A/N Aruuu, fast update, yeah? I'll update whenever I get the chance as promised. Please forgive me for this short chapter. ^_^ Originally, this was supposed to be a long chapter but I have to cut it down in half since it went tooooo long. After I finish a few revisions on the next chapter, I'll upload it as fast as I can. Again thank you so much for the undying support – even though the events in the manga isn't going my way. Anyway, please consider this an AU fic. Ah, I don't really know how to thank you all. Also, if you'll find some errors, please don't hesitate to point it out. :) Constructive criticisms are always appreciated. I love you all!
Wah, and before I forget... We're getting to know Sting and Rogue better now, ne? Ah, I should warn you all now – you might find them totally out of character as this fic progresses. Gomenasai.
Notice: All review responses were removed on this chapter ~ nyaa. :3
Chapter 12: THE MARK AFFECTS THE INSTINCTS...
"We're leaving tonight." Sting declared single-mindedly.
Yun and Yumi dropped their jaws in disbelief. They had been discussing for the past two hours after the doctors had left. The doctors had given Lucy the appropriate medication for the infection she obtained from the poisonous sea urchin spines that was embedded on her foot. It wasn't serious but the fatigue had worsened her condition.
But of course, it could also be due to the dragon slayer's mark?
Dragon saps withdrawal was indeed troublesome. Not all reactions are the same so even the marker itself doesn't have any idea.
"With all due respect, Eucliffe-san, the doctors said that Heartfilia-san needs a few days rest for faster recovery and travelling back won't do her any good." Yumi objected.
Very well said… but that won't work on Sting.
"Whatever we do is none of your business." He said uncaringly.
Yun let out a defeated sigh, it was no use reminding the Sabertooth mage of Lucy's condition. "Alright then, about the reward…"
"You heard her clearly before she passed out. It seemed to us that she wasn't interested in the reward either." Rogue exclaimed, glancing at the sleeping form of the blonde girl. "Keep it."
Yun's eyes clouded with tears as he stared at his daughter's savior. If it wasn't for her, Yumi would still be under the curse Kain Hikaru had casted. "Then, we will provide assistance until you reach home. Please allow me to do at least that…"
"In what form, exactly?" Sting asked. Did the client think someone like them would need any assistance?
"Carriage." Yun replied.
Sting blinked. That's not assistance… that's torture. He turned around, walking towards the sleeping blonde girl. "We won't take it."
"But–"
"No more objections. I will carry this Fairy Tail mage home – without a carriage." Sting proclaimed firmly.
Hearing this, Rogue stared at his partner flabbergasted. Is he serious? The shadow dragon slayer thought. Just when he was about to comment, his partner did another shocking thing…
Sting walked towards the bedside and shook Lucy violently, "Oi, dorei!"
"D-don't do that, Eucliffe-sa–" Yun and Yumi yelled but both were cut off by the blonde dragon slayer's murderous stare. Both shivered in fright and figured it was best to just keep their mouths shut.
Sting dragged his eyes back to the sleeping Fairy Tail mage. "Oi! If you wake up, I wouldn't need to carry you or whatever… So wake up, you weakling!" he ordered as he shook her more sadistically this time.
Rogue continued to watch, suddenly finding his partner's action amusing. He can't be mistaken, it wasn't just the mark… there was something else – definitely.
Just then, the celestial mage's brown orbs snapped open as she feebly gasped. Sting smiled widely as he gave everyone inside the room a proud look, "Heh, told you she'll be fine. Now I don't have to–"
"Ah, intruder~" She weakly grumbled in her half-conscious state.
Sting and Rogue, with their extraordinary sense of hearing, faintly caught what the Celestial mage said.
Did she just call the great Sting Eucliffe intruder? How dare this girl when it's not even her house. "What?" an angry vein popped out of Sting's forehead.
Lucy groaned weakly as she tossed herself back on the bed and curled into a ball.
"Oi, what did you say just now, dorei?" the white dragon slayer pulled the cover, his eyebrows furrowed in mental rejection. His patience was almost at its limit.
Still, there was no response.
Instead, Sting heard Frosch asking Lector, "Rogue-kun said, that's how a girl dumps someone she doesn't like. Do you think Fairy-san hates Sting-kun, ribbit?"
A firm paw landed on Frosch's head – courtesy of Lector, "You really are an idiot, Fro! Fairy-san is just playing hard to get. There's no way Sting-kun will be dumped… He's one of the strongest mage in Fiore after all!" Lector scolded the teary-eyed Frosch rowdily.
