Chapter 13! Back to Knightwalker.

I moved a few chapters around because too much Scarlet back to back would be tiring, and I know most of you want to find out what happens with Knightwalker.

Enjoy!

The sudden sound of breaking glass startled Lucy awake. Erza put her down and looked at the direction of sudden outbursts and screaming. Lucy tightened her grip on the coat, not sure what to expect.

The redhead looked at the worried blonde. She faced the celestial mage and placed her hands firmly on the latter's shoulders, having Lucy face her.

"Go to your room. I'll be back soon."

Lucy wrapped her arms around Erza's waist like a child not wanting to let go.

"Are you telling me the truth?"

Erza nodded.

"I promise I will come back to you," she replied as she quickly kissed Lucy's forehead and ran towards the commotion.

"Go to your room!" She yelled along the way to Lucy.

The knight quickly made her way to the ball edifice, where the celebration was taking place. Soldiers were in front of it, trying to control the raging crowd that wanted to run away.

"Please! Calm down! The situation is under control! Return to the ball room! You will be free to leave once we have conducted a quick presence check!"

Erza walked up to one of her trainee soldiers who was trying to contain the situation.

"Captain Knightwalker!" The young soldier fixed himself.

"What's going on here? What's with all the ruckus?" Erza questioned.

"Well..."

"Erza!"

The redhead turned to the voice calling her.

"Sugarboy? What's going on?"

"Hughes..."

"..."

"..."

Sugarboy remained quiet.

"...Well?! What of Hughes?" Erza's patience was very little at the moment.

"He tried to assassinate the King!" The trainee spoke up.

Erza raised an eyebrow to this.

"Why would Hughes want to assassinate him? What would he gain? Are you sure it was him?"

The trainee walked up to her and nodded, adding "We all saw him!"

"If you saw him, then why on earth didn't you stop him?" Erza inquired in a scolding manner.

The trainee looked down in shame.

"Don't blame the kids. Plus, where were YOU during this time?" Sugarboy asked.

Erza glared at him, then sighed.

"By tried, you mean he wasn't successful?"

Sugarboy nodded.

"The King is fine, he wasn't even injured."

"That's to be expected, this is Hughes. The only thing he was good at was his amusement park magic," Erza commented.

She motioned for Sugarboy to continue.

"He ran into the forest, towards the hunting grounds, but they managed to injure him so he couldn't have gotten too far away."

The redheaded knight took her heels off, and ripped the side of her dress to allow her to run.

"E-Erza?! Hilda-san's going to kill you for that..."

"I don't care about Hilda right now. Give me a sword."

The trainee was about to give her his sword, when Coco ran towards her yelling her name.

"Coco? What-"

"YOUR SPEAR!"

Coco threw the Ten Commandments as strong as she could. Erza caught it with one hand, wondering how the kid knew she needed it.

"SAY THANK YOU TO LUCY WHEN YOU GET BACK!"

Lucy hadn't gone to her room. Lucy was in the barracks. Why was Lucy in the barracks? Did she not trust Erza? Did she go back to her room yet?

Worrisome thoughts coursed through Erza's mind.

She's fine, Erza. You're just being overprotective. She does not belong to you.

She let out a smirk when she thought this, as an hour ago, between gasps, moans and groans, Lucy was clearly saying how much she belonged to Erza.

"I won't let this idiot ruin what I have."

"Erza?" Sugarboy looked at her curiously.

"Come on. We'll split up. The hunting grounds and the forest are both massive."

Sugarboy nodded.

Erza looked at the trainee.

"Once you make sure everyone is safe, send reinforcements."

The young trainee nodded as Erza and Sugarboy made their way to the forest, the redhead going left and the blonde going right.

My body isn't holding me down... An adrenaline rush? I don't feel weak...

But Erza knew that the exhaustion would get to her once the rush died down. However, she did not want to think of it at the moment. She passed the slope and slowed down as she heared footsteps. She quickly turned around, spear readied, when she feelt someone behind her.

"Wait! It's me. Erza, it's me. Lucy!"

Erza's guard lessened as she spoke, "I can see that for myself, thank you."

Her voice had a sting to it.

"I told you to go to your room. You disobeyed me twice."

"I was worried! You just suddenly left me in the middle of a garden!"

Erza walked over to Lucy who was on the verge of tears. She used her free hand to pet the blonde and held her close.

"Sorry. I just want you to be-"

Erza stopped talking. Her eyes began inspecting their surroundings, her worry increasing.

"Lucy, you have to leave."

