You Are The Light In My Darkness

Chapter 8

Sting's POV

I felt my heart skip a beat as I hear her confirmation. As I realised that our conversation was ending, a barely suppressed feeling of longing for her surfaced in me.

"Goodnight" I spoke softly into the communication lacrima, trying to hide my disappointment in vain.

This feeling...I miss her already...

Keeping the lacrima before that shadow and cat could get it, I flopped down on my bed, thinking about her.

I still remember her. During that fight. Her beautiful, sapphire blue eyes staring at the arena while the fight between Laxus and Raven Tail raged. I could hear her whispering to her brother, "Don't lose. Please...not to that failure of a father!" My eyes had widened. Ivan is her father?! I felt her pulse quicken and saw her grip tighten on the railing--I swore I saw it crack--and silently cheered for Laxus to win. Suddenly, she smiled, releasing a soft laugh, but too faint for the other guild members to notice.

"You've been staring at her for quite a while now, Sting-kun!" I jumped in shock, covering my mouth, but it was too late. I glanced over to see her grinning at me, making me blush a guilty red. I thought that she would berate me with an angry glare since we were rivals, but I suddenly hear her voice in my head, strangely cool and calming to my nerves. "Can you feel that strange magic power?"She said softly. Concentrating on the battleground, I suddenly see a strong, purplish-black barrier surrounding Laxus and Alexei. "It's just an illusion!" I realised. "Yup. Look into the barrier." I strained my eyes, to see Laxus fighting...the whole Raven Tail guild?! I gasped and spun around to see her wink at me, putting a slim finger to her lips, signalling me to keep this silent. Then, I heard her murmuring in a foreign language, and part of the barrier ripped open.

"Laxus! Stop daydreaming and defeat that cocky bastard!" Gramps hollered, lifting up his arm and raising only his index finger and thumb. The sign unique to Fairy Tail.

No matter where you are, I will always be by your side...

I watched as a grin slowly formed on Laxus's face. He spoke softly, almost too soft for my dragon hearing to pick up. Almost.

"Yeah. I won't let you down again, Gramps."

Again?

That little pep talk seemed to give him a boost of magic power. In less than five minutes, he made minced meat out of those Raven underlings!

"W-wait! I'm you're father, Laxus! Surely you would let this pass?!" Alexei sputtered, that cocky aura long gone.

"Father?" Laxus laughed, sending a shiver down Alexei's spine. "Fairy Tail is my family. Our bonds of magic are stronger than the blood ties we share. Wendy, Carla, Lucy, Gramps...you've hurt them. You've hurt my family. You don't deserve the title of father!!!" Laxus roared.

"Secret dragon slayer art: Roaring Thunder!" He yelled across the arena. A beam of compressed thunder shot towards Alexei, who was barely able to emit a scream before disappearing in a wall of yellow light.

Silence...

As the dust settled, a strangled gasp escaped from Mato's lips. "All the members of Raven Tail were fighting Laxus?! AND he BEAT them all!!!" Applause and cheers erupted from the crowd as Mato raised Laxus's hand, proving him victorious. Just as Laxus was about to leave the battleground, Mato took a closer look at 'Alexei'. "Hold on..." Mato squinted, and realisation dawned on him." Alexei is actually the guild master Ivan! That makes Raven Tail disqualified!!!"

As I walked down the pathway to the Sabertooth changing room, an image of her flashed in my mind. Her long blue hair, those sparkling blue eyes that were more beautiful than any sea in the world...and Rogue just had to interrupt me. "You seem distracted." he spoke matter-of-factly, in that monotonous voice of his. "Sting-kun was staring at a Fairy girl just now..." Lector smirked at Rogue and Froch, while Rogue stared at me like I had just lost my mind. I facepalmed internally.

Damn that big mouthed cat! I'll get my revenge on them later...

"There's nothing going on, 'kay? Love  at first sight is so cliché." I snapped at them.

Or is it?

After a shower, I wandered around the stadium, suddenly finding myself near the locker area of Fairy Tail.

Why did I even come here?!

Just as I was about to leave as stealthily as possible, a soft, female voice stopped me in my tracks.

"What are you doing here?"

I spun around to see that girl from before, staring at me. "I-I-well..." I stuttered, before giving her a goofy grin. To my utter surprise, she laughed. Laughed. But there was no sarcasm or mockery in her voice, and her laughter lured me in like a siren's song.

"Look. I don't think Natsu and the others would like a surprise party, so...would you like to go to a cafe and chat?" I asked her.

I asked her out...I asked her out...I asked her out...I asked her out...

"Sure!" Her calm, soft voice rang in my head. Did she just say--

"Come on!" She called. "Oh, by the way, the name's Kasumi Dreyer!"

I snapped out of my daydreaming, saying, "Sting Eucliffe, at your service!" We laughed, strolling to the cafe.

That was the day we became friends, huh...

"Isn't someone quiet? Thinking of a certain Fairy?" Rogue's-- or rather, a shadow's-- taunting made me jump up from the soft mattress.

"ROGUE!!!! WHITE DRIVE!!!!" I hollered at him, and I spent the next three hours chasing him around the guild, everyone laughing their heads off while Yukino tried to stop us. By the time it was midnight, Lector and Froch were asleep, while I was still shooting white laser beams at Rogue, Minerva was even cheering us on!

This is going to be a long night...Kasumi...I can't wait to see you again...

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