"Eh? But Rogue-kun said–"
"Lector, get me a rope." Sting ordered his exceed partner, whose body stiffened for a while and instantly run out to get some rope.
Once back, he gave it to Sting and asked, "What are you going to do with that thing, Sting-kun?"
Sting pulled the celestial mage up, much to everyone's surprise. With a sigh, he sat in front of her and wrapped her hands around his neck and pulled her onto his back, he stood up and hooked his arms around her knees and smirked, "Tie her to me. We're going back to the guild – we have to attend an urgent guild matter so we are not delaying our departure for the sake of this weak woman. If she didn't have my mark, I'd be more than willing to toss her here and rot. Suffer for all I care. She's worthless anyway!"
Everyone in the room blinked in incredulity, except Rogue who just smirked – resisting the urge to laugh at his partner's absurdity. "I'll carry her if you really hate it?" the shadow dragon slayer suggested apathetically.
Sting gulped, a bit taken aback, "No," he almost stuttered, good thing he was able to keep his arrogant face intact. "The rule is… trust no one of your own kind when it comes to your mark."
As Rogue expected, he could tell Sting was threatened. It was unusual for Sting to be like this – and Rogue knows this best since the white dragon slayer was his partner. Aside from that, Rogue knew a lot of things about the mark – it does affect instincts but not the feelings. After all, he witnessed his dragon parent suffer because of this.
He watched Sting instruct Lector as to how he would tie Lucy around his body. His emotionless eyes landed on Lucy's sleeping face, he wondered… Was it really her that made Sting change this much in just a few days? He was certain his partner never had feelings for this girl – in fact, Sting hated her because she was always by Natsu-san's side – it felt like she was his source of strength. Although, that was just a partial detail since Natsu-san seemed to get his source of strength out of the whole Fairy Tail guild – A truth that Sting would never understand. For him, fighting is for oneself – not for anybody else. Strength comes from within, not from someone other than yourself. It was a sick belief, but he managed to climb on top with that principle on mind.
A tug made Rogue snapped out of his trance. Looking down, it was Frosch with his usual jolly expression, "Sting-kun got dumped."
Rogue smiled warmly, "And he just won't give up?"
"Shut up, you two! I can fucking hear you!" Sting yelled aggressively, rope tied up all over his body like a mummy – even on his face that he was jumping up and down just for him to be able to balance both his weight and the celestial mage's. He then looked up on his flying exceed partner, "And you, why can't you tie the rope properly, damn it!"
Sweat drops appeared on everyone's heads.
Yun and Yumi watched the Sabertooth mages' retreating back.
"Papa…" Yumi exclaimed softly, eyes still trailing her group of saviors. "Isn't that Uncle Jude's Lucy-chan?"
Yun smiled softly, regret evident on his eyes, "Yes, dear."
"Did you tell her?" she asked worriedly, "How come she's with them? Didn't she disappear seven years ago? And isn't she from Fairy Tail?"
Her papa smiled, "It was said that the members of Fairy Tail that disappeared came back just months ago. They even placed second and fourth in the Grand Magic Games. It seems like the ones that disappeared seven years ago were really the guild's core members, eh?"
Yumi nodded, "I see… But, didn't you tell her about Uncle Jude's involvement with those two powerful mages?"
"I wasn't able to get the chance to talk to her privately…" his eyes relaxed as the figures disappeared from his line of vision, "I'm not sure if she has an idea, she's his daughter after all. Eucliffe-san and Cheney-san's great powers – they owe it all to her father." He heaved a sigh of contentment, "For now," he turned and grabbed his daughter's hand, "I am glad my daughter is back. Let's find a way to repay Lucy-chan's kindness someday. She grew up to be a very nice girl… Just like her mama. Maybe we could visit her guild and sponsor them or whatever?"
Yumi squeezed her father's hand, tears lining at the corner of her eyes, "I am extremely happy to be back too. It's all thanks to Lucy-chan!"
And just before they stepped in, two cloaked figures appeared in front of them.
"Ahem," the other figure cleared her throat.
Yun instantly called for her butlers but none of them came out. The father and daughter shivered in fear. How great? Just when the Sabertooth mages left, another bunch of villains show up.
"No need to call them, someone inside had taken care of them. Gehehe." One of the cloaked figures said tauntingly, it was no doubt a male.
"Fear us not," the figure spoke with a firm female voice, "What do you mean by that great power they owe to Lucy's father?" she extended her arm stiffly.
Yun furrowed his brows, "Who are you?"
"Just answer, old man." The male cloaked figure commanded hoarsely.
