Strength, one of the most formidable cards in the arcana. Those associated with this arcana embody the qualities of both the beauty and the beast, or so they say. The dichotomy between the two extremes is prevalent throughout the chosen individual's behavior. They value self-control, courage, and virtue, but can just as easily fall to the lure of brute force in order to solve a problem.
While having the potential to be destructive, those associated with the strength arcana are often gentle at heart. They are patient, able to fortify themselves and wait till an opportunity to achieve whatever it is they choose. It takes a lot to upset them, but that does not mean they should be taken lightly. Only with strength can one endure suffering and torment.
Natsu awoke in his hammock the next morning, his head pounding as if ten thousand wyverns had just finished a stampede. "Ow." He groaned as he sat up with his hand on his aching head. "What happened last night?" he felt something odd on his waist and moved away his blanket. His eyes went wide with fear when he saw Erza lying next to him. She moaned, her hand grasping the waistband of his pants as her arm lay across his leg. He wanted to shout in surprise, but knowing how cranky Erza would get after waking up prematurely he reconsidered this action. Instead he chose to watch her.
It was an interesting sight to behold if Natsu was being honest. Erza was usually so rough, demanding, and not to mention downright scary when she was awake. However when she was sleeping it was as if she was a completely different person. She looked so peaceful and gentle curled next to him like a cat in a nurse's uniform. For some reason she slept with it on, but Natsu chose to ignore her attire for now. Another thing the dragon slayer noticed was how fragile the fearsome Titania looked. Natsu felt that if he touched her she would fall to pieces in his hammock. It made him feel a little sad, but he didn't know why. Natsu leaned in closer, his and Erza's noses almost touching. Upon closer inspection he saw that Erza's pink lips were parted slightly, her sweet breath flowing out when she exhaled.
"Natsu…" she called lazily, startling the wizard in question.
The dragon slayer instantly straightened upright, rocking the hammock just little enough to make Erza moan again. He waited for Erza to fully wake and tear him a new one for watching her sleep, or at least that's what he hoped she would be mad about. There was no telling what she would do to him if she accused him of doing less than honorable things to her while she slept.
He was on pins and needles, his spine tingling with fear as Erza spoke again.
"Don't go…too far…"
"Huh?" Natsu tilted his head in confusion as he slowly relaxed his tense muscles. It then hit him, Erza was still sleeping. He wondered why she was dreaming of him. Probably to yell at him about something or other like usual. Breathing a sigh of relief he slowly exited the hammock.
"No…" he heard Erza whine. She clutched the space where Natsu once was, her face falling into a small frown.
Writing off her sleeping plea as nothing more than just another dream, Natsu pulled the blanket over Erza's body and stretched his arms overhead. "Might as well catch something for breakfast." With that he exited his home, leaving his redheaded guest to her slumber.
Erza awoke to the smell of something odd assaulting her nostrils. Sniffing twice more, she began to recognize the odor. "Fish?" she sat up in the swinging hammock, next smelling smoke. Realizing the scent was coming from out of the window, Erza walked outside. To her surprise there was Natsu, sitting next to a fire while rotating a rather sizable fish.
"Morning." He said.
"Good morning." Erza yawned. She walked over to him, sitting on the rock on the other side of the fish. "Did you sleep well?"
"Yeah sort of." He looked her up and down. "Aren't you forgetting something?"
"What do you mean?" Erza looked down, and her face grew red from embarrassment. "Curse my carelessness." she muttered. She requipped into her Heart Kreuz armor. "That's better."
"Here." Natsu handed her a piece of the cooked fish on a stick.
"Thank you." Erza took the fish and bit into it. She was surprised at how tender it was. "This is good."
"It better be." Natsu grumbled. "Took forever to cook it."
"You couldn't use your magic to speed up the process?"
"If I did I would have burned it. I mean, I don't mind the taste but I don't think you would have liked it that much."
Erza blushed slightly as Natsu's explanation. She had no idea he could be so thoughtful. "I'm sorry you had to go through so much trouble for my sake."
"Eh. It's not that big a deal." Natsu waved off. "But since we're on the subject, why were you still here this morning?"
"I originally planned to leave once you had fallen asleep, but I guess I was just too exhausted and fell asleep on my own. I hope I wasn't a bother."
