*Title: Path of Light
Genre: Romance, Hurt/Comfort, Angst
Word Count: 3660
Summary: It was forbidden love. One who walked in the light and the other not allowed to be with those within that light. But when both met, they had quickly started to fall. Will they be able to conquer the line that separates them? -A short love story *Slight Spoilers*

A/N: Sad to say, there's no one to officially pair Meredy with. Even Hiro doesn't give any hints. What? NO! Jellal is too old for her and besides, he's Erza's now. It's proven. That "Punishment" rule they have, I hope there's something in it for Meredy too. I hope it's not just show for Jerza romance angst. I want some drama about that and Meredy. Haha but it seems improbable. Please Hiro, don't ruin my expectations. XD

The only one I can pair Meredy up with is Sting. Not Rogue because he's mine... Just kidding. Hiro is hinting him with Yukino so he's out of the question. Well, so here's StiRedy, StiMer, MerIng, MereSti, or whatever the combination. I couldn't think of a good one. :3

Anyway, I've said too much! On with the story! BUT PLEASE READ THIS PART OF MY NOTES. Wait, I forgot, WARNING: SPOILERS! For those who don't read the manga. :))) Spoilers starting now: Also, for this story, let's assume nothing like that happened to dear Ultear. Okay? :) This story is cliche by the way. Hihi~

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Fairy Tail.

The day was coming to a close. The sun was slowly setting down, almost touching the point where the house roofs met with the sky. Colors ranging from orange to violet streamed across the blue, painting the sky into an abstract which message to all is known. Not even white clouds were saved by this spread of colors. As much as people would like to define this time as a quiet and peaceful sun set, it's not.

Everyone in the land of Fiore was rejoicing! What they thought was their doom had actually been stopped. The dragons that had come from the eclipse gate were finally gone. What other reason could there be to stop them from celebrating? Even the skeptical ones who did not witness the event were infected by the glee of the celebrating people. Whilst the festivity in the streets, the mages who had brought their country victory and freedom were busy preparing for something else. Each inn had their own noise, busy for their own preparations and in the inn where Fairy Tail was at, a certain female voice was amongst the voices of the rowdy guild troublemakers.

"What? Ul, we're going now?!" Meredy exclaimed, reluctantly packing back the items she had just brought out.

"Yes, we are. We can't stay much longer. Council guards are coming soon." Ultear answered. The girl sighed. After revealing Jellal's true identity to the mages from the Council, they were sure they will still be pursued after the chaos was over even, if his intentions were good. It was to be expected anyway and they took the risk.

"You mean we're not going to the party tonight at the castle? It's a once in a lifetime chance!" she asked again, hoping her persistence would make the woman change her mind. But Ultear had her heart set on going away early.

"I'm sorry Meredy, but Ultear is right. We hav―"

"Yeah, why don't you guys stay for the night?" Erza suddenly intercepted, making Jellal quiet. She was now in her gown and Jellal found himself silently wishing he could go as well. He was blinded by her beauty that was currently amplified to such extent. "It's not like the Council would expect you to go to a public gathering." she continued.

"Yeah! Please Ul! And besides, what did we buy this gowns for anyway?" The pink-haired girl insisted as she held up a paper bag with their outfits in it.

"I never even agreed on buying it." she said sternly but upon looking at Meredy's pleading eyes, she softened. The young girl had a powerful spell on her that made her seem irresistible. "Okay, fine." she finally said, much to the young girl's joy. "But we're leaving at midnight." Ultear finished.

"Fine by me." Meredy replied, jumping up and down in glee. Jellal agreed and they went to fix themselves for the upcoming party.

/\/\/\/\/\/

"WOW! Amazing! The castle is so big!" Meredy said as they entered the venue. The party had already started. In fact, they were late since they just recently prepared for it. But being in a rush, they actually did quite well to look good. Meredy was wearing a glittering pink gown that complimented her hair and had a slit at the side that exposed her right leg up to her thigh. She wore black elbow-long gloves and her hair was tied up like usual, except, it was adorned with fake cherry blossoms. But of course, she didn't lose her signature of having some kind of head gear on. She just replaced it with something that went well with her dress. Ultear, on the other hand, wore a gown that was sky blue. It had ruffles at different parts and had sequences that made it shine at some parts. Her hair was tied up behind with a clip, letting the edges of her hair stick up naturally. Jellal wore a black tuxedo with a red cloth stuffed in the front. The cloth went up to his face, covering the lower half of it. It may sound corny but for some reason, it actually went well with his suit. Although they did a good job to blend in, they didn't really know what to do since they knew nobody except for the Fairy Tail mages, who were busy doing their own things. They just decide to stay beside the juice area, hoping to refresh themselves before something wild happens, especially with certain mages running around freely.

