Talia was panting by the time she reached her destination in one of the plazas that dotted Crocus. She did love her sister-in-law at times like these. Nox and her father would never understand why they liked those glass shoes so much. They looked incredibly fragile and uncomfortable, but, appearances could be deceiving. It had cost Terra a fair bit a jewel to get them, what with all the spells put on them. Enchantments for comfort, stability, sturdiness, silence, temperature resistance, and liquid impregnability were the ones they knew about. They were both fairly sure that there were other, smaller charms on the shoes that were more for the sake of appearance. They seemed resistant to dirt and grime, for instance. Her father and brother could call them vain women all they wanted, but those shoes were amazing. She knew from experience that she could run for miles in them without any sort of cramping or blistering.
Of course, that knowledge, and the timely manner in which she made it to her job, all relied on the fact that she could run for miles. Just because she didn't often take combat jobs, didn't mean she was lax in her training. Being the daughter of the guild master, she felt that she was pushed even harder than the other members. Her father said she really didn't have to meet a higher standard, but, she felt like she needed to set an example of sorts. Her morning routine began with a long run through the valley outside Crocus. This was followed by an upstream swim in the river that cut through the valley. She knew the river well enough to avoid the more dangerous sections, and preferred to keep to the milder current that ran not too far from the guild hall. They were strong enough to present a challenge, but were not so strong as to be dangerous. Then, during and after breakfast, she studied and practiced magic. It was a good routine. She usually began it at around six every morning so that she could watch the sun rise as she ran, and was finished by around nine with a whole day ahead of her. Her sister-in-law, Terra, would often join her for her run before going back to the guild to get Ash ready for the day.
As much as Talia loved her niece, it was watching Terra that made her sure that she was nowhere near ready to have her own children. Settle down with a man, maybe. But, definitely not children. She could see herself having them later in life, after she'd had a few adventures worth speaking of. Talia was a romantic at heart, it came with being a storyteller. She was waiting for that right guy. Maybe not a Prince Charming, but the right guy to spend the rest of her life with. She didn't want to be like her guild mate, Freya, who had been through more breakups than anyone could count because she didn't love deeply and had a new lover every week. Neither did she want to be like Ophelia, who fell in love too fast and too hard, and had thought she'd found the man of her dreams, only to be rudely awakened when he ran off with another woman. She wanted what her brother and Terra had, a sweet romance that had been slow to build and was unshakeable because of the faith and trust they had in one another. That was the kind of relationship she dreamed about. Children could come afterward.
Breathing heavily, Talia brought her focus back to the task at hand as she reached the plaza. She had been hired to entertain at a birthday party in the city, which, while it wouldn't pay as much as a combat mission, was much preferable to traveling about like Kassandra had needed to. Looking around the plaza, she marveled at what it had been transformed into. The entire area was decorated for a party, with flowers and balloons and streamers pinned up and hung from posts and trees. Tables dotted the plaza and a catering service was already set up off to the side. Talia smiled when she saw the tall cake that had been put on display. The party was set to start at two-thirty but, already, people were mingling and drinks were being passed. Carefully, the young mage skirted the gathering crowd, searching for her employer. It didn't take her long to be recognized.
"Oh, Talia, dear!"
Talia fought back a flinch at the high-pitched voice. Giving a polite smile, she turned towards the sound. A skinny, elderly woman was hobbling quickly toward her with the aid of a cane, numerous furs wrapped around her too-thin frame to ward off the chill that came with old age. Her thin, pale skin stretched awkwardly in some places and sagged in others. She moved in the odd, jerking way that bespoke arthritis and stiffness in the joints. Despite the troubles that came with age, though, she wore a wide, happy grin as she bore down on the singer.
At the age of eighty, Lady DeVous was one of the wealthiest nobles in Crocus. She was known for her charity work and philanthropic giving of her wealth, but, she could also be more than a little overbearing. It was this old woman that the party was being thrown for. She would be turning eighty-one within a few days' time and, of course, the party celebrating another year of her life would be extravagant. Of course, she wouldn't be holding it indoors, no. She had taken up this plaza and beyond, ensuring that even the uninvited guests from her beloved city would be welcome. Even her birthday party would be used to help the poor. Looking at the table the old woman had just left, Talia was unsurprised to see a family from one of the financially-lacking districts, eating well on the food provided for them.
