Sweet Starry Shadows
Chapter 19: Dragon Tamer
Running as she would frequently stop to smell the air, Sakura hissed as she weaved around the people that were in her way. Her nose picking up the scent of faint vanilla and strawberries along with Rogue's musk scent, she widened her eyes when she noticed the thick smoke visible in the sky.
Pushing herself further where she finally got to the place, she stopped to only open her mouth in horror. "What the hell happened to this place?!" she boomed before noticing three presences moving away at a drastic speed from the location.
With frantic eyes, she looked around. Not being able to find any of the three that had managed to escape, she growled under her breath before making thick roots slowly lift up the huge slabs of concrete and metal poles. "To think that they've swooped down this low," she growled as she carefully removed the broken structures of the building away.
Her ears picking up the very faint heartbeats of the two, she then quickened her working speed just as the other three came. Her body still though, she watched as Sting quickly ran past her to help his partner that was terribly injured.
Letting out a snarl of warning, Sting stopped himself from making physical contact with the Shadow Dragon Slayer. His head slowly turning to look at her, he watched as Sakura weakly looked from one person to the other with her eyes wide and evident with shock. "Is this a sign of an upcoming war?" she whispered as large water orbs engulfed the knocked-out Lucy and Rogue.
Sakura's eyes glowing red, she felt her world collapsing as she could feel her fingertips tingling in uncomfortable excitement. "She's not ready for war... I'm not even strong enough to protect her," she said before turning her head to Yukino. "Please take me to the infirmary..." she said in a detached tone. Turning her head to look back to Sting, she forced herself not to lash out for their idiocy on leaving the two to wander off by themselves. "Call for your members to fix this. I'm pretty sure that the city is going to have an uncomfortable sleep tonight," she said before following Yukino back to the guild building.
Her body feeling lighter for some reason, she slowly opened her eyes and found herself looking to Sakura. With her breathing ragged since she had inhaled a lot of dust into her system, she sighed in relief when the water removed the harmful particles from her throat before removing it through her skin.
Feeling a lot better, she closed her eyes and enjoyed the cooling sensation against her injuries - Especially the one on her leg in which she refused to land her eyes on. Sensing the crimson's eyes landing on her, she weakly smiled as she could hear the girl give out a sigh of temporary relief.
"They didn't touch you, did they?" she asked.
She shook her head before turning her attention to Yukino's figure that would often look back with a fleeting glance to her. Smiling to her, she surprised the white-haired mage. The girl giving back a sad smile, she ignored it because she didn't like the feeling of others pitying her state.
Just like what she did to Yukino, she rested on her back quietly as she ignored the public's curious gaze. Looking around in her peripheral vision, she saw Rogue heavily beaten up.
His face pale as it was distorted with nothing other than pain and agony, she froze when he turned his gaze to her. Their eyes locked onto each other; he gave her a supporting smile which was telling her that everything was going to be alright since they were under Sakura's care.
Nodding weakly in reply to his, she felt really close to the boy that tried to protect her during the time. She knew that he was protective over her since she was going to be his guild sooner or later...
That thought kind of stabbed her in the heart for some reason.
As she shook her head, she disliked the fact that she was already opening to another man. She knew that she wasn't over Natsu and his... Open rejection. She knew that if they were to meet again, then she would turn away and run from his sights.
Pain was something that should be feared by all living things. Like an insect, they would be afraid of being stepped on. They knew the concept of pain. The sight of them writhing in pain was already evident to her understanding of the feeling.
Sighing where bubbles of air bubbled to the surface of the orb, she balled her fists. She was getting emotional again, and she promised herself not to in the past.
Knowing that she should be hoping for a better future, she forced herself to remain positive as a tall towering building was slowly approaching them. Her ears listening to the familiar creaks of the doors, she found herself being transported into Sabertooth's building which was filled with natural light rather than it being dimmed and dull.
"They're back."
"We need to hurry. Sting's calling us."
"Are they alright?"
