Heckler cursed the icy winds of the mountains. Usually he didn't mind the cold snowy breeze he accepted natures harsh ways. But right now they stung his wounds deep to the core. He quickened his pace trying to ignore the burning pain.

"You ok?" Natsu asked from behind him, he still carried Lucy. As much as she protested he still carried her, they'd be slower with her limping on her shot leg, the round had only grazed her but it had still managed to tear some muscle making it almost impossible for her stand let alone walk.

Heckler didn't answer the Dragon Slayer. Natsu might have been carrying Lucy but Heckler was the one slowing them down. His belly felt like it was full of razors and his legs were like lead. Worst of all was his left eye that stung worse than all,

Heckler felt a hand grab his sleeve he turned around to see Lisanna gripping it, "What is it?" He asked a litter harsher than he intended.

"You should rest," she said staring him in his one good eye. Everyone looked at him with evident pity in their eyes, even his dog Browning stood back looking solemn.

Heckler hadn't noticed until now but he was breathing heavily, not that he was surprised in his current exhaustion, he felt like vomiting. "I'm fine," he assured her turning away and shrugging her hand off. "We're almost there," he breathed, "This pass leads to another mining tunnel, after that it's a straight shot to my guildhall."

"HECKLER!" Lisanna shouted, "You need to rest, your wounds have opened."

Heckler looked down to his belly, sure enough his blood had soaked through the clothes Virgo had given him and red stains marked the snow behind him. It wasn't just the wound in his belly, the bandage on his leg was now soaked through with blood. Tears of red streamed down from his bad eye and dripped onto the black trench coat.

"I can rest and bandage my wounds at the guild," he said continuing on his way. If he stopped now he wasn't sure he'd be able to continue on. Every step he took felt like I'd be his last, his knees shook and he wasn't sure if he'd make it to the guildhall.

"But-," Lisanna said only to be cut off by Heckler.

"Just shut up," he hissed taking another step, Venom filled his tone as he continued on. He kept moving but the group behind him was standing still watching him pathetically try to continue on.

"Don't snap at her!" Lucy said. "She's worried about you, we're all worried about you. Those wounds of yours are really serious."

The loud sound of a blast echoed behind them, and they turned. To see dust rising in the distance. "There gaining on us," Heckler rasped wiping away the blood on his face with his sleeve, "if we keep standing around we'll die."

"And if you keep moving on like this you'll die!" Lucy shouted. "This is your job if you die here you'll never collect your reward!"

"Just shut up!" Heckler growled taking another agonizing step up the hill. His foot caught on a loose stone, he slipped on it and fell face forward into the snow.

"Heckler," Lisanna said rushing to his side Browning followed her rushing to the aid of his master. Heckler spat out a mouthful of snow and tried to lift himself off the cold ground.

"You're in no condition to move," Lisanna said helping him sit up, "Please just rest," she begged, "just long enough for us to change your bandages."

"That'll take too long," Heckler whispered. "Salamander," he said turning to Natsu, "Please help me to the top of this hill," he pointed a shaking finger, "over to that boulder."

Natsu nodded laying Lucy on the ground, "Alright," he said grabbing Heckler's arm and draping it over his shoulder and helping the gunslinger up off the snowy ground. Slowly Natsu helped the wounded man limp over to towards the stack of boulders on the top of the hill where he laid him down to rest.

"Thanks," Heckler panted his face covered in a cold sweat. He grabbed his silver hip flask and unscrewed the cap and drank the contents. Heckler coughed as the whiskey pleasantly burned on its way down. "Now I got a fire in my belly," he chuckled reaching out to pet Browning, the loyal dog had followed him and Natsu up the hill it whined knowing his master was in pain.

"What do we do now," Natsu asked arms folded in front of him.

Heckler slid his rifle out of the scabbard on his back, he scooted to a position overlooking the mountain pass below. He leaned his back against a lonely tree panting with exhaustion. Browning laid his head in his master's lap.

"I'm staying here," he told him, "I want you to take Lisanna and Lucy to my guild," he explained. "The entrance to the mine is easy enough to follow Browning can show you the way so take him with you."

Natsu clenched his fist, "And what about you?" he said through clenched teeth. Natsu had a feeling he knew exactly what Heckler was planning.

"I'll hold those bastards off here," he said drawing his luger and placing it on a rock within easy reach along with a spare magazine. "I don't know if I'll be able to hold those sons of bitches off for very long so when you reach the mine entrance so I want you to collapse the entrance. After that you should be home free."

"No," Natsu hissed, "What kind people do you think we are? We're Fairy Tail wizards we don't run with our tails between our legs and leave our comrades to die!"

"I'm not happy about this either Salamander," Heckler said drawing his revolvers, "But staying here is suicide for all of us, and I'll just keep slowing you down."

"But-," Natsu protested.

"Please," Heckler whispered, Natsu saw a single tear streak down the man's face, "This is already hard enough as it is, but I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to Lucy or Lisanna. I already owe Lisanna a lot… there was so much I wanted to do with her, but it seems I'll be clocking out early."

Natsu glared daggers at him, "You're going to break her heart doing this!" He growled, "You expect me to be ok with you hurting her like this?"

"The two of you can curse me all you want," Heckler said wiping the tear away, "but it's not going to change a single thing."

Heckler handed Natsu the revolvers. "Do me another favor and give these to Lisanna. She's not much of a shot but it's nothing a little practice can't fix. Besides I can't stand the idea of those bastards getting their bloody hands on my dad's guns. And I know it's a lot to ask but I'm going to need someone to take care of Browning and he seems to like her just fine." He rubbed Browning's slobbery jowls affectionately, the dog didn't look like it had any intention of leaving his masters side.

"You're determined to do this?" Natsu asked, "You're determined to die?"

"I'm determined to save your lives," he answered, "Now stop wasting time, you three need to move."

Natsu took the revolvers in his hands scooped Browning into his arms carrying him away from his broken master, the dog whined in protest as Natsu matched away.

Heckler breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you, Salamander." He whispered fishing his long wooden pipe out of his blood soaked coat. Red stained the pipe but he ignored it as he packed it with tobacco and struck the match. The leaves glowed as he ignited them and the warm smoke calmed him, he felt more tears streak down the side of his face.

"I want to live," he sobbed to himself, he grabbed his rifle and scanned the mountain pass below, "more than ever I want to live, I'm sorry Lisanna… I'm so sorry. There was so much I wanted to do with you."


Natsu handed the small bulldog over to Lisanna and picked Lucy back up. "Let's go," he said moving towards the mine entrance double time.

"What about Heckler?" Lisanna asked.

"He's staying behind," Natsu answered, "He's going to try and hold them off so we can get to safety."

"What!?" Lisanna protested, "And we're going to just leave him?"

"No," Natsu said, "I'll get you two to the mine," he explained, "As soon as you're safe I'm coming back for him and you can get to his guild. I'm not going to leave him behind Lisanna, you can be sure I'll bring him back to you."