Sweet Starry Shadows

Bandits and Stars

Sweet Starry Shadows

Chapter 12: Bandits and Stars

The boys happened to reach Kinglier Point within two days using the train express railway. Sting hassling Rogue as they boarded off the train, he childishly pointed to the old weathered clock that was built on top of the tallest building. "Look, Rogue, if only you didn't have to worry about Frosch that much! We're late now!" he complained where the shadow boy glanced at the curious strangers looking to their direction.

"You have made your point," he sighed in reply where suddenly teenagers came darting in between them with excitement trailing behind them. Stepping out of the way to watch the group continue their pursuit to whoever knows where he raised a brow as he overheard a boy's cries. "Hurry! They say it's Fairy Tail!" he cried out as he continued to dash and pushed his feet to run even faster.

Rogue looking over to Sting in question, the blond gave the same confused expression back to him. "Was Fairy Tail ever mentioned in the job description?" he asked.

Sting shrugging, he c****d his head to the same direction where to group of teenagers were heading to. "Let's go and find out. Maybe they're here to help us or something," he said before the ground rumbled under their feet.

"If there’s trouble happening here then maybe it is Natsu-san," Sting muttered under his breath before running where his partner ran after him in silence.

The two Dragon Slayers dashing through the streets of Kinglier Point, the crimson hummed in amusement as she nibbled on her Pocky. "She's certainly enjoying herself there," Sakura observed as she adjusted herself on her stomach with her knights standing on either side of her.

Turning her head to narrow her eyesight on Sting and Rogue from the top of the clock tower, she smirked and bit into her pretzel goodie. "Oh, so the ones that were supposed to be doing their job have actually arrived. Talk about being not on time," she complained before pushing herself up to stand.

Ace and Yuuto smirking, she gave out an exaggerated sigh and shook her head. "If they're here now then there's no meaning for my surveillance," she said before turning her back to the mess happening below. Yuuto shifting into his wolf form, he took in a sharp inhale before tipping his head to a certain direction.

The crimson giving him a nod, he began to leap from building to building with the other two following. "Now is it alright to leave her without saying anything?" Ace questioned. Sakura chuckling, she leapt to the next rooftop. "My Lucy is not weak if that's what you're thinking," she replied before smiling as she felt the impact of the ground shaking.

As they left, Sting and Rogue stopped behind a large crowd of people. Pushing their way through, they managed to make their way to the front where they widened their eyes at the sight in front of them.

"Tell me that I'm not dreaming," Sting whispered where Rogue reached over and pinched him. "Ouch! Not like that Rogue!" he soon hissed before punching away a bandit that came flying to their direction.

Scowling as the female blonde threw down her whip which made many of the bandits surrounding her flew away from her strength, the two of them jumped in to help the female blonde where she snapped her attention over to them in alert. Quickly, Sting raised both of his hands where Lucy widened her eyes. "Sabertooth?" she questioned before Loke appeared beside her to stop an incoming punch.

"Princess, remember the training?" he reminded where she nodded her head. Loke smiling, he disappeared where the man fell forward, only to be kicked into the stars by the blonde that had sent him flying.

"You guys were supposed to be here yesterday!" she scowled before using her whip to send another wave of rocks over to the bandits that came running towards her.

Rogue giving out a roar to the left where Sting did the same to the other direction. They all ended up standing with their backs facing each other. "Well, we came here as quick as we can," he said before the bandits retreated.

"We have to stop them!" Sting yelled out before suddenly roots emerged from the streets and wrapped themselves around the escaping criminals. Both boys confused as Lucy watched it all happen, she smiled as she looked around to find a certain crimson looking down to her from a tower in the distance. With a simple nod being exchanged, Lucy sighed in relief that Sakura happened to be nearby while this was all happening.

"Whoa... Pretty impressive stuff there, Blondie," Sting praised where Lucy scoffed and crossed her arms. "You're blond too," she retorted before walking away.

Rogue watching her, he couldn't help himself but ask her a question. "Where have you been?" he asked as he noticed a stronger aura surrounding her in comparison to when he had met her last time.

The blonde turning her head to look at him, she gave him a certain look that couldn't be described by anyone properly. "What do you mean? Can't I be on holidays?" she replied with a particular tone.

