The final chapter of We Stand Alone. I am glad this story got this far because the very first draft I made for this story (which was written on the plane ride back from New Orleans) was really weird and I decided not to do it. But then I realized that I could rework the plot and then We Stand Alone was born. This chapter focuses mainly on Sabrina and her little encounter. I hope you enjoy the last chapter and thank you.
Sabrina's POV
I was holding the rifle close to me, breathing hard. I was so scared. Who would have known that the search for a simple little princess would be so violent? I looked out the window of the carriage to see no one following us but then I looked forward to see that the reigns were…slack?
My heart slammed in my throat as I tried to see if Lord Izaya was still on top of the carriage. I almost fell out of the carriage leaning out but I managed to see that Izaya was not there anymore. I gripped the rifle even tighter and tried not to panic. I knew how to drive a carriage but getting up there would be difficult if the carriage didn't crash first. I looked out the window again, towards the front of the carriage and I felt nervousness and terror hit me.
The carriage was heading towards a slight bend that would require a driver to work around. If there was no driver, the carriage would certainly tip over.
"Damn it…damn it all!" I shouted, frustrated with my own uselessness.
I opened the door of the carriage and threw the rifle upon on the driver's seat. I grabbed the small ledge on the side of the carriage with my right hand and I closed my eyes, feeling the wind go through my hair and I finally stepped out of the carriage, grabbing the ledge with both hands and resting my feet on a ledge near the bottom. I slowly my way forward, hands sweating and heart pounding in my head.
'Come on…I can do this!' I thought to myself desperately as I reached up to grab the edge of the top of the carriage.
I was about get a full grip on the top when suddenly the carriage let out a shriek and the carriage tipped over, my mind being flooded with terror. I had been too late and the carriage had hit the bend! There was a jarring thud and the sound of splintering wood as the side of the carriage that hit the ground cracked and splintered. I could feel myself fall off the side of the carriage and hit the ground and I opened my eyes to see that the carriage was completely destroyed. It was a miracle that I had not been riding on the side that had hit the small of grouping of rocks next to a group of trees. I stood up and I brushed myself off slowly, looking at the wreckage that used to be a carriage. I looked at my hair and I just sighed.
"I look like a mess." I sighed as I went over to the driver seat of the fallen carriage and retrieved my rifle. "I must keep moving. There is no way I can be captured."
Once I had steadied myself from the crash, I took off running. I ran through the forest, carrying the rifle. That rifle, gave me a sense of security as I crashed out of forest, feeling light headed. I was on the verge hysteria. And then I saw the carriage go past me. I watched it pass, the gilded sides and the two soldiers sitting in the driver's seat. And then suddenly, there was a small explosion and the carriage let out a shriek as it suddenly started to sway. The soldiers on the top fired shots into the forest as the carriage smashed into the ground, the soldiers flying off of it, shouting. There were the sounds of alarmed shouts from the forest as several figures in dark clothing fled the scene. The carriage was eerily quiet as I slowly advanced forward, my heart pounding with fear. I went around the side of the carriage to see a soldier lying on the ground. The other soldier was on his knees and he was holding onto his rifle, his black armor dusty.
"Hands in the air! Now!" I shouted in terror when I realized he was alive.
The soldier started to raise his rifle when I realized that I had never even checked if the rifle was loaded or been trained to shoot. I was about to surrender when the soldier suddenly fell to the ground and lay still. I turned away from the two soldiers to search inside the carriage. I opened the door to the carriage and I was shocked to see…Noel.
He was bleeding, his arm crushed between the side of the carriage and the side of the road. He was struggling with something and his eyes widened when he saw me looking through the carriage.
"M…my sister…take her f-first." Noel coughed as I nodded furiously and searched for his sister.
She was leaning against the carriage, blood coming from her head and I quickly grabbed her, not caring if I got blood on my clothes. I carried her with both hands and I dragged her out of the carriage, her blood spilling onto the road as I dragged her and tore my own clothes to create a bandage.
"Your going to be…ok. O-ok. Yeah you will be ok." I muttered to myself as I bandaged her head with my ripped up clothes.
She was quite beautiful, must have been as old as I was. She was wearing leather armor and her hair was spotted with blood so I couldn't tell what color it really was. Suddenly I heard the sound of a steam engine behind me and several shouts. I finished bandaging Noel's sister and I turned around, the rifle still in my hand.
A soldier in teal armor was standing in front of me, a bandage covering his lower jaw. He quickly kicked the rifle out of my hand and swiftly pushed me to the ground. Within seconds there were several black armored soldiers standing above me, rifles pointed at me. I looked over to see more soldiers dragging Noel and his sister towards their carriage. I looked at the soldiers and I put my hands on top of my head.
"I surrender."
…
Sara and Noel where heading to Yanma when their carriage fell to an ambush by the civilian resistance. Thankfully, Sabrina had been there to save Sara who would have died if help had not reached her sooner. Unfortunately, Sabrina was captured by Garlan troops who later realized that she was a member of the royal family. The members of Fairy Tail and the nobles who had protected Sabrina were nursed back to health and then released. Sabrina was not harmed during her stay as a Garlan prisoner as Archibald had promised but the final decision was up to Sara. But the queen was still not in a merciful mood and the very second Sabrina could walk, the entire Flarina family was marched into the palace courtyard of Crocus to be executed.
"Present rifles!"
Sabrina did her best to look brave or graceful or both during her final moments. But her thoughts kept drifting between terror and…Natsu. Something about the flame mage made Sabrina happy.
"3!"
Maybe it was the way he treated her as a human being and not like a fragile piece of glass? He had never addressed her by her title a single time.
"2!"
Or maybe it was how he had called her "strange". At the time she had thought he was the strange one with the talking and flying cat afterall.
"1!"
Whatever the reason, Sabrina had enjoyed her time with Natsu like no one else she had ever met in her life. And now, that life was coming to an end.
"Vir!"
The muzzles flashed and Sabrina closed her eyes. She expected to feel her life slip away at any moment.
…
…
…
…
…
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…
But that moment never came. Sabrina slowly opened her eyes to see Sara kneeling before her, dressed in her royal clothes and the Crown of Knives on her head. Christian and her father were also surprised as well.
"Sabrina of the Flarina dynasty, I owe you my life. And therefore, I will give you your life and your family's as well as payment. However you must acknowledge our claim over this land and never seek to reclaim it. We have arranged a house for you and your family and perhaps you can rise through the ranks in our own hierarchy. Once again, I thank you ashahazad*." The queen said as she stood and smiled.
Sabrina smiled back as she bowed in return.
"E unz denatus te youble es zeil. E akasan youble ashahazad." (I am in debt to you as well. I thank you my friend.) Sabrina said as she held out her hand.
The queen shook her hand with a smile and the friendship between two once enemies began.
But while this story had a happy ending, the Wizard Council continued to fight against The Garlan Consulate. But the Wizard Council would be hindered by the emergence of a rogue guild called Toy Box and Fairy Tail would be called upon once again. Eventually, the Garlan war machine would defeat the remnants of the Rune Knights at the gates of Arcana and Sara would take the throne as the Empress of Garla and Queen of Fiore. The Wizard Council would be dissolved and it would not be reformed for another 150 years.
Double update! Yeah! Anyways, I hope you guys liked this story and I wanted to thank everyone who reviewed! You guys rock!
References: *ashahazad means "My friend" in Garlan
I wanted to thank you all for reviewing! Thanks again! FF