"Hello, Lady DeVous. How are you?" the mage asked as the Lady approached.
Lady DeVous waved a hand airily, hobbling at an impressive speed to Talia's side.
"Fine, fine! Just hoping that we'll have enough food for all the people who have said they'll come," she reached up and patted the younger woman's shoulder, smiling, "It's good to see you, dear. So glad you can be here. I do so love hearing you sing."
Talia's smile turned more genuine. Despite the old woman's tendency to shriek when excited, she was truly kind. Due to their mutual desire to help the community, she was also one of Learnaean Hydra's biggest benefactors. She hired them for everything she could think of. Even if Talia hadn't been well-known for her singing, Lady DeVous would have called on her to provide entertainment.
"I'm glad to help. Is there a specific place you want me?"
The Lady looked around thoughtfully.
"Hm, where did they…I know they brought…ah, yes!" leaning on Talia's arm, she lifted her cane and pointed to a makeshift stage on one side of the plaza, "There! I had them set up some microphones for you. Maybe that pretty voice of yours will let people know where the real fun's happening."
Talia couldn't help but laugh as the old woman cackled happily.
"I'll do my best. Thank you again, Lady DeVous."
Lady DeVous waved her off, her attention already drawn by a few of the new arrivals. Realizing that she had taken as much of the Lady's attention as could be allotted at this time, Talia made her way over to the stage they'd given her. It wasn't much, just a stool with two microphones standing before it and a few speakers placed around it. She could see others around the plaza, there to ensure that her music reached all corners of the party area. Humming as a warm up, Talia laid her guitar case next to the stool and removed her instrument. It was of a simple, basic design, made of wood and painted with ocean waves. Smiling, Talia settled onto the provided stool and plucked lightly at the strings, ensuring that everything was tuned correctly. Then, when she was satisfied, she began to play.
Singing and playing an instrument was one of her favorite pastimes. It was more than a hobby, though. After being picked up by her agent and offered numerous opportunities to record albums and put on concerts, it had become something of a job. She treated it like any other job, taking it one performance at a time. Her father wished she would take it more seriously, but, she didn't see why. Singing was what she did for fun. It didn't require magic, just the utilization of her own talents and skills. While her magic did revolve around music, she didn't use it often outside of actual missions or training. Usually, her jobs consisted of just singing or storytelling. And, honestly, she wouldn't have it any other way. She enjoyed these performances far more than fighting.
As she worked through the pieces she had planned for the event, before she'd forgotten what time she needed to be there, she fell into the familiar rhythm of the music. These were songs from her original album, the ones she'd written and memorized long before anyone had said they wanted them recorded. It was flattering to think that people wanted to hear her music badly enough to buy a lacrima full of it, but, she honestly just liked to sing. And that was it. These old, familiar songs were the ones she enjoyed the most. They were the ones that made people happy, the ones the children sang with her.
The party progressed, more and more people arriving. Sometimes, guests would dance or sing along with music they recognized. Often, partygoers called out greetings and encouragement to her, to which Talia would respond with a nod. She continued to play as the afternoon wore on, taking occasional breaks. During these breaks, she would go out and interact with the guests, picking at food from the catered buffet, sipping at glasses of whatever nonalcoholic drink Lady DeVous was offering the public at the time. A few of her regular audience members were present at the party and managed to coerce her into sharing the sequel to the story she'd told them earlier by convincing Lady DeVous that the party would be much better with a good story being told. Talia had forgotten just how devious those children could be.
Once it came to be around four thirty in the evening, the party began to wind down. Talia was playing her last set, a series of slow, lazy songs that were meant to help with bringing the mood to a close. She strummed over the strings of her guitar, singing softly into the microphone before her. As she crooned out a slow love song, couples danced in front of the stage, ranging from young children to Lady DeVous and her husband. They swayed in time with the music, talking softly to each other. Talia smiled a bit ruefully. She had written this one because, even if she hadn't had a love interest in her life before, she wanted to give those that did something to enjoy. Still, every time she played it, she couldn't help but imagine dancing with someone. His hands resting on her hips while her head rested under his chin.
