Sweet Starry Shadows

Danger

Sweet Starry Shadows

Chapter 18: Danger

The ride back to where Sabertooth's guild building was located was comfortable. Other than the humiliation of waking up to see herself sleeping on a man's lap, she came to accept that Rogue was doing his best to allow her to get a good night's rest as they slowly approached their new home. Thanking him and accepting his offer to use his lap as a pillow, she found herself warming up to the two Sabertooth mages as Sakura would often look out of the window with a distant look in her eyes.

She remembered asking the crimson what she was thinking, and the girl let out a whine in response before Sting explained to her what was going through the girl's mind.

"People that have these types of magic have a fated lover called mates. They are inseparable in the mind and heart..." she recalled where she felt sorry for her friend. “When magic users that have a close connection to their magic and the origin of where it derives from, they inherit traits. Dragon Slayers and even those that use Beast magic often have a special connection with someone else…”

"We should start packing... We're almost there," Rogue muttered as he got up to stretch his aching muscles where Yuuto took that as an opportunity to take his seat. Turning his attention to the wolf, he couldn't say a thing when he watched Lucy play along with Yuuto as he licked her cheek with short pants.

Sakura on the floor, resting on Ace that accompanied her, she looked up to only snicker at Rogue's state. Knowing that there's something going on, she closed her book in her hold and stood up where she looked down to her wolf that was looking back at her expectantly. "Shift back into your human forms. We don't need these people to panic at the sight of you two," she commanded to which they complied.

Lucy frowning, she smiled when she looked out of the window to find high-rising towers slowly approaching them from a distance. Standing up, she too stretched before the five of them began to head out to the main floor.

In excitement, she bounced in her spot before looking over to Sakura with shining, bright eyes. "We're actually going to join a guild," she chimed where the girl chuckled. “Sabertooth to be specific. Our former rival in the Grand Magic Games and in ranks," Sakura reminded as Lucy rolled her eyes childishly.

Sakura smiling, she nodded her head as the train soon slowed down where it eventually came to a stop in front of a station. Everyone waiting patiently, once the doors open, they began to walk onto the platform where they were greeted with civilization after their little three-day travel to arrive here.

"Wow..." Lucy whispered in awe before they headed out of the station to stand in front of a cafe.

Sting and Rogue watching as the blonde in front of them tried to wrap her head around the beauty of their guild's city, they turned to look at Sakura who was tense and rigid. "How about you show her around Rogue?" Sting said where he c****d his head over to Lucy who was discussing something with her spirits, Loke and Virgo.

With a confused look, he nodded and walked over to Lucy who turned to look at him. "What is it Rogue?" she asked as he stopped in front of her.

"I'll help you with your furniture since I'm pretty sure that your spirits had gotten you a place to stay here. Afterwards, I'll show you around the city just to get you comfortable," he replied to which she smiled to him in gratitude.

"Thanks, Rogue! That's nice of you to do that, but what about Sakura though?" she questioned where she looked over to the crimson who had a small smile on her face.

Sakura shook her head. "I'm good but thank you for considering me. I’m quite acquainted with the city since I've been here with Laxus and my mate before... You can leave without me, I have some things to discuss with Sting. We'll meet up at the guild," Sakura said before the blonde nodded her head and turned to leave with Rogue.

Once the two disappeared within the crowd with Virgo and Loke following them, the crimson turned her attention back to Sting as they began to head towards the guild. "You can smell him, right?" she asked.

He shook his head in confusion. "Who are you talking about?" he questioned as they made a turn to walk down a busier street that was blooming with life and energy.

The crimson frowning, she shook her head. "No... Nothing. I'll tell you all about it once we gather in the office," she said before looking over her shoulder. "I won't let him touch her. I won't let him touch my gem," she muttered under her breath where the blonde turned to look at her with a brow raised.

"Did you say something?" he asked. "No… Though, I do have a question for you," she replied, turning her attention to the dark alleys that had mysteries hidden within it.

Sting nodding, he gruffed to her suspicious behaviour but decided that it was best to not question it while she was tense and on high alert. Nodding his head to a few guild members that waved to their direction, Sakura smiled back to them before she opened her mouth. "If the world went into utter destruction... Would you do everything you can to protect your treasure, and not yourself?" she asked.

Abruptly stopping, Lucy looked over her shoulder as she felt a pair of eyes closing in onto her figure. Rogue and her spirits turning to look at her, they all watched her scan the area with her body tensed.

