Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail characters

Part One

White round moon, glowing softly and mysteriously over the world, showed itself on the black sky, accompanied by thousands of little glittering stars. The gentle light illuminated the dark streets of some big town, making the night as bright as day. But most of people were sleeping in beds at this hour, wandering in the land of dreams, so they couldn't see the beautifulness of the moon, hanging above their homes.

The Sabertooth was surrounded by complete silence as well. As a gigantic guild, it resembled rather small town with closed gates, than regular headquarter of mages. The main building could be seen dominating over many smaller ones, where wizards of Sabertooth lived all the time. From the outside it was so big, that probably each of members had their own building only for themselves. Someone could call it castle; castle of strong mages, of powerful humans. There was no guild in the whole Kingdom in this size.

In the past it was also guild surrounded by some not quite friendly aura. People in the nearby town never dared to approach the guild, being afraid of its master, Jemma. Even if they loved guild for its awesomeness, for its power, even if they loved Twin Dragons with all their hearts, in fact mages of Sabertooth were taken as really cocky ones, full of themselves, mostly fighting not for money or to help, but to show their power. Beside Master Jemma… was scary himself, always demanding from his subordinates to be on top at any costs.

But it was the past. Now the guild changed a little bit since the old master left it and the title was taken by one of Twin Dragons of Sabertooth. Most of the time gates of guild were wide open for anyone who wanted to enter the wonderful castle. The parties they were performing could be heard in the town as clearly as if mages had fun in the centre of the city. The citizens always could party with them, invited by wizards that appeared to be really wonderful people, friendly and full of life.

That was how the guild was right now.

But this night was calm even behind the gates of the guild. When the moon reached the highest point on the sky there could be seen only a few lights in buildings around the main one. Most of the wizards being at home were sleeping already, but many buildings could be seen completely empty, when their owners tried to work all over the kingdom, gaining the money and glory for the guild. Even without this permanent chase after power, that Jemma forced, mages of Saber were working really hard to keep their home with them.

The main building of the headquarters, where the master had his own apartment, was sunk almost in complete darkness as well. Most of the people thought about this building as the scariest at night, looking like the castle straight from the horrors, with many small windows, towers and balconies. But right now only one light could be seen through the big window in front, illuminating yard of the guild. But it didn't bother anyone who could see this light. Because they knew there was someone waiting.

Rogue Cheney, Shadow Dragon Slayer and the other part of Twin Dragons of Sabertooth was half-sitting, half-lying on the couch with his legs on the table and with Frosh sleeping on his lap. The living room of the apartment Sting and he were living in now was illuminated by many light-lacrima, allowing Rogue to not fall asleep.

Right now, fighting with the sleep, he was wondering if he could go for another night walk, even if some time ago he returned from one already. He liked the walks around the guild, looking at the silent buildings with his comrades, watching the moon on the sky or just walking and walking forward, without any though in his head, however tonight the black haired boy didn't feel well enough to repeat the adventure in the cold night. But at the same time he started to be really bored after sitting and watching the white ceiling for a long while, even the book he really liked couldn't have his attention right now.

He was waiting for Sting, his friend, and master, to come back from some regular meeting with others masters of guilds. Rogue always waited for him to come back. Actually not 'always'. Only a few weeks ago Magic Council realized finally that Sabertooth had new Master and this new Master suddenly had to take care of many businesses Jemma ignored.

He sighed, looking at the big living-room in much bigger building he shared with the other mage. Sting didn't even want to hear about living in such a castle alone, without his friend Rogue, so the Shadow Dragon Slayer moved with him here, not imagining how empty the space could be at night. Especially when Sting attended these meetings. Not that Rogue had something against being alone. But without Sting alongside he felt uneasy. Just like without Frosh by his side. So he gladly accepted the offer to live together in the gigantic, main base of guild, relieved that even in such an empty apartment, waiting for Sting's return time to time, he would feel much better than living alone in the house they two shared for many years already. The floor Jemma had for himself was so big, that actually half of the guild could live here.

But unfortunately, Sting couldn't bring him to the meetings with others masters, or with Council. So Rogue had – maybe not too many – alone evenings, being bored, and sometimes even talking to himself, when Frosh was already sleeping. It was hard to make them accept Lector in the place of meetings, but Sting showed some intelligence and convinced them, that Lector definitely had to be there.

So, the only thing he could do was waiting patiently for Sting in their new apartment, being bored as hell and doing everything to not fall asleep.

Since the night fell, he already checked their previous apartment to see if someone lived there, he read a book, corrected some reports Sting made a few days ago, took short nap and even played a little with Frosh. Usually it was enough for Sting to come back. But even if after all these activities he took long shower, ate with his little friend big box of ice-creams, even if he corrected all these idiotic reports of his teammate, there was no sight of Sting.