She quietly listened to their loud questions as she felt their curious gazes falling onto her huge injury. "That looks like a pain to deal with." Rolling her eyes, she remained still as they began to head upstairs and into a large white room that she knew all too well of.
Being gently placed onto the beds, she gasped when she noticed how soft they were. Her eyes turning to look over to her left, she watched as Rogue adjusted himself before the orbs evaporated.
With Yukino running around, gathering necessary items required to fix the both of them up, she patiently waited as Sakura stood in between both beds where they rested. Realising that Sakura had a few things to say, she waited where the girl never said a thing.
Not knowing what was going through her head, she remained quiet. With the burning scent of rubbing alcohol and antiseptics hitting the back of her throat, she closed her eyes.
There was never going to be a day of peace for her, right?
"We're going to clean out your wounds before I heal and bandage you both," Sakura said as her voice sliced through the silence.
Their heads nodding, Sakura forcefully smiled before she and Yukino began to work on their injuries. Applying the chemicals onto their open skins, they both hissed and snarled in pain as the other two continued their careful work on them.
As they continued to work in silence, their eyes focused on cleaning the open wounds, Lucy's breathing hitched as she tried to remain calm.
Once they finished cleaning, she sighed in relief where Sakura began to heal them with her Sky Dragon Slaying magic. Sooner or later, after all their healing, Sakura stitched up her open wound before wrapping them both up carefully with a bit of applied pressure to allow the wounds to close up properly.
"There you go," Sakura sighed before taking a step back to marvel her teamwork results with Yukino. Helping them up to rest their backs against the headboard, Sakura turned to look at Yukino. "Can you please leave us for a bit?" she asked politely before the doors of the infirmary slammed opened to reveal a tired Sabertooth Master.
"Finally done with everything. We disposed the rubble and paid for the damage fee," Sting stated where Sakura nodded her head.
Yukino leaving, Lucy turned her head to look at Sakura with an unreadable expression on her bandaged face. Watching as Sakura paced herself from left to right in front of them, she frowned when she noticed Sakura's pale complexity.
"Look guys... I need to tell you all something. Something that'll bring everyone into danger sooner or later," Sakura said.
The blonde adjusting herself to sit up straighter, she turned her head to Sting as he sat on the edge of Rogue's bed. Their eyes all on her, they could only hold in their breaths as they anticipated what she was about to say. Her heart pounding against her chest as her worries elevated her emotions into a unstable level, she licked the bottom of her cracked lips.
What she was anticipating was worrying her. Whatever it was... It wasn't going to be a good one considering how Sakura's brows were furrowed along with her frequent glances to her direction.
Was something wrong with her. Was Sakura going to spill the secret to them? The secret about how heartbroken she was when Natsu rejected her and also those that she considered as her close friends? How she ran away to seek refuge from their pointed accusations?
Hearing the crimson sigh, her breathing paused for a mere second before going back to its quick pace. Her eyes darting to every direction, she could only hope that Sakura wasn't going to spill the beans to the two boys within the room.
"We're no longer safe..." Sakura whispered.
The room growing cold, Lucy's face paled. Her lips apart, she widened her eyes. What was this girl saying? As much as the crimson was stating the obvious, there had to be something else if she was stating this point of matter.
"He's hunting for our lives. He wants us dead, to gain more magic..." she continued to which Sting widened his eyes and sat up straight. His actions definitely caught Rogue and Lucy's attention as they shot their eyes towards his stiffened figure.
With Lucy examining his tensed muscles, she knew that he knew about something that they didn't. Regarding that observation though, she turned her head to Sakura where she continued.
"I will tell you everything... Have you heard of Dragon Tamers?" she then asked.
Rogue shuffling, he nodded his head. "They tame dragons and are what keeps dragons under control," he stated where he widened his eyes only to narrow them onto her. "Where is this heading to?" he questioned.
Sakura sighing, she looked over to Sting before turning her attention to Lucy. Her eyes implanted on her, she continued without breaking her eye contact with the female blonde on the bed.
"That's right... Now what happens when there's an untamed dragon still living and breathing?" she asked.
