Vivian's P. O. V:
Later that night, I sit next to Erza at Bar Sun, a wearing a sleeveless pink and black top with a brown skirt beneath and brown flats on my feet. She and I have a slice of strawberry cake before us. My mind keeps wandering back to Rogue and Sting.
"Is there something on your mind, Viv-chan?" Erza asks.
"What do you mean?" I ask, glancing at her.
"I just know you too well. Something must be bothering you," She says, peering at me curiously.
"Oh, uh... it's nothing! Really! I-I promise I'll tell you about it after the Grand Magic Games," I reply, giving her an assuring smile.
"If you say so, Viv-chan," Erza sighs, the both of us returning to our cakes.
At that moment, I a charcoal-burnt fish lands on top of my and Erza's strawberry cakes.
Erza and I stare in disbelief at our destroyed cakes, and we start trembling with suppressed rage. In the background I vaguely hear Happy moan in pain.
Lucy squeals, "Uh, oh! They're going to blow!"
Erza and I scowl angrily. We jump to our feet and storm over to Gray and Natsu, who have gotten into yet another fight.
I yell, "That's enough!!" I bop Gray hard on the head while Erza bops Natsu hard on the head, causing both boys to groan in pain as they collapse on the ground.
It was obvious what had happened: while fighting, Gray had accidentally frozen Happy while Natsu accidentally burnt his fish, and that the frozen Happy had been thrown away as his burnt fish landed in our cakes.
"Sorry, ma' ams!" Natsu and Gray groan apologetically.
I say sternly with my arms crossed below my chest, "Listen you two. We're here to prove that Fairy Tail is the best guild in all of Fiore. That's why we're competing in the Grand Magic Games."
Erza nods her head in agreement as she adds, the backs of her hands on her hips, "The final matchup is just around the corner. It took all of our strength to snag the 1st place spot. Now all the other guilds will be gunning for us. We should be focused and level-headed, so what exactly was the point..."
The redhead and I give Natsu and Gray deathly glares as I finish, "... of ruining our cakes?"
"Huh?!" Natsu, Gray and Lucy, who is standing nearby, gasp in shock.
"On your feet!" Erza commands as she and I requip our swords.
"Die with dignity!" I say, making the males scream loudly in fear as they cling to each other for dear life.
I take on the Fullbuster and thrust my rapier at him while twisting it, using Linear as a form of punishment. The ice wizard cries out at the pain as he drops on his face.
I look around to see that the red haired Requip Magic user is pursuing Natsu while brandishing her sword wildly and yelling, "Get back here, you coward!"
I grin evilly as Natsu screams. That's what they get for destroying our cakes!
I turn my head when the sound of the door opening catches my attention, only to see an irritated-looking Gajeel standing there. "If I ever see another mine car, it'll be too soon," He groans in exaggeration.
"Where've you been? You missed all the cake!" Happy asks, hovering in the air.
"Yeah, jerk! Why'd you take off in the middle of the match?" Natsu demands to know.
"Here we go," Gray sighs, after having recovered from my punch.
Gajeel gets right in the pinkette's face as he demands, "For real?! I just spent half the day crawling out of a hole in the ground, because the lava brain tool in front of me put me down there!"
"Oh..." Natsu turns to the Fullbuster as he asks, "Is that true, Gray?"
"I seriously worry about your lack of brain cells," He mutters.
"That must've been real rough for you!"
"What's your deal?!" Gray asks, flustered.
Gajeel groans as he says, "Argh! Just forget it." He adds as Wendy and Charlele come over, "Anyway, you three, come with me, now—got something to show you."
Natsu just tilts his head curiously.
Once they were gone, I say to Erza, "Well, while they go exploring, I'm gonna go out for awhile."
"To meet you with this friend of yours?" I freeze with my hand on the doorknob at Erza's knowing question, a large sweat drop forming on my head.
"I... uh... I-I don't know what you mean, Erza!" I splutter, whirling back to her while waving my hands back and forth. She just gives me a raised eyebrow with her arms folded below her chest. I slump my shoulders with a heavy mushroom sigh, figuring I may as well just tell her what's been going on. "Fine! I'll tell you! I've been meeting up with someone from the Sabertooth guild this past week! There, I said it! Go on and yell at me!" I know I'm being a bit dramatic, but I don't care.