Now it was Natsu's turn to blush. "N-no. I didn't mean it like that. I just thought it was a bit weird. I'm just glad you weren't angry when you woke up."
Erza's eyes widened in confusion. "Why would I be angry?"
Natsu laughed nervously, remembering her muttering in her sleep. "N-no reason."
Erza's eyes narrowed. "Natsu. What did you do?"
"What?! I didn't do anything."
Erza leaned closer to him, causing him to look away. "Did you do something indecent while I slept?"
"I told you I didn't. What kind of guy do you think I am?" Natsu's eyes drifted over Erza's head. That weird card is gone. He thought.
"What are you looking at?" Erza demanded.
"Nothing." Natsu sputtered. "Just saw a bird flying overhead."
Erza looked at the sweating dragon slayer a few seconds longer before returning to her seat. She finished the last piece of her fish and stood up, dusting herself off. "Thank you for the meal. I must go home and clean myself up. I'll see you at the guild hall later." She began to walk off but Natsu called out to her.
"Hey, Erza."
She stopped walking, but didn't turn to face him. "Yes?"
Natsu looked down at the ground, trying his best to hide his embarrassment. "Thanks…for taking care of me…and stuff."
Erza grinned, a blush of her own painting her cheeks. "You're welcome." She resumed her path walk to Fairy Hills. "I'll see you at the guild hall." She waved.
"Alright!" Natsu waved back. He then placed his hand on his reddened cheeks. What the hell is going on with me?
Natsu arrived at the guild an hour later. Just for curiosities sake he scanned the building for Erza. Surprisingly she was nowhere to be found. That's weird. He thought. I thought she would have been here long before me. Having been struck further dumb by this development, Natsu went to question Mirajane about the subject.
He walked to the bar and sat directly in front of the ever smiling barmaid.
"Hello, Natsu. You're here later than usual." She noticed.
"Yeah." Natsu scratched the back of his head and looked away. That damned blush was back. "I kind of got a…late start."
"Oh~. Something kept you up again?" she inquired with a mischevious grin that Natsu didn't seem to notice.
"You could say that. Anyway, have you seen Erza?"
"Erza?" Mirajane placed her finger on the side of her cute jawline. "Now that you mention it I don't think I have. That's quite strange. She's usually one of the first ones here. I hope she's feeling ok."
"What are you talking about, Mira? Erza never gets sick. She's way too strong for that."
Mirajane giggled at Natsu's declaration. "You're right. She's much too stubborn to let a cold keep her down. Speaking of which, how are you feeling?"
"Me?" Natsu pointed at himself and Mirajane nodded in response. "I'm perfectly fine."
"So you're headaches have stopped?"
Natsu nodded and began to knock on his head as if it were a door. "Yep. Everything up here is good to go."
"Not if you keep hitting it like that." Mirajane tittered. "You must be hungry after all that recovery. How about I make you something?" she offered.
"Sounds good. Ill eat then ill go check on Erza."
Mirajane moved to the bar stove, but spoke loud enough to where she could continue her conversation with the dragon slayer. "I thought men weren't allowed in Fairy Hills."
"They aren't, but I have a plan." Natsu puffed out his chest proudly.
"Oh? Well what is this grand strategy?" Mirajane prodded.
"Easy." Natsu wrapped his scarf around his head until only his spiky hair and eyes could be seen beneath it. He then grabbed the middle and index fingers of his left hand while extending the same fingers on his right. "I will sneak in the dorm undetected. Like a ninja." His voice went raspy as he spoke, eliciting another giggle from the barmaid.
"I didn't know dragon slayers were such masters of stealth." Mirajane marveled with widened eyes. She was faking her surprise of course, but it wasn't out of malice. She just loved to engage in banter with Natsu.
"Not many people do. Only I can do it. I have been trying to teach Wendy, but she is proving to be a most difficult pupil." Natsu nodded sagely, his "ninja" voice still active.
"I'm sure she will get better with time." Mirajane reasoned. "Just keep at it."
"I will. Ninja masters never quit."
"With that attitude, your plan is sure to work." She said with an encouraging smile.
Natsu unwrapped his scarf and smiled back, his regular voice returning. "I know, right?"
"Here you are." When Mirajane walked back to the bar top she placed a steaming hot turkey leg in front of Natsu.
