Love Can Save {An Aphmau Fanfiction}

Travis

As the force of the portal pushed us back towards the trees, I threw my body around Katelyn's, trying to shield her from the wind and any destruction that might blow our way. I couldn't see anything but a faint outline of Katy's powder blue hair, the rest of the world fading into pure white light. The blaze scorched the back of my neck, the hilt of my sword digging painfully into my hip. Yet I clung faithfully to Katelyn, determined to protect her from whatever I could.

When the light switched to warmth instead of heat, gentle rays instead of fierce blazes, I pulled away slightly, squinting at where I had last seen Aphmau and Thalia. My breath caught as I watched Thalia fall away, body limp and eyes shut. I waited for Aphmau to react, for the light to fade and all of our attempts to fall away like dust in the wind. Instead it flared up even brighter, wings sprouting from Aphmau's back as she grew in size, sitting up straighter and straighter...

The light doubled in intensity, and I returned to my previous position, burying my face in Katelyn's neck and protecting my eyes from the inferno. I held her tight, the image of Aphmau kneeling on the ground still persisting in my mind.

The wind whipped up, stronger and stronger and stronger. Suddenly it was too much, the force too great, and I was torn away from Katelyn. I cried out her name, reaching out desperately as I was whirled away through the light and wind and-

I was torn from the light by a great increase of noise and smell and chaos. Whipping open my eyes, it took me several long moments to understand what it truly was that I was seeing. For in the heart of Phoenix Drop, the heart of my home, were dozens of struggling and fighting soldiers and guards. Blood stained the streets, and the bodies of friends and foes lay in crumpled heaps. I gagged on the stench of blood and sweat, staggering backwards until I hit a wall. What the hell was going on? How did I end up here?

"Travis!" Dante's voice broke through the chaos. I managed to force myself to focus, seeing Dante approaching, his twin swords drenched in gore and blood coating the entire right side of his armor. "What are you doing here?!"

"Dante, what's going on?" I drew my sword, maintaining my bewildered expression. "Did Tu'la attack while we were gone?!"

"That's exactly what happened. Where did you come from?"

"I don't know; Aph and Thalia were opening the portal and now I'm here. Wait, did anyone else show up? Have we lost anyone?"

Dante whirled around, blocking a sword strike from an enemy and giving me a look at the shield hanging over his back, the wood peppered with broken arrows and spearheads. "I'm not sure," he grunted, slicing down another opponent before sending me a glance over his shoulder. "I know we've lost Kyle, and Madeline isn't doing too well. I haven't seen Garroth or Richard or anyone else in a long time." He grunted again, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. "Do you think you can join the fighting? We desperately need every man we can get."

I dipped my head, shrugging to adjust the leather jacket I wore over my clothes. "I'll give it my all. If you're still standing, then I will be too." I threw him a grin, raising my sword and stepping forward into the fray. Immediately I wished I wore my armor today instead of the simple clothes I was wearing now. My sleeves were torn to shreds within moments, long scratches bloodying my arms and causing them to sting every time I raised my sword in defense. I stayed at Dante's side the whole time, guarding his back as he guarded mine.

"Travis!" I heard my name get called out once more, this time by a voice I would recognize anywhere. My attention snapped towards her, her claws out as she sliced through soldier after soldier in her attempt to make it to my side. Relief broke through the haze of battle until worry and fear overwhelmed everything else. My gaze tried to take her in all at once, looking for any injury on her body. Unlike me, Katelyn almost always wore her armor, and I praised the Six that she had done just that today. All that I could see was a slice on her cheek, sweat drenching her hair and plastering it to her forehead. "Travis!" She cried out once more, eyes widening at something behind me. I whirled and was face-to-face with an enemy soldier, her sword about to cleave me in two. I heard Katelyn's voice again, and as I belatedly raised my sword in an useless attempt to block the enemy's sword, all I could hear was her voice in my head.

Hands pushed me out of the way and someone cried out in pain. I gaped at the blue-haired man before me, clutching his right arm tightly against his body. Filled with trembling rage, I brought my sword up with a shout, combating the soldier with several strokes until she fell before me.

"Dante! What the hell were you thinking?!" Dante glanced at me with a pained smile, tearing his cloak in two and wrapping the material around his upper arm, a New Meteli guard protecting him from any new attack.

"All I got was a scratch; you would've died. Thank me later." Throwing me a wink and a brief nod at Katelyn, he pulled the impromptu bandage tight with his teeth before rejoining the chaos. Katelyn made it to my side, and, relying on Dante to keep us safe for a brief moment, she stepped close and pressed herself close against me.

"Stay safe, okay dummy? Fill me in on everything later, but we must win now. We have to." She rested her head against my chest for a second before pulling away, smiling the grim smile that comes during battle. We may still be standing, but we had friends who would never rise again. It was our duty to stand tall for them, to fight until our last breath to make the breaths they lost worth it.