She brought the song to a close, plucking out the last few chords. There was a pause as the last note carried for a moment, as if it were bidding its listeners 'adeiu'. Then, applause erupted. Talia dipped her head in a nod, graciously accepting the shouted praise and thunderous clapping. When they had showed their appreciation, the dancers dispersed. People in varying attires showing their equally varying social statuses wandered off with their partners, happily chattering about inane things. At last, only one of the stage-front audience remained. Talia didn't notice the single listener until she reached for the water that sat at the foot of the stool, when her eyes were drawn downward. As soon as she caught sight of them, she paused, brow furrowing just slightly.
She had never seen anything quite like this audience member. The little creature stood at just the right distance to have a clear view of Talia while remaining close enough to the stage to avoid being caught up in the crowd of much larger beings. The singer cocked her head, trying to figure out what, exactly, it was. It appeared to be a cat wearing a pink frog suit, which had to be one of the oddest things Talia had ever seen. The cat smiled at her with wide eyes, it's happy expression unchanging as it continued to stare up at her.
Reaching up, Talia turned off her microphone, smiling quizzically at this strange little creature. Judging by the way it was grinning, and its upright stance, it was most definitely not a normal feline. She had heard of sentient cats called Exceeds, but, she had never seen one in real life before. Perhaps this little creature was one of them?
"Hello," she greeted, a bit curiously.
The cat's smile widened and it raised one paw, its tail swaying.
"Hello to you too!"
A flash of surprise ran through her when it replied. A talking, green cat in a pink frog suit. Talia never thought she would meet such a creature. It must be an Exceed. There was no other explanation.
"What's your name?" she asked.
It seemed like the next logical question. She'd never had a conversation with a cat before, so, she wasn't sure what kinds of social rules applied. The cat threw both arms up in what seemed to be excitement at having been asked.
"I'm Frosch!"
Talia couldn't help but smile. The little cat was truly adorable. It just seemed so…happy to be there, in its little pink frog suit, talking to her.
"It's nice to meet you, Frosch. I'm Talia."
Unsure of what else to do, the mage knelt awkwardly at the edge of the stage and extended her hand, her guitar squeezing against her. Frosch bounced forward and rose up on tiptoe to put one paw against her hand. She gave a small, gentle shake, fingers lightly tucked around the cat's paw.
"I know who you are," Frosch assured, "Fro heard your music and came to see you!"
Talia cocked her head, unable to keep a surprised expression off her face. She released the cat's paw and sat back on her heels.
"You came to see me? Because of my music?"
Frosch took a few steps back from the stage to better see Talia, and gave a single nod.
"Uh-huh. Fro really likes Talia's music. It's good for dancing!"
As if to give a demonstration of dancing, Frosch pranced in place, turned in a circle, and then smiled widely at Talia from a finishing pose. The songstress gave a somewhat bemused laugh. As puzzled as she was by this odd little creature, she couldn't deny that it's earnestness in everything it said was very sweet. Her surprise began to melt away as Frosch giggled in return to her laughter. Sitting fully on the stage, she let her legs dangle over and carefully shifted the microphone stand aside.
"I'm glad you like it so much! It means a lot when people tell me that, since I really enjoy writing it."
The cat seemed to smile even wider at that.
"Are you done playing for today?"
Talia hummed thoughtfully, glancing at the partygoers. They were beginning to wander off. Some would remain for a good while yet to chat and socialize, but, her contract was technically finished. She had been asked to stay for a certain amount of time, and that time was up. She could leave whenever she wanted. But, one more look at Frosche's face convinced her that it wasn't quite time to leave yet. After all, he had said that he'd come specifically to see her.
"I don't have to be if you'd like to hear another song."
She didn't expect the effect that the offer had on the little cat. Frosch stared up at her, paws flying up to cover his mouth.
"A song just for me?"
Talia gave a nod, smiling.
"Of course. If you want to hear one, I'll play it for you."
Frosche looked up at her for a moment more. Then, the cat bounded forward, clambering up onto the stage next to Talia. She helped her little listener up and waited until he was settled beside her. Then, she settled her fingers into the proper positioning.
"Any requests?"
Frosche cocked his head, thinking for a moment.
"Hm," he looked up at her again, "What's your favorite?"
The songstress was taken aback by that question. No one had ever asked her what her favorite of her songs was. She was used to others telling her what their favorites were. She had to ponder for a moment, mentally shuffling through songs until she arrived at one that she felt suited the position of 'favorite'. With a soft smile, she began to strum her guitar.
"In this wide land we wander, filled with its long roads and danger,
I can never tell when I'll see your face again. So I stay at home and pray
Pray that there will come a day, when your smile again lights up my whole world.
