(-")è
The two victims still unconscious. They were laid side-by-side on a bed. The other mages waited for them to wake up.
Lisanna seemed to have worse condition. Her energy almost drained. The insects' bearer had taken most her energy that her body became very weak and her skin turned white. Lucy, next to her, had slowly regained her colour. But Lisanna was far from it. The village's doctor had done her best. All they could do was waiting. That was what she said.
Sting walked out of the house. His friend eyed him till he closed the door. They managed to solve the problem that hit the village. But they were losing their friend. He wished that he could do something besides waiting. He sighed for the thousandth time.
"Ehem."
He looked around. A woman appeared and walked smilingly to him. He recognized that woman. She was the client that asked to decorate her lawn. She lived in Hargeon but she had a rainbow sakura in her garden. Because he planted it.
"You must be worried," she said.
He didn't say anything to deny, or to agree. He just didn't want to talk at the moment. He could hear her chuckled.
"If you have anything to say, just say it."
"I do…" She paused, made him waited for her next words. "…have a way to wake her up."
He instantly turned to the woman. His eyes widened as if he didn't believe what he just heard.
"But…you know…I'm an old woman. I can't walk far. It almost took my life to get me here." She frowned.
"Just tell me what it is. I'll go get it, no matter how far, I'll bring it here. Where is it?"
The woman smiled.
"Have you ever heard of…"
"Just tell me where the cure is!" he barked.
The woman grinned.
"Okay, I'm sorry. I'll tell you but tell me, why you're so eager to save her? I thought Fairy Tail and Sabertooth are rivals."
He turned his face away.
"We…we're just rivals, not enemy."
The woman chuckled again.
"Alright. If you go up north…"
"She wakes up!" Happy's voice heard from inside.
Sting ran into the house without waiting for the woman to finish her words. The mages surrounded the bed, made the white dragon slayer hard to see who actually woken up.
"You alright? How do you feel?" Erza's voice heard, asking the patient.
"Okay, I think." The voice was different from what he had been waiting. "Just a bit dizzy." Lucy gently pressed on her head.
Sting slowly left, without properly see who actually had woken up. He walked out of the house and joined the woman's company.
"Are you ready to get the directions to the cure?" the woman asked, as she saw the bitter face of the white dragon slayer.
He took a deep breath and lifted his face up.
"There is a lady who gathers all kind of medicines. She has all the ingredients from all over the world. It's like a family business, runs for generations. Maybe she could be of help," the woman explained.
She glanced at the dragon slayer. He looked hard to believe.
"Okay, I'll go. But don't tell others. I don't want any of them know about what you've told me."
The woman smiled.
"But, I must warn you. You have to pay for the medicine."
"I know," he replied.
He went inside the house, picked up his things and went out again. This time, he truly leaved to find the medicine.
"Hey, don't you think you should tell others that you're leaving?" the woman asked.
Sting didn't answer the question. He didn't even stop. He just walked away without turning back.
At the same time, inside the house, the mages had a discussion. Erza said that they should headed back to Fairy Tail so that Wendy could take a look at Lisanna. However Lucy's condition seemed unpromising.
"I'll carry her," Natsu offered. "I'll make sure she will be safely home."
Erza nodded, but she still thinking.
"I think Gray should go with you," Erza gave another idea.
"I don't need him to help me. I alone can take her home." Natsu objected the idea.
"I don't want to carry a patient and an unconscious idiot along the way home," said Gray, sharply glanced at the fire dragon slayer.
"Who did you call idiot?" Natsu came closer to the ice mage.
"THIS IS NOT TIME FOR THIS!"
Erza's black aura grew and almost engulfed the mages. Natsu and Gray quickly apologized and continuously bowed their heads.
"The priority now is Lisanna. Natsu! Gray!"
"HAI! We'll take her safely back to Fairy Tail!" The two shouted synchronizing.
Erza helped them putting Lisanna on Natsu's back. And then they quickly made their journey home.
"Be careful," Erza reminded.
"Sorry I can't be of help," Lucy said, not long after the three mages left.
Erza shook her head.
"Rest for now. We'll start our journey back to Fairy Tail tomorrow."
Lucy lay back on the bed.
"Where's your friend?" Erza asked the Sabertooth's mage.
Rouge – he was about to step out of the house – glanced at Titania.
"He…went back to Sabertooth."
Erza crossed her arms over her chest.
"Why are you still here?" she asked.
"I…He has something to do. We haven't divided the reward. That's why I'm still here."
"Oh, yes. The reward. I'll talk to Mr. Gluck. I'll make sure you get your parts."
As Erza went out of the house to look for the village's head, Mr. Gluck, Lucy sat up.
"Where's Sting?" she asked.
Rouge not intended to answer her. He stood by the window. Weaklings didn't deserve to talk to him.
"Doesn't he feel anything toward Lisanna?" she asked again.
The dragon slayer glanced at her. Lucy brushed her face.
"I thought there's something going on between them. I thought I saw them together on Hanami night. I thought he was a little bit care about her."
Rouge turned to the stellar mage, glared at her. She was staring at her fingers.
"There is nothing between them," he said, stopped her from talking.
She lifted her head, looked upon the dragon slayer's face.
"Really? I think…"
"There is nothing between them. Sting won't find such weakling to be his mate. Even if so, Sabertooth won't accept such weakling to be a part of us."
"Weakling…" Lucy whispered to herself.
(-")è
It was almost noon when Gray and Natsu arrived at Fairy Tail guild. They quickly put Lisanna in the infirmary. Mirajane took over from there, together with Wendy and Levy. The guild was a bit chaos when they found out Lisanna's condition. Elfman almost knocked both Gray and Natsu down. But Juvia knocked him first before he even touched her 'Gray-sama'.
Lisanna's condition was worsened when she arrived. Her face was white earlier, had turned purplish blue, like bruises. Her lips and eye lids darkened. Wendy had used her power to check upon her and tried to heal her.
"This is all I can do," the little girl said.
Mirajane gasped. She stared at her sister. Wendy looked upset too. Lisanna's case maybe beyond her power. The whole guild frowned as they got the news. Lisanna was beyond save. Even Master Makarov didn't know what to do. Mirajane's eyes were red but she strained herself from crying. Later that evening, Lisanna was moved to her house. She was still unconscious, but at least the bruise-colour on her skin had gone. Her skin became white and her body temperature kept dropping.
(-")è