58st: Remorse

Summary: He felt sorry for her after Jiemma threw her out of the guild.

A part of him, and this was a big part, envied her as the tattoo on her stomach faded away. Yes, she had been humiliated and her pride had been shattered along with her heart but she was still far better off than him and he wanted to be like her … free and able to make her own decisions.

All his life, he had wanted everything … power and glory, everything had to be his but now he had to realise that these things wouldn't make him a better person and that he should try to be more like the white-haired woman who cried bitter tears of humiliation right now.

He had tried to be like his idol, Gajeel Redfox, the iron dragon slayer who accepted no weakness and who looked down on those who were weak – or at least, that was what other people believed the black-haired man to be. But today, as he had left the arena, he had caught a short glimpse on his idol and he had seen how Gajeel had smiled at the short blue-haired female from his guild who hadn't even been chosen to take part in the games so perhaps, Gajeel wasn't as gruff as the rumours about him suggested.

His fist tightened as he watched the excommunication with an expressionless face while anger rose inside his mind. This was unfair. Sting had failed as well and he wasn't thrown out for this while she who had failed just once as well was treated like trash. He wanted to speak up on her behalf but his voice failed him as he remembered that he wasn't responsible only for himself. To speak against the master might have consequences for Frosch and he didn't want this.

After everything was said and done, he strolled through the town to clear his head after the images of the day. He stared at the ground to his feet and nearly crashed into the blue-haired fairy who stared at him with disgust and anger.

"I am … sorry," he said quietly before he was face to face with his idol who glared at him.

"I hope that you are sorry 'cause if you're not, I will make you feel sorry for crashing into the shrimp," Gajeel said harshly as he looked at the woman for a moment. "You okay, shorty?"

"Yes, Gajeel, I am okay," she sighed as she grabbed his arm. "C'mon, let's go. We aren't supposed to get into trouble, remember? Laxus will have your head if you stir up something…"

"I was just making sure that this guy apologises properly, shrimp," Gajeel said.

"And you could really learn my name, you know?" she sighed as she poked his chest. "It's really not that hard, Gajeel. It's L-E-V-Y."

"You know, Laxus taught me how to remember it," the long-haired man smirked. "It's L for lovely, E for elegant, V for valuable and Y for you. He said that I might get in trouble for not remembering your name. Sounded like booze chick froze him once when he called her 'woman' for more than eight weeks…"

Rogue stared at them with a disbelieving expression on his face. This had to be some strange dream or maybe he had been dragged into a strangely warped reality. If Laxus Dreyar and Gajeel Redfox both had trouble to remember the names of their respective girlfriends, how could they be a decent idol for anyone? And how could he want to be like Gajeel if the iron dragon slayer failed at the easiest tasks?

"Cana sent him to sleep on the couch," the blue-haired woman giggled.

"I already said that I am sorry," Rogue said slightly impatient.

"I hope that you are really sorry 'cause no one messes with my girl, understood?" the iron dragon slayer said as he wrapped one arm around the fragile woman. "The last ones who tried are still comatose and no matter how much of a mage you think you are, no one gets away with that."

"Gajeel…" the woman sighed as she tried to drag him away. "Please, calm down. He didn't mean it."

"He did mean to … lowly Sabertooth-bastards…" Gajeel muttered. "Picking on the fragile mages…"

"I didn't run into her to bully her," Rogue said. "And I apologised twice, alright? Can I please go now? I have other places to be, you see?"

Frosch nodded hastily as she eyed the intimidating black exceed who stood next to the blue-haired Fairy Tail mage with one paw on the hilt of his sword. "We wanted to find Yukino-sama," she said.

"Your celestial spirit mage?" the black exceed asked. "She has been talking with Lucy and Natsu."

"I hope she didn't do anything foolish," Rogue said as he bit his lip. "Please excuse me."

"Weird guy," Gajeel muttered as the other dragon slayer rushed away. "And did you see his cat? Lily is far more awesome than that cosplayer."

Rogue never knew that his life could be so cold and dark before he had joined Sabertooth, the strongest guild in Fiore. But even there had been a single ray of light and this had been Yukino who had been kind and soft – too kind and too soft for the guild. Together, they had made their way through the maze inside the guild and he had never believed that one day, she might be taken away from him. He wanted to find her to tell her that he was sorry – sorry that he hadn't spoken up for her in front of the master and sorry that he hadn't taken her away from the guild earlier.

But maybe, there was still time left for him to save her, to show her that there was someone who really cared about her.

Finally, Frosch who had been flying above his head saw the silver-haired woman and together, the exceed and the dragon slayer caught up to the confused celestial spirit mage. "Rogue and Fro?" she asked with a little frown.

"Hey," Rogue said with a slight smile. "I just wanted to tell you that I am sorry for today."

"You didn't do anything and it wasn't your fault that I was thrown out," she said as she patted Fro's head as the exceed hugged her tightly. "And … I am fine with everything. There is no problem I am facing right now. I am healthy and didn't get hurt too badly. I will manage, you see?"

"I should have said something," he said. "I mean … we are friends … well, as much as you can be friends with another person without being caught under Minerva's cruelty. Anyway, I wanted to give you some money because whatever you are going to do now, you will need cash. And there, that's a communication lacrima. When you get in trouble, give me a call. It's connected to the one I am currently carrying around with me."

Because remorse about a wrong decision was far easier to handle when he corrected it instantly.