~Sting's P.O.V.~

        It hurts...it hurts so much... I was sprawled on the floor, unable to move.  I felt sweat rolling down my forehead, and I was cold, so cold.  I...I remember feeling like this...  My thoughts faintly echoed throughout my muddled mind.  But the person that made the pain go away wasn't here, and never will be, because she never wanted to see me again. 

        "Sting!!" My dark blue eyes grow large not at the sound of my voice, but the voice who had said it. Was it my imagination? Was I hallucinating?? No, is it really...? I muster up as much energy as I could and lifted my head. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone running towards me, someone I never expected to see again. "J-Jessie.." I whispered with disbelief, my voice barely above a whisper.

   ~Jessie's P.O.V.~

        I bolted into the forest, looking left and right for a certain White Dragon Slayer. And, as if by fate, I see a yellow and blue silhouette in the distance. My eyes grow wide and I sprint faster. "Sting!" I yelled as I grew closer. I realized that he was laying on the floor. 

         My feet screeched to a halt and I placed my hands over my mouth when I saw how pale he was. His skin was as white as a ghost and he was shivering, but I didn't see any critical injuries on him. I break out my shocked stupor and knelt by his side.  "Are you alright?" I asked softly, sliding my hand behind his head to lift it up. His unfocused eyes slowly make their way towards mine, and he manages to nod.

        "I-I'm fine, but what are you doing here?" he weakly replied.  His voice was hoarse, as if he had a fever. I frowned and felt his sweaty forehead. My eyes grow wide as the palm of my hand comes in contact with his fiery-hot forehead.

        "You have a terrible fever," I whispered, my eyes wide in disbelief. Yet, despite this alarming news, a small smile crept onto Sting's lips for some reason.

        "Just like..when we met.." he murmured quietly before racking with coughs. My frown deepens as I felt his entire body shake with the sheer force of his coughing. "But..why are you here?" Sting croaked.

        "Because I always have your back," I respond with a small smile painted on my lips. "No matter how idiotic you may be." Sting's eyes dilate with surprise, and I then realized that tears were forming in the corner of his eyes.

        "How can you still care about me...after all I've done to you?" he asked, his voice starting to crack.  I frowned at his question, but it melts into a smile and I brush off a stray blond hair away from his face.

        "Because....I don't want to say goodbye," I replied to his question with a warm smile. His tears grew large and slowly started to stream down his face at my response. I couldn't help but smile at him. I opened my mouth to say something, but the ground suddenly started to rumble. Almost instantaneously, Sting stopped crying and his blue eyes grew wide with fear.

        "R-run..." he muttered. I glanced back down at him, my face contorted with confusion.

        "What?"

        "Just RUN!" he shouted, trying to push me away from him. Suddenly realizing why, I stood up, but my feet didn't move when I tried to lift it.

        "W-what the?" I glanced down at my feet. Vines had coiled around my legs, making me unable to move. Sting tried to help me, but another vine came out of nowhere and coiled around his waist.  "Sting!" I yelled out his name as I watched him slam into a tree.

        "I'm fine!" he yelled back, using his arms to struggle free from the vine's grip. I concentrated magic into my hands and was about to use my magic to cut off the vines, but two more vines wrapped around my arms. I grit my teeth and struggled to pull free, but the vines didn't budge.

        "Oh, what do we have here?" My eyes widened and I turned my attention to the source of the voice. There, I saw an old man wearing a blue kimono (the ones that males wear). He was bald with hair only appearing on his chin, and his white bushy eyebrows covered his eyes.

        "Who are you!?" I spat bitterly.

        "No need to yell young woman," the old man huffed.  "I have no name, but you can call me The Memory."  

        "The Memory?" I questioned, raising one of my eyebrows over the other.  "Never heard of ya."

        "That's because no one lives to tell tales of me," the old man replied. "I've lived for almost 100 years, and no one's been able to defeat me for 16."  My eyes widened. 100 years? That's long..

        "Well, that must mean you've been defeated before then?" I asked, my curiosity peaked. Why reveal that he's been defeated before? Strategically, it made no sense to me. The man shook his head.

        "In a matter of speaking, I suppose," he answered. 'In a matter of speaking'? 

