Sorry for disappointments and the waiting time, update of my life is at the end of the chapter. Please enjoy.

Minerva's POV:

I did it. I still couldn't believe it that I finally attained the advanced power of Dimensional Magic. I grinned and clasped my hands together. I couldn't wait to try out the new spells, enchancements that I wasn't able to practise before! I sneaked a glance at Lucy. A girl who had such a lonely past and yet right beside me, was a woman that had a smile that could light up anyone's heart. I could thank Lucy all day for her kindness and gratitude, her warmth and fire, her compassion and love. For a second thought, she slightly resembles my mother. My mother...My journal...My journal! It was inside my bag then I teleported and my bag was not with me when I did! Could it still be at the camp? Oh no no no! This is bad! If any of the boys picks it up and read it, I will feel utterly humuliated if someone found out my secrets.

We must hurry back! I quickened my footsteps and tried to scan for areas that contained huddled energy. These energy are usually results of people's presence and the more energy clumped together in an area, the more people or more amount of magic a mage has. I strutted off to random directions, desperate to get a proper scan. I need to get to my journal! I must, I must-

"Minerva! Why are you running all over the place? Is something the matter?" I felt a tug on my shoulder and Lucy stood behind me with a motherly concerned look.

"When I came to your camp, I had a bag with me. Inside that bag...I had an item that is really important to me and I must get it back. My magic can sense the presence of mages through the energy in the space. I think it should still be at the camp so let's hurry back-"

"Minerva, calm down. We aren't going anywhere if you're going to be panicking like that. Okay, how about you relax first and concentrate properly?" I took a deep breath and went into deep thoughts. Energy...Lots of energy..Groups of energy are separated and are distinctively moving around...It must be the boys. I straightened myself and focused on Lucy,

"I can feel the boys' energy. It should be the north-east of here but we must be quick. Do you have any enhancements that we could use? You know from your new power too? I don't have much fuel so I won't be of use right now.."

"I do! I have been eagerly waiting to try one of them out. I shall use one to increase our speed so we can reach the boys faster! Ahem, Light Feet!" Rays of gold light swirled around me and we both nodded to each other before running off. This feels...so calming. I feel like I'm a bird gliding through the air without a care in the world. The air was splashing me continuously and it was rejuvenating. I was a little ahead of Lucy to lead her, and as we closen up, the sounds of fists clashing and magical attacks could be heard. I noticed a small spot of red gliding gracefully around the trees and immediately recognized the owner of such elegance. Rufus.

"I'll take left! You take right towards Rogue and Sting!"

"Hai!" Lucy acknowledged and we separated routes. I sprinted towards Rufus and Orga and tried to catch their attention.

"Rufus! Orga! Stop fighting now!"

"As you wish M'Lady," Rufus landed in front of me like a feather and Orga stomped his way to us.

"You better have a good reason to interrupt us like that! You father said to stop Sting, Rogue and that blonde girl-"

"I don't care what father says anymore!" I took in a deep breath and calmed myself.

"Look I don't want to do this anymore...I'm tired of listening to Father's nonsensical requests of ruthless murder. I am progressing a new path for myself so I will join Lucy in her journey. I will understand if you would leave but I will still ask you both. Would you join me?" I pleaded Orga and Rufus, hoping that they would understand. Orga stepped a few inches closer to me, I can feel his breath on my face.

"Never thought that you would have the guts in you. Took ya long enough," He smirked slyly at me, my mouth turned up at his answer. I couldn't help myself but hugged him tightly.

"Thank you...Thank you so much.." I looked at him, and found him morphing into a tomato. I looked away to Rufus who simply nodded at my request. This is perfect! I can finally live my own life! I don't need Father. I have friends. I have people who support me! I can do this! I turned to face Lucy's group, and she grinned at me. I stepped towards her companions and stuck out my hand to Sting.

"I know this might be shocking to hear but...I hope from now on, we can stand as friends?" Sting's eyes zoomed out and and his lips parted.

"Well, Lucy kinda told Rogue and I everything that happened between the two of you so...Yeah!" Sting flashed a smile at me and I could see Rogue smirk at the corner of my eye. My eyes twinkled and I felt like hopping up and down like a small child. Lucy linked her arm with mine and passed me a velvet satchel with a cursive "M" sowed onto the top. This quest will go great!

Lucy's POV:

I pulled Sting and Rogue aside and sucked in a hefty breath. I hastily explained my situation with Minerva and how she, Rufus and Orga will follow us on our quest. Of course I did not leave out her Father and how she really felt inside. They simply nodded and agreed to my request which honestly made me feel confused. Well, I might have expected at least Sting to lash back at me and completely refuse to my idea. Knowing how much of a doofus he is.

"Nah, we knew there was something off about Minerva in the first place," Sting crossed his arms behind his head and my head tilted in confusion.

