Horray, chapter 314 is out! Sting looks better, but I wonder what he's plotting. Hmmm

Sorry for the short chapter guys, there really isn't much I can write for Sting hah. I hope you guys enjoy it anyhow cause I'll be wrapping it all up before this fic's first year anniversary (hopefully).

Sting knew what he had to do; he knew of every word he'd have to say, every breath he'd take, every glance, every touch needed to get back what was his. He rehearsed it all in his head, muttered it under his breath as he twisted and turned through the now busy streets of Crocus following her scent.

He knew it all by heart.

He had practiced it on other girls after all, he knew it worked. It worked every time. It was just a matter of how much charm and lust he let himself hint at through means of body language and his own hushed whisper.

She was different though. She wasn't like the other girls.

This, he kept telling himself, this is why those words won't work. Why the slight outtakes of breaths won't suffice. Why the lingering touches won't trick her into bringing him into her bed. Because that's not what he wanted at all.

He wanted Lilian. Innocently.

As innocent as the holy white dragon slayer could be, that is.

Her words still rang through his ears, he still felt her taste on the tips of his tongue, her touch still lift shivers. A few hours had passed since the encounter but he couldn't forget. Wouldn't allow himself to forget whatever impulsive instinct took over him to kiss her.

He enjoyed it and he knew she did too.

But they were two conflicted creatures, each blessed with demons of their own. But if push came to shove, he'd gladly destroy all the stars decorating the night sky just to get her. Because he was a fool for not realizing what her feelings were before.

He always thought she was weird, he shook it off and played away with random girls while she was left mopping with whatever soul she managed to be acquaintances with drinking her- oh.

Sting felt like punching himself right then and there. Lily had liked him from the beginning and she still hung around even though it hurt to see him play around.

The dragon slayer let out a low rumble as he stopped in his tracks and recollected his thoughts. He couldn't afford to wallow in self-pity now. He had to think. He had to know how to explain it to her. How to make her listen.

He had to tell her how he honestly, truly felt and convince him that his word was worth gold.

He had to remember that she wasn't Lily anymore- that even though they called it off, even if there was still some Bunny Girl left in her, Lilian Orelohr was not Lily Harvard. Because she died however many days ago and the interaction between the two could easily be counted upon finger tips. Ultimately, they were strangers.

Strangers with a special bond.

But that kiss meant something. To the both of them.

"Fro, silly. This isn't gold." Sting snapped out of his thoughts as he whiffed the air subconsciously. He'd been too deep into his thoughts that he hadn't noticed the familiar scents inching closer and closer to him. Until now he was only following the pull of his chest as he thought up words to say to the blond girl, too distracted to follow her scent. He hadn't realized that the strange tugging would've led him to the two other dragon slayers and his partner's cat. Even if it was just subconsciously.

He melded into the shadows as he watched Emily and Rogue stop at the corner across the street to kneel down to the pink frog-cat's level.

"It's not?" If Fro's eyes could have gotten any larger, her eyeballs would've popped out of their sockets. Even from where he hid (or blended in with his surroundings, as he preferred to think of it as), Sting could still hear the quiver in her voice. The exceed was about to cry as she eyed the small cluster of rock in her hand.

In theory, there was no use in masking his presence; if they were looking for him then they could easily have picked his scent out from among the crowd. But they didn't, instead they laughed goodheartedly as the shadow dragon slayer petted his cat softly.

"It's not," he confirmed in such a soft voice that luckily his ears picked up, "that's pyrite."

Sting had only caught glimpses of Rogue's evident fondness of his cat until now. Usually it was just a confirmation whether or not she was ok or a small pat on the head. And it was always when the two of them were alone or thought they were alone. It was never in public.

To them, kindness was a form of weakness.

Sabertooth mages had no room for weaklings.

So for Rogue to show such traits that were so unlike him, in front of another dragon slayer no less, was definitely... something.

Emily Dawn had to be something if Rogue could be himself around her. He didn't know, didn't want to know as he watched the scene with half lidded eyes. Whatever his partner saw in her, whatever past she had, was none of his business. Rogue was a big boy. He could take care of himself.

Didn't mean he wasn't curious.

There wasn't much known about the Moon Dragon Slayer after all; all he knew was that her dragon was Elena. And she was her mother figure, as were all dragons. Emily was polite, ladylike (- so unlike Lily and her bunny suit (oh he still remembered that) and she was apparently, Lilian's best friend alongside another mage named V.

Best friend upon arriving at L'Arc Sibyl that is- Lily... no Lilian told him that En was her ultimate best friend. Or frenenemy... or whatever.

Maybe she knows how I can get Lilian to listen to me, Sting thought to himself as he watched the two try to calm down the now sobbing Frosch.

He was just about to stroll up when something the moon dragon slayer said caught his attention.

"... might not be much but it's worth something. A sad fool could had taken the time to dig through the earth to discover this golden rock. Do you think he wouldn't be ecstatic even if he knew it was pyrite from the start?"

"It's not gold though..."

"True but in that one moment the sad fool had something to be happy about. A gold lining to an unfortunate situation." It sounded like she was smiling.

It wasn't long until the white dragon slayer had a smile of his own as he let the crowd swallow him as he continued trailing Lilian's scent.

That was it! That was how he was going to confront her.

That was how he could've summed up this entire situation.

He took in a loud breath as he took a long look at Mercurius castle.

And he smiled like a fool.

Me have bad habit of rushing chapter ends. Excuse.

Review?