        "I must admit, you've piqued my interesting," I said, crossing my arms. I secretly take a glance at Sting, who was still tied to the tree and was looking at me with an expression of befuddlement. I then refocus my attention to the old man and ask, "So, what do you have to gain from fighting all these people? Surely someone as old as you no longer needs glory." 

        "I must admit, I admire the fact that you ask," the old man stroked his beard. "The young man over there and his friend didn't hesitate to fight." I sneak another glance at at Sting, who looked down to the ground. "For asking, I'll make this a little bit more fair." I open my mouth to ask what he meant , but the vines started to uncoil from my limbs and disappeared, answering my unspoken question.  

        "Uh, thanks I guess..?" I cocked my eyebrows in amusement. This battle was interesting; he was playing fair, but why would he do that? 

        "No problem youngster," the old man nodded, "but I'm sorry for this in advance." I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion.  What does he mean by that?  I thought to myself.

        My question is immediately answered, however, when a magic circle appeared beneath my feet. "Wha--??" I sputtered in shock.

        "Jessie!" I heard Sting yell.

        "Die in your worst pain," the old man murmured, looking away from me.  Almost immediately, sharp pain started coursing through my entire body. I was rendered unable to speak from the sudden pain, and my legs soon buckled and left me laying on the grassy ground of the forest.

        "JESSIE!!" I vaguely heard Sting trying to call my name, and then the sounds of more vines growing soon followed. Through my blurred vision, I could see blood starting to trickle down my arm, and something similar to a sledgehammer started pounding against my stomach, making me cough blood.  This pain....I can't ever forget it....  "PLEASE STOP DOING THIS TO HER!! DO IT TO ME INSTEAD!!" Sting's voice ringed in my head. Mustering whatever energy I still had, I ignored the unbearable pain to lift my head towards the old man.

        "Why...why are you doing this?" I muttered. There had to be reason, I know there is one. The man shook his head again, still avoiding my gaze.

        "I'm sorry, I truly am, but I have to do this..." he softly replied. His eyes didn't look evil, his actions were not villainous, so why is he doing this to me? 

         "There has to be a reason, there must be a reason you are doing this!" I yell at the old man, completely ignoring the burning of my throat at the pounding of my head. My vision slowly cleared as I stayed determined and hung onto my consciousness, and through it, I saw the old man look down. I smile, thinking that I was getting through to him, but my smile immediately drops when I heard Sting shout out of the blue.  I turned to see him snagged against a tree, with a sharp vine slowly coming towards his neck. My eyes grow wide with alarm.

        "S-stop.." I stammered, but the vines kept going closer, ignoring my plea.  "Stop!!" I screeched. At that second, time seemed to have slowed down. In my vision, the vines were just a couple millimeters away from Sting's throat. In the slow motion of time, I ignored the agony movement caused my nerves and reached out my arm. And then, the vines abruptly stopped moving.

        "Oh?" the old man said intrigued. Time continued to flow normally to my perspective, and Sting stared at me with wide pupils. I let out a strained breath and my arms violently shook as I battled to take control of the vines to stop it from moving.  Every muscle in my body was screaming in agony, but I didn't care.  I knew that I couldn't do this for long, so I had to make this quick.

        "F-fight me instead," I panted, my throat screaming in pain. "Spare him and fight me instead." I quickly caught a glance at Sting. His eyes were filled with fear, and I knew why, but I didn't care.  Unable to continue to meet his gaze, I looked away and turned back to the man.  "Do we have a deal?" The man stroked his beard in thought.

        "Yes, we do," he replied. I let go of my control of the vines, and they disappeared with a snap of the old man's fingers. Sting limply collapsed to the ground now that the vines were no longer holding up up onto the tree. He tried to use his arms to stand up, but failed.

        "Don't do this," Sting begged, his dark blue eyes locking with mine as tears starting to stream down his face. "Please..!"

        "Don't have much of a choice," I whispered and flashed a quick smile. I then turned my attention back to the old man.

        "Even if I lose, even if I die, Sting still goes free right?" I asked for confirmation. The old man nodded.

        "That is correct, but I have to ask.." the old man began, "...why do you fight?"  I thought about that for a moment.  I closed my eyes, and a smile crept onto my lips as a recollection swept through my head.

        "I fight to protect everything precious to me," I answered as I felt magic power course through my veins, "and because....the young man over there told me to get stronger, so I did by fighting."  I ran straight towards him and cupped my hands into formation.  "Ice Make: Sword!"