"Ah! I'm glad you guys came! I wasn't expecting you to do so." Lucy said as she approached them.

"I just got forced to come here." Ultear noted. Lucy just shrugged. She was fully aware of how the group have to keep moving.

"Why don't you guys enjoy yourselves here? Don't just stand there!" she beamed, before leaving them again to attend to her friend calling. They stood there for a while until finally, Jellal walked to a crowd where Mermaid Heel mages were. Apparently, a certain red-haired woman was standing out. Now, only the two women were left.

"Ul, don't you think I'm wearing too much pink? My gown is pink and my hair is already pink." Meredy asked out of the blue, just to strike up a conversation. Ultear studied her, looking up and down.

"No. You look just find, Meredy." she said after staring at her intently. "If you'll ask me, that gown suits you." she finished, smiling brightly for the girl. The younger one said her thanks. Suddenly, someone came up to them.

"Ultear." the person said flatly.

"Gray." she replied in the same tone.

"Uhm.. I like your dress. It's.. Like ice." he tried to explain as he looked to the side. Ultear smiled, realizing the compliment.

"Thank you."

"I'm glad you guys came. Would you like to meet Lyon? He, uh, was one of Ul's students, you know?" he asked and with that, their conversation led them unconsciously into the sea of people. Meredy couldn't help but smile to herself at how her companions were doing but her smile soon faded, realizing how alone she was. She didn't really know anyone else in the crowd. The only one she could think of talking to was Juvia but when her eyes found her, the water mage seemed transfixed at glaring at Ultear who seemed to be enjoying herself, talking to Gray. Jealousy was obvious in those raging eyes. She sighed. She was the one who so badly wanted to go to the party yet she was the one left alone.

Shouts filled the air around her. She listened to them, one of her only entertainment besides watching the people fool around. "I challenge you to a duel! Right here, right now!" "Shut up! This is the palace, idiots!" "Wow! Look at that chandelier!" "What will happen if I pull his beard?" "Where's Natsu?" "Hey, I'm gonna go get a drink." Someone was coming towards her area, considering what that last person she paid attention to said. She looked left and right but saw no sign of anyone coming. Was she really that desperate of having someone to chat with that even her mind was imagining things? She sighed again, feeling defeated for some reason.

"Hey miss. Why are you alone?" someone suddenly said, surprising her. Right beside her, a man with blond hair stood, smiling at her. "Were you looking for someone?"

"Ah! No, not really. Well, yes, kind of. N-No one in particular! Just... someone to talk to." she stammered, although she had no idea why she did. 'What is it about this guy that made me lose my composure?' she thought. He gave her a cup of juice. With him being up close, she studied his hand some features. With him in the party, he was probably in the tournament as well. In fact, she knew he was but the image and name still had not rung the bell.

"Really? You're feeling lonely in this party? Well, I have free time since the person I wanted to spend time with isn't here." he said as he stood beside her, joining her in watching the people. What he said made her heart twist. She didn't know why.

"Is it a girl?" she asked in a teasing manner. He laughed.

"What? No! Haha! I'm just waiting for Natsu-san. I don't have a girl." he said, leaning onto the wall behind them. She smiled slightly at this. He looked at her intently, making her blush. "So, what guild are you from? I don't remember seeing you in the Games." he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh! I'm not really from any of the guilds in the Games. Let's just say our friends from Fairy Tail invited as along." she replied, feeling a bit more comfortable with talking to him.

"Really?! Then you must know Natsu-san if you're friends with them!" he asked eagerly. She told him how they met was a long story and she wasn't really close with most of the members. They talked about random stuff and to Meredy's relief, he didn't ask too much questions about her. Time flew by them without them noticing. That is, until Sting's exceed approached them.

"Ah! An exceed! So cute!" Meredy exclaimed, picking up Lector.

"He's my exceed. His name is Lector." the cat grinned at being called cute.

"By the way Sting-kun, what's taking you so long?" the little red cat asked.

"Oh? I've been away for that long?" he asked, a bit surprised

"I'm sorry. I must've taken too much of your time. You can go if you want." Meredy said, although she didn't want him to leave. She just didn't want him to get the impression that she wanted him to stay.

"Are you sure it's okay, miss?" the dragon slayer asked. Lector looked at Sting's wide grin and Meredy's light blush. Obviously, his partner seemed to enjoy himself so much, at least, so much with a girl. He never really saw him enjoy this much with a girl. He suddenly felt like he was interrupting their conversation. He flashed a knowing smile. He hopped off of Meredy's hug.

