Natza Week - Day 4: Heart
Sparks of explosions danced in the air, war thunder echoed through the massive battlefield, and dust was the only thing left on the ground. What was once a beautiful city filled with eager people and colorful parks had been turned into a ruined ghost town, a no mans land. Dozens of battle cries were shouted and silenced just as fast. Fighting everywhere. Countless magical attacks were thrown at each other, whether it was elemental magic, creational magic, weapon magic or illusion magic. Every mage on the battlefield desperately bombarded the enemy with every skill they knew, no matter the cost. The battle order had long been lost, what was left was pure chaos. Panic and fear of death were grasping the hearts of the soldiers and mages on the battlefield right before they dropped like flies. Countless casualties with every passing minute that painted the black and grey battlefield in red.
Amongst this chaos were two mages, mages of Fairy Tail, the strongest guild around. However, their image, prestige or strength did not matter much here because not even them seemed to be able to shift the balance of powers to their favor.
Those two mages were among the strongest in Fairy Tail, ‘Titania’ Erza Scarlet and ‘Salamander’ Natsu Dragneel who were fighting through masses of enemies. The battle had taken its toll on those two though. Scratches, burns, bruises and other severe wounds were the results of their desperate battle so far. Erza grip on her sword was shakey and her armor broken to pieces while Natsu’s fires were getting smaller and his arms were getting limb.
“Hang in there Natsu! We have to find Gray, Lucy, and everyone else.”
They have long been cut off from the rest of their team, not even knowing if they were still able to fight, or even alive for that matter. Usually, Natsu and Erza had deep trust in their teammates to make it through every emergency alive but the situation was as dire as it could possibly be. It’d be a lie to say that their death was completely impossible.
They didn’t get any time to rest, their hearts beating faster than anytime before because of the adrenaline rush and the extremity of their situation. Hordes of enemies were attacking from all sides, their faces filled with as much despair as everyone else’s on the battlefield.
Erza and Natsu screamed out as they mustered their power reserves to fight them off. Blades and Fire making their way towards the enemy mages and soldiers, cutting through them seemingly easy but the truth was that they could not afford to release attacks like this for much longer. An end of this battle was not in sight so they had to get out of here. Even though the invasion technically failed the remaining Spriggans were pushing each and every remaining soldier to attack, sacrificing many lives on each side.
Heartless, with no empathy whatsoever they ordered for the complete destruction of the whole area.
Surviving this assault Erza and Natsu were rushing to help others get to safety and then evacuate themselves. Both of them were not as fast on their feet as before but Natsu had the most trouble moving on. Not many steps later, he fell down on one knee and tried to support himself on some rubble nearby.
“Natsu?! Are you alright?”
Erza had realized Natsu’s critical condition a long time ago, but constant assault hindered them to get the rest they desperately needed. Ambush after ambush, attack after attack slowly but surely broke through the Dragon and Knight Duo of Fairy Tail’s magical reserves.
“This is nothing but a scratch. Don’t you worry about me”
Natsu tried to push himself up but his knees were too weak to support his entire body any longer. He tried to get on his feet by pulling himself up on the remaining of a street pole but even then he failed the get back up.
“The fight with Zeref and Acnologia was too much for you! I still haven’t forgiven you that you just rushed in those battles alone with the intent of sacrificing your life. You have to live through this to receive your punishment!”
The words were tough but Erza’s voice was filled with angst and despair. Even she wasn’t sure if they had the strength to get out of here alive or not. They just needed to get away from here. Erza grabbed one of Natsu’s arms and threw it over her shoulders to support Natsu. With Erza’s help, they were able to move forward again. If they only had reinforcements. But there was close to no hope of that because the troops of the kingdom and the magic council were already diminished and the whereabouts of the other Fairy Tail members were currently unknown. Even if they knew where their fellow guildmates were, chances are that they had enough to deal with on their own. They had to do it alone, with only the two of them.
“Don’t you give up on me here. You promised to marry me once all this is over”
“Haha... And I will make sure to do everything I can to keep that promise.”
His voice was weak, lacking any fire or confidence. The fact that even Natsu was seeming to acknowledge his dire state was a dangerous sign. He was the one with near-unbreakable willpower and the strength to push through everything. At least, that’s what everyone expects of him, an ideal. It wasn’t too late however, right now they could still push through and get out of this mess. There is still hope! A hope that kept their hearts beating.
