Chapter 2

The dragon slayer looked tired. Exhausted even as he stared out the window, another map laying under his hand as he attempted another job, he needed the money for all of the traveling he was doing. He needed money for food and traveling. That's all he had as a reason of why he wasn't looking for the bluenette now. He ran his fingers through his hair probably desperately needing a shower. He would have to earn money to go to a bath house or find a free bathhouse on his way. His foot twitched, it made him anxious, how could he find her with all of this...these things that weren't absolutely necessary in the way. Images of the Fairy Tail's guilds disappointed faces flashed back to his mind. Images of Gajeel's rampage flooded back, yes, he had been hit, and he stood there and took it until he couldn't stand anymore. Each time he was hit he remembered her face. Sting called everything off screaming how it wasn't Rogue's fault and that if Gajeel was that worried he should've tried harder. He felt full of guilt, she was right there, she had slipped through his fingers. He had, no, did still did, feel responsible he couldn't even protect one simple girl. But that wasn't it either. It was the fear that was written all over her face, hidden under her guise a facade of fighting back. She already knew. She already knew her magic wasn't enough. Even though she was trying. He wanted to grind his teeth together growling, as he looked back towards the map under his hand as he waited for the bartender to bring him some food, a blonde sitting down a crossed from him. He didn't bother glancing towards him as Rogue scanned the map once again. A map covered in X's, scribbles, and details. He couldn't give up. Not yet.

It made him feel so helpless. He hated that feeling that was bubbling in his chest. This helpless feeling. He was a dragon slayer for goodness sake! Why couldn't he even help one simple girl? "Give it up Rogue. Its been two months. We aren't going to find her." Sting's voice echoed behind a bottled beverage, the waitress set a plate down upon the table then walked away once again, Rogue glanced up towards the waitress's blue hair. Levy? He jumped up watching the girl turn-blink-that girl didn't even have blue hair...it was black, darker black than his own. Rogue sat slowly back down within his seat. "You're going crazy." Sting sighed "Why are you even going after a girl we don't even know?" Sting asked glancing at his brother, he had been there too, he was suffering. Just not in the same way. He was instead going out training constantly. "I don't know"-Rogue ran his hands through his hair-"I just know I have to find her, I need to find her" Rogue whispered these were words that other people weren't allowed to hear, only his brother would understand. Only his brother would hear these words. "Bro, if we knew her I would've thought you were absolutely lovestruck." Sting sighed setting his drink down as he stared a crossed from his brother who looked as if he were returning from some form of battlefield. "We've got to get you cleaned up, maybe some new clothes." Sting grumbled. Rogue set his plate own. Half eaten. "There's no time for that." Rogue grumbled walking out of the restaurant, the last of his own possession of jewels on the table. "Yukino told me! She's worried about you, look at you! The client you need to get to won't even pay you looking all trashed like that." Sting shouted trying to catch up as a little girl waited at the edge of the street. "What even is this mission?" Sting grumbled far away just so that a dragon slayer's ears may hear him.

"Please. Find them." The little girl whispered tugging on Rogue's arm, who squatted down, patting her upon the head. "Of course." He whispered as she nodded heading home.

"What are we doing?" Sting asked looking curiously towards Rogue's hand that now contained a little doll. "This is the last thing that the person we're looking for touched, take the scent and remember it well." Rogue tossed the doll.

"I never said I would help you!" Sting shouted taking a big whiff anyway.

"You are here you mine-as-well make yourself useful"

"Frosch is worried about you, says you haven't come back for days."

"He's with Yukino, she's a very capable girl."

"Yeah so's Lecter...but hey wait! That isn't the point! The point is that you're searching for her like a psycho! Look at you! You're totally trashed! At least send us a letter from time to time!"

"Do you know what its like to be looking for someone like this?" Rogue asked walking towards the woods, the scent was finally starting to become stronger. Sting grabbed Rogue's shoulder. "YES! YES I DO! Yukino and I have been looking everywhere for you with only the words "I'll be back soon" to Frosch! Its been two whole months since that fight!"

"And I'm still looking!"

"How do you know she's even alive!"

There was a downcast silence as the brothers stared at each other walking up to a cottage. The next sound being Rogue kicking in a door with all of his anger poured into his foot. "I DON'T EVEN KNOW BUT I HAVE TOO! I JUST HAVE TOO!" Rogue shouted he was brimming with anger, it was mysterious and strange a bizarre concept for the younger of the "twin dragons" to be full of fury. "Something's definitely wrong with me." Rogue pulled back but instead walked forwards into the house where he quickly rescued two people and trashed the place looking for the kidnapper, who returned unwittingly to be arrested and returned.

"Here's your bounty" A person said at the counter they had arrived at upon returning the kidnapper. Rogue took half the bounty tossed the other half to Sting. "Take it home. Go back to Yukino. Tell her I'm fine." He said then turned back to the counter before Sting could say anything. Sting watched as Rogue dug around in his own pocket, pulling out a drawing. "Any sightings of this guy, yet?" Yet. He had been there over and over, he had been to many bounty hunting lodges. These were the jobs. He was training himself. Training himself to rescue people. Attempting to feel less helpless even if it was just a brush away from his fingertips. He still didn't feel it. Sting felt a frown form on his face. Rogue should've trusted him enough to help. There was something strange about this situation. Rogue wouldn't even let Sting help, they had done everything together especially since joining SaberTooth. "No...sir, we're sorry we have not. Would you like us to put up a copy of his face?"

"No, that will only endanger everyone who comes and goes here."

"Sir, all the more reason to hip up the bounty hunters and tell them about a wandering danger."

"But there's someone that I've got to find." Rogue's eye cast a shadow over towards the missing board all the way a crossed the room from the bounties for known kidnappers. Levy's smiling face drawn expertly by one of her guild members, Reedus, if he recalled properly. Rogue turned to walked out of the store, Sting following him. "Tell Frosch I'm sorry, I'll be home soon. With presents, lots of them. And Yukino-"

"You'll be home soon don't leave them practically a will." Sting grumbled in return to his brother. "What I said before...It was uncalled for, Levy-san wouldn't deserve..." Sting fell silent as Rogue nodded at what he meant. "When did you meet her?" Sting asked following Rogue down the road. There was a silence as if Rogue was reminiscing before he begun to speak.

"I saw her at the Grand Magic Games...I snuck a dance in with her, simply stole her from Gajeel to see his face on a whim...but instead of looking at his face...I was stuck looking at her face. There was just something about her...I couldn't, I just couldn't look away. I haven't met her since then...but, the problem with that...I can't stop thinking about her, that face she made when I last saw her plagues my mind. I need to, there's a buzzing in my hands. I need to have her physically be here." Rogue said running a hand through his hair as if he was highly confused why. Even as if the obsession itself was obnoxious. That he so desperately needed to save this girl. This girl that he barely knew. That was plagued his dreams, his nightmares, she loitered within his thoughts. Over and over again. The scene would play over and over again. "I need to find her." He growled as Sting blinked towards Rogue an occurrence obviously happening within Sting's mind. "Rogue do you think...there's a possibility." Sting paused as if he was hesitating to actually say what he had to say out loud. "What?" Rogue asked with a quick glance towards his brother as he trailed along to the next place to look within the map, surely there was someone...someone out there, who hadn't given up looking for the petite bluenette.

"Do you think...that Levy's your mate?"