I just hope that you'll come home again, safe at journey's end.
If I could be there with you, you know that I would. But even o'er this land,
On the road that never seems to end, my heart goes with you, my brother and my friend."
As the song continued on, Talia's eyes slipped shut and she felt herself pouring her heart into the music in a way that she hadn't during her previous sets. This song wasn't just something she had written at the urging of her agents or guild mates. This one was one of her special songs. She had written it for her brother, who was so often away on missions. Nox and her father had, at one time, been her whole world. When her father was working to establish Learnaean Hydra, something she vaguely remembered from her early childhood, it had been Nox who had taken care of her. Her elder by seven years, he had always been very serious about his brotherly duty to protect and care for her. For many years, she had been practically glued to his side. Over time, they had played together, trained together, and worked together. And then he had achieved the rank of S-class.
Suddenly, Nox went out on missions without her much more often than before. They spent more and more time apart. It had been difficult for her, exceedingly so. In the hopes of things returning to what they had been before, Talia had driven herself to strive for S-class as well, clawing her way into the position through rigorous training and hard work. She had succeeded, but, the position had not gotten her what she wanted. Instead of again working closely with her brother like before, she had been sent on her own difficult missions. For a long time, she'd been heartbroken by the realization that those lighthearted days of childhood and youth were gone forever. Then, Terra had come into her life and taught her how to simply wait and pray.
"Your brother is a hard worker. Sometimes, I wish he wasn't but…I wouldn't change him for anything. He knows we're waiting for him, and I know he wishes he could be here with us instead of off alone. But, he can't, and so, when he goes on those missions, I send my heart with him, so that he won't truly be alone. That's what most of the guild does, I think. No matter where we are physically, our love and our thoughts are always with our members who are away."
With the memory of her sister-in-law's words in mind, Talia's fingers picked out the ending of the song, bringing I to a close. She was still for a moment, eyes still closed as she sent a small prayer for her brother and the other members of her guild who were not home.
She had almost forgotten her companion until a small touch alighted on her arm. Her eyes opened and she looked down at Frosche.
"Are you okay?" the cat asked, a bit concernedly.
Talia was confused by the question at first. Then, she felt the wetness on her cheeks.
"Oh!" she hadn't realized that, caught up in the song, she'd begun to cry, "I'm alright," she wiped at her face with one hand, giving a somewhat embarrassed laugh, "That song's just very special to me."
Frosche seemed to almost glow with happiness when he heard that. He kicked his feet, tail waving.
"You played your special song just for me? That's so nice!"
Another small laugh bubbled up from the songstress, this one caused by the cat's contagious good spirits.
"Thank you. I'm glad you liked it. It's about the people who are close to my heart," she looked down at Frosche, smiling, "Do you have anyone like that?"
Frosche nodded.
"I do! My best friend, Rogue, is like that!"
The name struck something within Talia, a tone of recognition. It was faint enough that she let it slide.
"That's wonderful!" she replied, "Do you spend a lot of time with your best friend?"
Frosche nodded again.
"Yes! I'm with him almost all the time…"
The little cat trailed off, his cheerful demeanor suddenly deflating. He blinked, almost as though something clicked inside his head. Then, he looked around, as though searching for something. Talia watched him, frowning as worry at the his sudden change in behavior crept through her.
"Oh no," he said after a moment, "Fro is lost again…"
"Lost?"
Frosche looked down at Talia's question.
"Yeah. I get lost a lot…Fro was with Rogue and Lector and Sting and saw a frog. The frog led me over here and I heard your music. Fro likes your music a lot and came to listen…but now, Fro is lost."