"Sting-san is so smart! You really are cool Sting-san!" Lector squealed at Sting, inflating Sting's already huge ego tank.

"Basically Sting and I noticed how she was like towards her father and maybe some stories from our guildmates," Rogue whispered off to me, as if he was trying to avoid Minerva from hearing what he said. I glistened, Minerva would definitely be so overjoyed that they agreed. This was great! The bigger the party, the more fun there will be! Minerva and Sting with Rogue immdiately set their feelings aside and I grinned at the sight of Minerva giggling in sheer joy.

"Alright then! Off we go to Edayth Ilvea!" I linked my arms with Minerva and we were gone on our favourly journey towards a new beginning and future.

*Time Skip*

We were finally there and yet, it felt like an entire eon to track for the past few hours. Minerva was dragging her purple cloth boots beside me and I was already panting from the mere exhaustion that had been weighing on my soul. Rufus and Rogue looked fine though, they were both strutting beside Orga and Sting who were on the verge of death soon. If only I had an Angel spell for weariness. Unfortunately, the closest spell I could get were a variety of forms to heal wounds. We could not rely on Minerva either, she ran out of magic power and besides, she was the ONLY reason why we could get back on the pathway. Thanks to her power of the Dimension, she lead our group by pursuing her senses of compiled energy. Not to forget the fact that Minerva had to explain how her looks changed and about the secret powers she had been training to everyone else. I was pretty sure I caught a glance of dangerous curiousity from Sting. If he were to learn a new secret magic, the whole of Fiore would be destroyed.

The village was only a glimpse ahead and clutters of villagers dressed in their traditional wear were roaming all over the place. I could feel the satisfaction of the males behind Minerva and I when they spotted the village too.

"FINALLY! It has been so long and my legs are numb! Let's get to the mayor quick!" Sting amusingly charged towards the entrance and began questioning any mortal who walked in his path. I muffled my laughter at how adorable he was while Minerva simply facepalmed and shook her head.

"Right, how about we walk a bit faster before Sting gets captured for harassment," Minerva implied and strolled into the fertile village of Edayth Ilvea. I was lagging behind so that I could see the beauty of the surroundings. Although their houses were made of wood and hay, they seemed outstanding. The males were mostly covered in their own cloth protection and the females were either dressed elegantly in smooth robes or fiercely in a more armor-like uniform. Each and every one of them had tattoos on their faces or bodies, probably sacred marks of their clan.

The nearby river was crystal blue and the sounds of playful children flowed through my eardrums. This village was comforting. Definitely a must-come for a vacation. I approached my group once again, Minerva was pulling one of Sting's ear and scolding him in a mother-like tone.

"Could you please control yourself? We are travellers and we have to make a good impression! Do you think the village would want a pack of lunatics to come barging in to disrupt their peaceful living?" Minerva reprimanded Sting as I heard the snickers of the other males in our party.

"Okay! Geez, I'm not a kid you know. MOM," Sting emphasised on his regrettable last word that earned him a smack on his head and another round of lecture. Well this was pleasing to the eyes. Who would have known Minerva and Sting would end up in a scene of a concerned mother and her defiant child? The chimes of tiny bells shaking vigorously diverged my thoughts as residents rushed to crowd around a much more larger hut. It was more colourful unlike the rest and looks more luxurious too. A small peek of numerous feathers emerged from the curtains of the door and there stood a man in his late 40s gripping a polished spear.

He had red marks on the cheeks of his face and his face bore a veil of a respected ruler. He must have been the Chief. Rows of bodies knelt in honor and his auburn pupils scanned through his people. My party was obviously the bag of his attention which he hurriedly approached us to our normality.

"You clearly aren't around here so I'm assuming you received our distress calls," Rogue presented the quest to the elder and he nodded in acceptance.

"Come with me for further information. Quickly," The elder propped off and I shrugged at Minerva's confused expression. Maybe the situation was more urgent than we expected. My party followed his trail and he guided us into his headquarters. We entered a huge room with a long oak table waiting for our presence. We all sat as the elder rummaged through scraps of paper and placed them at the head of the table.

"As you all know from our call, we need you to retrieve a gem that is extremely precious to the people. We call it the Eye of Gods. It is known for its mysterious powers contained within so we have stored it safely in a cave to honour and worship it. However, strange creatures have been appearing around the cave where we use to worship it. Some had spikes sticking out their backs. Some had really long and slitherly tongues. Some were just plain horrendous demons. My people and I had tried so hard to fight them off but we always fail. Not only that but sightings from my guards showed a recent camp was built nearby it. They noted of how they caught the odd cloaked people from the camp murmuring some chants in front of the cave. Who knows they might be planning to steal the Eye of Gods!" I heard the quivering sorrow in his throat and I stared at him in pity.

