Sweet Starry Shadows

Feelings

Sweet Starry Shadows

Chapter 33: Feelings

"They just can't stop, can they?" Sting scowled as he balanced himself as Chaverine gave out a powerful roar down to the ground. The dragon going to the left as she avoided a powerful wave of water trying to reach them, she widened her eyes. "A Water mage?" she whispered as Sakura scowled to the girl laughing in front of her.

The girl with jet black hair smirking, she crossed her arms as her pet hissed at the crimson. "You should really give up Sakura Miyasaki! You know that we want Lucy Heartfilia, and we won't be kindly taking a no as an answer!" she cried out.

Lucy widening her eyes, she felt Rogue's hold on her tighten as he snarled at the unknown girl. His eyes narrowing into slits, she gasped to which he turned to look down on her. "They won't be taking you or anyone anywhere," he growled where Sakura nodded and poked her chin out. "I know the fact you're only after her for her magic. I won't let you touch her, nor will Zeref be able to control me!" she boomed as Ace came flying down from the sky to powerfully kick the girl down to the ground where her serpent pet was followed thanks to Yuuto. The two of the vanishing, Sakura landed on Chaverine and looked over to everyone.

"Better strap yourselves down because Chaverine is going to fly fast," she warned before the dragon began to slice through the air quicker.

Sting sighing, he sat himself down and crossed his arms. "They're starting to appear quite frequently, aren't they?" he asked, looking over to Lucy who was pale and frozen in a state of shock.

Rogue sitting close to Lucy, he ran his fingers through his hair tiredly. "They're not giving up on catching the two of you. Not only that, Sakura, you haven't found anything on releasing the captured dragons," he said where Sakura frowned and nodded her head.

"It's like, someone doesn't want me to find out. The only thing we can do now is try to protect Lucy from them," she said as Lucy snapped out of her trance to look at the girl.

Her face examining Sakura's tired face, she felt her lips dipping into a frown. Everyone was tired, and time was running out by the looks of it. "I'm so sorry..." she apologized unknowingly.

Dropping her head to look down to her balled fists resting against her knees, she widened her eyes when she saw a hand cover one of her fists. Looking up to meet the owner of the hand, she felt herself tearing up.

"We're family now, so don't apologize," Rogue said with his eyes averted from hers. As if his presence soothed her aching heart, she sighed in relief. Just why was she so calm around him when they still hardly know each other? Why, whenever he's close, does she feel protected?

Biting the bottom of her lips, a tear rolled down her cheek. The world tumbling down on her, she felt her mind trying to piece it back together where her heart throbbed in pain. Her breathing ragged as she tried to steady it, she looked up to Sakura that was looking at her with guilty eyes.

Just why was Sakura feeling regretful when she's just that powerful to protect herself without needing the help from others?

"I'm sorry for dragging you into this mess everyone... If only I remained hidden from this world..." Sakura whispered, surprising everyone.

Lucy looking at her with a pained expression, she felt Rogue's hand over hers tighten. As if he was trying to reassure her that he and Sting were going to support her, she felt herself smiling as she looked at the crimson with gentle eyes. "Sakura... It's not your fault to begin with. You saw your mother, didn't you? Seeing her death awoken your desire to save every other chained dragon out there... What you're doing isn't something to regret, it's something to be proud about," she said.

Sakura looked at her with widened eyes. She couldn't speak for a while as she looked at the blonde in front of her with her lips apart. "B-But I pulled you in..."

"There's nothing wrong with pulling us, your friends, into your problem. We're family, aren't we? I-I'm someone that you must protect, aren't I?" Lucy whispered.

The crimson just sat there still. "I'm a dragon... Someone that's supposed to have vanished from all of your lives… How can you accept things so easily?" Sakura asked as she sat up straight. Her eyes looking at them all with a confused expression, she sighed before smiling to them in resolve. "I guess time and minds change over a long period of time... I'm sort of glad that you're all able to easily accept things such as dragons appearing out of nowhere with mad and crazy people chasing after you without a proper explanation," she said before looking into the distance where she stood up.

Walking towards Chaverine's neck, she turned around with a bright grin on her face. "I'm sort of glad that you're all here with me. I... I wonder if I was still a Fairy Tail mage, would I still feel the amount of happiness that I have right now with you guys?!" she said. With her face bright and all happy, she tipped her head to the side. "Thank you... As a dragon, this is the best thing that I've experienced since the day I was born and named as Sakura!"

Lucy widening her eyes, she covered her mouth in happiness. Never once has she felt this happy for her to be there by someone's side... Her tears running, she uncovered her mouth and smiled. "Oh, Sakura... You're making me all emotional again," she chuckled where she grabbed onto Rogue as Chaverine began to lower herself down to the ground in front of a tall tree in the forest nearby. "Where's this?" she asked, looking up at Rogue where she blushed at their proximity. Looking away, she heard Sting say something. "You should start getting used to your enhanced senses..." he muttered.

The blonde nodding to only look at Sakura, she took in a deep and looked at the crimson that was still smiling to her direction. "This place... It smells like you," she said.

Sakura grinning, she jumped down and stood in front of the tall wisteria tree which was at an abnormal size. "Welcome to my home everyone," she said before waving her hand in front of the trunk where a door appeared behind her.

Everyone getting off Chaverine so she could transform back into her human form, Lucy looked at the beautiful tree which seemed to be hundreds of years old. Its leaves swaying to the gentle breeze where its fallen flowers created a purple ground for them to stand on, she felt like she was standing on top of a purple garden which brings her into complete peace...

Sakura indeed found herself a great place to stay, but there was something around it which made her feel somewhat excited.

"Uhmm... This place… There's something about it that I can't explain what I'm currently feeling," Lucy began where Sting looked around feeling weird. "She's right... There is something about this place..." he said with Rogue agreeing.

Chaverine placing her hands in front of her, she looked around with her nose pointing around the place. "There's this scent that I can’t just explain well, but there’s something about it that I just can’t pinpoint that’s similar to Sakura's scent. Sakura... This wisteria tree, why are its vines pulled apart? It feels like it's young but why is it so huge like an ancient one? I don't get it..." she identified, pointing to the vine of flowers which seemed to be pulled apart like a curtain.

The girl chuckling, she placed her finger on her lips and winked. "What fun will it be if I told you everything? Come now, when it comes acquainted to you, everything will be different, so trust me. Come now, it's time to discuss those pests that have been bothering my forest since day one," Sakura said, inviting them to enter her tree home.