As soon as she heard his explanation, Talia's mind went into overtime. The 'best friend Rogue' that Frosche had mentioned had to be Rogue Cheney of the Sabertooth guild. She didn't know of any other Rogue, much less one who could be mentioned in conjunction with Sting. Neither were very common names, and, in Crocus, they applied exclusively to the Twin Dragons. While one part of her processed this, the other was immediately trying to plot the best course of action to help Frosche. He was beginning to quiver, like he might cry. If Rogue really was his best friend, then it was likely that he was looking for him. However, instead of wandering the city and hoping to bump into him and return Frosche safely, she might have a better shot taking him to the Sabertooth guild hall personally. It wasn't too far, just at the edge of the city. She frowned slightly. Neither idea was appealing. Learnaean Hydra and Sabertooth were, for all intents and purposes, rival guilds. Sabertooth had an infinitely higher standing, and, truly, more brute power, but, Learnaean Hydra was the only guild in Crocus that even came close to matching them. Sabertooth didn't like that they could, potentially, be a threat. And Learnaean Hydra didn't like Sabertooth's overall arrogance. A run-in with the Twin Dragons was definitely not on Talia's to-do list for the day. But, just walking up to the guild hall, even for the purpose of returning Frosche, might be the same as asking for a fight. She had no doubt that she would endure ridicule and the guild trying to start something at the very least. And, as strong as she was, she had no delusions that she could singlehandedly stand against Fiore's strongest guild alone.
She looked at Frosche, pity for his situation warring with her own opposition to getting involved with Sabertooth in any way.
Tears gathered in the little cat's eyes and spilled over, a soft whimper leaving him.
That alone sent Talia careening towards a decision. With a soft sigh, she reached over and laid a hand on Frosche's head, rubbing between the eyes of his frog suit. She had been fooling herself, there was no way she would have chosen any option but one that helped this little one.
"It's alright, Frosche, don't cry. I'll help you get home," she soothed.
Frosche looked up at her, his expression hopeful through the tears.
"You will?"
Talia nodded once, smiling softly. He reminded her so much of the children she saw every day. Her caretaking instincts had kicked in full force.
"Let me pack up and we'll get going, okay?"
Frosche rubbed his tears away, his smile returning at the promise of Talia's help.
"Okay."
The songstress got up, returning her guitar to its case. Everything else was up to Lady DeVous' hired help. She glanced around to make sure she wasn't supposed to take anything else. Then, after briefly bidding Lady DeVous 'good evening' and asking her to send the payment to the guild hall, she and Frosche left the plaza.
It was a bit odd at first, having the cat walking alongside her, but, she quickly got used to it as they struck up a conversation. As they walked through the streets of Crocus, making their way toward the Sabertooth guild hall, Talia discovered that Frosch was actually very knowledgeable about her music. He told her about the first time he'd heard one of her songs, a piece she'd released early in her career, and how he'd liked her music ever since. He had gotten so excited when he recognized her playing from the plaza that he had immediately run over to listen, completely forgetting about the frog or being lost. Talia enjoyed simply listening to him talk. His voice was so sweet and there was a wonderful innocence in the way he spoke. He asked her all sorts of questions about what Learnaean Hydra was like, since "Fro has only ever been inside Sabertooth".
She described the guild to him, the small, three building compound with its fountains and gardens. She told him about the beautiful white pillars and the reliefs and frescos that mark the buildings, the statues that line the garden paths and stand in the fountains, and the artistry of the buildings' designs. She shared with him the memories she had of spring, when the flowers of the gardens were in full bloom and the sound of birds was what she woke to in the morning. She talked about life in the guild dorms and rooming next to Kassandra. About helping Terra with Ash and what it was like to be the guild master's daughter. Frosche listened attentively, sometimes asking her questions when she finished telling him about one thing to move her on to the next.
The walk through Crocus passed quickly that way. The sun was beginning to set by the time they turned down the road that led into the neighborhood in which the guild hall was located at the edge of the city.
"Hydra sounds like a lot of fun!" Frosche chirped, continuing to plod along in his pink frog suit, "Can I come visit sometime?"
Talia smiled.
"That would be lovely, Frosche. I would love for you to visit."
Not that she thought that would ever happen. If he was Rogue's friend as he said, she doubted that he would ever be allowed to come to her guild hall. Still, he seemed so excited about the idea that she couldn't bear the thought of crushing his hopes.
Frosche looked up at her hopefully.
"Can Rogue come too? Even though we're from Sabertooth?"
Talia jolted, eye twitching.
He hit the nail right on the head…
She gave a somewhat nervous smile.
"If he'd like to. I'm sure my father wouldn't mind if you came to visit me."
"Yay!" Frosche gave a little hop.