There was a chilling silence. The celestial maiden not understanding where the conversation was leading to, she was about to open her mouth where suddenly Sakura interrupted, answering her own question.
"They'll be hunted down and claimed as a mere puppet. Those that claim a dragon will become their masters where a bond, a contract, with be made..." With a tear rolling down from her eye, Sakura let out a sigh. "I refuse to be hunted down by him. I refuse to be controlled by Zeref, nor will I bow my head to Jiemma..." she said where Sting and Rogue snapped their heads to look at her in bewilderment.
"I thought that you're a Dragon Slayer..." Rogue said.
"You said that you're a tamer and that you're looking for a dragon!" Sting boomed.
Lucy tipping her head to the side, she looked at everyone as if they've grown three heads. "I don't get it, what does this Dragon Tamer have to do with you?" she asked.
The crimson sadly smiling, she went on her knees with her head down in guilt. "It may be my fault that you're both hurt. I am merely a young dragon in my human form... I am one of the few youngsters out there without a tamer," she confessed where Sting abruptly stood up.
"You've been hiding this?! You know where our foster parents are, and you refused to tell us?!" he yelled where she narrowed her eyes on the floor and got up with glowing red eyes. "You almost killed them! The dragon race is slowly diminishing and all you foolish humans know nothing more than to hunt us down to claim as your own pets! Why do you think I'm here in this form, searching for an answer to stop this cruel hunt?!" she cried out before taking a step forward.
"If I must have a master, then only Lucy can control me! I refuse to be hunted and be used to catch other young dragons like myself into your game!" she continued where Rogue looked over to Lucy in concern before back to the crimson.
"I thought that only Celestial mages could be masters," he stated.
Sakura closing her mouth, she sighed. "Now that's the problem. Lucy and Yukino are two of the few with that magic where Lucy's under the most threat since she holds the most Zodiac Keys... He will want you to control me," she said, turning to Lucy with a pained expression on her face.
The blonde widening her eyes, she forced herself to open her mouth as she tried to process everything in her mind. Looking at the Dragon Slayers present, she turned to look at Sakura that had claimed that she was a dragon and not like the boys in the room. "Is that why they're after me?" she asked before looking down to her shaking hands.
"You want me to be your master?" Looking up to see Sakura sadly smile to her, she stiffened when she saw the girl nod her head in silence. "But... I know nothing about this..." she confessed where Sakura gritted her teeth.
"You don't have to create a contract with me but please, just let me protect you. You're my greatest treasure, and I'm sure that they're after you for your heart. In every human and mage... Everything breathing and living... There's a crystal heart where that crystal heart is what contains their magic..." Sakura explained before walking over to Sting.
Her eyes still glowing, her hand began to glow a bright hue of blue where she shoved it through his chest. Sting's face distorting in discomfort, Lucy and Rogue gasped when they saw her hand sinking into his chest where she slowly pulled back to reveal a pure white heart-shaped crystal.
"This is Sting's, crystal heart. The source of his magic. Take it and his magic will vanish... This is what's hidden within the actual, beating organ," she stated before slowly returning it back to its hideout. Retreating her hand, Sakura looked at Rogue before over to the female blonde that was trying to comprehend everything.
With a sadden smile, she walked over to her. "I will protect your crystal heart from them. I will do everything and anything to get stronger to protect you from their dark desires of ruling over the dragons and using them as mere chess pieces on a black and white grid board," she whispered before pulling away to look at the two of them on their beds. "This is my mission. As a dragon, and as a young dragon... I will protect, yet I will sacrifice to prevent Zeref and Jiemma from taking over," she boldly recited where Lucy reached out to her.
"I will help you..." Lucy stated.
Their heads turning to her, she smiled. "I don't want to be called weak ever again. I will be the one to prove myself worthy," she stated as she felt a surge of energy enter her body. Looking down to her hands, she nodded her head. "Sakura... Please let me be your Dragon Slayer."
[Dreame 2019 Edition]
[https://discord.gg/WHvW6MV]