Sting
Sting Eucliffe was, for most of his life, unshakably confident in his abilities. He, along with Rogue Cheney, were two of the top members of Saber Tooth, a guild that ascended to the rank of top guild in Fiore in the seven years since Fairy Tail's master and strongest members disappeared. He was a third generation Dragon Slayer, possessing abilities taught to him by a dragon and a dragon lacrima inside his body. He had a memory of himself killing Weisslogia, the Holy Dragon, and the one who had granted him his power. He remembered little of how the battle came to happen, and mainly focused on himself striking the killing blow, but treasured it fondly as a Core Memory, not realizing that it was false.
Buoyed by Sting's power and past successes, Sting's Disgust took a leadership role over his other four emotions, with Sting's Joy serving as second in command, and the other three largely being marginalized. The status quo, however, only lasted as long as Sting's winning streak did. When he lost the Chariot race, he could blame it on his Dragon Slayer motion sickness, but he had no excuse for losing against an "obsolete" Dragon Slayer like Natsu, despite outnumbering Natsu two to one.
Because Saber Tooth prided itself as being the strongest guild, it expected its members to bring pride to its name. As such, the price of failure was steep, and Sting's guild master, Jiemma, prepared to collect it from Sting and Rogue.
"We really shouldn't have underestimated Fairy Tail," Sting's Sadness said. "Sure their showing was weak until the battles on the second day, but since then, they've won or tied in every battle, and got two of the top three slots in every event."
Sting's other emotions sat around dejectedly. Sting's Joy tried, in vain, to find some sort of silver lining, Sting's Anger overflowed with frustration, looking for some sort of outlet, Sting's Fear was dreading what would happen next, and Sting's disgust was at a loss for words, given that those he had dismissed as pathetic had defeated Sting.
"We're finished..." Sting's Sadness said. "Master's telling us to erase our guild crest, so now, we'll have to find a new guild, just like Yukino. We really shouldn't have looked down upon her, especially now that all the others are looking at us with contempt."
"Lector isn't," Sting's Joy said. "He believes in 'Sting-kun,' as always. Sting's successes only reinforce that belief, while his failures are things he'll bounce back from."
"Yeah, that's nice," Sting's Disgust said, allowing himself to smile without a hint of arrogance. "But why is the Master acting like he doesn't know Lector?"
Lector, oblivious to the danger, showed Jiemma his crest, and, before the horrified eyes of Sting, his emotions, and the rest of the guild, Jiemma cast a spell, causing a large explosion. Lector called out Sting's name one final time, and then, when the explosion faded, he had vanished.
The rest of Saber Tooth, previously smug, now looked appalled, and Rogue quickly moved in to shield Frosch, lest his Exceed partner suffer Sting's fate.
"NO! LECTOR!" Sting's Anger said, crumpling a newspaper with the headline "LECTOR: 778-791" as the headline.
With Jiemma's dismissive and callous remarks only fueling his rage, Sting's Anger opened a hatch and slammed his fist down on a button, causing Sting to fire a burst of light that blasted a hole in Jiemma's chest, much to the astonishment of almost everyone in the guild, including Sting's other emotions.
"What have you done, Anger?" Sting's Fear said, grabbing hold of Sting's Anger. "You just attacked and tried to murder the Master in front of all the guild. Even if he doesn't survive, or should I say especially if he doesn't, do you think Ojou and the rest of the guild are going to let it slide?"
"Take a good look," Sting's Anger said, shoving Sting's Fear away and pointing at the screen. "Ojou doesn't seem to mind, and is smugly saying that her dad's being judged by his own rules, while Sting could be a good master. Heh, serves him right."
Sting's Fear searched through his memories for memories of Minerva and Jiemma to serve as evidence that she would exact retribution on Sting, but couldn't find any that would suggest a healthy father-daughter relationship. At best, they seemed to get along as much as Jiemma did with his subordinates, with him seeing Minerva as a particularly useful one, but one who could be discarded if she failed at a critical point or was no longer useful. At worst, Sting had heard disturbing implications that Minerva had been subject to the same sorts of humiliations that those who disappointed Jiemma had been, ostensibly to make her stronger. Unable to find anything that would support his argument, yet unwilling to be overly optimistic, Sting's Fear turned back to the situation and watched it play out.
"So Ojou's saying that one's feelings can become a source of strength," Sting's Sadness said, "and she cites Sting's feelings for Lector as one such example. But Lector's..."
"...still alive," Sting's Joy said, drawing the other emotions' attentions to the screen. Sting asked about it, and then heard Minerva confirm Lector's survival. "It looks like things worked out for the best after all. Now all we have to do is ask Ojou nicely,and-"
As Sting's Joy spoke, he engaged the protocols to beg for Lector's return, only to find it rebuffed unless Sting helped Saber Tooth Grand Magic Games. The five emotions stared in soundless disbelief, and Sting's three teammates and the other guild members present shared it as well.