"If that’s the case then where's your insignia?" Sting pointed out where she gasped and pulled her arm back to hide it behind her back. Taking a few steps back, she bit the bottom of her lips and scowled. "That's none of your business," she whispered before turning on her heel to quickly escape through the crowd circling around them.

The boys confused, they both looked at each other in question. "There's something off here," Sting muttered where the other rolled their eyes. "She looked really sad for a moment there," Rogue stated.

Sting nodding, he whistled as he looked up to the roots which held the bandits captive in air. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he stretched his back and sighed. "Well, whatever happened, at least our job was done for us," he said before scaling the roots.

Shaking his head, Rogue clicked his tongue. "She at least deserves most of the reward," he pointed out where Sting poked his head out to look at him in bewilderment. "She left without saying anything!" he cried out before flinching.

Raising a brow, Rogue turned his head to look behind him where a girl with crimson hair stood waiting. In surprise, he pivoted on his heel to only take a few steps back in caution. His eyes stuck on the girl that wore a kimono top, his eyes glanced down to her right thigh where a Fairy Tail insignia was seen. “Fairy Tail…” he whispered.

"You're Sabertooth..." she muttered as if she didn't believe that they existed. Her brows furrowed, she glanced up to Sting and then over to the bandits that were flailing around in her hold. Sighing, she pulled the roots down with a heavy force where she knocked the bandits out.

Her head slowly turning to Rogue and Sting, her eyes began to glow. "I want to discuss with you two about something. Master Sting, you may know a thing or two about something that I'm looking for," she informed before a howl was heard in the distance.

Their heads turning to look over towards a tower, she sighed before looking back to them with her eyes back to normal. "I'll wait for you at the cafe located nearby the Capital Library of Magic. Be there whenever you're ready. You don't have to attend if you don't want to, Rogue," she instructed before jumping high into the air where a large wolf pushed her forwards to a rooftop.

Sakura standing there as she looked down to them, she nodded before jumping away along with the wolf that followed.

Rogue looking over to Sting with a confused expression, he watched the blonde shrug. "So, she was the one that helped Lucy," he whispered where Sting simply began to drag the bandits.

"Let's leave her. Never saw her before with them," Sting muttered. "She helped Lucy though. No one who's not with them would do that," he reasoned where Sting groaned. "It's always her, isn’t it? How about you go for me?" Sting then said where the boy considered it for a moment.

Grabbing a root which held three bandits with one hand, he then grabbed another where he began to drag them after Sting that held four and was slightly struggling. Walking, he thought maybe he should go ask that girl what she knew about Lucy's decision of leaving their guild.

 "You don't mind me going?" he questioned. Sting looking over his shoulder, he grunted. "We need to return back to the guild though," he complained.

Rogue sighed. "We need to give Lucy her share of the reward," he stated where he heard no reply afterwards from his partner. Knowing that Sting had given up, he slightly smiled victoriously.

"It's almost the evening, let's just go to that cafe after we finish dealing with these idiots," Sting grunted, throwing the bandits towards the door where police soldiers came bolting towards to open.

While they were dealing with the bandits and getting scolded for their late arrival, Lucy walked out of the grocery store and sighed in relief as she adjusted her hold on the paper bags in her arms. "Allow us," Virgo appeared, taking them out of her hands with Aries helping.

Stretching, she sighed. "Thank you, to you both," she thanked as the two spirits nodded their heads. "We'll bring all of this back home for you," Aries smiled before disappearing with Virgo.

The blonde thanking the two again, she turned on her heel and began to walk down the streets of Kinglier Point. So far during her shopping, she and Loke didn't meet anyone from Fairy Tail just yet.

Looking up to the dawning sky, she hummed a soft tune as she playfully walked while kicking her feet across the stoned walkway.

Passing an old cafe that she would often visit; she smiled and entered the cafe where the barista looked up and grinned to her direction. "Good evening Lucy-san. It's been a while hasn't it?" the girl questioned as she cleaned her hands with a rag and walked over to the counter.

Lucy chuckling, she leaned over the counter. "It has Junia-chan. Quite busy here, like usual, isn't it?" she replied where the girl laughed. "Well, it is Old Flower here in Kinglier Point. You can't really find a barista like me anywhere else," Junia replied before walking over to the coffee machine. "The usual mocha for you with chocolate?" she then asked where the blonde nodded.

Smiling, Junia nodded her head. "Your usual seat is there waiting for you, like always," she chuckled before pulling out a white mug from underneath the table.