"But-"

Erza suddenly pushed Lucy away, only having a split second to dodge. The knife left a shallow cut on her waist. She held her bleeding waist and commented on Hughes' cowardice, adding, "But then again, you're a weakling. I can't even fathom why you were given a position in the Royal army. Faust was a foolish man to give you such power."

"Amazing. That's amazing! You were barely able to dodge it!"

Erza glared towards the direction of the voice, the moonlight revealing Hughes in his suit on a tree branch.

"When on earth did assassins start to dress so formal?" Erza commented.

"I was at an amazing celebration!"

"Oh? Given the commotion over there, I didn't notice."

"Why are you doing this Erza? Why are you siding with him?"

"Siding? With who? The King? Please don't make me laugh. I'm siding with the Kingdom."

"I'm siding with the Kingdom!"

"By killing the king?"

"This world needs magic! He's the reason we no longer have any! Killing him and undoing what he's done is the key to getting magic back!"

"I don't need magic anymore."

"Liar. You're craving for it even now. It's obvious."

"I-"

Her body suddenly caught up with her earlier rush. An incredible amount of exhaustion entered her as she coughed up blood.

"Hoooo...So the rumors were true. Well, at this point, killing you would be pointless. You'll be dead soon anyways."

Erza lost balance and fell to her knees. She dropped her spear, covering her mouth.

"What do you mean?"

Erza turned around to a wide eyed Lucy seeking answers.

"What do you mean she'll be dead soon?!"

The blonde ran up to the fallen knight.

"Erza!"

"Stay back," she responded, heaving.

"I think I'll kill her instead. Seeing your lover killed in front of your eyes, right before your death. Doesn't that sound amazing?"

"Erza, why does he keep saying that?" Lucy held Erza when she noticed bleeding from her waist and blood on both hands.

The knight let out a low growl as she grabbed her spear and slowly got up.

"Stay back!"

"But-"

Before Lucy could finish, Hughes jumped from the tree branch towards her, with astonishing speed and a barrage of knives. Erza barely managed to cover Lucy, dropping her spear in the process. They tumbled down the slope as a knife went into the knight's back thigh.

Lucy lifted her head from Erza's chest and noticed they were at the bottom of the slope.

"Here. Not like you can do much with it in your condition though."

Lucy looked up to the voice. Hughes kicked down the Ten Commandments that landed at the trunk of a tree near them.

"Have an amazing time dying. It was nice knowing you, Captain Knightwalker."

Erza was barely conscious. She let out a violent bloody cough, which had Lucy immediately on her.

"Erza, what's happening?! I know this isn't just because of a cut..."

"Don't...worry. I'm alright."

"I can see you aren't!"

"Do...me a...favour...Rip a...part...from your dress...and wrap it...around my thigh."

Lucy unquestioningly ripped the bottom of her dress, however noticed the knife was still in the redhead's thigh. She looked at Erza for guidance. The latter nodded, indicating that she should remove the knife.

"Lu...cy... Quickly pull it...out..." Erza's breathing was gradually getting heavier.

Lucy gulped, tears starting to form in her eyes. She held Erza's thigh with one hand and the knife with the other. She tried her best to pull the knife out as quickly as possible, causing Erza to scream in pain.

The blonde winced, unable to stand seeing the redhead in pain. She wrapped Erza's thigh and looked back to her.

Dammit...I can barely stay awake...My whole body's in pain.

Erza looked at the crying Lucy. She slowly lifted her arm and cupped the blonde's cheek, who removed another part of her dress and wrapped it around the redhead's bleeding waist.

"...Lucy...that's enough crying...I'm alright."

Lucy teared up even more, feeling like a failure, blaming herself for this.

"If...I just listened to you! If I just went to my room...This...this wouldn't have happened! You...You would have defeated him! It's all my fault!"

Erza shook her head.

"None... of..this... is...your fault," she continued with a quiet whisper,"...Lucy...I...love you."

Lucy kissed her and replied with teary eyes and a sad smile, "I love you too."

The blonde gently placed her head on Erza's chest and spoke, "I can't believe how lucky I was to be found by you...I'm content. I do miss my friends, but I'm happy with you, here. Erza, I love you. For who you are. I love you...so please...don't leave me...I don't want to be without you..."

The knight was quiet.

Lucy looked up and saw her eyes were closed.

"Erza?"

She nudged her.

"Hey...You're just sleeping right? Erza...Wake up..."

A few more nudges, but no response.

"Erza...Please wake up...If this is a joke, it's not funny...Erza...Erza, please! I'm begging you!"

Nothing. Not even a grunt. The blonde's arms went limp as she gently held onto her fallen knight and cried, unaware that a figure had slowly stepped out of the shadows behind her.

Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed!

If you decide to leave a review, tell me who you think the figure is!