"Keep trying," Sting's Joy said. "Ojou demands respect, but she's still somewhat flexible; she lets Yukino call her by name since Yukino uses '-sama' on her."
Both Sting's Joy's attempt to cheer up the emotions and to talk Minerva into immediately releasing Lector failed. Minerva was more flexible and open-minded than her father, which was not saying much, but shared his goal to win the Grand Magic Games by any means necessary, and hoped that Sting would show her how much stronger he had become. Now that Saber Tooth was entering the last day in second place- while far from an insurmountable obstacle, it was not one that Jiemma wanted to have to overcome- Minerva would hold nothing back when it came to defeating her enemies or "encouraging" her allies.
"What does that witch think she's playing at?" Sting's Anger said. "I'll show her- HEY!"
Sting's Fear put Sting's Anger in a hold and dragged him away from the control panel.
"For Lector's sake, the only thing you'll 'show her' is that she needs Sting to win the Grand Magic Games," Sting's Fear said. "Ojou did warn us not to try anything rash, so she'll be expecting a surprise attack. We can't just take her down with a blast of magic in a fit of rage, and the same goes for Fairy Tail and the others. We need a plan."
The emotions spent most of the time until the next match dealing with what had happened. Sting's Joy tried to stay optimistic, looking for weaknesses in Minerva's Territory, and forming possible rescue plans for Lector, but Sting's Fear and Sadness were quick to point out the flaws.
"...so after we get back up to first place, we can ask Ojou to let us see Lector," Sting's Joy said, "and after she does, we wait until she's distracted and shoot her in the back and take Lector."
Sting's Joy looked optimistic, but Sting's Fear and Sadness shook their heads.
"I'm pretty sure attacking one's teammates is grounds for disqualification," Sting's Fear said. "Otherwise, if your captain was about to lose to an enemy, you could land the finishing blow instead and deny the other team the points."
"Ok, then, change of plans," Sting's Joy said. "We wait until Ojou faces a strong enemy- probably Erza-san, Laxus-san, Kagura-san or Jura-san- and let them take her down."
"If we abandon her or hold back, she'll know," Sting's Sadness said. "Besides, we don't know how likely a scenario that will be."
The final day of the Grand Magic Games came, and Sting was set aside as a backup plan, to sweep up the remaining members after they fought each other. Sting ran into some opposition, including Bacchus, the ace and team leader of Quattro Cerberus, which had been rechristened "Quattro Puppy" after Bacchus's loss to Elfman, and defeated him while remaining entirely unscathed and while expanding little of his magic power.
Sting's teammates fell one by one, including Minerva.
"Ojou's out of the game," Sting's Joy said. "Quick, let's go over and search for Lector."
"Don't," Sting's Fear said. "Ojou probably put him somewhere outside the arena so that Sting can't leave to go get Lector without being disqualified."
"Ok" Sting's Joy said. "But once we win, we'll take Lector back. Ojou can hardly deny that she needs him."
"The fact that Fairy Tail was able to beat Ojou aside," Sting's Fear said, "what condition do you think Lector will be when we get him back? That girl from Mermaid Heel was covered with scratches because Ojou was bored."
The other emotions fell into silence, less and less fond of the outcome as they imagined what state Lector would be in once Minerva was finished with him. The only thing keeping them from falling into despair was the assumption that, since Minerva needed him as a hostage, Lector would not be killed or suffer irreversible damage.
By the end, only Sting and the five Fairy Tail members remained. In most cases, victory would seem completely impossible, but Sting recovered a bit of his confidence.
"We're eight points behind Fairy Tail," Sting's Joy said, "and there are nine points' worth of enemies coming our way. It's exactly how we want it, so let's get the ball rolling."
Sting fired off a magical flare with the Saber Tooth guild emblem, and shouted a challenge to Fairy Tail at the top of his lungs.
"You sure this is such a good idea?" Sting's Fear said. "Now they know where Sting is, but he doesn't know where they are."
"It saves us some time," Sting's Joy said. "Besides, now we know they're coming for Sting, and don't have to worry about being taken by surprise while looking for them."
Some time passed, as the remaining Fairy Tail members hobbled over to Sting. He was grateful that there was no time limit, lest it run out and the match go to Fairy Tail, which had the highest point total and the most members left.
Soon, the five Fairy Tail team members stood before Sting. There was Gray, who had defeated Rufus, as well as Chelia and Lyon with Juvia's help. There was Juvia, who had defeated the majority of her fellow combatants in Day 4's event almost effortlessly. There was Gajeel, who had defeated Rogue in single combat. There was Laxus, who had defeated Jura, one of the Ten Wizard Saints, after Jura had easily defeated Orga. There was Erza, who had overpowered Kagura and defeated Minerva. They were injured and at a fraction of their strength, but they outnumbered him.
Following Joy's cues, Sting spoke with them full of bluster, taunting them to come at him all at once. His former admiration of them and desire to defeat them were genuine, but as they stood undeterred, hi s confidence began to wane.
