The Heart of an Artist Chapter 10, a fairy tail fanfic

HOLY CRAP IT'S BEEN A WHILE!

I deeply apologize for ignoring this story for so long! I know that you all probably are still mad, and I can't blame you. But hey, have another chapter finally to make up for it.

It probably won't, but I can pretend it can.

Enjoy, or not, I don't' care you all have your opinions.

Everything belongs to their respective owners.

Chapter Ten: Ready for War, and Without You

It was still silent for both the blonde Celestial Mage and the red haired Reequipped Mage, trying to understand exactly what exactly was Natsu thinking of when he made the song they just finished listening too. To each of the women, they thought it could mean towards them, but Natsu thinking they loved someone else, thus thought if he tried anything; it would be considering the equivalent to cheating for him.

Of course, this was just their personal guesses. They don't really know the exact reason for this song's existence unless they ask the Fire Dragon Slayer himself when he comes back from his job, whenever that was going to be.

"Hey Erza," Lucy broke the silence, as she looked over at the piles of CDs that were stacked in the hidden closet they managed to find, "I'm going to find another song for us to listen too, if that's okay with you." She wanted to make sure that the S-Class was alright with her idea.

"Yeah, that's fine." Erza responded, seeing the blonde heading to pick up another music CD, hopefully one that was happier than the one they just listened too

Erza returned to her thoughts as Lucy went to find another song to listen too. The red head was now more worried for the pink haired Fire Dragon Slayer. From the songs she remembered her and everyone else listening too a month ago to the ones now, she feared something was wrong with the usually loveable pink haired Mage. Sure, there were happy songs that he made, but the ones where that wasn't the case? The woman refused to believe that Natsu would just make songs that sounded depressing or… evil… are a few music tunes were found to be like such as "The Fifth Angel" and "Left Behind" songs.

'Natsu… what are you hiding?' The red head wondered in worry, concern for her- their! She meant their Fire Dragon Slayer.

Yeah that was it.

With Lucy, she looked over at the top of a few of the music disks stacks, trying to find something that wouldn't seem to be either depressing or confusion.

"Oh?' She muttered in surprised when she found a music disk that caught her attention. Picking it up, she saw it was label as "Ready for War". This got the blonde's interesting. To her, a song with that name seems it would be like a motivation or upbeat song, like the "Invincible" song that Gray picked out as the third song they all listened too a month ago.

Turning around, she quickly made her way over to where Erza was sitting at the couch next to the table in the main living room where they would be listening to more of the Dragon Slayer's songs.

"Erza, I found one!" Lucy told her, getting Erza to snap out of her thoughts once more as he looked to see the blonde heading to her and the radio, "I'm confident this one will be better than the last one."

Erza didn't reply, as she simply nodded to the Celestial Mage, confident in what she said was true.

No other words were spoken as Lucy put in the music disk into the radio, and proceeded to hit the play button.

The music started as nothing more than what sounded like just a guitar, nothing too crazy or loud. However a few seconds later the music then picked up, as rock music filled the air of the household once more. Erza and Lucy were honestly expecting that, as they noticed Natsu made more rock than anything else.

And then, the lyrics were heard.

You live your life recklessly
It's hard to hide jealousy
You talk a mile a minute
You take the truth and spin it
You took it to the limit (don't blame me)
Survival of the fittest
You cut my fuse and lit it
And I'm a psycho menace (don't blame me)
I don't wanna have to do this again

I pray for peace but I'm ready for war
I pray for change 'cause I've been here before
I pray for peace but I'm ready for war
I pray for peace but I'm ready for war
I pray for peace but I'm ready for war

The two women were caught off guard at first; however Erza and Lucy couldn't help but slowly enjoy the lyrics to this song. It seems pretty self explanatory. It wasn't anything too crazy, nothing that gave them more questions, nothing that made it seem like Natsu was not in a good mood.

My heart and soul is tempting me (To waste your place in history)
You start to fall bend and break, (Your weak disease is your misery)
You talk a mile a minute
You take the truth and spin it
You took it to the limit (don't blame me)
Survival of the fittest
You cut my fuse and lit it
And I'm a psycho menace (don't blame me)
I don't wanna have to do this again

A song that tells that one wants peace, but isn't afraid to fight back and defeat an enemy if they push too far. This song seemed like something that Natsu would write, as it probably refers to Fairy Tail. Lucy smiled, knowing how Natsu would do anything to protect Fairy Tail, no matter the cost.

Erza also smiled as similar thoughts filled her head. This song was a message to any who would even think of trying to hurt them or the guild. They want peace and get along with everyone, but push them too far, the enemy better prepare for war.

After a few seconds after the final lyrics were spoken, the music ended, leaving the house in silence.

"…That one was better." Lucy broke the silence with a smile, glad to pick a song that not only sounded cool, but how it told a message that clearly relates to Fairy Tail. Not to mention it was much easier to understand the message than the last one.

"Yeah, I prefer this song much more than the last one," Erza told the blonde, as the S-Class woman then stood up as she herself then walked over to the pile of CDs, "I'll pick one out now myself."