"Viv, I'm not going to yell at you," Says Erza, much to my surprise.
"Y-You're not?" I ask, stuttering slightly.
Smiling comfortingly, the Scarlet steps up to me and places her gauntlet covered hand on my shoulder. "Of course not! Especially not if he makes you this happy."
"Oh. You've noticed then?" I ask. Erza nods her head.
"Most of us have. If you truly like this Sabertooth member, then you should go to him and tell him how you really feel. But, if he hurts you in any way, shape or form, I will personally hack him into tiny pieces." I wince as she tightens her grip on my shoulder vicelike due to her rising anger.
"U-Um... th-thanks, Erza-chan," I say gratefully. Erza smiles as she releases my throbbing shoulder. "By the way, if I tell him how I feel, then you should go find Jellal-kun and tell him how you feel."
A Cheshire Cat grin forms on my face when the Scarlet's face turns as red as her hair. "I-I don't know wh-whatever do you m-mean!" She splutters nervously. I can't help but chuckle.
"Oh, I think you do!" I sing before I make my get away to my usual meeting spot with the Shadow Dragon Slayer.
🗡🗡🗡
I walk through the night dark streets to the fountain in the plaza. I also hope that Rogue is alright, considering he sustained some bad injuries during his fight with Natsu and Gajeel.
The fountain soon comes into my view and I see Rogue sitting at the fountain, bandages wrapped around his head. He looks up as I approach.
"Hello, Rogue!" I greet brightly, stopping by him. "How are you feeling?"
"Alright... I suppose," He murmurs as I perch on the bench. I notice that Frosch is looking down, a depressed expression on his features. I return my gaze to Rogue's face and see there's a grim look in his eyes. I also notice there's a bandaid on his nose and a square shaped bandage is on his left cheek.
"Okay. Spill it. What's with the long faces?" I ask.
"L-Lector i-is gone," Says Frosch sadly, sniffling. My eyes widen at this.
"What do you mean, "gone?" What happened?"
I look back at Rogue as he tells me that Jones was so disappointed in his and Sting's losses to Natsu and Gajeel that he'd ended up "destroying" Lector. But, apparently, Minerva had "saved" Lector by using her Territory Magic, only to use him against Sting in order to make Sting win the final round on Sunday night.
I stare at Rogue with wide eyes, unable to believe what I'm hearing. My blood boils in rate at what both Jiemma and Minerva had done.
"Oh, Rogue-kun! I'm so sorry!" I apologise. I immediately wrap my arms around his head and shoulders and pull Rogue towards me so he can rest his head on my chest, my arms acting as a protective cocoon. "I'll get Lector back for you and Sting, I promise!"
Rogue was surprised by my action for a moment but then he was hugging me back, his hands gripping my shirt tightly, hands trembling a little, as though I were his only lifeline. I stroke Rogue's black hair, which is surprisingly soft despite how it looks.
We remain that way for a long while before Rogue sits back up, his earlier grim expression having subsided somewhat. "Do you feel better now?" I ask gently, brushing back his bangs and briefly showing his right crimson eye.
"Much. Thank you, Viv-chan," Rogue replies, nodding. I give him a closed eye smile, happy I was able to make my friend feel better.
"Were you surprised when you didn't see me on the new Fairy Tail team?" I ask in a soft voice after a long moment of silence.
"Very. I thought for sure you'd be on the team," Rogue responds.
"Well, Gray-kun wanted the chance for revenge against Rufus, and Gajeel is as stubborn as they come; I don't think I would've been able to change his mind. Though I am glad that I didn't have to fight you."
"Me too," He says,
"Listen, Rogue, I need to tell you something," I begin. "I think that you're the kindest, most generous man I've ever met, and I can't stop thinking about you. I... I really like you, Rogue-kun." Rogue widens his eyes in surprise at my confession. I blush and avert my gaze.
