𝙏𝙃𝙐𝙉𝘿𝙀𝙍 // 𝙧𝙤𝙜𝙪𝙚 𝙭 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧

𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩

// 2nd P.O.V //

Your eyes widened ever so slightly when Kuschel let go of you at the bottom of the hole.

There was none other than Spinster Juliette, the woman you and Rogue had faced off against one year ago, chatting with Sting's past self.

"Hey, that's—" Sting started, but you beat him to it, lunging forwards and grabbing her throat. She didn't react surprised at all, maintaining a calm demeanour even whilst being choked.

"What the hell d'you think you're doing here?" you growled, "you've got some nerve, showing your face round my guild again."
"Wait a second!" Past Sting grabbed the arm that held onto her neck, "she saved me. There was this really tall, blue lady with some kinda Water Magic, I was sure I was a goner. And then, Juliette came and cut her down!"

"Hey! That blue bitch is the one who took me out last year," Sting exclaimed, "when you went batshit crazy on that Lelouch guy. Remember?"
"Yeah, I remember," you nodded, thinking briefly of the events of that day - of Vivienne.

"I couldn't bear to see him so injured," Spinster Juliette spoke up.
"Everyone... I don't think she's the enemy anymore," Yukino's brow furrowed.
"We don't know for—" Past Sting cut you off with an affronted squawk.

"What's the fairy doing with Rogue?!" he shrieked. Everyone swivelled around to the opposite end of the cave, where your past self was indeed beside Past Rogue. The former was wrapping bandages around his arm.

"This ass," she yanked on the bandages tightly for emphasis, causing the Shadow Dragon Slayer to yelp and curse, "didn't tell me about this wound he had."
"Well, you wouldn't have cared," he mumbled.
"Do I look like I don't care?" Past you hissed, "of course I care, jeez!"

"Where'd you even get that?" Past Sting asked.
"Master," is all Past Rogue replied - the entire vicinity fell deathly silent. Rogue cleared his throat awkwardly.

Aleksander was the one who broke the silence.
"'Ow about we light a fire now?" he said.
"How will we do that? None of us have Fire Magic," Lector said. Aleksander only huffed and pulled a bundle of sticks from the pocket of his heavy winger coat. He set them out in a tepee formation, and then leant down. You watched, surprised, as he blew on them. A small stream of flame appeared from his mouth, and the dry wood caught alight.

"I thought you were a Shadow God Slayer?" you asked.
"I am," he nodded, giving a harsh cough afterwards. He rubbed his wrinkled, pale hands together and leant forwards to the amber glow.

Everyone settled around the campfire, drawn to the heat like moths to a flame.
"Sting, Rogue..." your past self spoke up, looking at the aforementioned boys, "back in our time, at your guild, no-one looks out for you, do they? Like, you've got nobody to rely on, just each other."

The group, again, lapsed into a pregnant silence before Past Sting finally answered after a few moments of hesitation, "not really."

Sting shifted on the spot and your past self looked sad for a second at his answer, running a hand through her hair.
"Oh well!" she gave a sigh, "you've got me now, right?"

Past Rogue was the first to react, nodding slowly.
"Yeah... thanks," Past Sting agreed, "not just for saying that. Thanks for patching Rogue up, too, 'cause he's never gonna thank you himself."