answered.

Natsu and Sting both raised an eyebrow at the answer and Sting suggested, "Why not let us help?"

"Thank you, but I couldn't impose," the girl replied in a tone that seemed almost annoyed at the mere thought of receiving help.

"You're not going to be lifting anything are ya? I'm surprised your intestines weren't spilling out," Gajeel remarked, his face conveyed an actual concern for her safety.

'How strange, he actually reminds me of Captain Zaraki—although I could never imagine Zaraki giving that kind of concern to anyone. Not even his own Squad,' she thought to herself, now she felt more aggravated than before. She curtly replied, "I'm well aware of my limits."

Sting and Rogue exchanged glances before they got up from the table and followed the girl out of the Fairy Tail Guild Hall. Yukino rested her elbows on the table, and her cupped her face in her opened palms, looking at Lucy.

Sting called out to the girl as they followed her, "hey! Wait up!"

Rogue travelled silently beside him, Frosch and Lector were on their heels as the group of them left the building and continued following her. Sting moved so they were a few people behind her, Rogue, Frosch and Lector took his lead. Rogue gave his partner an unamused look as he inquired, "what are we doing?"

"Something doesn't seem right. How is it that the exceeds didn't see her until she was in that kimono? None of them saw her falling—and the way she's moving now, acting as if she was never even hurt—it doesn't make sense. There's something else going on," Sting answered in a hushed tone.

"Fro thinks so too," Frosch agreed.

The girl moved through the crowded market area, skillfully evading others as she journeyed. Sting and his entourage kept out of sight as if worried she had eyes at the back of her head. As she headed into the deeper part of the woods, she suddenly stopped and announced, "you can stop following me anytime now."

Sting blushed and felt himself sweating at the accusation. The girl spun around, an angry glare on her face as she regarded them and stated, "much as I appreciate your concern, it's unnecessary. I assure you, I'm well enough to hold my own if need be."

"We're a bit unsure of how that could be. You were very near death when we found you, yet here you are saying you'll find your way home alone," Rogue replied.

"I've always been able to heal fast," The girl offered with a warm smile.

"We never had a chance to introduce ourselves. I'm Sting Eucliffe, this is Rogue Cheney, Lector and Frosch," Sting introduced as he pointed to each pertaining party respectively.

The girl quirked an eyebrow as she regarded them momentarily and hesitated. Eventually she responded with, "Rin Wantanabe."

Sting gave a broad smile while he proposed, "would it be so bad if we made sure you got home safely?"

'You have no idea what you just asked,' Rin thought to herself, her grey eyes were hard as steel as she glared at the two dragon slayers and plainly repeated, "I'm fine on my own."

Rogue and Sting exchanged a quick glance before they looked back to Rin and were surprised to find she was no longer in their line of sight.