CONTROL - Ver. 2

XXIV

Rin followed the large white Sabertooth symbol that had been shot into the air by her mate a while ago, knowing that it meant that he was waiting for Fairy Tail to approach him. However, she took her time, she and Lector both lacking the energy to beat everyone else. Plus, her team would be fine so she was in no rush to help them. It was Sting she was worried about.

She could feel his magic pulsating near where she had left him, realizing that he was already starting the fight. Rin increased the pace of her walk and eventually made it to where Sting and the rest of Fairy Tail stood. Well, Sting was on his knees. Fireworks began to go off as Sting forfeited the games against her comrades, marking them as the winners of the festival.

"I felt that I couldn't meet him... I thought if I won, I could," the blonde kept his head down. His tears were already falling again as he had given up hope of seeing his best friend again. "But now, I have the feeling that's not true."

"What are you talking about, Sting?" The team of fairies all turned around to see their final teammate approaching from behind. She was much more injured and her clothes were much more tattered than they had expected them to be. Their eyes were all wide as she walked up, but Sting's were for a different reason. In her arms lay the most important thing to him: his best friend.

His words got caught in his throat. He was having trouble breathing as he couldn't believe his eyes. She gently scratched behind the Exceed's ears to wake him up. He did so and yawned cutely in her arms. She smiled down at him and squatted to release him onto his feet. "I told you we'd get him back."

Sting and Lector practically sprinted to each other, landing in a tight embrace. Both of them cried as they held each other, revelling in the moment. Sting had been so scared that he'd never see him again that he never wondered how good it would feel when he actually did. It was safe to say it was the happiest he'd been in his entire life.

While the other Fairy Tail members celebrated their victory, Rin continued to watch her mate. Her heart swelled at seeing his genuine smile again. She had missed it since their date―actually, she wasn't sure if she had ever seen him this happy.

"What happened to your face?" Her purple eyes shot to Laxus who was examining her beaten up figure. It was the first time they'd ever seen her so disheveled and they couldn't imagine who could've done that to her. And it definitely wasn't Minerva.

"Just got into a little scuffle," she played off. But they clearly weren't buying it.

"Doesn't look like it to me," Laxus crossed his arms over his chest. "Looks like someone got a cheap blow on you." Sting practically froze in place. He was dead... He was so fucking dead. Laxus immediately noticed how the blonde male had tensed up and began to step toward him. Erza and Gajeel were quick to step in, doing their best to hold him back. "It was him, wasn't it?"

Rin didn't respond but averted her eyes as he'd be able to read her. Not that he hadn't already. The older man went to kill her mate but they were all quick to stop him.

"It was my fault, Laxus. Calm down."

"I'm gonna kill him."

"Laxus!" Everyone froze at her outburst. Her patience had run much too thin with everything going on. "We ran into each other and I was too weak to fight back." Laxus finally backed down as she glared at him. She appreciated his protective nature, but she was a grown woman. She could fight her own battles. The brunette sighed and side-eyed her mate who looked up at her with glazed eyes.

Sting could only stare at her. He was at a total loss for words. She was so incredible and she really had gone through hell just to see him smile again. He didn't deserve her at all. He felt like crying all over again as she pulled her eyes away from him. "Did anyone see the signal?"