The Many Loves of Salamander

Requipping the Flames (Erza Scarlet)

She slowly opened her eyes, the tiredness that surrounded her body was unmeasurable. She almost didn't have the strength to even open her eyes, but she fought through and did so. She was staring at a dark blue sky, stars adorning the beautiful night. She was confused, her mind unable to comprehend what exactly was happening at that moment. The last thing she remembers was merging with the Tower of Heaven, a nightmare from her past as a slave, to try and save her friends and loved ones. She even swore that she was watching what appeared to be her funeral, but it seems that all of that had been created by her own mind.

"Where... am I?" Her sight was still a bit blurry, especially since she had just forced herself to open her eyes. She could feel that someone was carrying her, that much she was certain of, the strong arms holding onto her very protectively. She swore her cheeks gained a pink tinge to them, but was not entirely embarrassed about it. She just wanted to know exactly who was the person that had saved her from what she knew was certain death.

"Erza!" She looked to the side watching just how her friends began to approach her and her savior. They were all still quite far away, her eyes still expressing the confusion from before. Her sight was getting better though, with her recognizing one of her childhood friends, who was leading the group, and a few of her guild mates from Fairy Tail. She didn't know how to respond, the other words that came from the group that was approaching them went deaf to her ears. She could even see just how her hands were beginning to shake slightly, slightly nervous about what was really happening.

"What... happened here? Am I-?" She couldn't question herself any longer, her eyes moving slowly to the front once more. Her words got caught on her throat, watching surprised just exactly who was holding onto her. "Natsu...?" She could see the bruises all over his body, and even a thin line of blood that escaped from his lips. Her whole body went catatonic, unable to react to exactly what was even happening. But even with how injured he was, she could see that her fellow Fairy Tail mage, Natsu Dragneel, was staring to the front with a determined expression on his onyx colored eyes. "You... You saved me..."

At that very moment, it seems that Natsu did not have the strength to keep on standing, her eyes watching just how he fell down to his knees at the water of the beach. Her body was immediately drenched in the salty water, but she hardly cared about that. Her eyes, with only her right eyes crying, could only stare at the salmon haired man. She couldn't believe that Natsu would go out of his way to find her in the tornado of magic that had been created right before the Tower of Heaven exploded into nothingness.

"It's the same for me..." She heard him whisper, her eyes looking at him in confusion for mere moments. Though the confusion went away faster than when she uses her magic to change attires, realizations hit her hard as soon as she remembered a few words that she had told him a few moments ago. She also noticed just how he began to tremble, his whole body shaking wildly. She could only concentrate on him, her heart beating quickly at not only the closeness between the two but at his latest reactions. He was crying, tears escaping his eyes all because of her. "For all of us at Fairy Tail..."

She didn't know what to respond, even if she wanted to say something to him. Her throat constricted itself, only letting her watch just how Natsu kept on crying right in front of her. Still in his grasp, she tried to move her body to a more comfortable position. She did let him regain his arms back, her body being supported by the few strength that she still had on her. Her eyes looked down for a fraction of a second, noticing just how his hands were already clenched into fist in frustration.

"Don't you ever do that again..." Her heart skipped a beat at his words. She had not noticed, keeping everyone at arm's length for the majority of her life after escaping from the hell that was the Tower of Heaven. But being this close to Natsu and knowing that he had been the one to finally put a nail to the coffin that was her past, she could see everything. At this moment, she realized just how much he had come to mean to her.

"Nat-"

"Never again!" She widened her eyes, her heart skipping quite a few beats. She couldn't help it, a smile etching across her face. This was not the first time she had seen Natsu this emotional, but it was the first time in her life that she could actually feel something once more. The feeling that surrounded her body was one that she had forgotten many years ago. While it was strange and quite a nerve wracking experience, she was not opposed to it.

"Natsu..." She got close to him, her hand moving towards his cheek. She forced him to look at her, his eyes still shedding tears that only made the sea larger drip by drip. It broke her seeing him like this, tore her heart into pieces. She wanted to see him smile once more, something that she cherished greatly. She never knew, her mind only just letting her know, but she was quite in love with the salmon haired man across from her.

And it was at that moment, when words were no longer necessary. She had closed the distance between them, her lips meeting him in a kiss that spoke of all the gratitude, affection, and love she felt. She couldn't see, her eyes closed at that moment, but she was sure that her actions had surprised all of them into silence. But she kept on kissing him, the world around her faded away. It left her, alongside Natsu, to enjoy this new bond that they have created. It was a kiss that promised new beginnings, a future where they would face whatever came their way together.

"Thank you..." She whispered, her lips finally separating itself from him. She stood up, helping Natsu up to his feet as well. She turned around to the group that had been approaching them and immediately saw the shocked expression of everyone there. She could only smile, one so sincere yet filled with happiness of simply being alive. She would not die for her friends and loved ones any longer, because she knew that she had to live. To live right by Natsu's side and enjoy once more the feeling of love that had entered her life once again. Because that is the path that lead to a happy future, her happy future.