"I see, however if it is safely stored away in the cave, why would you worry over its safety? Would you mind sharing more information on this precious Eye of Gods?" Rufus questioned, earning the Chief swift stares from our party. The Chief sighed heavily and paced towards a wooden-framed window.

"Many years ago, there was a mine right in the domain of Edayth Ilvea. Many miners from different continents travelled here because of the rich findings of amethyst, copper and other minerals. They would work day and night just to achieve their goals. However, nearby the mine lived a small tribe. The tribe consisted of a very small number, residents who worshipped their ancestors and their powers whole-heartedly. Unfortunately, they were against the miners stomping through their land. They proclaimed that the miners were destroying their ancestors' ancient land and that one day, a terrible force would overcome all those who buried their noses in the land. The terrible force known as the Eye of Gods," I sucked in a handful of breath as his words shivered my spine.

"The Eye of Gods was soon dug up by a small team of miners who thought this was their achievement of their lifetime. Such gullible humans. What the miners saw was a simple carmine gem that shone blissfully in their palms, but that was simply the exact opposite. And on the night it was to be transported back out of the ground, something evil erupted into the skies. One of the naive miners decided to test its power and succumbed to his greed. He approached the Eye of Gods and infuse its power within his empowering body. It gave him an indestructible gauge of power which tainted his heart with arrogance and darkness. He manipulated his new powers on his companions and picked off his mining team one by one." I sensed a tight grip on my inner thigh. I looked up to discover a worried Sting glimpsing into my eyes. I nodded to reassure him and continued drifting off to the Chief's voice.

"The Eye of Gods is not just a gem. It is a manifestation of ancient power. Yes, its powers is inevitable and should not be tampered with easily but if it was used for the right doings...It can be merciful. The tribe people did warn the miners not because they were concerned that the miners would disturb their ancestors. They warned the miners because they knew the Eye of Gods would be discovered. It contains a dangerous amount of power and if it were to fall in the wrong hands.." I gulped. The Eye of Gods is a very strong tool for the greed of power. If someone evil was to claim it, the whole of Fiore would be in danger.

"It took a harsh amount of time for the tribe people to restrain the possessed miner. Yet they were able to extract the Eye of Gods out of him. Immediately after the incident, the tribe people sealed off the powers of the Eye of Gods. It is allocated just north-west of here and trust me as much as it is effortless to get in, it is not the same to get out. The Eye of Gods has a mind of its own per say. And now with the intrusion of mysterious travellers, I'd wager that it will be more dangerous for you lot. Meanwhile, you will need the assistance of these materials," The Chief placed a rather wide shimmered jar and a jade stone with a hole in the middle of it on the table.

"The tribe people concealed it in view of anyone not in the tribe's eye so place the stone in front of your eye socket. The Eye of Gods will be found easily with this. This jar can only be used to subdue the Eye of Gods. Do not touch the Eye of Gods with your own fingers, use the jar itself to scoop it inside or anything else just not with your limbs. With the Eye of Gods secured in the jar, you would be able to see it and be more careful with it. Once you have retrieved the Eye of Gods, immediately report back in an instant. It is not safe for all of you to linger around its presence for a long time." It took me a few moments to analyze his comments and I raised my sharp eyebrow questioningly.

"The Eye of Gods is also known for creating delusions and hallucinations to people nearby it. Previous curious travellers or even other groups of people I have begged for help reported to me that they experienced chilling whispers and saw things that were simply not true. They saw illusions of people they knew, dreams or nightmares coming to reality which dare I say clearly now," His shoulders tensed as he gripped the edges of the wooden table, the soft creaks of the wooden splits were echoing throughout the silent room.

"The Eye of Gods is not something to be dealt with playfully. Once you are near its location, please and I beg of you to keep your minds open in reality. There were cases of travellers killing each other because of the illusions. All I ask you is to return safely with the Eye of Gods safely secured in your hands. So do we have an agreement?" I pounded my head internally. Was it true all he said? The Eye of Gods was the power of ancient gods fused together held inside of it and anyone who keeps a close distance to it would experience delusions. This is some rather complicated quest..

"If you do want an agreement then I would like you to answer my inquiry. If the Eye of Gods is that powerful to implement dangerous side effects to any human, isn't the Eye of Gods safe there? And you claimed that the tribe people sealed away in the cave for protection so why would you need it?" I could feel her wary tone at the back of my deserted throat. The Chief's eye twitched in response as if he was taken aback by Minerva's query.

"May I remind you I am the chief of this village and it is your utmost important decision to trust in my words. I will decide what is good for the people and what is not. Besides, every now and then reckless travellers wander off in the cave and what happens? They will disappear and I will be the one who has to answer to your Magic Council. As much as I loved to stop idiots from entering the cave, your Magic Council tried to persuade me to give them the Eye of Gods and I am sure to the ancestors they will not rest until it rests upon their palms. The Eye of Gods has been my people's priority especially mine and I will not allow some arrogant fools snatch it away in the name for the sake of their kingdom while disregarding my ancestry." I could see the veins at Sting's temples popped out in irritation at the Chief's sudden verbal attack. He bit his lip so hard I could almost feel it from my position. I urged Minerva visually to end the conversation and she responded with an immediate nod.