Salamander began salivating at the smell. He always loved Mirajane's cooking. "Time to dig in!" within seconds the piece of meat was gone. Natsu patted his full belly, burping before he gave his compliments to the chef. "Thanks, Mira. That was delicious."
"I'm glad I could help, Mr. Ninja." She giggled again.
Natsu wiped his mouth with his forearm and stood up from barstool. "Now that I'm back to full strength, its time to search for Erza." He walked to guild hall doors.
"Be safe." Mirajane waved. Natsu gave her a thumbs up. Once he was gone Mirajane resumed her barmaid duties, although she had the faintest hint of pink on her cheeks.
"Why don't you just ask him on a date already?" Cana suggested before taking a sip of her beer. "All that flirting is going to give me an ulcer."
Mirajane smiled, but Cana could tell it was more threatening than joyful. "Why don't you mind your own business, Cana?" she warned through clenched teeth.
"Hey don't kill the messenger. I'm just saying." Cana then walked back to her table.
Mirajane thought of the card wizard's words. Perhaps she was right. This might be her chance. Lucy seemed to want nothing more than friendship, Lisanna seemed to have all but forgotten her once strong feelings, and there was no possible way Erza would want anything romantic with Natsu. Now was the time to strike. Cana's right. I've waited long enough. The next time I see Natsu, I'm going to ask him on a date. Her mind made, Mirajane returned to her duties with a renewed spark of energy, spurned on by thoughts of a perfect date with Natsu.
Natsu approached Fairy Hills. Now that he saw the structure up close, he began to wonder why he even came here in the first place. Why should he care if Erza wasn't in the guild for one day? She most likely went on a job and didn't tell anyone, and with her gone he could cause all the trouble he wanted without fear of reprimand. But then again, Erza was his friend. If he was being honest she was one of his closest friends next to Lucy, Happy, Lisanna, and Gray. Though he hated to admit it. If something really was wrong with her he had to find out.
Steeling himself, he entered "ninja mode" and slid to the door. He looked around the area where Fairy Hills stood. When he confirmed no one was around he lit a small flame on his index finger.
FIRE DRAGON LOCK PICK
Natsu pushed as much of his finger as he could into the key hole. He pushed the flame through, melting the lock from the inside. The door hinged open. Natsu jumped into the dormitory, once again checking the coast to see if it was clear.
"Infiltration complete." He pulled down his scarf/mask just enough for his nose to peek out. He sniffed the air, catching hint of Erza's scent. Following the sweet smell, he ascended the stairs until he came across a long hallway. He sniffed the air again. "The smell is getting stronger. This way." He dashed through the hall until he reached the last door on the left. His nose twitched. "Here." He knocked. "Erza?" No response. He knocked again. "Erza, it's Natsu. You in there?" Again no response.
Now Natsu was getting worried. What if Erza was in trouble? He couldn't just ignore it. No matter how strong she is. He stepped back from the door, igniting his fist in flames. "If you're close to the door step back!" he shouted to silence.
FIRE DRAGON IRON FIST
He burst through the door, reducing it to cinders. He knew he would pay for that, but he could worry about that later. When he entered Erza's room proper, his eyes widened in shock. Erza was on the ground, her hair a mess as it laid tossed over the side of her face. Natsu also noticed that a broken picture frame was next to her head.
"Erza!" he ran to her side and clutched her in his arms. Her breathing was ragged, and her face was red and drenched with sweat. Natsu placed his hand on her forehead to check her temperature, but quickly moved it away on contact.
"You're burning up! Wait, why did that hurt me?"
Erza groaned in pain, which forced Natsu to refocus on the task at hand. He picked her up, luckily she wasn't wearing her armor. Frantically searching around, Natsu finally spotted Erza's bed in front of the window. He moved the blanket and placed her in the bed.
"Ok." Natsu stood up. "Now I have to get some ice to cool her down." Just as he was about to exit the room, he heard Erza moan. "Natsu…don't…go…"
Natsu raised an eyebrow. "How did you know I'm here? Doesn't matter. I'll be right back, ok?" Natsu ran downstairs at top speed, running back into Magnolia and returning to the guild hall. He burst through the doors. "Gray!"
The ice wizard glared at him from the table closest to the stage. "Do you have to be so loud? What do you want?"
Natsu quickly ran to his teammate. "I need some ice cubes! Quick!"
