We have Changed

Chapter Thirteen- To the End

Minerva's POV

I felt my heart begin to race as my body went into survival mode. I saw Jackal come to me, and he nodded his head. I knew what he had in mind.

"Unison raid: Blast to Hell!" We shouted as we pointed out curse at the demons. In a flash of light, it seemed their bodies had been burned to a crisp. Though they kept marching on. I turned to my left and saw Mira Jane, throwing punch after punch against her enemy. When there was nothing but a mangled corpse, I went to her.

"Mira, go to the lower half of the cube and destroy the lab. Otherwise, they will be reborn." I told her and a saw devious smirk spread across her lips.

"Thanks, and make sure to get rid of as many of these bastards as you can." and then she was on her way, batting her scaly wings. I smiled, before going into the thick of the battle, attacking any and all enemies. I felt like crying, as I saw some of my friends fight with everything they had. I was so proud to see the way they moved as a team, one attack leading to the next. It amazing to see the fruits of their fighting. The demons were falling, their bodies burning into nothing, leaving only these small black orbs. Then even those vanished. Abruptly, Mira Jane flew into the room, marks of fighting covering her. From her disheveled hair, to her slightly bruised skin, and the little tears in her leather wings. I returned to the battle, as a knife scraped against my cheek. I growled, and laid my claws into their skull, exploding their head. After their corpse fell to the ground, I looked for my next prey. Natsu and Gray were fighting Mard Geer, while Rogue and Sting were battling it out with Jiemma. They were tearing the cube apart, and I felt my heart pound in my chest again, as I saw Sting being thrown through the walls, and to side of the cube. I teleported to the side of the cube, immediately searching for him amongst the deserted terrain.

"Sting! Sting where are you?!" I screamed as I frantically run about, looking amongst the dead nature. Then I heard the sound of coughing and rushed to the sound. Sting was buried in debris, a white light glowing around him faintly. He was still in dragon-slayer mode, but I could see his light was fading.

Immediately a sensation I never felt before filled me. An anger that had once been my friend became tainted by fear. Something was building in my chest. I gazed at Sting as I felt a warmth surround me. He looked tired, yet peaceful. Even surrounded by the filth of sins, he was a light. Tears poured my eyes, and I continued to watch as Sting died in front of me.

That was when it happened. The thing inside my chest exploded from me, a scream releasing from my lips as waves of light escaped me. I let go of my chains of reality, and was floating to a world few knew. At first I was surrounded by only white light, then a form appeared before me.

"Hello, Princess." Sting said to me as he walked towards me. He looked as he had the days after the grand magic games. His smile bright, his eyes even brighter. He then stood before me.

"Sting." I whispered as I was caught in how alive he seemed, so unlike his dying form. I wanted to touch him, but I was frozen.

"We only have so much time before reality hits." He told me, as he gazed into my eyes. He grabbed me, and pulled me into a hug.

"That's not going to be enough," I said as I placed my lips against his. My heart immediately began to race and I was stuck. Then I took his face in my hands, and kissed him as if my life depended on it. And in a way it was far worse. I would probably never get a chance to do this again. So I just kissed him while I could. When we came up for breath, he looked happier than I'd ever seen.

"I love you, Minerva." He said to me as he gasped for air. "And I hope you'll forgive me." Then everything went black. A horror filled me, as I came to foresee my reality. My life of regret, if I awoke and Sting was not there. No more of his light smile, and warmth, and gentle humor. Only the dark. I would again be alone, with no light to guide me into something better. I screamed, and cried. I clawed at my skin.

I was alone. And it would forever be that way. Just as Jiemma claimed it would be.

"You will always be alone, you will never know love."

Suddenly I felt something touch my skin. It was warm, and gentle. I closed my eyes, and hoped for it to be something besides the dark.

"Princess?" I gasped at that voice I had come to adore. A whisper of breath brushed against my skin. "We've come for you, Princess."

I opened my eyes, and tears began to fill my eyes again. It was Sting, he was still alive, and he was smiling right at me. Holding me in his arms, like I was a broken thing. And in many ways, I was.

"Lets go home." He told me, as he walked on. I looked around as I grasped at his chest. My fists clenched around his shirt. We were now surrounded by the destruction of the Cube, and mages. Surrounded by Magnolia's forestry.

"What happened?" I whispered to him as I nestled against him.

"We won. Tartaros has been defeated. Jiemma is officially dead. And Mars Geer is gone as well, though Lucy lost one of her keys to save us from him. As for you. You awoke something within you." He explained as we walked. The sound of his heart beating inside my ear, it seemed to be racing

"What do you mean?" My heart started to speed up in my chest again. I feared what might have happened in my moments of unconsciousness.

"You can summon dark and light from within your realms. You used it to feed me and Rogue. You were surrounded by waves of light and darkness. You looked beautiful." He said against my neck. I smiled and held on to him tighter and he kissed my forehead. That was when I froze.

"Sting I have something to ask." I said as I looked up and into his blue eyes. He stopped and gazed at me with a bit of nervousness.

"What is it?"

"Do you like me? Because I really like you." I declared to him, my heart pounding inside my chest. What if it was all hallucinations? What if he was lying? I awaited his response with an open heart, and a fearful mind. That was when his lips spread into a smile, and laughed.

"Yes, I like you Minerva." He answered, as he kissed my forehead. I looked into his eyes, grabbed his face. Then pulled him down for a real kiss. When I released him I placed my feet onto the ground, and stood before him. I surveyed around us, we had arrived on the edge of Magnolia.

"They didn't even get to Magnolia?" I asked as I studied the empty atmosphere of the town. Without the people, it was too quiet. Yukino came beside me, and smiled. Her arm was looped into Rogue's. He stood silently, though his lips were curved into a slight smile.

"Yeah, but some of the other towns weren't so lucky. They had a second half of a plan to remove all magic from the world. Though that was stopped before it could get too far." Yukino explained, as she seemed to dance with Rogue.

"We did what we had to, and with that we will rebuild." Ezra claimed as she stood with the rest of her guild. Dressed in a construction worker's uniform. Her smile transcending through the pain.

"We shall keep going till the very end." I added, as I pulled Sting to me. I grabbed him and kissed him again. He pulled back for a second.

"I will stay with you till the end." He whispered, and I felt my face catch fire. He chuckled quietly before kissing me back.

I hope this never ends.