what we choose to become

chapter 1

A/N: This story is being rewritten! It was my first work for the fandom and not my finest writing, so I'm doing a bunch of editing and posting it under a new name. Please check out 'be my sanctuary' for the new story. 

In which Jiemma makes a grave mistake.

TW for physical abuse

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"Sting...Rogue...What the hell was that?" Sting winced at Jiemma's gaze and ducked his head in shame. The enormous man sat above them, eyes dark and menacing. "You two are Dragon Slayers. You shoot your mouths off about how strong you are on a regular basis, don't you?" Sting's hands trembled with the fury and embarrassment of being beaten, and the fear of being beaten again in a completely different way. "But you were disgracefully defeated, and by a fellow Dragon Slayer no less." Natsu, Sting thought. And the thought didn't bring anger, like he thought it would – only respect, and a deep kind of awe.

"ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME?" Jiemma roared, and Sting and Rogue both flinched. Sting looked over to Rogue and saw the younger man, bandages covering his face and torso, shivering in fear. A dull ache bloomed in Sting's chest and he wanted so badly to comfort his friend.

"I have no words," Rogue whispered softly, and it took everything Sting had not to reach out and grab his hand. "We were completely defeated. Natsu overwhelmed us even without his lightning flames." Rogue's hands balled into trembling fists and his eyes remained fixed on a point near Jiemma's feet.

Suddenly, Jiemma was in front of the Twin Dragon Slayers, ground cracking beneath his feet. Sting could see Rogue wince, and his throat tightened.

"Are those the words of a wizard from Sabertooth? Who told you to go out there and look like a pair of pathetic fools? Who told you to fail?" Magic energy began to rumble around Jiemma, flaring pink, and he raised his fist. Both Dragon Slayers winced, unconsciously stepping backward. "You sullied the name of the strongest GUILD!" Jiemma's voice rose to a roar and his power exploded suddenly, sending Sting flying face-first onto the floor and Rogue crashing into a wall. Rogue cried out and grabbed his side, his injuries from the fight aching from the blow.

"Sting! Rogue!" Frosch and Lector ran to their respective slayers, cuddling up to them with tears in their eyes. Lector's fur was soft under Sting's hand and he pushed the Exceed behind him, seeing Rogue do the same with Frosch.

"You aren't fit to be members of Sabertooth!" Jiemma backhanded Sting as he tried to rise, then kicked Rogue in the stomach, sending him flying into the wall again. Sting could hear something crack in Rogue's body and he cried out. "Wipe it out! Remove the crest of our guild!" Sting didn't even hear Jiemma's words, he was too busy focusing on the blood that Rogue was wiping from his mouth. "My guild doesn't need weaklings! It doesn't need losers!" Rogue struggled to his feet, clutching his side, and Sting widened his eyes as Rogue moved to stand between him and Jiemma.

"Blame me, master," he said softly, his gaze still on the ground by Jiemma's feet.

"WHAT?!" Sting was sure that Jiemma's roar could be heard across all of Crocus. He reached out to grab Rogue's ankle because he HAD to stop him from doing this. He had to protect him. He had always protected him. "Sting did his best, it was me who was weak."

"Rogue-" Sting tried to interrupt but Rogue turned his head and glared at his friend. "Quiet," he hissed, and his face softened for a moment. "Let me save you for once." He moved his fingers toward Sting in their secret childhood signal and then turned back to Jiemma. "Sting learned a lot in this battle. Next time he faces Natsu he will win, and bring honor to Sabertooth. I was the one who was weak. Punish me and not him."

Jiemma laughed, and it was probably the most unpleasant sound Sting had ever heard. It was deep and low and menacing, and he grinned at Rogue.

"Fine," he said finally. "Your death will be a lesson for everyone." Rogue's eyes flew up to Jiemma's face and widened in terror as Jiemma reached out a hand and released a blast of energy at the dark-haired boy. It hit him directly in the chest and knocked him backwards, past Sting and through the crowd of Sabertooth members who were watching the scene. Rogue's body shuddered, then stilled.

"ROGUE!" The scream ripped from Sting's throat as he stumbled to his feet, reaching out for his friend, tears streaming uncontrollably down his face. Jiemma grabbed his arm in an enormous hand and threw him backward, away from Rogue.

"Keep it down, Sting," he said, grinning darkly. Sting scrambled to his feet again, looking at Lector's shocked expression and Frosch's tear-stained face and Rogue's unmoving body.

"What did you do?" Sting's voice was deadly, and Jiemma actually looked surprised as he turned to face the blonde boy. "What the HELL HAVE YOU DONE?!"

"SILENCE!" Jiemma ordered. "Bawling like a child will not be toler-"

He didn't have a chance to finish his sentence. Sting screamed and white flames burst out of the ground around him, surrounding him in blinding light. Without warning, he raised his hand against Jiemma and fired a burst of light directly at his chest. Jiemma's eyes bulged in surprise and he looked down, amazed to see a smoking, gaping hole running straight through his torso. Sting stumbled backward, energy around him disappearing, and leaned against the wall, panting, as Jiemma fell backward with a deep thud.

For a moment, nobody moved. Minerva looked slightly impressed, and stepped forward, but Sting held out a hand.

"Shut up," he said darkly. "Shut the hell up. Fuck you. FUCK ALL OF YOU!" He scoopded up Lector and Frosche in his arms and ran over to Rogue's body, dropping to the floor next to his friend. The crowd backed away from them as Sting reached over to Rogue's neck, feeling for a pulse. Rogue's face was bruised and his clothing was torn, and a thin stream of blood trickled from his mouth. "Come on," Sting whispered, trying to calm his breathing as he waited for a fluttering beneath his fingers. He suddenly exhaled in relief as he felt it – faint, but there.

"Is Rogue dead?" Frosch asked, eyes wide, as Lector held his hand.

"No, Frosch." Sting turned to the Exceed and forced himself to smile. "He's going to be okay, but we need to hurry." Then he gently lifted Rogue into his arms and headed toward the door, his dark glare daring anyone to follow.