"Is there something wrong Lucy?" Rogue asked as he looked around them in suspicion. The blonde shaking her head, she forced herself to smile. "I... Uhmm... Yeah, I'm alright," she said before pushing her legs to walk as if nothing was wrong.

Although she thought that her acting should be nominated since she believed that her act was believable, the others, however, could see through her as they watched her stiffly walk without even knowing where her apartment was.

"Hime-sama..." Virgo called out.

Lucy turning, she looked at her spirit in confusion. "Yes Virgo?" she whispered where Loke snickered before covering his mouth to hide his laugh. The zodiac looking to the right, she pointed towards that direction with a straight face. "Your apartment is this way," she pointed out before Loke began bursting in loud booming laughs which made everyone around them look at him with strange looks.

The girl blushing, she sheepishly laughed to hide her humiliation. "Oh! I knew that! Just testing if you were paying attention," she said before letting Virgo and Loke lead the way to which she solemnly followed.

With Loke still laughing, they headed to Lucy's apartment in ease where suddenly, before they could even step foot into the building, a large boulder came ramming into the place where Rogue immediately pulled the blonde back with her spirits diving away to safety.

"Watch out!" he boomed as they fell onto the ground where he snapped his head up. Opening his mouth quickly, he let out a Shadow Dragon's roar. As they watched, Virgo jumped into the air to only kick another falling piece of their home away from her master.

On high alert, Loke and Virgo quickly ran over to Lucy and Rogue to help them up. Their eyes scanning the area as the apartment crumbled down to the ground, Lucy covered her mouth in shock. "What happened?" she whispered before someone dived into the ground where dust flew up, partially blinding and suffocating them.

"They're back..." Rogue stated before two powerful beams of water shot through the spirit's stomach where they coughed up blood. Lucy turning to look at Loke and Virgo just when they disappeared, she widened her eyes. "Loke! Virgo!" she screamed before a loud roar echoed through the streets.

People screaming as they began to flee from the area, another roar was released where the dust blew away, revealing the three from that certain painful night. "Miss us?" the girl giggled before the serpent flicked its tail to throw the two into another building behind them.

With the heavy impact of them being thrown into the building, the tall structure began to crumble where Lucy weakly forced herself to open her eyes. Hearing the girl give out a cackle, she pushed away a large boulder that was on her stomach and looked around where she winced in pain.

Blood trickling down her forehead and onto her face, she tried to get up where she hissed. Her eyes widening as she landed her sights onto her leg, she whimpered when she saw the large open wound pouring with her own crimson blood.

"Lucy..."

Forcing her eyes to look away from her injury, she tried to look for the source of the voice where she then saw Rogue not too far away with a large boulder on top of him. Gasping as she coughed on the dust, she felt her mind blacking out as tried to reach to Rogue's outstretched hand. "Whatever you do... Don't give up," she whispered as if they both were about to die together after the sudden attack.

Her eyes watering as she laid there in her own puddle of blood, she saw black spots appearing around her. With a faint smile, she felt her body growing heavier as her mind began to flash vivid images of Natsu and Lisanna being together.

Tears falling, her breathing began to grow ragged and heavier where before long, she closed her eyes with a sigh. "Finally... Free from the pain..." she weakly said.

Rogue widening his eyes, he tried to free himself as he watched Lucy's hand slip onto the rubble. His body shaking as he watched her chest lift and down at a slower speed, he shakily opened his mouth and gave out painful roar where Lucy snapped her eyes open.

"We're not going to die!" he boomed.

Like a gun shooting its bullets into her, she gasped when she remembered a familiar painful roar from Sakura when she felt conflicted at a certain point during their training. Remembering that cry as she looked around, her breathing quickened as more tears made her body quake.

She couldn't die yet. Heck, they can't die just yet.

"Sakura!" she cried out before she blacked out again. In hopes of her voice reaching the girl, she could only wait for the results as they remained trapped underneath the crumbled, broken building. And as if God was watching over them, Sakura snapped her head behind her as she widened her eyes to the weak voice that was calling her.

The crimson's eyes now flashing red, she gave out a powerful, corresponding roar which shook Sabertooth's building dangerously. "She's calling for me!" Sakura boomed where the members of the guild slowly backed away from her. "If they hurt my to-be master, then I'll rip them to shreds!" she snapped with promise lingering with her words before Sting, Minerva and Yukino came running after her just as she bolted off.