Usually Rogue was a patient and calm person. From both of them Sting appeared to be the noisier one, hot headed, always rushing everywhere. But now his patience was slowly reaching its limit, making him nervous. Since the Master of Sabertooth changed, Sting never had to be so long there. Yes, Jemma left many unsolved business of the guild that now Sting had to take care of, but…

Maybe something stopped him?

He yawned strongly. It was something unusual for him to yawn like that, but in fact he lately didn't have enough sleep. He knew it could be serious problem in a long term, even if as a person who loved to live at night, he long time ago got used to sleep only a few hours. But lately… He didn't want to sleep. Just the thought of falling asleep was filling him with uneasy. And falling asleep without Sting nearby was just a horror in his reality.

With a long sigh he looked at Frosh, cuddled on his lap and snoring quietly. He smiled to her, wondering how it was to sleep so peacefully…

Almost hour later, Rogue was at the border of falling finally asleep, when he felt the familiar scent of his friend. He moved delicately Frosh from his lap at the big pillow beside and sat fully, waiting for Sting to enter the living room.

But the first thing he saw wasn't his friend but the swaying mountain of papers the tanned hands were holding. Only after a while the White Dragon Slayer entered the space, murmuring his usual curses under his nose and trying to not let the white pillar go out of his hands. After a while and with the loud crack he put the papers on the desk, what woke up the green Exceed. Frosh blinked a few times and rubbed her cute eyes.

"What took you so long?!" Rogue asked, watching as Lector appeared in the sight, frustrated, depressed and tired.

"Welcome home, Sting, Lector" Frosh murmured with sleepy voice.

Sting smiled to her.

"Well, Rogue, you should learn some manners from her at least," he said.

Just then Rogue noticed how tired Sting was.

Well, it was not like he noticed it only now. His friend lately had many businesses to take care of; he also was working harder than anyone Rogue knew to maintain the guild as the whole thing. But tonight, with this mountain of papers… He looked almost twenty years older than he really was.

"Sorry," the Shadow Dragon Slayer murmured, looking curiously at the papers. "Welcome home, both of you."

His friend smiled. But then sighed with consternation.

"So, what are those papers?" Rogue asked.

Sting sat at the chair in the front of the desk with long sigh. It was clear that now he was fighting against the sleep as much as Rogue. Meanwhile Lector sat beside Frosh and now two Exceeds were snoring peacefully at the couch.

"I never thought our Master was so lazy fellow!" he threw the words out of his mouth. "Do you know how many things he left unsolved? I had no idea how the Magic Council and other masters weren't chasing him for these things, but I would like to know it. Do you believe that Ten Saints forced me this time to take care of this mountain of formal papers? Most of them are about correcting the old ones Jemma did and the masters think they are incorrect now!"

Rogue raised his eyebrows.

"How could they allow Jemma to ignore the formal things to such a level? Someone had to make reports to Council, so how they never even checked that? Why now you have to take care of this?"

Sting shook his head.

"I think that they were scared of us, or Jemma was paying them for ignoring all these small deficiencies. And at the top of that I have to give them the full register of our members, including the kind of magic they use, date of joining. Everything! Ugh, if I would know how hard it would be, I would never agree to be the Master of Sabertooth."

Rogue chuckled, looking at the papers. At his escape route from falling asleep…

"I will take care of it for you, Sting," he said. Actually he had nothing against this. It wasn't the first time he helped his friend in these 'master's businesses'. And he was doing it much better than the White Dragon Slayer, actually…

"No way, Rogue. You are helping me enough already."

The dark haired boy shrugged.

"I'm your friend. Beside you look like you are gonna fall asleep in the place you are sitting. Take the shower and go sleep finally."

Sting looked at his friend, then at the papers.

"It seems that not I am the master, but you, Rogue," he murmured and the sighed. "Sorry for all of this. I never was good in such things."

"Don't worry about it."

Sting again shook his head.

"You look tired as well, Rogue. Sorry for forcing you to have so many difficult jobs without me," he added, looking at his friend's arm.

Rogue caught slightly his left hand. Durring the last job he wounded it really seriously. Even after almost two weeks, he still could feel sharp pain there. It wouldn't happen if Sting was there; if Sting wouldn't have to take care of things Jemma should. Both of them knew this.

"It is nothing, Sting. Go sleep. I will do with these papers as much as I could for you. Take rest finally. As the Master of 'almost the strongest guild in Fiore' you deserved for this."