"What the hell am I? Your personal fridge? Get lost."
"Please!" Natsu got on his knees. "It's really important! I'm begging you!"
Gray was even more put off by Natsu's odd behavior. "I said beat it, dragon breath! Don't make me deck you."
"What's going on?" Lucy asked. She, Wendy, Carla, and Happy walked to the pair. "Why all the noise?"
"He keeps asking me for ice cubes." Gray irritably answered.
"It's an emergency!" Natsu shouted.
"What's an emergency?" Lucy inquired.
"Erza's really sick. I need some ice cubes so I can cool her down."
"Erza's sick?" Wendy gasped.
"That would explain why she hasn't shown up today." Carla commented.
"Why did you say so earlier, you idiot?" Gray held out his palm, and a number of ice cubes fell into Natsu's open hand.
"Thanks!" Natsu then ran to the infirmary. Nearly destroying the place until he found an empty pack. He placed the ice cubes Gray made inside the pack and then ran back towards Fairy Hills at top speed.
"Natsu, wait for us!" Lucy shouted after him. Soon she, Wendy, Happy, Carla, and Gray gave chase.
"What's all the commotion?" Mirajane asked. She had previously gone to the cellar to get a box of utensils, effectively missing out on the entire scene.
"Natsu came rushing in like a man possessed." Laki answered.
"Natsu came back?" Mirajane asked with widened eyes. She internally cursed herself for missing her opportunity.
"He said Erza was sick and he needed ice." Kinana said. "Lucy and the rest of their team followed him to Fairy Hills."
"Oh my." Mirajane gasped. She forgot about her thoughts of Natsu for the moment to worry about Erza. "I hope Erza is going to be ok."
Natsu and the rest of his team gave Wendy some space as she attempted to heal the ailing knight. She had been at it for over thirty minutes, but to everyone's dismay they saw no change.
"What's wrong with her, Wendy?" Lucy worriedly inquired.
The young dragon slayer shook her head. "I don't know. I feel this weird magic inside of her body, but I can't seem to get it out."
"Is it life threatening?" Gray asked.
"I don't think so, but I can't really tell without knowing more."
"Well then you should stop trying to heal her, Wendy. You could be making the situation worse." Carla reasoned.
"I guess you're right." Wendy dropped her hands, ending her healing spell. She frowned at her failure.
"What do we do now?" Happy asked.
"We should tell Master Makarov what's going on." Gray suggested. "He might know what's wrong with her."
"Then let's go." Lucy followed the others out of the room, but stopped when she noticed that Natsu was still sitting at Erza's bedside. "Are you coming, Natsu?"
"No. I'm going to stay for a bit longer."
"Ok." Lucy relented. "We'll let you know if something happens." She walked out of the now barren doorway, leaving Natsu and Erza alone.
Natsu clenched his fist in frustration as he watched Erza struggle to breathe. He felt helpless, this was more than a mere passing cold. This was something serious. Natsu stood up and removed the ice pack from Erza's forehead, patting her sweat away with a cloth before placing it back. "What's going on with you?"
To his surprise, Erza slowly opened her eyes.
"Erza?! You're awake!" Natsu exclaimed.
She slowly turned her head to him. "Nat…su? Not so loud."
"Sorry."
"What are you…doing here? Fairy Hills forbids males…from entry."
Natsu couldn't help but grin at the redhead. Even sick, she was still a stickler for the rules. "You didn't show up at the guild after you left my place so I came to find you. When I got here I saw you passed out on the ground. What happened?"
Erza tried to remember what lead to her current state. The details were still fuzzy, but she recited them as best she could. "After I left your home I returned here so I could get ready to go to the guild hall. After taking a shower and putting on my clothes I walked to my dresser to look at a picture. When I grabbed it, I felt this strong pain in my head and collapsed. Next thing I know I'm bed-ridden. I assume that's where you came along."
"You got a headache?"
Erza nodded. "Yes. I can't explain it, but something in my head began to throb. The pain was unbearable. I curse my weakness."
"Don't worry about it." Natsu reassured. "At least you're ok."
"Natsu…"
"Yeah?"
"Did I say anything…odd while I was unconscious?" Despite her already reddened face, Natsu could tell that she was blushing in embarrassment.