"I see. I mean to no measure to offend you but since we have gotten all we've needed I would then declare that we have an agreement," Minerva firmly shook the Chief's hand and he instantly darted out of the room. I heard a few grunts of irritation from him as he strutted out by me. I picked up the jar and stone to observe it, it looked merely normal...Like a jar used to contain tons of sweets and a stone from the ground outside. I muffled the items in my satchel and proceeeded to the rest who were mumbling their frustrations.

"There is definitely something weird here. I managed to catch a few loopholes from his briefing with us. He called the ancestors of the original tribe his ancestry. I presume that it must have slipped out of his mouth that he was related to the people of the original tribe. Plus, he said for the people's sake. If the Eye of Gods was such a threatening force why would he want to unsheath it?" Minerva expressed her claims and I was rather confuzzled too. What purpose does the Chief have with the Eye of Gods?

"Minerva's right. It's all too suspicious so far. I feel we should keep our attention on him and his people. But what about the Eye of Gods?" Rogue does have a point.

"If I may, we should all follow what he insisted us to do. Once we get back from the cave, that is when the real confrontation shall begin. To prevent any suspicions on us is the main matter now," Our group gave Rufus' idea a thought and agreed equally to his plan. Sting snatched the map off the table and lead us out of the Chief's headquarters, only to be distracted by the immense commotion in front of us. We approached the crowd of bickering discreetly and raised our eyebrows at the disagreement between the two distinct parties.

"As I said before, from a specific and clear order from the Magic Council and King of Fiore, WE are the ones that will handle your Eye of Gods situation. NOT those money-craving mages you called!"

"And it is I the Village Chief to tell you that you will not. I do not trust you all one bit. Do you think I could be fooled by the disguised words of your extremely believable authorities? You act like you are so confident and mighty of your their words when in reality you are all just acting like mindless dogs-"

"Why you ignorant runt-"

"Enough!" A silver steel sword plunged in between the Village Chief and the bulky heavily armored soldier. A giant for a man overshadowed the crowd and huffed impatiently.

"It is no use for us to be at each others' throats like this! We need to negotiate in a civilised and less provocative manner. If you may Village Chief," The Village Chief grumbled harshly to himself and took a step to the side to present us to the opposing group.

"These are the mages I had accepted and had given orders to retrieve the Eye of Gods. I trust that they are reliable and would not let me down. After all, these mages are from..."

"Sabertooth. We...We are from Sabertooth," Orga stumbled his words, clearly sharing the same concern as all of us. Their guildmaster won't find out would he? Minerva's father...He wouldn't be aware right? The giant man stomped towards us, his shadow was already a threat to our much smaller bodies. Well, except Orga of course. He scrutinized us closely and I could feel him peering into my being. Like as if his eyes could solely peel my body apart and read whatever I was thinking. I trembled slightly, only to be comforted by a warm grasp on my wrist. Sting was holding on to me. Again. What a protective and caring person he is.

"You're the mages from the Grand Magic Games weren't you? From the top guild? Although I don't recall ever seeing you with these people. I thought you were with another group.." He scratched his scruffy pointed beard while staring at me and it was my turn to survey him. Hmm... Huge man...well-armored...bearded... Could he be...?

"Arcadios?" I chirped unknowingly. His eyebrow arched upwards and soon his memory of me smacked him right in the face.

"Lucy Heartifilia? I thought you were in Fairy Tail not Sabertooth. Nonetheless I am here by my given orders. They called us for assistance after a rather strict discussion with the King of Fiore. Look I understand you have all accepted the quest but with orders from the Magic Council and the King I can't-"

"If you really do wish to abide by your orders then I suggest you send in some of your strongest soldiers with us. Together we will infiltrate the cave and obtain the Eye of Gods first. Any other debates shall continue on after we have the Eye of Gods in our hands. After all, we wouldn't want the mysterious people set up near the cave to get it first would we?" Minerva suggested as she held Arcadios' gaze, trying to quickly come to agreement to get this hold up over with.

"Hmph, alright. It is the best if we retrieve that first. Sergeant!" A small blob of light blue hair rushed from the group of soldiers and saluted Arcadios. She was significantly shorter than Arcadios, I am not surprised at the fact that his built body blocked my view of her.

"Change of strategy. You and your command group will follow these mages to obtain the Eye of Gods whereas I will be stationed here with the rest. Keep a close eye on them and if necessary, fight if need be,"

"Yes Sir!" A high-pitched voice squeaked back at Arcadios as he and the rest of the soldiers remaining here cleared the way to reveal our new fellow companion. My eyes widened like as if they could not get any bigger than they already are at the exposed Sergeant. I turned to my group and discovered that they bore the same shocked masks.