Talia's smile turned a bit more genuine. She was trying to imagine Frosche and the Shadow Dragon of Sabertooth strolling through Learnaean Hydra's gardens when she picked up a pair of very powerful energies approaching at a very high speed. It wasn't uncommon to sense powerful magical presences within Crocus. Being a guild wizard, she was surrounded by them constantly. But these were on par with the other two S-class Hydra wizards, Ajax Raptis and Caenis Athans, and their speed suggested an attack. As they neared, she got a clearer sense. No, these two were above Ajax and Caenis's levels. They were at least as strong as she was, if not more so.
Talia's smile dropped as instinct took over, years of training replacing conscious thought. She positioned herself protectively in front of Frosche, one arm extended slightly as if to cover the little cat. The soft expression she'd worn before was replaced by a stern look as she prepared to face down her attackers. She had known venturing into Sabertooth territory was risky, but, she hadn't expected to be jumped as soon as she neared the guild hall. As far as she was from Learnaean Hydra, even if word got back to them, help would arrive too late. She couldn't face down two such powerful attackers and hope to leave unharmed.
"Stay down," she said lowly to her companion, "Something's coming."
The change in her demeanor had obviously frightened Frosche, as he scooted closer to her, resting one paw on the back of her calf.
The first strike came out of nowhere. She barely had any warning. There was a sudden spike in power that told her that her attackers were much, much closer than before. Then, a fist was coming at her from the side, aimed at her head. She narrowly ducked the blow, feeling it brush the top of her hair, and retaliated reflexively. With a sharp twist, she threw a kick out and felt it connect with a solid form that almost immediately gave way to nothingness. Her eyes widened. She knew that sensation. She had sparred with Nox enough to know the feeling of when a shadow mage dissolved into their element.
"Stop!" she called, crouching beside the slightly shaking Frosche, "I'm just here to return one of Sabertooth's members!"
Footsteps sounded from the alley to her right. Adrenaline and wariness still coursing through her, she used one hand to hide her small companion, just in case this was someone who didn't favor the little cat.
"Is that so?"
The blonde man who emerged was immediately recognizable. Sorcerer Weekly had done too many pinups and articles featuring him and his partner for Talia not to know who he was. Sting Eucliffe, the Holy Dragon of Sabertooth, stopped at the mouth of the alley, just a few feet away. He folded his arms over his chest, the ties at the tops of his long gloves straining over rather impressive biceps. His bared abdominal muscles rippled with each movement, enough to make almost any woman drool unconsciously. He had recently been named among the "Top Ten Sexiest Mages Alive" and "Possible Boyfriend Material for Lonely Women". Not that she had read those in more than a passing glance. Now, seeing him in person, it wasn't hard for Talia to understand why. If not for the arrogance that practically oozed from him, and the situation at hand, she might have even joined those drooling women. Not to mention, the Sabertooth emblem on his shoulder looked positively threatening as it was pulled taut over his deltoid. She had the sudden thought that he alone could probably pound her into the ground.
Warily, she rose to her full height, mostly so that Sting would no longer be able to smirk down at her in that horribly superior way. She was still a good few inches shorter than him, but, at least now, she could meet his eyes without looking up too far.
"Yes," she replied firmly.
Behind her, she heard a very faint whooshing. She dared to glance back and saw that Sting's partner, Rogue Cheney, had finally come out of the shadows. He regarded her with cold eyes that reminded her disturbingly of the color of blood. Though he lacked his counterpart's arrogance, there was a frostiness about him that was equally unwelcoming.
"Rogue!"
Frosche darted out from behind Talia and scampered to the Shadow Dragon, colliding with the mage's leg and wrapping his arms as far about it as he could. Talia glanced back at Sting, every nerve within her still on edge with the threat of an attack. He hadn't moved, still standing in the mouth of the alley, sizing her up. She looked to Frosche again to see that Rogue was gently maneuvering the cat behind him, where he would be slightly hidden by the mage's cape. It was a bit insulting, the way he acted like she would threaten Frosche, but, she didn't linger on it. Now she knew why those two presences had been so very powerful, and that her assessment of their power had been correct. There was no way she could take on a pair of Dragon Slayers alone, much less these two, whose teamwork was as acclaimed as it was. Fortunately, they didn't seem to be openly hostile at the moment. Standoffish, yes, but not hostile.
"What were you doing with Frosche?" Rogue demanded.
The first thought Talia had was that he must have been the one who attacked her. The second was 'oh, he really does have a voice like dark velvet'. That had been the comment in Sorcerer's "Possible Boyfriend" list.