"Odd?" Natsu thought back to when Erza called his name. He realized that was the second time she had done so in her sleep in the past two days. Assuming it was better to keep it a secret, he lied to her. "Nope. Nothing out of the ordinary."
"Don't lie to me, Natsu." She pouted. Natsu almost blushed himself at how cute she looked.
"Honest." He lied again. "You didn't say anything."
Erza narrowed her eyes at the nervous dragon slayer. Seeing no use in pressing the issue in her current condition, she gave up. She huffed and turned to her side. "I will try and get some more rest then."
"Alright." Natsu began to stand up. "Then I'll just be on my way-"
"No." Erza protested, startling Natsu. "Stay. I…I would feel better if someone I trust were to watch over me…in case something happens." Natsu couldn't see it, but Erza was blushing even more.
"If that's what you want. I'll stay." Natsu sat back down in the chair next to Erza's bed. "I'll be right here if you need me. Just like you were when I was sick."
"Thank you." Erza smiled.
"No problem."
The day turned to night and Natsu found himself dozing off. He used his arms as a makeshift pillow as he rest on the side of Erza's bed. She had since retrned to her back, but her hand was clutching Natsu's tightly. Not that either of them realized it.
Just before the dragon slayer succumbed to slumber his eyes were widened by a bright light. He covered his eyes as they focused on a familiar sight. "It's that card again." It was hovering above the sleeping Erza. Natsu reached for it, taking special care not to wake the redhead. He grabbed it, holding in his palm as he examined it. It was a blue card, with what looked to be a mask on the back. When he turned the card over he saw what appeared to be a woman with no face taming a lion.
"I must still be sleeping." Natsu muttered. Suddenly the card shattered and white light bathed over Natsu. When he opened his eyes again, he was standing on top of a mountain. "How did I get here?!" he shouted as he tried to keep himself from falling off the edge. Once he was steady he looked around the mountaintop. "Where am I?! Where's Erza?!"
"You really do shout a lot." A familiar voice said.
Natsu looked behind himself and the sight surprised him even more. There on a bench, sat the old woman he met a few days prior.
"So are you going to stand there all day or are you going to have a seat?" She patted the space next to her. Seeing no other choice Natsu complied.
"Where's Erza?" he asked.
"The redhead's fine." The old woman replied, smoke billowing out of her pipe. "She's still in her room. As are you."
Natsu was more than confused by her statement. "How am I there and here?"
The elderly woman pointed to her gray hair. "Your mind is here. Your body is still in the physical realm."
"Ok~." Natsu still didn't understand but he powered through. "Why is my 'mind' here then?"
"Progress report." The old woman replied. "Think of me as your teacher through this course of Arcana. Now, here's your first assignment: do you have the card?"
"Card?"
"The card you saw above the girls head, numbskull. You're losing points by the second."
"It shattered in my-"Natsu looked down at his hand, and was once again surprised when he saw the card he grabbed from over Erza's head in perfect condition. "But it..."
"Not the most observant person are you?" The old woman held out her hand. "Give it here."
Despite his confusion Natsu did as he was told and handed the woman the card. She examined it, an impressed huffed exiting her lips. She blew out the smoke in her lungs through her nostrils and handed the card back to Natsu. "Strength. Not bad for a first go round."
Natsu looked down at the card with confusion. "Strength? What does that mean?"
"It means that the card in your hand, and the girl, represent the Strength Arcana."
"I still don't get it."
"Of course you don't. You're a terrible student, you know that?"
Natsu grunted in irritation, prompting the old woman to explain herself.
"Fine. I'll give you a quick rundown. The strength arcana, like the name implies, represents the fortitude in one's heart. It is an incredibly useful arcana, as those who possess have the will to endure both immense pain and suffering while demonstrating excellent self-control and composure with a gentle heart. Though they can still be violent."
Natsu thought of the woman's words and related them to Erza. She certainly did fit the description well enough. Erza had endured a lot more in her life as a child than most people would in their entire life. He still wondered how she could have a smile on her face after all that she had to deal with in the Tower of Heaven. He was also a living testament to how violent she could be, but also how nice she was at times as well.
"Is this the reason why she's sick?" Natsu asked, still looking at the card.
"Most likely." The old woman nodded. "Arcana manifest themselves in different ways when they come in contact with the Joker. Hers just happened to be bout of illness."
"Will she get better?"
"When you leave here she should be perfectly fine."