I was surprised to find his lips connecting to mine, causing my breath to hitch in my throat. But then I was leaning into the kiss, my eyes drifting close. My heart goes absolutely crazy in my chest as my cheeks heat up.
After another moment, Rogue and I have to break for air, both of our faces flushed.
"I really like you, too, Viv-chan," Murmurs Rogue, a soft smile on his face. I find myself smiling back as he caresses my left cheek. "And I haven't been able to stop thinking about you, either. You just make me feel things I've never felt before and I can be myself around you."
"Rogue-kun," I murmur before I move closer to him and he wraps his arm around my shoulders. I snuggle into his side as I rest my head on his shoulder.
My eyes drift close in content as Rogue and I remain that way for awhile.
🗡🗡🗡
I return to Bar Sun only to be met with terrible news.
"Lucy's been taken into custody?!" I exclaim as we gather in the bar, Master sitting cross legged on the counter.
"To think that she would be involved in some sort of plot is utterly ridiculous!" Master scoffs, his arms crossed and his eyes closed.
"Let me get this straight," Laxus says, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "We take the top spot, we can ask for her back, but that's only if His Highness allows it?"
"Personally, I have a hard time believing anything that old guy told us," Gray grumbles.
"Juvia feels the same," The Lockser adds.
"ARE WE JUST SUPPOSED TO PUT UP WITH THIS CRAP FROM THOSE JERKS?!! UNTIE ME AND I'LL GO UP THERE AND GET HER RIGHT NOW!!" Natsu proclaims, a vein visibly popping in his forehead. He's currently being tied to a post in order to prevent the pinkette from charging into the Murcurious Palace and freeing our comrade.
Wendy says as she holds up her hands placatingly, "Just calm down and do what Master tells us."
"No violence!" I reprimand Natsu. I turn to him as I place the backs of my hands to my hips, a displeased frown on my face. "Honestly! I can't leave you guys alone for two minutes before things turn to shit!"
"It'll be us against the whole army, you know!" Happy points out, holding up a paw.
"Master?" Erza asks, her arms crossed.
A thoughtful expression crosses Master's face as he places his hand on his chin, and says, "... We can't afford to take reckless action against the kingdom. And they surely wouldn't want word to spread that they mistreat innocent civilians... but I suppose we should consider her a hostage until this Eclipse project of theirs is called off."
Laxus mutters in agitation, "Man! They've got us by the you-know-what, don't they?"
"She's a hostage," I murmur in disbelief.
Gajeel mumbles, "There's one thing I don't really understand. If all of us know about this big secret they're trying to hide, why'd they let us walk away free?"
Natsu snaps, "You expect them to make any kind of sense?!"
"It was obvious that Colonel Arcadious was the primary target they were after. So maybe they let us go so we could testify against him later," Lily muses.
"I don't know," Happy murmurs.
Charlele says, "It'll still be risking their secret getting out."
Erza muses, "Perhaps they feel it can't be kept secret much longer."
Gray states, "It's still weird they didn't keep us there. Nobody would've found out about it."
"That's true," Juvia agrees.
Mira says, "I'm not so sure about that. You're all on the first place team, high profile. It would be pretty suspicious if you all just didn't show up for the final match tomorrow."
Juvia muses, "I can imagine the kingdom doesn't want to get on the bad side of every wizard guild in the country."
I say, "The royal army isn't known for acting rashly and taking citizens for no reason. If we knew what the real justification for her capture was, perhaps we could use that to help her..."
Natsu growls as he breaks free of his bonds, "HEY!! WE ALL NEED TO QUIT FLAPPING OUR GUMS AND DO SOMETHING—!!"
Natsu is cut off when Master enlarges his fist and slams it down on top of him, pinning Natsu to the floor. "SIMMER DOWN!!"
"Whoa...!" Happy says, sweat dropping.
"A member of our family has been taken against her will. Believe me, we all want justice right now," Master says. "That being said, we can't just charge head long into conflict like we usually do—it's too risky. However, we are not cowards, and we will not let them get away with this!!"
Master finally releases the pinkette as he declares, "We are Fairy Tail!!"