Not liking the accusation in his tone, Talia drew herself upright, placing one hand on her hip. Her Learnaean Hydra guild mark stood out proudly against the pale skin just inside her left hip, the five headed serpent coiling over her hipbone and up towards her ribs.
"As I stated before, I was returning him to the Sabertooth guild hall. Frosche told me that he was lost, so I walked him home."
She did her best to match Rogue's cold tone, but, it didn't come naturally to her. She was normally an upbeat, lighthearted person. She didn't like conflict and she didn't like finding herself needing to be unkind. But, she refused to back down in the slightest. She had the sense that, if either of these two sensed weakness, they would be on her in moments, pressing that weakness to the breaking point.
Rogue looked down at Frosche for verification. The cat nodded, smiling.
"I'm sorry I got lost, Rogue! Fro found a frog and followed it. Then, Fro heard Talia playing and went to listen. She played a special song, just for me!" he paused, obviously overcome with happiness at the memory, "Then I remembered I was lost and Talia brought me here!" he turned his big eyes on the songstress, "Talia is very nice to Fro."
Talia allowed her lips to tug upward slightly. A slight scuffing behind her caused her to look back to Sting quickly, still wary. He moved closer, curiosity replacing arrogance. He paused just half a foot away and leaned towards her slightly.
"Talia? The singer?"
Before Talia could reply, she heard movement from Rogue. As uncomfortable as she was due to Sting's nearness, she was still tense and waiting for this to turn violent. She glanced his way and found him approaching much slower than his partner. He sighed.
"You didn't recognize her, Sting?"
Her eyes flickered between the two Dragon Slayers. Even though they had relaxed, she still didn't like the situation. Every instinct within her was screaming to get away quickly. They still had her positioned between them, and there was a wall at her back when she turned slightly to keep an eye on them both. At least Frosche was on her side. That gave her some small measure of comfort.
Sting's eyes flickered over her face and then moved down to the guitar. They trailed downward to the guild mark on her bare stomach.
"Huh. I didn't at first," his smirk slowly returned, "Guess I just never thought that a Hydra would wander into Sabertooth's territory. That takes guts."
Talia figured that it was as close to a compliment as he could give with his head shoved so far up his own backside.
"I was just helping Frosche. He's been perfectly sweet and is possibly the nicest fan of my music I've ever met. I'd be remiss in not at least ensuring he got home safely."
"So you planned to walk him up to the gates of the Sabertooth guild and knock?"
Rogue had come to a standstill a foot and a half or so away, thoroughly boxing Talia in. Even though his tone had lost its coldness and was just flat, she could tell from his body language that he was still untrusting. The way they had moved to trap her showed that they didn't plan on letting her go until they had verified that she truly wasn't a threat. Smart, but annoying.
"If I had to," she replied calmly, "In all honesty, I was hoping to bump into you beforehand. Frosche said you were his best friend, and I doubt that a Learnaean Hydra member would be welcome at Sabertooth."
Sting leaned back from her, no longer invading her personal space.
"Got that right. Master would probably have kicked ya to the curb, if one of the others didn't tear into ya. You're lucky we got to you first."
Talia turned a deadpan look on him. She had traded being 'torn into' at the guild's gates for being ambushed from an alleyway.
"Yes," she drawled, "Exceedingly lucky."
She could tell from the way his eyes flashed that he had heard her sarcasm.
"Where are you heading, now that you've succeeded?" Rogue asked.
He was much chattier than Sorcerer made him out to be. As a mage who admired other strong mages, Talia normally might have enjoyed swapping questions with him. But, in the current situation, it was a bit annoying. And that one in particular was a bit creepy.
"Home."
She stifled the urge to add "not that it's any of your business", knowing that it wouldn't help her get away from them in a timely manner. Frosche, who had remained watchfully silent since his explanation, piped up.
"We could walk you home!"
A mixture of admiration and mortification tore through Talia. Admiration that the little creature could be so very sweet, mortification at the suggestion that the Twin Dragons of Sabertooth walk her home. She could just see it, the way her father would stand impressively on the steps of the main hall, exuding alpha male dominance. The way Terra would press her for gossip. Not to mention, she would be stuck walking across Crocus with Sting Eucliffe, who seemed to think he was Heaven's gift to the world, and Rogue Cheney, who, though undeniably attractive, had an almost tangible gloom cloud hanging about him.