Erza and Natsu were rushing to get to safety but a few minutes later there was an explosion right in front of then that pushed both of them back, making them forcefully crash on their backs, pushing the air of their lungs. Another wave of mages showed themselves, ready to attack the fairies.
With yet another adrenaline rush rising their heartbeat, strengthening their muscles and numbing their pain to a certain extent, Natsu and Erza got back up and rushed in opposing directions to fight the enemies while trying to keep each other’s back safe. There was no tactic in their moves anymore. Only direct attacks, brute force to break through them.
Natsu was getting slow on his feet and his reactions were lacking severely, making him take hit after hit. Natsu tried to fight them off with ranged fire attacks that barely took out most of his foes.
Erza requipped basic swords as she didn’t have enough strength to carry her massive weapons and armors and slashed at the enemies with no restraint. She stopped holding herself back a long time ago. There was no place for restrictions if they wanted to get out of here alive.
One, who seemed to be the commander of this division, used Erza’s distraction to release his most powerful attack cowardly from his back. A massive magical beam of darkness. Erza noticed the attack was too late, no chance of dodging it. She closed her eyes and crossed her arms in front of her to desperately block a bit of the damage. She waited for the attack to hit... but it didn’t.
A truly horrific scream of pain and agony cut through the ears of everyone around instead. Erza opened her eyes and looked ahead to see Natsu’s figure at the center of a small crater. Smoke looked like it was coming out of his body but the worst part was a massive black and red wound on his chest, slightly to the left. Right where his heart was located. A massive amount of blood streamed out of the hole in his chest.
Erza forgot everything around her and rushed to Natsu’s side. Right when his body was about to drop, Erza caught him in her arms. Her entire body was shaking from the shock of her closest guildmate, her one-and-everything, fatally wounded.
“The most important thing in a fight... is to keep you back safe... You should know that by now, Erza... ahaha”
Barely having the strength to speak, Natsu still decided to joke around. Making fun of his partner he always looked up to. Seeing even her making a mistake and getting distracted in the midst of battle was a bit amusing to him, considering how much he idealized her. He still did but it once again proved that the perfect Titania was just as human as everybody else. He knew that of course, but not making fun of it when the situation emerged was not in his character. He wanted to best her one day after all.
“Don’t worry, I will get out of here. We have a lot to do together, you hear me”
The enemy mages were shocked by the situation for but a moment later they tried to attack once again. Not a single one made it through though. Before anyone could even get the time to attack a giant magical circle appeared below Erza, summoning an enormous amount of swords, axes, lances and various other weapons, heading towards the mages with immense speed.
Severed heads and limbs dropped together with their bodies. Fountains of blood streamed out of the bodies of those mages, painting the floor in a dark shade of red.
Erza didn’t even look at any of them. Her eyes were fixated on Natsu who was getting weaker with every second. He was barely moving at all. Erza pulled out a special bandage from her pocket dimension and pressed it on Natsu’s chest, on the massive hole that is.
“Here! Make sure to press on it as hard as you can!”
‘Damn it! Hopefully his heart isn’t severely injured. I have to get him out of here ASAP!’
Erza quickly picked up Natsu body and started running, running as fast as she could. Her entire body was in pain but that didn’t matter. Nothing mattered right now. She had to push through. Find a place to get medical attention. Where is Wendy? Is she alive? She has to be.
As she was running there were still some soldiers that tried to attack but were immediately cut down by blades and other weapons. Piercing and slicing everyone that! tried to block their way.
The enemies didn’t stop though. There was no end to them.
The ear-piercing screams of a desperate Titania. Mobilizing every weapon she had stored in her dimension. Everything! Just shot them at everyone in sight. She didn’t stop- She continued running. Nonstop.
“There are members of Fairy Tail! Get them”
“I SAID... GET OUT OF THE WAY!”
Completely losing the regard of human life, Erza slaughtered everyone in the blink of an eye. Her only mission was to bring Natsu to safety. Nothing else mattered. Her heart was beating was beating nonstop in pain and fear of losing the person most important to her. A heart that was no longer solely hers to begin with. Half of it belonged to the man that she was carrying in her arms. It had to beat for the two of them now.