"Sure, go ahead." Lucy replied with a smile, as the blonde was thinking about the song and how it could relate to Fairy Tail.

Erza didn't waste anytime as she looked through the piles of music disks, trying to find one that would not only be as great, but also that hopefully wouldn't drag up any more questions than the ones they already have.

Not even a minute later, Erza spotted a disk that caught her attention, as she picked it up, reading it as "Without You".

"Without you…?" The red head wondered in confusion, before she tried to think of a reason for a song to be named this.

However, her imagination went a bit overboard, as she then imagined Natsu confessing his undying love to her, telling her that he can't live without her. This got the woman to gain a large blush as she started to sweat a bit from the imagination. The Fire Dragon Slayer would confess to be unable to live without her, then they would date, then they would get married, then they would-.

"Uh Erza, are you alright?" Lucy questioned out loud with a sweat drop, seeing the other woman's face being as red as her hair, as well as her somewhat crazed expressions she was forming on her face.

This got Erza to snap out of her fantasy, as she let out a small "Eep!" in response.

"I'm fine!" Ezra stuttered a little, to which Lucy remained unconvinced if the deadpanned stare she was giving to the red head was any indication. The red haired woman tried to ignore this however as she quickly made her way to the radio to hide her embarrassment from being caught during her day dreaming, "Let's just listen to this song right here!"

Lucy merely shook her head in amusement from the red head's still embarrassed expression, as Erza put in the disk and activated the radio to play it.

Immediately rock music poured from the radio, which honestly startled the two women for a moment from the sudden loudness. They thought the song would start a bit quieter than that.

But then their attention was drawn to the lyrics that were heard.

Search for the answers I knew all along
I lost myself, we all fall down
Never the wiser of what I've become
Alone I stand, a broken man

Already the worried expressions returned to both Erza and Lucy, as they heard the lyrics. Any thoughts about this music being some kind of happy love confession song was thrown out the window from what they heard.

All I have is one last chance
I won't turn my back on you
Take my hand, drag me down
If you fall then I will too
And I can't save what's left of you

Say something new
I have nothing left
I can't face the dark without you
There's nothing left to lose
The fighting never ends
I can't face the dark without you

What dark? What was this darkness Natsu was singing about? Did it involve some incident? Or did it represent some kind of negative emotion he was feeling? Questions like these filled both the blonde and red head as the song's lyrics went on once more.

Follow me under and pull me apart
I understand, there's nothing left
Pain so familiar and close to the heart
No more, no last, I won't forget

Come back down, save yourself
I can't find my way to you
And I can't bare and face the truth

Say something new
I have nothing left
I can't face the dark without you
There's nothing left to lose
The fighting never ends
I can't face the dark without you

Lucy and Erza could recall the times when Natsu was always so happy, so filled with energy and life, seeing so many examples of this made it impossible for something to be bothering the usual happy-go-lucky Dragon Slayer. But what could it be? Did he feel lonely? Was this song for someone he had feelings for? Or was this for Igneel when the dragon left him?

Lucy then shook her head, trying to ignore any sad memories of her own being brought up by the song they were listening too, of her own mother who died years ago, or from the sorrow she felt when she learned of her father passing away, with him regretting his cold behavior to her and how in his letters to her while she was on Tenrou telling the blonde how he would always loved her.

Erza had a similar questions and similar thoughts. The memories of Rob filled her head, remembering how much in sorrow she was in when he sacrificed his life to save her during the rebellion at the Tower of Heaven. Sometimes, she wished he was still alive, returned to Fairy Tail where he belonged, so he could see how much she had grown. And then Simon, who not even that long ago to the red head threw away his own life to protect her when Jellal was not himself.

I wanted to forgive
I'm trying to forget
Don't leave me here again
I am with you forever, the end

Say something new
I have nothing left
I can't face the dark without you
There's nothing left to lose
The fighting never ends
I can't face the dark without you

Holding the hand that holds me down
I forgive you, forget you, the end
Holding the hand that holds me down
I forgive you, forget you, the end

With that, the music then started to take a more quiet tone, as it slowly faded into silence for the next dozens of seconds, leaving everything silent once more.

The red head and the blonde had to wipe a few tears that appeared in their eyes, their own emotions and memories getting the better of them. If this song was meant to bring this kind of reaction out of them, it did too much of a good job.

There we go, chapter done. I will try to update this story more often and not struggle with it for months. Anyway, what did you all think? Good? Bad? Let me know.

See you all next time, whenever that will be.

Songs that have been played so far:

Skillet: Fire and Fury

Beast in Black: The Fifth Angel

The Script: Hall of Fame

Def Leppard: Pour some sugar on me

Smash into Pieces: Burn, Color of your eyes, Stay

Disturbed: My child

Byron Mr. Talkbox Chambers: Ground Zero

Coldplay: Viva la Vida

Hollywood Undead: Whatever it takes

Sick Puppies: You're going down

Civil War: I will rule the universe

Dagames: Beacon of Hope

Nickelback: Gotta be somebody

Blockheads: Can't get enough

Adelitas Way: Ready for War

Breaking Benjamin: Without You