[Rufus]
a half a year has passed, since they fought side by side with Fairy Tail, Blue Pegasus and Lamia Scale against the surviving members of the Balam-Alliance. Not only Sabertooth, but also the other guilds had to bear a big loss. No one dared to voice out the name of the Shadow Dragon Slayer in the presence of their Guild Master. Honestly, he still wonders why the other one had appeared at the gathering point for their alliance, when he left close after Froschs death the guild. At this time Sting was for sure more harmless compared to now.
Shortly after Stings return all of them noticed his rapid change. The once so messy blond hair turned suddenly partly pitch-black and they reached now close to his shoulders. The once so bright shining sapphire orbs were now lifeless, besides his left eye was now shimmering in ruby-red. Even his entire behaviour changed in the passing six months. The boy, he grew up with in this guild seemed now to be a total stranger to him. Almost, as if the Sting he knew never existed in the first place.
Honestly, he can't clearly remember to ever have seen Sting to be this way at all. Even back then as their old master tried to kill Lector, Sting stayed true to himself and he was able to defeat Jiemma thanks to his new awoken skills. In a way he was the only one ever to be able to look behind the facade of the Twin Dragons and he kept it this way. Even in this very moment he can remember, how close the two Dragon Slayer have been. Closer as it is suited for siblings or best friends. Does Stings transformation have something to do with the battles against the surviving members of the Balam-Alliance?
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[Yukino]
Stings rapid change really scared her. Normally she would have a strong tie of friendship towards the blond since she returned back to the guild. But the entire situation became intensified as her secret relationship with Rogue was suddenly revealed. Since that day she felt like, she became an unwanted love rival in Stings eyes. Besides, since their victory over the remaining members of the Balam-Alliance was a big tension to feel even when she only wanted to ask him about upcoming tasks. It is almost, as if the White Dragon Slayer is entirely blaming her for the fact, that Rogue is no longer within Sabertooth.
Within this transformation she's able to watch next to Rufus, Orga and Minerva on ther guild master to go through, there is one going through her own body as well. Without knowing at all her magic starts to become less and less reliable. Thanks to her white cloak she's constantly wearing she's able to at least in front of the male mebers in the guild the visible changes on her own body. But not from Minerva, who lives with her in the female dormitories of the guild. The lady quickly knows what is going on with her and she isn't only friendlier but also more cooperativ towards her. Just the Minerva, who was brutal during the Daimatou Enbu, suggest her to leave Sabertooth and seek shelter in another guild.
She only told Minerva who the real father of her unborn child is. Therefore her constantly growing fear of Sting is for sure justified. Because she doesn't know at all how the White Dragon Slayer reacts to the news, she carries the child of Rogue Cheney within her.
„I... please forgive me, Yukino, that I've used you"
His last words are going through her head right now and saddend as she is she looks out of the window. In a way she just knew where his heart truly lies, but she never gave up the hope they might become a couple after all. Within her memories she has clearly the Twin Dragon Slayers to be inseperable. Even after Sting became the new guild master, she was always involved on missions with them. It is virtually frightening her to notice, Rogue was willed to live a lie. He has told her his greatest fears regarding Sting. He was honest to her to not awake some false hope within her.
„Rogue-sama...is she calling out as she runs through the lost woods while the words she picked up from the communicaton lacrima are still clear in her head. Even though Rogue wasn't any longer within the guild, he's still a member of Sabertooth. Therefore he needs to know Stings current decision.
Catching her breath she stops at a clearing as it starts right now to rain and a shadow approaches her soundless.
„Yukino, what are you doing here? I told you to..."
„Sting-sama agred to form an alliance with Fairy Tail. They'll fight against the surviving members of Grimoire Heart and Tartaros"
is she right now teling him as she looks right into these ruby-red orbs and deep inside he truly hopes he stays loyal to the guild. Rogue is right now clad in silence, avoids looking right at her and just as he wants to leave she hugs him while closing her eyes. „Please, Rogue-sama, help the guild" is she begging him righ now as she looks now right at him and just now she notices this sad smile resting on his lips. „Please, help Sting-sama"
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[Natsu]
Half a year has passed by. Still he can't believe the high toll of victims this battle claimed. Happy. Wendy. Panther Lily. Rogue. Tobi. Yuka. Eve. Important friends and companions tha lost their lives in this brutal battle. Happy died to protect Lucy, who protected Kinana. Rogue sacrificed himself so that Sting and himself could finally defeat the blood mage Nanaki. Wendy died while using up all of her powers in order to make it for Gajeel and Laxus to be able to defeat their foe. Even though she joined Lamia Scale, she always remembered her comrades within Fairy Tail.
