Bright Red Eyes.

Chapter 23: Winners and losers.

Sting POV.

"We did it guys! We won!"
"Damn right!"
"Let's celebrate!"

"How the hell could you celebrate?!"

Everyone looks over to see Erza on the ground, Jellal laying with his head on her lap as blood trickles from his mouth and forehead. Tears drip from Erza's eyes as she pulls him closer, her clothes and gear covered in blood.
She cries for him to wake as more people come over the comfort her.

I join them soon enough, helping hold her back as they check Jellal's wounds and pronounce him dead.

Erza fights and scratches me as she begs for him to come back, to care for her and their child. I hold her back as they take him away. She falls to the ground as she screams for him.
I kneel and pull her to me, whispering comforting things to her. She clings to me and cries into my shoulder, mumbling about how she needs Jellal.

"Erza.... I know it must be hard... But we're here for you..."

"I n-need him S-Sti-ing..."

"I know... And if you need any help I'm here for you, we all are..."

Erza just nods, trying to wipe her flowing tears.

"He will always love you Erza... And he'd want you to move on..."

Erza nods again trying to stand.
I help her and call over a few people to help her to a spare tent, knowing her own tent that she shared with Jellal would be too much for her.
They take her carefully and lead her away.

I look around to find many others carrying off the bodies of Elfman and Evergreen as Mira cries and follows. Her words jumbling into things of;
'My fault...'
'They're gone....'
'Should be me...'
'Saved me...'
Etc.

Lisanna was screaming for her older brother to come back as Bickslow holds her to his chest and cries with her, mumbling about Evergreen.
Mira soon joins them in their fit of tears and heartbreak.

"GAJEEL!!"

I close my eyes at the sound of Levy's tearful and broken voice. Her crying could be heard from across the field as she screamed for him to wake up and be okay, her screaming soon turns to begging as the time goes on. Then a voice of horror comes that I wasn't ready for.

"Gajeel...?"

I look over to see Rogue, just out of the tent, staring at Gajeel in horror. He gets on his knees beside Levy and starts shaking Gajeel's shoulder.

"Gajeel, get up!"

I walk over slowly.

"Rogue..."

His gaze turns to me, tears in his eyes.

"Y-you're okay..."

"Yeah..."

He hugs me swiftly, his arms tight around my waist as he cries into my chest. I rub his back and kiss his head.

"I'm so sorry Rogue..."

He pulls back and looks at me, wiping his eyes and ridding his tears. His eyes roam my face, taking in every cut and forming bruise.
He cups my cheek and runs a thumb lightly along my cheek bone.

But soon enough his eyes wander from my face and to the massacre behind me. His eye widen and he pulls away from me, pushing me back in the making.
He stumbles back and narrows his eyes at me.

"You... I trusted you!"

I wince at the heartbreak in his voice. My eyes close and I dig my nails into my wrists.

"Rogue... I had too..."

"Like hell! You swore! You promised me!"

Guilt was one of the only things I could feel, I betrayed him, hurt him... He's right... I did promise... But, I couldn't let my people, no, my family die.

"I did what I had too to protect my family!"

"And you preformed a massacre on mine!"

The next thing I know I'm on the ground with Rogue on top of me, his hands on my shoulders with anger and hurt in his eyes.
He hisses at me and tightens his grip on my shoulders.

"You're a monster."

"So are you Disto."

Rogue gets tugged off of me by Natsu and Gray, the both on them holding a gun to him. Rogue struggles and snarls at them.

"Let go of me!"

"Sorry, but we've gotten all the info we need from you. Now we can drop the act and you'll be put out of your misery."

"Act? Hold on, I thought you guys were my friends?"

"Far from. Sting was with you to get us information."

"N-no..."

Rogue looks at me with the look of hurt again, his eyes wide with tears and his mouth slightly parted. He shakes his head.

"I gave you all of me... My heart, my trust... My body.... And it was all for an act... You never loved me..."

I shake my head, my heart breaking a little with every one of his words.

"No, that's not true Rogue..."

He yanks away from Natsu and Gray and stumbles back. He starts to run away from the camp. Natsu raises his gun and aims at Rogues back.
My eyes widen and I step closer, snapping out of my shock.

"Natsu n-"

A gunshot rings though the land.