Vivian's P. O. V:
Rogue and I return to the hotel, his arm around my shoulders as I carry Frosch.
"Where've you two been?" Gray asks as we walk past towards our room.
"Yeah. You were gone an awful long time," Happy adds, snickering.
I roll my eyes as I say, "I just needed to clear my head and Rogue joined me. We only talked. That's all."
"You sure about that?" Happy asks.
I frown at him. "Shut it, cat."
"You sure it's okay for you to be out with Iroh around?" Lucy asks as she and Natsu walk down the hall.
"I had nothing to worry about," I tell her, snuggling closer into Rogue's side as he tightens his arm around me. "Roguey was with me the whole time, even though I know I can take Iroh by myself."
Gray and Natsu stare at me with a raised eyebrow. "What gives?" The Dragneel asks. "You were all down in the dumps during dinner, but now you're basically like your old self."
"Roguey cheered me up is all," I say, puffing my cheeks a little.
Happy teases, "I think I know how, too!" I shoot him a dark look as my eyes flash dangerously, like Erza's. Happy cries out and hugs Gray's leg.
"Aaahhh! Save me, Gray! Viv-chan is getting all scary again!"
Gray just deadpans at him as I rest my head on Rogue's shoulder. Gray mutters, "Well, maybe you should stop teasing her about her and Rogue."
"Anyway, Viv," Says Lucy seriously, "are you sure you can face it h tomorrow?"
"I know I can this time," I say as I tilt my head towards her. "Because this time, I'm not alone in this fight." My teammates and Rogue smile at me.
"Aye!" Cheers Happy.
Rogue and I return to our room as we all get ready for bed.
🗡🗡🗡
The next night, in my work attire, I have dinner with my teammates before we get started with the mission again. We split up into teams of two. Rogue and I were one team. Then Erza and Wendy. Lucy and Natsu and Sting and Gray.
"Where do you suppose he could be hiding?" Asks Rogue as we search a part of the city.
"I'm not sure, but it must've been near the plaza," I muse. I cast my gaze downward as I walk, feeling a bit anxious about the upcoming fight.
"Then I've no doubt he'll show up very soon," Murmurs the Cheney.
We fall silent as we continue to search for my childhood friend.
🗡🗡🗡
Almost two hours have passed before Rogue and I stop on a roof, the late night breeze tossing our hair and clothes.
"Anything?" I ask into my earpiece.
"Nothing yet," Reports Erza. The others respond similarly.
I scowl, braving a foot on the ledge of the roof. "He's gotta be here somewhere!"
"He'll show up soon enough, Viv-chan. I know it," Rogue tells me assuringly. I glance at him as I nod, really grateful that he's here.
Something catches my attention and I blink my eyes, seeing a familiar huge figure firing bullets of flame at buildings. Civilians scream as they try to run away from Iroh.
"He's here!" I exclaim, before I launch myself from the roof, startling my mate. He was quick to report to the others and follow after me. I land in a superhero stance with my knees bent, left leg stretched behind me slightly and my hand on the ground to brace myself, before I take off at a run for the fire mage. I turn a corner and skid to a sharp stop, a dark glare on my features. "Iroh!"
That got his attention. Iroh turns to me, flames swirling around his fist.
"Ah, Vivian-chan! I was wondering when you'd show up," Says Iroh. He then thrusts his hand towards me. I dodge the fire attack. I then turn and charge for Iroh before I swing my left fist. It connects to his jaw in an uppercut that knocks him backwards. Iroh grunts with a frown before sending his flame covered fists for me. I easily evade his punches. "I'm surprised you're facing me alone, Viv-chan. Where are your friends?"
"It's just you and me, Iroh," I tell him before I leap up and land a roundhouse kick to his head. He staggers backwards before I run towards him. I throw my own punches as he evades them. I manage to land a right hook to his jaw that causes him to stagger. Iroh scowls in frustration as he jerks upright. I run up to the dark haired man and bend my knees. With a backflip, I kick Iroh under the chin that knocks him backwards.
Iroh catches his footing and swings his leg for my face. I catch it in my hands. With a grunt of exertion, I spin around and throw Iroh onto his back. Iroh throws up a leg to kick me but I jump out of the way.
The Takeover mage flips back onto his feet but I was already launching myself into the air, my left leg raised with a cry of exertion.
"Eat this!" With a mighty swing, I bring my leg down atop Iroh. He blocks my kick and swings his hands around to grab my ankle. I clench my teeth just before Iroh swings me around and throws me onto my back.
A pained grunt escapes me.
Iroh straddles my waist and pins down both wrists. He leans in really close as I glare up at him. "You can make up for your past mistake by joining me now, Viv-chan," Iroh tells me, caressing my left cheek. I continue to glare at him. "If you do, then maybe I'll forgive you. Leave Fairy Tail and join me. Together, we could be the most powerful wizard team in the world!"