"Yu..Yukino?" A vulnerable hushed whisper left Rogue, it was like he could not believe that his former guild member stood so valiantly as the Sergeant in front of him.

"Sa-Sabertooth? You...you are the ones whom are to retrieve the objective with me..?" Just from looking at Yukino, I could feel the broken disbelief radiating from her. It was not the disbelief of reuniting with your fellow beloved former guildmates. It was the disbelief of reuniting with the very people you would have desperately tried to avoid. My bistre pupils softened at the frail Sergeant before me. She clearly has not moved on from what happened in the past. Maybe now with Minerva being her true kind self, it might change things.

"Um Yukino? Do you remember me? Lucy? The other Celestial Spirit Mage from the Grand Magic Games?" I tried effortlessly to divert her innocent gaze at the rest. I need her to see the true light of them.

"Lucy? But were you not in Fairy Tail with Natsu-"

"Well I used to be. Listen, lots of things happened and I'm with them now. I know deep down you are still afraid of them but trust me, just talk to them and everything would be clear alright?" Yukino stared deeply into my eyes, her eyes could already show her inner conflict to either reconcile or to step away.

"I...I..." She bowed her head and clenched her already pale fists. This is not going the way I need it to.

"Yukino...?" A hesitant Minerva approached us in a cautious manner.

"Um I know we started and technically ended on terrible terms but I hope that with this objective, we can start anew? We don't have to quickly rush into new terms but I just want-" Yukino snapped her head up, eyeing Minerva intensely and cutting Minerva's chance to reform a fresh bond with her.

"You..You are right. We really do not need to rush so as from now I would prefer if all of you just regard me as Sergeant. My team and I will follow all of you through your quest in the cave to retrieve the Eye of Gods to keep a close eye on your movements and if required aid all of you during any possible conflicts. I hope that both our teams would cooperate skillfully and that neither of us would encounter any unfavourable circumstances. It is a pleasure to meet all of you again and I hope our goals would succeed," Yukino stated professionally and stuck her metallic-armoured hand towards Minerva. Minerva hazily shook her hand and Yukino strutted off towards her team, probably to command them further. I squeezed Minerva's frozen shoulder in concern, distressed from Yukino's lightning brushed response to Minerva.

"I-ah...I'm fine Lucy. I'm just..." Minerva mumbled, clearly bewildered from Yukino as well.

"Maybe she still needs time to compose herself so don't worry. She must have been surprised that she would have to work with you guys again,"

"Extremely surprised at that," A soft gush of wind of swept on my skin and turned to face the scarlet gentleman behind me.

"Yukino has always been very insecure and peculiar on the decisions she makes. She could still be unsure of her choice to renew her relations with Lady Minerva. What a loss," Rufus murmured to Minerva in a soothing tone, hoping to calm Minerva down.

"I can't blame her though. I was not nice to her in remotely any way to her when she was apart of the guild. I won't be surprised either if she wouldn't want anything to do with me," Minerva proclaimed in a solemn tone, devastated at her failed attempt.

"Yukino is not like that. Who knows maybe she really is unsure like what Rufus and Lucy said. She is not the type to hold grudges, and I am sure of that," Rogue replied in utmost confidence that brought a shed of hope in my heart. Yukino needs time that is all. I needed time after my first fight with Natsu. So it is entirely reasonable for her to need time too.

"Frosch thinks so too~" I giggled at the sheer cuteness of Frosch and picked him up to nuzzle my nose on his furry neck.

"Excuse me travellers? The sun is submerging and the Chief ordered me to show you your quarters for the night before dinner," My eyes landed upon a burly man with charcoal wavy hair. His cheeks were adorned with silver dots and strokes. We all simply nodded and followed his trail. We were shown a small oak building built on wooden stilts, with a long breezy corridor where the lanterns hanging above it casted immense balls of lights to show the way. We were each given our own separate rooms much to the pouty dismay of Sting.

"What's with that face? You look like a spoiled five-year-old that lost his lollipop," I commented on his already distraught face, snickering when his cheeks reddened in embarassment.

"Well...I thought I would be able to sleep with you tonight you know...since we are more heaty with each other now," I bit my lip as my face flushed in unison. It's not that I don't want to sleep with him...Come to think of it, if I do sleep with him I'll be able to lay my head on that hard, toned chest of his and feel his husky breath on my neck or even having his muscular arms around or-

"Hey~ Why are you blushing so hard? Thinking of us in bed together hmm?~" Sting quirked a cocky eyebrow, his electric blue reflecting the hidden lust hovering in the air between us.

"N-No I wasn't! I was..I was-" My stammer was deliciously silenced by a sly thumb tracing my bottom lip.

