Authors ANNOUNCEMENT: I am currently looking for a Beta-Reader to use while my cousin is away, because she goes away occasionally to a place where I am unable to contact her. I promise to keep chapters sort those days. It is relatively impossible for me to get a PM back from any of the Beta-Readers out there, which is driving me insane. If anyone would be interested please send me a PM. I'm on almost all of the time and will reply ASAP.

Chapter 9

Rogue watched as all of the crystal balls rolled, words and whispers of passion being said only to be torn away only moments later in bloody screams, simply glowing a peaceful blue in the darkened room. How ironic it all was. Such peaceful lights, for such gory scenes full of hopelessness. "I don't even know what I want in here." Rogue whispered running his hand threw his hair as his ruby eyes glanced around the entire room wondering why Lady Obba would let him in such a place. Such a morbid place that didn't even have on single happy ending. "Have you had your fill?" Lady Obba whispered standing at the door as he looked towards her hoping that his eyes weren't full of confusion but looking like they normally did hopefully a barrier keeping everyone out. "Its alright honey," Lady Obba whispered sitting down next to where he was kneeling looking at the shelves. "Out of all of them I like this one the most...we met actually in this one." She whispered picking up a little orb where everything was seeming to go fine. They were at the Grand Magic Games already in it. "She's no one...just the woman who has my heart." She smiled repeating the words that he had said as they ventured out. The orb flipping back once again to where they first met in the icy snow. The orb passing thru the days, quickly at that, back to a kiss over the lake, back to sweet days, back to...the ending..."The ending is so bittersweet...its something I like." She whispered as he glanced at Lady Obba, blinking at her. "Not a single time...have I ended in...a seemingly 'okay' way." He whispered as Lady Obba shook her head. "Life isn't about having your own happy ending." She whispered looking lovingly at the orb that contained yet again a sad ending. "Than what is it?" He sighed as she smiled holding up the orb.

"What do you see in here?"

"Another ending where I lose everything."

"Yes. In every ending where you pursue that girl sitting out there on the couch you never end up happy. Maybe its because she's meant for someone else. But at the same time look at this ending once again."

"I don't see what you're showing me."

"That's because its not obvious, but beautiful. You see this man here." Lady Obba stopped and pointed at him, exhausted, weary, burying his friends and "family" alike. There was nothing peaceful about the ending she was looking at. The ending where he wound up burying almost everyone, with the exception of two people who one he would later kill while trying to save them all, there was nothing happy about such an ending.

"This man here." She stopped and pointed at the exhausted him laying on the ground defeated at Natsu's feet, smiling, it was a sad smile, but the best he could conjure up after the so acclaimed "seven years" of torture. "Gave up all of his chances to be with that girl." She smiled twirling the orb in her hand as he blinked at her as she smiled towards him. "So he could watch her be happy with another man from afar." She whispered as the scene changed, slowly, the colors became happy and it was the day of the ball after the grand magic games. Lady Obba traced their faces during the ball a kind look upon her heart. It was obvious even if he stole a dance in that world he wouldn't get her heart, that girl was already looking over towards Gajeel who wasn't even paying attention to her at the current moment in time. But that was alright with that man...that man who wasn't even him but looked like him, as long as he got the couple seconds with her.

"Love isn't about yourself. Its about how you treat the other. Even if they don't know it." Lady Obba smiled as he nodded. "Why...do you think we always all die in the end...Is it not okay for someone like me to fall in love?" He whispered glancing at her as Lady Obba sighed.

"Of course its okay. You'll find your own happy ending one day." She whispered smiling as he nodded finally understanding that faint smile as the keeper of memories that she kept. "Just not in her is what you're trying to advise me isn't it?" He whispered glancing at Lady Obba.

"In all of these orbs, I'm a smart old lady, who's given you two years and years worth of advice...that's just not who I am. I'm a bad gambler. So if I was going to say that you two would work I would lose. So don't mind me betting against you." She smiled before walking towards the door, hand pressed to the door her voice lowering to a whisper that a normal human wouldn't of been able to hear. "Please find happiness this time. I'm so tired of watching the sadness over and over. Please." As she headed out.

He watched his own hand roll the orb over and over in-between his thumb and his pointer finger as the images changed over and over. Decisions of his own being made. Decisions of his own being destroyed. He watched the orb within his hand. There was no way this man could've possibly been him, sure he looked the same and had relatively the same life experiences...but that peaceful look upon his face as the girl he loved that he finally had a chance with...as he gave her away to another man.

"Its for her happiness." Rogue whispered placing the orb back on the shelf carefully, alone, it stood without any other orbs around it. Alone it stood as a single almost happy seeming ending. He stood up walking into the other room where the group was still wandering around waiting for Levy to wake up everyone too impatient to leave. "Maybe we should just bring her back to the guild." Gray said rubbing his forehead with his thumb and pointer finger as he glanced in between her and Juvia. "I mean Porlyusica is there. She can probably help." He sighed looking at Levy once again as Juvia shook her head. "No. Levy-Chan's not ill just unconscious. When Levy-chan wakes... Levy-chan will probably be afraid of..unfamiliar faces." Juvia sighed looking away. "I should probably leave the room." She whispered as Gray shook his head tapping the spot on her where she kept the guildmark.

"You're a part of this guild, you're her family."