"Why aren't they buckling?" Sting's Joy said. "They should know Sting can take them as they are, even before he started fighting with the strength of his bond with Lector."
"Do I need to explain it to all of you?" Sting's Fear said. "It's probably better if I show you."
Sting's Fear put on a memory, one colored a deep green for disgust. In it, Natsu had explained that Fairy Tail did not seek glory, but sought to compete in order to vindicate the efforts of those who had waited for their return all those years. This show of determination had only taken him to fifth place, while the hung over Bacchus seized the victory, but he spoke to the motivation that drove the rest of Fairy Tail as far as they did.
"So you can see that we're not the only ones fighting for friends," Sting's Fear said. "And that reminds me; that one point is a large part of the reason why we're in this mess in the first place."
Sting's Fear then put on the memory of his defeat, specifically the part in which Natsu defeating the Twin Dragons gave Fairy Tail a one-point lead over Saber Tooth. Among the three last placers in the Chariot event- whose poor showings were a far cry from even the fifth placer, Ichiya- Sting had forfeited any chance at points, while Natsu had, while persisting, gained two points, the first Fairy Tail's A Team earned. The points put him one point closer to Fairy Tail B, and when the two teams were merged, they added to Fairy Tail's overall score, since the weaker team's points were chosen. Natsu, by being determined to never give up, had achieved a small advantage that became a large lead for Fairy Tail.
"Rub it in, why don't you?" Sting's Disgust said, painfully aware of the implications behind Sting's Fear showing the memory, since Sting's Disgust had been the one to favor forfeiting the match in order to save some time and Sting's dignity.
"One point doesn't matter much at this juncture," Sting's Sadness said. "If we had that point over Fairy Tail, we'd still have to take down the captain, and we don't know who it is."
Fear's order from Imagination then arrived, and showed some videos of how the battle might go. In one scenario, he attacked Erza, ostensibly the most vulnerable of the five, but she blocked with a previously unseen light-resistant armor, and Laxus retaliated with a bolt that knocked Sting off his feet. In another, he prepared a Holy Dragon's Roar, but before he could, he got struck simultaneously with a Iron Dragon's Roar, Water Nebula and a Lightning Dragon's Roar, before being finished off by Erza and Gray slashing him.
"Come on," Sting's Disgust said. "Don't you have any that end well for Sting?"
"I'm trying," Sting's Fear said. "Perhaps I should tell the people in Imagination to use the Rose Colored Glasses. But the simple truth is that we've seen what these people can do when the odds are against them and they're fighting for the sake of their comrades. They've overcome their opponents thus far, and fought on even footing with us, so if we face them, we had best be ready for that."
"Well, so are we," Sting's Disgust said. "Since you went and showed us some memories, you'd better also show the one in which Sting only gets Lector back if he wins the games."
"I know," Sting's Fear said. "But at the same time, I'm not sure if we'll see him again even if we fight."
"I'm with Fear," Sting's Sadness said. "I'd rather not rely on Ojou to keep her promise."
"At this point, perhaps we can count on Fairy Tail," Sting's Joy said.
"I'm not too fond of surrendering," Sting's Anger said, before his dejected frown gave way to a fierce grin, "but I'd love to see Ojou's face once she hears what we did."
Sting's emotions, with a four to one majority, then pushed the surrender button. Sting, having been hesitating for the past few seconds of real time, fell to his knees and uttered his surrender, disqualifying him and awarding the points to the team the judges credited with his defeat. Fairy Tail's score then rose to 64 points, which was only a formality at this point, and the announcers declared them the winner of the seventh Grand Magic Games.
"Now that we've made our decision," Sting's Disgust said, with a degree of bitterness in his voice, "Erza-san wants us to explain it to her. Since I barely understand it myself, good luck with that."
"It's simple," Sting's Joy said as he input his response. "We thought it was the only way to see, Lector agai-"
Sting's Joy stopped short as Erza answered his question witha yes, and Millianna walked over, carrying Lector in her arms, who was asleep but unharmed. They immediately realized that Millianna, a prisoner of Minerva's Territory, must have stumbled upon Lector by some chance, and, regardless of whether it was knowing or willing, taken him with her when she was ejected.
Sting's Joy turned to the other emotions, and they each simply gave a nod, allowing Sting to enjoy his reunion with Lector. In spite of the Grand Magic Games ending, the true battle was yet to come, but for now, they celebrated.
Author's Notes
Thank you for the reviews, favorites and follows.
I decided to write Minerva's title as "Ojou", since there are a few different translations for it.
Some people find Sting's decision to surrender controversial, but I find it understandable. Sting has his bond with Lector while Fairy Tail has their bonds with each other and the guild, and Sting knows this, as Natsu pointed out in the Chariot event. Essentially after several days of Fairy Tail achieving the nearly impossible and showing incredible levels of persistence, it's likely that even if the last battle seems hopeless for Fairy Tail, Sting suspects that they might be able to pull it off, and so gives up for Lector's sake.