"Shhh baby it's okay. I get it if you want to sleep alone. I won't push you alright?" With that, Sting sinfully abandoned my horny self in the corridor as he snatched Lector and slammed his room door shut. I blinked at the sudden response while two separate parts of my mind were at war with one another. Should I just go in? But what if this is one of the games he usually plays with females? Dammit! I knew I shouldn't have fallen in love with that arrogant prick! I sulked and paced around in a tiny circle, only to come to an immediate halt when I spotted four other mages staring blankly at me.

"Did you guys saw-"

"Yeap. We saw everything," I slammed my head against the wall at my annoying retribution. Greatttttttt. MORE humiliation.

"It's not that we do mind but just a slight heads up, try to keep your voice down during your playing session okay?" Minerva patted me the head and gave me a sly wink before strutting off with the others to their respective rooms. Hmph! Like I will let that blonde egoistic idiot win! Two can play at that game. I stormed off to my room and clasped my palms together. Right if I want Sting to come to me, first I need to show him what he's missing. I approached my bed to find tribal clothes in neat folds at the edge. I picked it up and scrutinized the article of clothing. It was already revealing, and if I were to wear it my right shoulder and right leg would be exposed. Hehehe...I just got a brilliant idea~

Minerva's POV:

I was frozen, stunned at the obvious display of a fresh couple debating between morals and lust. I placed my hands on hips and sent a questioning look to Rogue who signed in return.

"Apparently Sting and Lucy had fallen in love with each other for some time and are lovers now I presumed." Sting? With someone like Lucy? I could just picture all the tainted things Sting would teach Lucy. Her innocence is precious for sure. Just look at how scarlet her chubby face is now. Sting is probably teasing the life out of her. Yet, Lucy would be a good partner for him. Maybe she would be able to smack the idiocy out of him. Who knows in a year or two he would turn into a gentleman. Wearing a suit too. I giggled at my own wild thoughts which raised inquiries from those around me.

"She made the choice to be with him so I say we should just let her deal with him herself. Besides, Lucy can be as stubborn as Sting at times. I would say Sting has finally met his match," The others joined in light laughter as Lucy caught on to the obvious fact we were watching the whole ordeal.

"Did you guys saw-"

"Yeap. We saw everything," I stepped over to a distressed Lucy who faced the wooden wall to avoid further discomfiture.

"It's not that we do mind but just a slight heads up, try to keep your voice down during your playing session okay?" I gave her a soft pat on the head and a coy wink to elaborate my abrasive statement. I'm just as bad as Sting for teasing her too. I walked off to my room and sat gently on my bed. My head was filled with everlasting doubts and concerns of my newfound companionship and situation. Will they trust me? Will I ever be forgiven? I glimpsed at my slender fingers and clenched until my knuckles turned pale. What about Yukino? She looked so agonized when she saw me. Should I still try to patch it up or should I just leave it be? I slided my journal out of my bag and flipped to the lastest unwritten page. Oh mother..If only you were here to guide me through. You were always giving me so much support. Even at the worst of times. I rubbed my thumb against the smooth surface of the papers and bore a sad smile on my lips.

I could still remember what you will always say whenever I felt giving up. Stay strong and don't let the tides take you, for you will be the one that severs them apart. It was such a symbolic way to remind me to keep going. But what can I say? She loved reading and enjoyed the slightest of literature. I sighed heavily and gazed at the tribal clothes provided beside me. Maybe Yukino will understand. Maybe she would give me another shot at this. I swiftly changed into my new clothes and stood before the vanity mirror. The plum sleeves hung loosely on my arms, exposing my tattoed shoulders not like it helps since the entire left side of my face was splashed with tattoos. The bodice was tight, clinging desperately to my skin with red-violet flowery patterns spiralling on its canvas. My waist had a long thin piece of fabric tied to my left hip in a knot. The skirt of the dress was touching the floor and had two high slits right before my thighs, leaving a trailing piece of it between them. I shrugged my shoulders and left the mirror, at least it covers my crotch.

Rogue's POV:

I carefully placed my bags down and stared at the tribal robes laid before me. Yet my mind has not abandon the thought of seeing Yukino again. To lay my eyes upon her after she left Sabertooth, it was a miracle. But that look on her face. The look of distraught, disappoinment and agony on her face tore me to shreds. I had never meant to cause that look on her. Or to anyone. I simply be on my way most of the time the whole of my life. I sighed, frustrated at the circulating problems in my head. Should I talk to her? I mean I never really did anything bad to her so we should not have any bad blood betweeen each other right? A tug on my pants led me to a concerned Frosch frowning at my defeat.

"It's okay Frosch. I'm fine. Say, how about we meet Yukino and talk to her?"