"That's why Juvia would leave, for her family. Juvia doesn't want to see that scary look upon Levy-chan's face when she looks towards Juvia."

"I know what you mean that we don't know where her mind is right now. But its something that's going to help us find where she really is."

The room fell silent once again as the occupants all paced impatiently back and forth once again. As everyone sighed in unison waiting for the hours to pass for the girl to wake up. "What are we going to do when she wakes up?" Sting asked leaning on a shelf in the corner.

"Should probably start with taking that thing off of her arm." Gray glanced at him while glaring as Sting sighed. "I was just figuring if she's in any mind state like she was when we caught her she was going to freak the heck out when she wakes up. It was easier that way." Sting grumbled walking towards her. "Have you thought about that thing is what's preventing her from waking up?" Gray sighed as Sting shrugged beginning to work on removing the magic stigma from his own magic.

"Ryos-chan? Are you okay..you look worn out" Juvia whispered being the first to notice him standing within the doorway. "It's nothing, I'll be fine." He nodded back as Juvia glanced at him disbelievingly and then nodded slowly. "Okay." Juvia whispered hesitantly capable of managing a whisper that only he could hear from all of the years of experience of being with Gajeel in the guild. "Okay, she'll wake up shortly." Sting grumbled rolling his eyes at Gray's excuse that all the hours of waiting for her to wake up could've been his fault. "Do you think we should contact the guild?" Gray murmured as Juvia shook her head as they all waited impatiently.

"I'm...going to punch you." Levy's voice echoed as she attempted to reach up towards Sting who was already moved away. "Levy...Levy do you remember us?" Rogue asked quietly moving towards her as she glanced him over, scanning him over quickly, before making any kind of decision. As a faint moment of recollection glimmered in her eyes, a faint moment of hope as she opened her mouth to speak once again. "You're the creepy stalker dude who was following me!" Before leaping up and attempting to run out of the room only to get dragged back by Sting by the door. "Rogue you've got to catch Levy. She's not in the right state of mind to wander the streets." Sting grumbled ignoring Levy's kicking and thrashing about in his arms as he placed her back down on the couch. "My father has told me about guilds like you! Stalkers and kidnappers alike in your guilds! I can't believe you people! You would do anything to get your hands on my kind! Just because we're few in number doesn't mean you have to chase us down!" She shouted glaring up at them as if they were complete amboniations. "Levy, please calm down. We just want to talk. We won't hurt you." Gray sighed attempting to calm her down by displaying an ice-rose out within his hand as she pulled away glancing him over. "Seducer." She growled at him as Juvia turned red and begun shouting about his clothes in which he seemed highly embarrassed that within such crucial moments he wouldn't of noticed such actions.

"Levy. Listen, we know each other. We've been worried about you for months. You've been missing for over two months." Rogue whispered taking a stance where he would be in a lower position than her, a subconscious thing, that usually helped kidnapping victims and young children feel safer around strangers. There was a moment of silence. "I don't know you! My father has told me about people like you! I'm going to call him!" Levy shouted looking up towards them with blazing eyes as Rogue went to reach out to her shoulders to attempt to calm her down as he pulled away.

"Please. We're people you know. Your name is Levy McGarden." He whispered as she shook her head.

"No! No! I've never met you before I have no idea who you are!"

"Listen to me."

"I'm going to call my father."

"Your name is Levy McGarden, both your parents died when you were young and you were adopted into FairyTail." Sting interrupted apparently having information he didn't feel like sharing with the group.

"Liar! Liar! Liar! Blonde haired liar!"

"Listen to us already!"

"Sting...its alright, trauma is normal." Rogue whispered half sighing. What was he thinking that everything would automatically be alright once he found her? He glanced her over finally deciding to take in the damage. She didn't look injured, at least physically, but there were minor differences. Her short blue hair was now a cascading black hair down to her feet that reminded Rogue of him but if she wanted to keep it, it was her own choice he wouldn't bring it up. She was wearing all black and glaring at him with furious eyes.

"Kidnapping guilds will say anything, seduce you with their words just to get you to come along. Once you're there there's no leaving. And two of your are already wearing the guildmark of the most famous guild for it, FairyTail" She glared at them as the pack of four all looked around at each other. It was going to be a long night. She was growling FairyTail's name bitterly as if she hated them.

"You're part of our guild too! How could you say that about your own guild!"

"Gray-sama please calm down. She's not in the right mind!"

"There goes all of the things my father said you would say! And what about you Mr. Stalker! What do you want with me?!" She snapped turning to Rogue who sighed looking towards the floor glancing up towards her as she scanned over his eyes flinching back as if she noticed something. "Wait...you've got those eyes." She whispered her hand going to reach up and stroke his face as he pulled away quickly, shaking his head, startling her. "I need some air." He whispered walking towards the porch as the no longer blunette stared at him still sitting on the couch.

Footsteps echoing as they followed behind him. Sting crossed his arms looking towards Rogue as the crickets chirped away in the night, snow beginning to fall, common for being in mountainous terrain. "You don't think I saw that, what you did back there did you?" Sting sighed as Rogue glanced towards him as if to say "what exactly did I do?" written all over his face. "I saw it! Its so obvious! You pulled away from her so quickly after looking for her so long! What did Old lady Obba show you in the back room?"

"Nothing."

"Fine I'll just go look!"

"Don't."

"You're kidding. The hell is this?!" Sting's furious voice boomed from inside the house.