𝙉𝙄𝙂𝙃𝙏 𝙎𝙃𝙄𝙁𝙏 // 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙭 𝙤𝙘

ＮＩＮＥ．

Since then, the years flew by faster than ever.

It was x787, the year Fuyumi had turned fifteen.

It had been three years since the lives of twenty-one Fairy Tail members had been tragically taken on the sacred grounds of their guild. It was a bit ironic, all in all.

Sting hadn't kept his word on joining Fairy Tail, and instead found a new guild to join - Sabertooth. Then again, he hadn't really broken his word. He'd said when the Fairy Tail members taking the S-Class test returned he would join - and they never would return.

Rogue had joined the newly-founded guild as well, alongside Lector and Frosch. Ever since then, the relationship between the three Dragons had shifted ever-so-slightly. Sting was less often able to make time for Fuyumi, and whenever he could, the conversations were always the same - about him getting stronger so he could eventually become one of the strongest wizards across the continent.

Once upon a time, Fuyumi had admired that about him - his determination and his drive. Although now, he was becoming a man overcome by ambition, and she figured that one day it would be his hamartia, his hubris, his fatal flaw. God was she right.

The Sabertooth guild had virtually popped up overnight, and become the strongest guild in Magnolia virtually overnight as well. Every year Fairy Tail had entered the Grand Magic Games, and every year they'd lost - they hadn't even made it past the preliminary rounds. Whereas Sabertooth took the world by storm, winning time and time again.

Fuyumi had never really gotten to see Sting and Rogue in action, so watching them on the battlefield was a new experience - and a humbling one at that. The two were incredible, as fluid as water with the force of tigers - rightly so.

This was just another day in which Fuyumi was with Sting. The townspeople of Magnolia had been growing increasingly repulsed by this. It wasn't a secret that Fairy Tail was now the weakest guild in Fiore, so for one of its members to be seen in public with a Sabertooth member was practically a social death sentence. But Sting wasn't like all the other members of Sabertooth - arrogant and power-hungry. He was kind, just like he had been when she'd met him five years ago. Wasn't he?

"Whatcha wanna get up to today, Yuyu?" Sting was walking along with his hands behind his head, ignorant to all the stares the pair were gaining.
"I'm not too sure, Sting," Fuyumi, on the other hand, was extremely conscious of the looks from her own townspeople.

"We'll just go on a walk, then," he decided, casually strolling past onlookers. The two reached the same entrance gate to the guild they always left through, strolling into the forest. It was a fair day out.

"It's been a while since we've walked together like this, Sting," Fuyumi smiled, more relaxed now they were free of the judgmental stares.
"It has, hasn't it?" he grinned, dropping his hands to his sides, "it's been a while since I've seen you, Yuyu. You're looking great."
"It's been two weeks, Sting," she waved him off with a smile.

"Yeah, two weeks too long for me," he said.
"Why haven't you come and visited me, then?" she asked teasingly.
"I'm not exactly a welcomed presence around," he scoffed, still lighthearted, "and I've been caught up training for this year's Grand Magic Games, y'know. I've got a real bad feeling about Lamia Scale this year."

"Mm, I'm sure you'll take the crown again," Fuyumi said with a sigh, "oh, Sting, look!"
She took his arm and pointed ahead at the familiar mound of grass overlooking the cliffside. She pulled him forwards towards it.

"You remember this place, don't you?" she turned to him.
"Yeah, 'course I do," he grinned, "we watched the sunrise here together, back then."
"Mhm," she hummed, sitting down and looking up at him. He looked back and then sat beside her.