"Frosch thinks it's a good idea~" I bent down for him to hop into my arms and proceeded out to search for Yukino. Took shorter than I expected. All the guardsman were trusting of me and provided all the directions I needed. I sucked in a short breath and hugged Frosch closer to me. I opened Yukino's room door after knocking and was greeted with her discussing matters with another fellow guardsman.

"Rogue-san?"

"Is this a bad time?"

"No it's fine. Please come in," I watched Yukino as she ordered the guardsman to leave us in peace.

"I honestly thought I would never see you again," I embraced the relieved smile on my lips and unclasped Frosch from my arms. Frosch instantly ran towards Yukino and rubbed his adorable nose in the crook of her neck as Yukino picked him up.

"Me neither. It was a huge surprise for me to find out that I would be working with you guys again,"

"Listen, about you and Sabertooth I am truthfully sorry of-"

"Don't apologise please. You did nothing wrong to me and you certainly do not need to apologise for what your Guild Master did. I knew if any of you helped me, you would be terminated too so I understand. I'm not angry at you," She grinned and drew near me, I lost myself in the luminous eyes of hers.

"I know this might hurt to ask but...why did brush you Minerva off so quickly earlier then? You sounded so unlike yourself and even I was appalled at your response,"

"She is the daughter of the Guild Master you know. I'm simply cautious of her. What if she reports something about me back to her father?" I squinted at her inquiries and knew exactly what she needs to be informed of.

"Actually Minerva wouldn't do that all because she isn't associated with her father anymore," Yukino tilted her in confusion and I continued my explanation.

"The whole pack of us that came today are actually not in line with Sabertooth. We are merely completing missions and carrying on with our lives afterwards. Minerva pledged to do what she wants now and not to follow her father's words any longer. With the rest of us we agreed which leads us to our current predicament."

"M'Lady did that? Why would she?"

"Did you really think Minerva was cold-hearted to the core? This whole time she was following the orders of her father who threatened to end her life almost every single day. Sure she can be salty and snarky at times but most of it is absolutely acting. You could check with Rufus if you want and he'll admit the same thing," Her eyebrows knitted in disbelief while I caressed her right cheek, snapping her attention back at me.

"I understand that Minerva tormented you and that you are unable to trust her easily after all that happened. But what I am saying is the truth. And I would not lie to you. I don't have a reason to," My straining voice begged her to believe in my words mercifully.

"Whatever it is, it is your choice in the end to believe or not. I won't push any further because it would be unfair for you. However, if there is need of help from you or just someone to talk to, I am here," I circled my fingers on her shoulders to comfort her and pulled her into a solid hug. Her nimble fingers desperately clung to the cloths on my back and I smirked in the shadows.

"Thank you Rogue-san...For everything," Yukino pushed herself off my chest and beamed. I unhooked my arms and bid my farewell to her.

"See you soon Yukino,"

"See you soon Yukino-san~" I huddled Frosch and left her compound. Maybe Minerva does have a chance after all.

Minerva's POV:

I snucked out of my room and silently made it out of our quarters. I glided past aweing villagers and wandered around until I spotted a familiar looking sooty black-haired male walking towards me.

"Minerva? What are you doing out here?"

"I um...I'm actually looking for Yukino. Do you know where she is?" His carnelian pupils softened in an instant, knowing what my intentions were.

"Her room is the last room in the blue building up front. I went to amend things with her too and she seemed rather pleased with it, so you should not worry. I bet she'll feel the same for you too,"

"Frosch thinks so too~" Rogue gave me a reassuring pat on my back and retreated back to our quarters with his clueless cat. How hopeful can I be? Rogue didn't really have an abusive and toxic relationship with her. I did. I tightened the loose ends of the fabric around my waist and marched towards Yukino's room. As I was a mere breath away from knocking on her door, a fellow guardsman halted me and scanned my entire being.

"The Sergeant does not want to be disturbed right now. She is very busy handling the paperwork and would prefer not to be interrupted."

"Please. It's only for awhile. I..I used to be a fellow comrade in the previous guild she was in and I only wish to speak to her for a minute or two. Just to check if she is feeling much better as of the moment," I pleaded the stern guardsman and he groaned heavily.

"Alright. Seriously you mages are quite the bother. Since you are to see the Sergeant I hope you don't mind passing this piece of parchment to her. It is a document she needs for her paperwork so I would need you to commit this favour. Off you go," He handed me a scroll rolled up with a red ribbon tied in the middle and waved me off to her room. My heart cramped up and my breathing was beginning to fasten. Come on Minerva, you can do this. I ever so lightly knocked on her door and was responded with a melodic voice acknowledging me to come in.

I shakily entranced her room and was met with giant dazed topaz eyes goggling at me. I laughed nervously and took a step forward, ceasing promptly when Yukino stood up in defence.