Natsu sighed in relief. "Good."
"Is she your girlfriend?"
Natsu blushed. "What? No! Erza and I aren't like that."
The woman smirked. "Looks like she wants to change that."
"What?"
"Nothing. It's time for you to get going." The old woman stood up and shooed Natsu from the bench. Unbeknownst to him she was pushing him towards the cliff.
"Wait. What do I call you? I still don't know your name."
"I told you that's not important."
"But I have to call you something. I feel bad calling you 'old lady'."
"Well aren't you sweet? Fine. If you must call me something, call me…Betty."
"Betty?" Natsu raised in eyebrow.
"Pretty name I know. Now go!" 'Betty' pushed Natsu off of the cliff, shouting after him. "You're doing great! Keep up the good work! Oh! One last thing-"
Natsu's screams of fear drowned out Betty's voice as he rocketed down the mountainside. Once he saw the ground, he closed his eyes and braced for impact. He fell with a thud and quickly opened his eyes. He was back in Erza's room, but he was now on the floor. "I'm back?"
"Natsu?" Erza called from her bed. She gave him a puzzled stare. "What are you doing on the floor?"
The dragon slayer quickly sat up, dusting himself off. He moved back to the chair. "Thought I dropped something." He lied. "You feeling better?"
"Surprising, yes I am." Erza smiled. "It seems that a good night's rest was all I needed."
"I'm glad." Natsu smiled wide.
Erza looked away from him, her cheeks red again. "Thank you…for staying with me. I appreciate the gesture."
"I said before it was no problem. I guess I'll go home then if you're feeling better. Unless you need me to stay."
Erza shook her head as she smiled. "No. I've already been enough of a burden to you. You should go home and rest."
"Ok then." Natsu stood up from the chair and walked out of the room. "See you tomorrow, Erza."
"Good night, Natsu." Erza waved. Once he was gone, she felt her hand. It was warm. Did Natsu hold my hand while I was sleeping? She began to blush again, but quickly shook out the impure thoughts. What is happening to me? Why am I so flustered? I must still be feverish. She felt a chill and stood up from her bed. "Honestly, how could he forget to close the door?" Erza walked to her bedroom doorway, her eyes going wide with surprise. "Where is my door?!"
Natsu entered his home and let out a loud yawn. "Man, taking care of sick people is a lot of work. At least Erza is ok."
"Natsu!" Happy flew down from his hammock. "Is Erza ok?"
Natsu smiled. "Yep. She made a full recovery."
"Really?"
"Yep. I'm the best doctor in the world." Natsu boasted with a proud grin.
Happy smirked mischievously. The wheels in his little head turning. "What did you do? Kissed her and made her better?"
Natsu began to blush. "S-shut up and go to bed!"
"Aye sir!" Happy saluted, snickering as he flew back to his hammock.
"Jerk." Natsu muttered before laying in his own hammock and closing his eyes. Suddenly he felt a burning sensation on his back. He shouted in pain, waking Happy.
"Natsu, what's wrong?!" the exceed called.
The pink-haired wizard rolled along the floor in agony, grasping at his back. Slowly the pain began to subside and Natsu calmed down, huffing and puffing in exhaustion.
"What happened?" Happy asked.
"I don't know?" Natsu replied as he sat up. "I just felt this burning pain in my back."
"Burning?" Happy walked to Natsu's back, his eyes focused on something. "When did you get a tattoo?"
"What? I don't have any tattoos." Natsu replied.
"Well you do now."
"What the hell? What does it look like?"
Happy flew to the table and grabbed the light pen sitting on it. He walked to the front of Natsu and wrote in the air an X with an I next to it. Natsu looked at the letters quizzically. "What's that supposed to mean?"
The next chapter of 7 Pieces is up, and Erza's story is done...for now. Let me know what you guys thought of it. I plan on making the introductions about 2 maybe 3 chapters. Nothing too in depth at this point, but we'll get there.
Also, the poll for the next chapter is up on my profile page so be sure to check that out and vote if you haven't already. I will close the poll on the 15th, so go vote now!
As always leave a comment or concern and thanks for reading! :)
S/N: I know a few of you were speculating that Erza would be the Empress Arcana, but after researching a bit, I feel that Strength captures her personality more. Just wait until you see what the other girl's arcanas are.