Even though he doesn't want to admit it, he's constantly thinking about how this day would have changed if Rogue had become just like his future self controlled by the dark. Having lost Happy hurts as much as the loss of his father Igneel. That's why he's able to understand how exactly the Shadow Dragon Slayer felt after losing Frosch. Even back then, when Elfman and Mirajane thougt to have lost Lisanna for good, it took him two years to conquer this great abyss building within his soul. In order to distract himself he stumbled into situation stopping him from thinking to much.
The fights against Erza, Gray and even Gildarts were a welcoming distraction for him. But right now he changed in the eyes of his friends. He suddenly shows behaviour towards the older members within the guild. He follows any given instruction without arguing back and he even avoids any form of confrontation. It really looks like Natsu Dragneel has lost all of his drive and everyone in the guild was wondering about the reasons behind it. It is simply Lisanna, who's able to motivate the Fire Dragon Slayer again. Her words help him to pull himself together and to focus again on the goals he once had in life.
Yeah, he promised not only Igneel but also Happy to become a mage everyone would remember. He wants to achieve the S-Clas exams, so he could officially go on much more difficult jobs. If Grimoire Hearts wouldn't have shown up back then on Tenroujima, maybe he could have beaten everyone else competing with him. Laxus lately announced he wants to repeat the exams with the people who had been nominated by Makarov during this year. This is why he is now mostly on missions accompanied by his friends Lucy and Lisanna as a team. Besides, he needs to prove he is far more skilled than the Ice Mage. It is unimaginable for him to be beaten by Gray and therefor he's grateful towards Lucy to encourage him with words like ,Gray is so much better than you' or ,Just give up, Natsu, you're never be able to become a S-Class Mage'.
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[Rufus]
It's unusually silent right now. Almost as if it is the calm before the storm. As far as he remembers, there was never such an oppressive atmosphere within the guild since Sting was named to be the next guild master. Before he had visited the grave of the Shadow Dragon Slayer in order to get a good advice how to handle the rapid change within Sting. Strangely for him, the White Dragon Slayer hasn't been at all there. It seems like Yukino and himself are the only visitors in the entire guild to come out to the mound where they buried Rogue. „Lector" is he right now saying as he notices the maroon Exceed and walks now to him.
Truly, it is Lector, who suffers currently the most. As Stings partner he has to come clear with all of his mood swings. He remembers clearly how caring Sting has always been towards Lector. On top of it was Lector constantly with Frosch while the Twin Dragons of Sabertooth attended a mission. Last time he has seen LEctor to be like that was on the day where Sting and Rogue lost their match against the two Dragon Slayers of Fairy Tail. „Sting-kun..." is now coming from the sobbing maroon Exceed as he crouches now infront of him and pats him on the head. „Don't give up on him. You'll see, he'll be back to his own self in not time" is he saying right now in encouraging words to the Exceed as he looks at him and slowly he understands what exactly triggered the entire change within Stings behaviour. First, it only was a mere assumption, but as more he thinks about it there has to be only one conclusion. Sting isn't able at all to accept the death of his partner. But why ist it, that it looks like Sting act as if he's obsessed?
„Sting-kun is always strong. He can beat anyone, I'm sure about it" is Lector now saying with a slight sob following and he somehow knows where the Exceed is hinting at. ,Lector wasn't the only one giving him all this strength in all of his battle. He was constantly drawing it from his close-knit bond with Rogue' is going through his mind right now as he remembers something from their shared childhood.
„Just why has he to tag along?" is Sting grumbling right now as he crosses his arms behind the head while looking right at Rogue and Rufus. „He's the only one knowing how he cross the ocean without drowning" replies the ravenette in a huffish way in order to avoid a long discussion. „Then, let's swim" is Sting now responding with a smirk and he's quite puzzled as he watches Rogue giving him a clout. „First of all, Lector is with as and second... it's better we arrive dry" is Rogue now saying in a repellent way and as Stings smirks even more he understands now why he was asked by the ravenette to accompany them.
It had ben a very simple mission the two Dragon Slayers managed to solve. Bu at this time he hadn't know anythign about their motion sickness as well the fact that Rogue couldn't swim. If Rogue wasn't on the go with Sting, Frosch and Lector, he was accompanied a lot by the ravenette to solve quite tricky cases. „You're right, Lector. Before we know, he's back to normal" is he saying in calming words to the Exceed and smiles at him.
,Just give us a hint how to help Sting' is he right now thinking as they return back to the guild. Right now they know nothing of the inner detoriation of Stings soul and what he's capable to do now. As far as he recalls, Sting and Rogue constantly balance themselves out with their presence. They were like day and night. Light and Shadow. Yin and Yang. Suddenly there is this unusual feeling bugging him regarding his two friends. What will happen if the other part is missing?