Great. Now he sounds like Future Rogue! That just angers me even more.
"Forget it! I'll never join you, Iroh-kun—not after everything you've done," I say darkly.
Iroh takes a few strands of my light chestnut brown hair and rubs it in his slender fingers. "You'll change your mind, especially right after I destroy your friends—and your mate."
"If you touch him..." I growl warningly, my hazel eyes flashing.
"You'll do what? Kill me?" Taunts Iroh. He leans to my left ear. "I'm sorry to burst your bubble, Viv-chan, but you're too weak to do such a thing. I'm going to kill you."
I ram my knee up between his legs. A pained expression crosses Iroh's face but it was enough for him to loosen his hold on my arms. I bring up my left hand and ram my palm beneath his chin powerfully, rocking Iroh's head back.
With a pained cry, Iroh is thrown off of me. He stops himself and clutches his aching chin as I get to my feet.
"You're beginning to annoy me," He says lowly as I stand before him.
I requip my rapier and run at Iroh as I slash it in a crescent form. "Crescent Slash!" Iroh grunts as my attack his him. I slash my sword in an upward diagonal, pink energy emitting from the tip. "Diagonal Sting!" Iroh grunts again as my sword cuts across the front of his body, through his shirt. "Seven Deadly Sins!"
I thrust my rapier at Iroh in the form of a D before I swiftly trace it with my sword, earring a frown of pain from my childhood friend. I then run at him while I thrust my rapier towards Iroh.
Summoning purple flames to his fists, Iroh uses them to block my sword. I slash forwards and grade the underside of Iroh's left forearm. He hisses angrily before thrusting his purple flame covered fist for my face.
I duck to avoid it.
Iroh holds up his hand as he says, "Fire Magic: Purple Rain!" I summon my shield just as balks of purple fire rain down upon me. "Purple Flare!" I then hold my shield in front of me to block the stream of purple fire. "Flame Typhoon!"
With a flick of his wrist, Iroh sends out a swirling ribbon of purple fire at me. I once again use my shield to block it.
"Violet Beam!" Iroh shoots a beam of purple fire at me which I also block with my shield. "Exploding Crimson Wolves!"
My eyes jerk wide and I look up just in time to see three wolves of normal fire running towards me. I throw up my shield just in time to block the explosion as the wolves lunge at me. They explode upon impact, causing me to stagger backwards.
I lower my shield as I dispel it to look at the dark eyed man before me, a displeased expression on my features.
"Just surrender, Iroh," I tell him. My gaze softens slightly. "I really don't wanna fight you. You're my friend. If you surrender now, I may be able to get you out of going to jail." I shoot him a pained glare. "Because that's where you're going to end up if you keep up this nonsense!"
"I'll never stop!" Iroh snaps, his face dark. "It's because of you I've gone down this path! What's happening now... is all your fault! Fire Whip!" I scream as a whip of fire is lashed at me and strikes my left upper arm, knocking me down. I grunt at the pain of the sting in my arm. "If you hadn't left, then maybe I'll have stopped back then." Iroh lashes the whip out at me again and it strikes my shoulder. I wince as I whimper in pain. He strikes me again and again, not giving me a chance to defend myself. "So, really, the only one you have to blame for the destruction of your hometown, is yourself!"
Iroh finally pauses in his whipping. I peer up at him through one eye, the other squeezed closed in pain as I clutch my left arm. "If taking your anger out on me will please you," I say quietly, "then go ahead. All I ask is that you leave my hometown alone. Please. That's all I ask, Iroh-kun."
He sneers down at me as he raises the fire whip. Iroh says, "Sadly, it won't be enough. Once I'm finished with you, I'll finish off the rest of your friends! Starting with that Shadow Dragon Slayer."
I squeeze my eyes close as I brace myself for the next whip strike. I feel it slicing through the air towards me...
I hear a loud grunt of pain and snap my eyes open. I gasp at the figure in black with his back to me as he takes the whip lash for me, the whip striking his left cheek.
"R-Rogue-kun!" I exclaim. He took that hit for me?!
"That enough," Rogue growls lowly, no doubt glaring at the dark eyed man. "I will no longer stand back and watch you make Vivian cry. This is the last time."
"I thought you were hiding somewhere, Rogue Cheney," Says Iroh. "You think you can stop me on your own?"
"I won't let you hurt her anymore!" Yells Rogue angrily. Shadows engulf his right hand. "Shadow Dragon... Slash!" Rogue swings his hand towards Iroh. He slashes Iroh in his left arm just as my childhood friend staggers away. Iroh growls. "Frosch, look after her."
I look up to see Frosch running over to me. He smiles at Rogue as he nods his head. "Okay!"
Activating his Dragon Force with his Shadow Drive, I watch as Rogue melds into the shadows to sneak up on his opponent, the shadow that's my mate flitting across the floor.