"I was just worried why you didn't come back Sting. Don't worry. I'll just be with Rogue!"

"Okay Lector!" he said before facing back at Meredy.

"Are you sure you won't be going with him?" the coral pink-haired girl asked, tilting her head slightly to the side.

"You want me to?" he asked.

"N-No. I! I mean, I just didn't want to be a.. bother or something a-and.. Yeah." she blushed furiously, mentally slapping herself at letting it slip. She wished he didn't notice. She looked away to hide the redness of her cheeks. He chuckled, much to her surprise. 'Oh no, did he notice?' she thought. All of a sudden, the mood of the music changed. People started dancing a slow, romantic kind of dance at the center of the venue. The two watched them.

"Would you like to dance?" he finally asked, lending out a hand to her. She smiled and accepted it and he led her to the dance floor.

Their dance was awkward at the first. They were in the usual formation. Meredy had her hands on Sting's shoulders while he had his on her waist. They danced to the slow tune, neither looking anyone directly to the eye. Both of them either looked to the side or straight ahead. It wasn't until the song ended did they finally interact. Meredy was about to let go but Sting held her in place, tightening his grip.

"Let's continue dancing." he said with a sheepish grin. Meredy found this cute and placed her hands back on his shoulders. Some people left the circle but the two continued until the next song finally started.

"So, uhm.. Why me?" the girl asked, still looking away although he was now looking right at her.

"Why not?" he asked back.

"I mean, you could ask one of your friends, you know."

"But like I said, I don't have a girl. And I'm just usually with Rogue and Lector. And besides, this is a great way to know you!" he said, giving her a big grin. She blushed but this time, she didn't look away. "What about you? Any guy?"

"Nah." she chuckled.

"Why not? Why would a beautiful girl like you not have a guy with her?" he asked but he suddenly wanted to take back what he said. He blushed madly but he wasn't the only one. Meredy was just as surprised as he was, but it made her smile.

"I have to say the same for you." She admitted. He looked back at her and at that moment, something made them feel connected, like a line linking them to their hearts. Another song was put up and ever since their first dance, they hadn't stopped. He took her left hand with his right and held it in his hand in mid-air. They danced a few more songs and people started noticing them. Soon, they were in the middle of the dance floor, surrounded by other people dancing.

Meredy studied the people around her. Jellal was dancing with Erza, no surprise there. Ultear was dancing with Gray but of course, a certain Juvia can still be found at the background. The blue-haired solid script mage was dancing with that long-haired dragon slayer, much to the dismay of two other mages that were following her always. Everyone seemed to be having a great time. Even the cats were playing around on the dance floor. She smiled to herself, feeling content.

"I'm actually glad I came here." she said, leaning her head on Sting's chest, surprising him. "And I'm a lot more glad I met you." she continued. Sting intertwined their fingers in response. A white smoke-like light formed from underneath them. It surrounded them from below like an aura, swirling around as if dancing with them. Realizing who he was, she didn't need to think too deeply about where the light was coming from. Right now, things were just romantic for her, almost perfect.

"Same here." he simply stated and using his hand that was on her waist, he lifted her chin up. He stared into her eyes before pushing through with his plan. He inch closer, slowly closing his eyes. Meredy did the same... But when their lips were just mere centimeters away, her eyes shot open and she pushed him away. He staggered back a little, a bit surprised. The light he had made underneath them dissipated. She stepped back, holding a hand to her mouth. A few people seemed to have noticed the commotion.

"I.. I'm sorry! I.. I can't―! I..." she tried to tell Sting but she trailed off and just ran away. He was hurt by her actions. He watched her, wide eyed, as she left the place then he sighed when she was out of view. He walked out of the dance floor, ignoring the people who were looking at him with quizzical gazes. He sat beside Rogue, who had just finished dancing with Yukino, and the exceeds.

"So?" the black-haired mage asked. Sting just shrugged. Rogue just stayed quiet, hoping the silence would help his friend. "What's her name?" he asked again. Sting's eyes widened after realizing he never asked her name. He slapped himself on the face. Rogue laughed.

"Do you think I was rushing things?" Sting asked after a few moments. Rogue shook his head but then gave it a thought.

"Kind of, actually. Maybe she had a reason as well? You did see her hesitant reaction, right?" he said.

"Fro thinks so too!" the green exceed exclaimed.

"Also, go chase after her, you idiot! This may be your only chance!" Sting's friend said. He looked at Lector for support.

"Be strong, Sting-kun! I know you are!" the cat said encouragingly. Sting smiled and they did a brofist. Soon, he was out running to the door his dance partner went out of.

