Nox smirked in the shadows of her stand when her name was shouted to fight against both Lyon Bastia and Yuka Suzuki of Lamia Scale. She had a score to settle with the former on the account of Racer's death.

She emerged from the shadowed depth of the entrance to the arena to find both men already in the arena, placed side by side to face her. She stepped into the light and caught a worried glance from Rogue. Her cloak flew a bit in the slight wind that had been there since the morning and Sting caught sight of his shirt underneath the black fabric. It revealed her toned stomach and he felt himself almost blush at the thought of it. Shaking his head to get rid of the bad ideas forming, he exhaled sharply. Next to him, Rogue smirked, having also noticed the top.

"_what is so funny?" asked Minerva.

"_Nox is wearing Sting's top."

"_he liiiiiiiiiiiiiiikes her!" said Frosch in a cute voice. The light dragon slayer tried to grab the damned Exceed to get her to shut up, but she flew off and he brought his attention back to the arena where Nox was facing both Lamia Scale mages. He wondered if she also had a score to settle with one of them when she used a type of speed magic instead of her usual fighting style.

Yuka had quickly been thrown off game with a blow to the head Nox had delivered him and she was currently fighting against Lyon. The mage was trying to get the woman to slow down and remembered that Grey had once used an ice wall to stop Racer's speed.

Nox was expecting this move from him, and was ready to act in consequence. Therefore, when she saw him adopt the position of the ice wall, she called upon Vazeriel who materialized in her hand as a small dagger. With the speed of light, she drew a door in the ice wall that allowed her to go past. She then sped up toward the boy and placed her dagger under his neck.

"_I don't need much strength to kill you. This small dagger allied to my speed will be enough to slice through anything."

Lyon's eyes widened.

Racer had uttered those exact words to him before Grey shot the man. Nox smirked in a way that promised the man a thousand tortures.

"_explode."

The sand around them started bubbling, before geysers of sand shot through the air. Lyon looked around, fearful when one sprung up from under his feet. He was sent soaring through the air and landed on the sandy floor. Another one shot up, and he was sent flying again.

Lyon's body was battered, broken and reddened from the strength of the grain sand. His skin was raw and he felt hurt every time he was touched. He laid on the ground, unmoving. Nox bent over him.

"_sleep."

No one really understood why Nox was so hell bent onto hurting only some of the member of the Light Team. The ancient partners shared a look, before their gaze settled upon Natsu, the only unscarred member that had killed an Oracion Seis. What did she have in store for him?

.

Nox wasn't particularly willing to go back to her hotel. She knew from their attitude in the past days that Rogue or at least Sting would be there to "put some sense into her" and she had seen the man stomp off the amphitheatre. Duels after hers had been cancelled because the sand was burning hot and still sprouting geysers from time to time. Nox had told them it should stop after twelve hours of non-use and the matches had been pulled back to the following day.

She was however still walking back to her room because Yukino needed to go there and she wasn't quite mentally ready to walk through the streets of her old home yet. She would have asked Minerva to accompany the celestial mage but the woman was still a Sabertooth and it would be perceived as treason. So Nox was walking back to her room, weather she liked it or not.

She knew Sting was pissed off because he was worried but didn't expect him to be this angry. The man was pacing in her room, fuming when both women entered her apartment. Minerva and Rogue were sitting on the couch, with faces on that meant nothing short of 'I am sorry but we couldn't stop him'. She shrugged at them as Sting turned to her when the door opened.

"_what on earth were you thinking! After Fairy Tail, Lamia Scale is also going to want you head! Why did you beat Lyon up?!"

"_oh yeah, and let Lyon get off easy despite the fact he killed Racer?"

"_Racer set off the dynamite himself! And Racer is dead Rezef. Dead."

He had called her by her name. Full name. He had basically told her that what she was doing was stupid because they were dead. She couldn't agree more, but she had to do it.

"_and what would you have me doing?! Letting them off the hook? Why should I? Why?!" she had grabbed his fur jacket and was shaking him. He grabbed her arms as her cloak came unclasped under the strain.

"_grow up for fuck's sake! You are not five! Revenge is not going to get you anywhere!" she felt his power activate on her skin, as his hand glowed brightly. She hissed in pain at the strong hold he had on her, only enhanced by his power. Rogue placed a hand on Sting's shoulder, trying to get him to let go of Rezef when the woman placed her hand against his chest.

"_sorry. Sleep."

He slumped against her. Rez gently put her hand around his torso before flipping him over and laying him onto the floor. The skin on her arm, where Sting had grabbed her, was glowing in the shape of a handprint. It slowly was absorbed into her body as two large bruises were left behind. Under their bewildered eyes, they faded almost immediately.

Rez motioned for them to move off the couch, which she drew out into a bed on which she set Sting. She then casted a spell onto him, setting his awakening for the following morning. She afterwards left the room without a word.

.

She needed to have some time by herself during which she could set things straight in her mind. She passed into the underworld.

The shadows had always held some kind of comfort for the woman but this time they did not help her. She sat there, amongst the ethereal shapes wondering what she had become. Did she really shed unnecessary blood? It's not as if she had killed anyone. Merely harmed them so that they would remember. Yes, but remember what? The broken family they left behind? The tattered future they stole? The lives they cut short? It's wasn't as if they even knew why she was doing this. So why? Then she understood why.

Because she needed to.

She needed to grieve and this was her own way of saying goodbye. She had held so much hatred inside herself someone had to pay. And she took it out on them. Because in her eyes, they deserved it. For killing her family, her nakama. They deserved pain.

Not death.

She inhaled, exhaled and left the underworld. Finally, at peace with herself, she made her way to the park.

When Sting awoke, the bed next to him was cold as ice. He assumed it was because Rez had gotten out first and was under the shower when he realized the events of the past days. No. It was because Rez had not slept next to him. His hand came to cover his eyes, as he felt the guilt watch over him. He had hurt her. He had heard her hiss of pain and hadn't let go of her. He had hurt her.

He sat up with a groan at his aching head, as Rezef came out of the bathroom.

"_you are awake." She sat on his bed, next to him. "How are you feeling?"

"_in all honesty? I have never slept so well despite my body hurting a little."

She stayed quiet for a second, before lifting her head and meeting his gaze. Her black and silver eyes met his blue ones as she placed a hand on his arm.

"_I am sorry. I got you worried and I hurt you." Her head hung down in shame, as she felt soft crimson tears make their rolling way down her cheeks. Her hands were about to come cover her face in shame when she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her and pull her into his chest. His hand snaked up to cup her face as his thumb chased the tears away.

"_I am the one who should be sorry. I didn't believe in you and I hurt you. I apologize, Rez."

She sent him a poor smile, as another tear made its way onto her cheeks. He kissed it away, before smiling at her.

"_I missed you, girlie."

"_I missed you too, Blondie."