The Scarlet Knight was running. Running and killing everyone in her way. No one stood a chance.
She rand for minutes without end but there was no ally or no safe place in sight. Just a battlefield with magical artillery and bullets flying above them, causing a drum orchestra of war and tragedy.
Pushing her body beyond its limit for way too long already, her legs now abruptly gave in, causing her to painfully fall on the ground and drop Natsu with it.
She forced herself back up, ignoring every warning signal her body was trying to give her through bursting pain. As she tried to pick up Natsu once again, she was stopped by Natsu grabbing her hand.
“Natsu, let go! I have to-”
Not understanding a word he said with all the panic and fear clouding her mind, she was not able to respond. Erza breathed heavily instead and hopelessly looked around to find someone that might be able to help. No matter who. ANYONE!
She snapped back to reality as Natsu put her hand on her cheek, trying to sweep the tears away that were so massively streaming out of her eyes.
“I have to get you to a medic. You will be fine, you hear me?!”
She shouted with a shaking voice. Completely denying any other outcome to this scenario. Not even thinking about anything else that might happen. It didn’t matter what happened to her. Even if her body was to break in the process of saving him, then so be it! It was a small price to pay for his wellbeing. Anything! She would do anything to avoid the unavoidable!
“You know I really hate it when you cry”
These unexpected words of sincerity made Erza’s body jump up a little. Her heart definitely skipped a beat right there. Natsu however seemed to be at peace. His smile was sincere and genuine. His words reflecting exactly what he thought right now but Erza wasn’t ready for them. She didn’t want this!
“The Erza I know is beautiful when she smiles. Even when she is strict and scary, she still looks beautiful. The red hair that reminds me of the scales of a fire dragon... Oh, how it dances in the wind whenever you are fighting an enemy fool.”
“Always the strongest among almost everyone. There was no enemy you couldn’t defeat... I too wanted to become like that.”
“I felt lonely, so I wanted to be the strongest so I could protect you all... so that no one would have to leave me again. I hated that... but you, you were always there... when I needed you... you were... there”
“Natsu, I am begging you, please stop. Tell me everything about it when you are back on your feet again”
Erza who was just kneeling next to Natsu couldn’t stop those tears from flowing. End endless rivers of tears streamed down her cheeks. Eyes red of crying but she could not stop. She didn’t want this. They still had so much to experience together.
“I’m sorry Erza... promise me... promise me that you will live on. Like always... Live for your friends..”
Every word broke her heart anew. It couldn’t handle the angst, the sadness... the despair.
“No! How can you ask that of me?! Keep your own promises first! You promised me that you would become a man that will always be by my side! YOU PROMISED YOU WOULD ME WE WOULD BE TOGETHER FOREVER!”
Erza grabbed him by his scarf, hoping she could put some sense into him, not realizing she was the delusional one here right now.
“I will... We will always be together... But you have to stay the Erza I known and loved.. for so many years now...”
“Please... do not leave me... I need you Natsu... please”
She was begging, begging so desperately to have a happy ending to this war story. So their heart could beat in unison again. Like she always wanted them to. Share a long life together with joy and sadness alike. This dream can not end here like this!
“Stay strong Erza... bring an end to this... pointless...”
Coughing up blood, so weak to finish his sentences. He felt no strength in his body anymore. His arms and legs were getting limb and his eyelids felt heavier than ever.
He wanted to say it. One final time. To fully give her everything he could offer. The one thing that could only be shared with a special someone. But he couldn’t finish it.
“I am begging you. Stay with me, Natsu!”
Tears of a fallen knight dropping down on Natsu's face like rain. Dropping so heavy with guilt, sadness, and anguish. She held his hand but he had no longer the power to hold her’s back. The sounds of war and battle seemed to fall silent so that the only thing that could be heard were the cries of a fairy. A fairy who had lost what she held dearest in the entire world.
“You are everything I have... Natsu, PLEASE!”
His eyes slowly losing any real color followed by the complete loss of control of his body. Only vaguely hearing the words of his beloved as the last remaining pieces of life left his body. Leaving behind a broken maiden on this pointless battlefield.
Yet another heart has stopped beating in this war.