/\/\/\/\/\/

"Meredy?" someone called from behind. Meredy was out in the garden, standing over the bridge. She looked down at the water as she thought of how reckless she had been. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even notice the other person's reflection on the water. "Meredy?" the person said once again, putting a hand on her shoulder, which finally caught her attention. She looked at the owner of the hand.

"Ultear..." she murmured. The older mage looked at her with concerned eyes.

"I saw what happened." she stated, unsure of what exactly to say. Once she said that, the younger one turned around and hugged her tightly.

"Ul! I can't! I can't fall inlove with him! He.. He walks in the path of light! A-And I mean literally as well.!" she sobbed. Ultear held the girl close. She didn't know what to say. Who would've known their rule would ruin her little girl's life as well? She just let her cry, at the same time, reminding her that she was there if Meredy needed her.

"Now now, stop crying. It'll ruin your make up and make your eyes red. Enjoy the rest of the time left." Ultear advised, wiping away the tears that stained the girl's face. "Maybe he deserves a little explanation of your sudden actions?"

"B-But.." she trailed off when she heard Sting's voice.

"Where are you?!" he called out and when he turned, their eyes locked.

"I'll be going back now." Ultear said as she walked away. Sting approached Meredy when Ultear left and looked at her sadly, observing the redness and puffiness of her eyes. He lifted a hand to caress her cheek but she flinched away. He frowned at this.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I.." she uttered. He waited eagerly for her explanation. "I.. I.. ... can't." she said, debating to herself whether to tell the truth or a lie.

"Can't? Can't what?" he asked again, running a hand through his hair. Meredy bit her lower lip. Fresh new tears started to form at the corner of her eyes, threatening to fall. Sting retracted back, surprised, but regained his composure quickly.

"I can't.. Fall.. in love with.. you." she said in between sobs. Sting held her hand, which was balled up tightly into a fist. He looked into her eyes, asking a silent question. 'Why not?' Meredy swallowed hard. This was it, the moment she was dreading.

"B-Because.. I..." So many possible things to say came to her mind. She was a witch. She was a sinner. She did too many wrong things in her life. He walked in the path of light. She can't because she's not allowed to love him. All those were the truth. "I have someone waiting for me!" she blurted out with eyes shut, not wanting to see his reaction. Through all the thoughts that came to her head, she had chosen a lie, and a very terrible one indeed. She kept her eyes shut but she felt his hold on her hand loosen, then let go. She hated it. She was silently wishing he wouldn't let go... But he had believed her.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't know. I shoulda asked first. M-My fault." he said quietly, looking down. Meredy wiped her tears carefully, hoping not to smudge the make-up. She so badly wanted to hug him but that wouldn't help her case at all.

*Ding! Dong!*

The large clock tower tolled, signaling the strike of 12am. Meredy had this one final chance to do something before leaving. She placed a hand on his cheek to make him look at her but he wouldn't budge. She let go. She took a few steps back. "Sting, right?" she asked, making sure of his name rhetorically. With that, she ran away.

When she touched his cheek, he was surprised but still couldn't look at her. But when he heard her say his name, he had remembered that he forgot to ask for her name and when he looked back at her spot, she was gone, nowhere to be seen in the garden as well. He ran back to the party to find her. But after minutes of looking, Rogue stopped him. He tried to escape his grasp on his elbow, not wanting to give up, but he held him in place.

"They already left." Rogue said, pointing out the main door. He nodded and ran out but when he passed through the doors, nothing met him but the cold breeze of the night. He dropped to his knees and forced the tears not to fall. For some reason, strong feelings rushed into him, making him want to cry, doubling his pain as well. His friend placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I wasn't even able to ask for her name." he said, his voice cracking a bit.

"Meredy."

"W-What?"

"Her name's Meredy." Rogue said.

"How did you know?" the blond asked eagerly, his ears perking up at the sound of her name.

"After seeing who she was with, I immediately recognized the trio." he explained.

"It doesn't matter. She already has a boyfriend." Sting stated darkly as he stood up.

"You really believe that?" Rogue asked.

"..." Sting didn't know what to answer. It hurt him too much.

"You really don't listen to rumors. You should try listening once in a while." his fellow dragon slayer said, walking back inside. Sting followed him but not before looking back one last time outside. He noticed a small cherry blossom flower on the road, one that had probably fallen of her head piece. He picked it up. It smelled of vanilla, something that reminded him of her perfume. It's color also reminded him of her hair. In fact, everything about it reminded him of her and it was his only reminder of this 'special' day. He placed it in his pocket before running to catch up with Rogue.

A/N: This was supposed to be a oneshot but while making the story, another idea came to my mind. So I'll be making one or two more chapters. I hope this chapter was good. :))) thank you for reading! Leave a comment! 3