"Don't! Don't be afraid. I only came here to pass you this and to possibly chat with you," I fiddled my fingers and observed her. I could tell she was obviously unsure. Her posture was more laxed now but it was still stiff enough to prepare for any unexpected attacks. I approached her slowly once again and held out the scroll. Her armored hand was trembling as she accepted the parchment.

"What...did you want to talk about?" Yukino steadily sat down, her eyes glued to me the whole time.

"Oh you know just, how you've been doing and how did you end up taking the position of a Sergeant in this army?" I clasped my wrist behind my hand, trying my best to seem friendly and non-threatening in any way.

"Well, after I got kicked out I ah...didn't really had anything to do for awhile. I did met Lucy and Natsu though when I was still lost. I wanted to give my celestial keys to Lucy but she denied it and told me to keep it so I did. Afterwards I realised I had a passion of protecting others so I took a job in the army and I got promoted to Sergeant,"

"That's great right? Now you are doing that you love and are committed to so you must be happy right?"

"Yeah. I am..." The deafening silence between us strung up. I anxiously compiled different questions to think about in my head to possibly make Yukino more trusting of me-

"M'Lady? I am really choked up with numerous documents that I need to tend to. If you would please.."

"Oh. Um, alright I-I ah I'm so sorry. I really didn't mean to intrude-"

"It's okay. It's okay.." My hands felt in defeat while I listened to the broken voice of hers. I nodded in response and turned my back towards her. Am I really going to do this? To leave and not say a single word to amend us? I clutched the icy door knob in hesitation- trying to hold up my faltering stance of strength.

"I'm sorry. Truly I am," The air in the room was consumed by silence and I hastily vomited out the words I have been holding in.

"When you were still in Sabertooth, I know I treated you horribly and I myself am disgusted by my actions. And I know I can never give back the time I used to belittle you back which is why I'll say this," I faced her shocked mask and let out a small smile.

"I don't expect you to forgive me. I don't even expect you to give me another chance after everything I've done to you. But if you do forgive me and if you let me try one more time, I will promise you that I would never repeat any of my past horrendous acts ever again. But if you don't, then I will accept it as it is and would never bother you again," I freed a slight nervous laughter and looked away from her.

"You are a really strong person Yukino. I hope to be as strong as you someday," Ending my hurried apology, I left and never looked back. It's up to her now, to do whatever she wants. I've tried didn't I? I hugged my body tightly- knowing full well that hot tears were prickling the inner corner of my eyes. Why am I so unstable? I dodged all the passing bodies near me and huddled my arms closer to myself. I need to get out of here. I need to be somewhere alone and peaceful. I closed my eyes and raised my head to the sky. Sensing a place with no energy, so no humans would disturb my solace. My mind clicked, as I sensed an area nearby a river where no chunks of energy, utterly tiny specks which I assumed to be insects. I gathered my powers and teleported there in a flash, landing on a monstrous rock with lilies sprouting from the sides. The moon graced its beauty on the river below, the cool waters clashing soothingly with the rocks and pebbles surrounding it. This is an amazing place to be emotional. Yes, an amazing place to cry my sorrows out.

Hello again fellow readers. To those who are new here, welcome to my fanfic! To those who have waited for the past years here is why I was absent. As many of you all know I have been depressed for a very long time. Generally things really never improved for the past two to three years while I was gone. Instead it just got worse and worse.

I would not go into detail about what I went through but needless to say it had to do with a failed suicide attempt. I am proudly saying this now as I feel this is something that I have to come clean with myself and with all of you who have waited so many years for me to update.

I have just finished my national exams last year too and typically my results were not as good as I wanted it to be but I am dealing with it right now by trying to stay more stable mentally. I am using this part and time to say that I am tremendously thankful and appreciative of those of you who have read this fanfic and love especially those who gave so many words of encouragement to keep living in my life.

You do not know how much you guys have impacted me which is why I would also like to apologise as well. If you feel my fanfic isn't good or anything negative, I am really sorry I didn't mean to offend anyone in any way. I apologise too since I took so long just to update this fanfic which is unfair to you readers out there.

However in regards to the suicide attempt, I am now seeing a psychologist on a monthly basis to fight this depression away. I am trying to make sure I will stay strong enough to keep pushing forward and not let my depression win over me. On this topic, I just want to say to those of you who have depression or suicidal thoughts, please I beg of you seek professional help. Truthfully speaking, I am struggling with my psychologist too and I wonder sometimes if I am really going to better but I won't know until I try for a longer period of time.

Call a suicide hotline if you need to but please do not make the same choice that I did. I love you all and the support you gave me also I will try my best to update my next chapter as soon as I can but I can't promise it will be fast since I will start my tertiary education very soon.

Don't worry because I don't think I will be commiting another attempt on my life soon and I hope you will look forward to the next chapter. And if you are wondering, yes there are many suspicious things in this chapter which will be answered in the future chapters.

Once again, thank you :)

*To those who need this, click /resource/list-international-suicide-hotlines