She immediately pasted on a smile, cocking her head to the side sweetly.
"That's very kind, Frosche, but, I think I can make it back."
"No, Frosche is right."
There was a long moment of awkward silence in which both Sting and Talia stared at Rogue. He looked back impassively. Never, in a thousand years, had the songstress ever thought that he would agree to his small friend's suggestion. She glanced at Sting to find him looking both surprised and amused.
"You sure about that, buddy?" the blonde man asked.
Rogue gave a single nod.
"Consider it repayment for helping Frosche. It's getting dark and Crocus can be dangerous at night. I'll ensure you return safely to your guild," he said to Talia.
She continued to stare at him, her brain still struggling to process what he was saying. How had they gone from him trying to punch her in the head to this?
Frowning, she unconsciously gripped the strap of her guitar case with both hands, tugging at it where it hung over her chest.
"Um…thanks. That's…nice. But, I am an S-class wizard, you know…and the guildmaster's daughter. I've been on plenty of dangerous missions…I think I can handle city nightlife…plus, my dad's probably already freaking out."
"All the more reason for us to leave now."
It was like he hadn't listened to a word she had said, except what he wanted to hear. Talia's frown deepened. Rogue's expression remained bland, his red eyes unreadable.
"I'll be fine. You don't need to walk me home," Talia said a bit more firmly.
Sting had taken a step back, as though to clear the way for an ensuing argument. He looked thoroughly amused now.
"The longer you argue with me, the more time you waste," the Shadow Dragon pointed out.
Talia's frown turned into a scowl. She was a nice person, but she refused to be pushed around by a tenacious Dragon Slayer. She opened her mouth to reply.
"And do you really want to deny Frosche to chance to repay you?" he interrupted.
Her eyes widened and her mouth fell open in shock. That was dirty. That was a seriously low blow. And he knew it, she could tell from the smirk in his eyes. Sting coughed, apparently to hide a burst of laughter. Talia's eyes darted to Frosche, who was staring up at her with an almost hurt expression.
"Fro wants to make sure you're safe…and to see the guild you talked about…" he almost whimpered.
It was like a shot through the heart. She very nearly staggered back. As it was, she forced a tight smile onto her face, deciding in that moment that she would like nothing more than to punch that smug look right off Rogue Cheney's face. It wasn't often that she felt that way about anyone, but, the way he had maneuvered her into doing what he wanted stoked a flame of anger within her.
"Fine, then, you can walk me home," she turned a sharp look on Sting, no longer caring if he could pound her in a fight, "Are you coming too?"
He raised his hands in mock surrender, shaking his head.
"Nope, Lector's probably worrying about me right now. I'll be heading back to the guild," he gave her a grin, bearing his sharp canines, "Don't worry, Rogue'll take good care of you."
She sent him a slightly glowering look, wishing he would just go back to being an arrogant snob rather than teasing her so familiarly. Then, she spun on the heel of her glass shoe, flipping her long hair as she forced herself not to storm off.
"This way," she managed to say evenly, "Please don't stray. Father's going to be insufferable enough with me coming home late with a tiger in tow."
Rogue fell into step beside her, Frosche happily skipping along next to him.
"Don't worry, I'll try not to cause issues for you."
Talia's eye twitched when she heard his deadpan tone. This was the first time she'd ever met the man in person and, already, she wished she hadn't.
Welcome to chapter two! Thanks for sticking with us! I hope you enjoyed reading the chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. We've met our first canon characters! Frosche is probably my favorite anime character of all time and I was so happy to get to introduce him so early on. Even though the characters have referred to him as both 'he' and 'she', I've decided to go with 'he' since Rogue calls him 'little buddy', which is pretty masculine. Plus, we see Frosche spending a lot of time with Rogue, which might be a little odd if Frosche was female.
I hope that Rogue and Sting weren't OOC. This is my first Fairy Tail fanfic and my first time writing these guys. My cowriter says we're good, but, she's got the background knowledge of what's coming up in the plot. Please, let me know how I'm doing writing the characters!
On to reviews!
GuardianSapphire and FallensPain1122: Thanks so much for the compliments! And on the first chapter! Wow! That means a lot. I hope you enjoy the continuing story!
Please, as a reader you are more than welcome to leave constructive criticism on pacing, characterization, world-building, and so on. Feedback is always helpful!
Thanks so much for reading! See you next time!