The blonde sighed deeply, frustrated. He really didn't want to put everything on his friend's shoulders. It was his responsibility. And till now Rogue made much more than he himself…

"Thank you, Rogue," he murmured, feeling like the tiredness was winning against his will. "But go sleep as quickly as possible. It is not like I have to return everything tomorrow."

"I will go to bed soon, don't worry."

Sting smiled.

"After this one I won't miss even one job with you, Rogue. And when I will return this damn mountain of stupid formalities to the Council, let's go for some nice job together."

And after this he left to the bathroom, from where Rogue heard the hum of the water.

The Shadow Dragon Slayer sat beside the desk and took the first papers, connected with each other. He looked inside curiously. It was something prepared for what Sting said. For the members of Sabertooth.

He sighed and quickly visited big room at the lower floor, where they kept everything connected to the guild. From the locker he pulled out the list of current members of Sabertooth and returned to the living room.

Rogue knew it would be a long night, but he agreed to this. Tonight he felt really uneasy and weak, so he wouldn't dare to go sleep now. He would rather be tired the next day than…

He shook his head and started to write. After a while he let short sigh from his mouth. The list wasn't updated since master Jemma left them. He should make it correct too…

The first person… Well, why not start from Sting himself? It would be an easy one. He could tell many things about his friend even without thinking. The day they entered the guild and meet for the first time… No, not like that…

He rubbed his eyes, feeling the awful sleep gasping around his mind.

They met firstly, then after many months maybe even years they found Sabertooth and were accepted as the members of the guild. It happened years ago…

'Rogue…'

He looked around the completely dark room.

Wait, wasn't it illuminated by light-lacrima?

'Rogue…'

Actually it wasn't even a room. Maybe some dark, endless space.

And he knew this voice. It was voice of it. Of Shadow.

'Yes, Rogue. I'm your shadow. Your darkness.'

He shook his head. Where he was?

'Accept me, Rogue. We both are monsters after all.'

"No way," he murmured into the darkness.

'There is no point in running away from me, Rogue. I'm your shadow. I'm your future. Accept it.'

"No!"

He gasped strongly, sitting suddenly and looking into the surprised eyes of Yukino.

"Rogue-sama?" she whispered hesitantly.

He looked around the room. It was bright already; the sun seemed to be on the sky for a few hours. His back ached as well as his left arm and head was spinning like never before.

Damn! When did he fall asleep?

"Is something wrong?" Yukino asked.

Rogue looked at her a little confused. The papers he wanted to fill with the information about his fellows were blank. Only the first one had something written on it.

"No, I just…" he started hesitantly. "I just wanted to help Sting with these papers, and I have no idea when I fell asleep.

Yukino sighed.

"You two are working too hard, really," she said. "I was worried about why Sting-sama isn't wandering around the guild, so I came here and saw you two sleeping like rocks."

The Shadow Dragon Slayer rubbed his face, still feeling weak.

"He came back really late from this idiotic meeting with other masters. He brought all these papers," he pointed at the white mountain "so I offered him my help. He has to do so many things Jemma ignored."

She again sighed and looked at him like the harsh teacher on clumsy student.

"You two should take some rest, really! I never saw both of you so tired!"

Rogue smiled a little consternated.

"I think you should complain to the previous Master for leaving so many unsolved things on Sting's shoulder. The Magic Council isn't making it easier…"

He stretched his body, still under the eyes of worried Yukino. This look made him really ashamed, as if he betrayed someone.

"I think it is time for a shower. If you could, just let Sting sleep a little longer," the black-haired wizard said with slight smile, escaping to the bathroom. The first moment he shut the door behind, he sighed really deeply.

He really didn't intend to fall asleep. To be honest, he was deadly afraid of sleeping. And the reason was it. The shadow. The darkness, talking to him in his dreams.

It started not so long time ago, just after he was sure the shadow of his possible, future self disappeared from his mind. Firstly he thought it was just a bad dream, but then it repeated many times. Soon, almost every night. And from some time ago… the shadow started to talk to him even in a bright day. Not so often, but it scared him really strongly.

What if the shadow came to consume his heart? To control him and with his hand kill Sting? So he could be this Rogue, the monster from the future? After the Grand Magic Games he thought the shadow just disappeared and would never come back, but what if it was just waiting patiently for good occasion?

He still didn't say anything to his friend. It was shameful, but the fear about killing Sting never let him talk with the White Dragon Slayer. So stupid, but Rogue was just too frightened. He himself had no idea why he felt afraid, after all Sting many times assured him he would kill the shadow the first moment it would show itself. Maybe deeply inside his mind he thought Sting would kill him, thinking he was possessed by shadow already?

With a long sigh he took off all his clothes and for a long while he couldn't let himself leave the shower, where warm water was slipping down his skin.