Yun looked for a chance to escape but became rather hopeless. He gripped tightly onto his daughter's wrist as he shoved her on his back. "Please don't hurt my daughter. I'll give you everything, just don't hurt my daughter."
"Kuh," the male cloaked figure smiled, "As if we're interested in that…"
Just then, the female cloaked figure's hood slid down revealing a girl with a scarlet hair, "I know it's none of our business, but Lucy is our comrade. It is our duty to protect her. But to accomplish what we must, we should know what you know."
It was already midnight when they reached the next town by walking. When taking missions, Rogue and Sting had a habit of walking – since both of them are dragon slayers obviously.
But since they were carrying a burden – as Sting would call Lucy, they decided on staying on a lodge for the night. Maybe she'd wake up soon and could walk by herself already.
Sting kept complaining about her breathing on his neck like a pervert, sometimes drooling too and how much of a turn off it was for a lady to drool while asleep.
Rogue was totally enjoying the change in Sting – the blonde man could easily tell. An unusual expression was plastered on his partner's face and honestly, he prefers the uncaring and annoyed eyes his partner regularly has. "Fuck off, Rogue. Don't mock me with that stare!" Sting glared.
The shadow dragon slayer arched a brow nonchalantly, "What do you mean?"
And just when Sting was about to reply, Lucy's arms tightened around his neck.
"Seriously, Sting… I was wondering when the hell do you plan to set down that burden, you say – on your back. You've been ranting for almost an hour now," he raised a thumb and pointed at the two sleeping exceeds on one futon that is poorly set, "They were so tired that they weren't able to keep up with you. I think you're enjoying this, don't you?"
As if realization just dawned on him, he instantly tried to pull Lucy's hands away but even before he gets to untie the rope holding her in place, he felt a deadly aura behind him.
"Natsu~" she spoke, her voice was hoarse and sleepy but it made him shiver.
"Oh, she's awake?" Rogue uttered unsure. "So, that intruder she accused you of a while ago was Natsu-san, huh?"
And two hands pulled the poor white dragon slayer's hair, "You idiot, dorei! Stop pullin– Aw! Don't pull my hair, damn it!" Sting screamed frantically as he tried to stop Lucy's hands from tearing his hair off his head and getting him bald.
"Damn you, Natsu! I told you don't barge in my room without permission, you idiot! When will you learn manners? And why am I tied down!" she yelled back, but her vision was failing her, she was in daze too. She stopped, making Sting blink. Just then, Lucy dropped her hands to her side and rested her head on his shoulder, "Just for now… let me use you as a pillow, ne? I don't really feel well." She smiled, "I had a really bad dream…"
Natsu. Is this how they usually treat each other?
Sting unconsciously clenched his fist and gritted his teeth. He was the one who marked her but why the hell is she calling him Natsu when he's obviously not Natsu. The white dragon slayer won't admit it out loud but this girl is making him all the more insecure to Natsu.
Rogue tapped his partner on his other shoulder, "The mark… only works on instincts, not feelings. Remember that."
And just where the hell did that come from?
An angry vein popped out of Sting's head as he was about to turn to confront his partner, but was rendered speechless by what his partner did.
Rogue stroked the Celestial mage's head gently, "What was your dream then, Lucy-san?"
Lucy smiled again without opening her eyes, "Oh, Gray? I'll beat you two up tomorrow, I swear! I'll make you pay for raiding my apartment again." She weakly raised her fist.
"Are you crazy, dorei?" Sting commented in a sarcastic tone but was disregarded.
Rogue gawked at her in all interest. "Your dream, what was it about?"
Sting would never be mistaken – his partner was looking at the Fairy tail mage with mild eyes. Just like how he looks at Frosch – is that sympathy?
"Dragon slayer's mark." She forced herself to respond.
Yet again, a series of unclear emotions crashed inside Sting's body. It's like being called Natsu wasn't sufficient, but she considered his mark a nightmare too?
With that, Rogue walked away and went out without saying anything, leaving Sting and Lucy behind. Sting heard the door clinked and again, he could feel Lucy's breath against his bare skin.
"Just what the hell is this mark doing to me, damn it?" he asked himself as he started to untie the rope. As it loosened, he reached for her arms again and slung it on his shoulders. "Now, dorei. I'm your master and I order you to forget about Natsu-san and just think of me! You hear? Now… say~ Sting-dono, eh! That's lame. Not Sting-kun either. Just Sting – it sound more intimate. Kukuku!" He found himself observing her dormant features.
She looked so defenseless – peaceful, rather, like nothing really bothered her. But he knew and chose to ignore what the real problem was, "Only weaklings get homesick, idiot."
.
to be continued…