The Ache in Her Heart
Summary: (One-Shot) Serra wants to be alone to deal with her pain, but a certain purple-hair Sage won't let her. Bad summary. Just judge the story for yourself. It's a one-sided Serra.
Note: This is my first FE Fan Fiction… so please be nice and review with your gracious comments/flames.
Her face ached from the smile she wore. No one knew her misery. There was an ache in her body, but there was no way to heal it. As the celebration of the defeat of Nergal began to take way in the House of Ostia, she snuck out to the balcony overlooking the garden. It wasn't a secret area of the castle but no one would look for her; she knew this. She wanted to be alone.
As she sat on a bench and gazed at the stars thinking to herself, hours passed. During one point in her deep thought, tears slowly rolled down her cheek, but she wiped them as fast as they came. However, the evidence was still there.
"Serra! There you are!" Slowly, Serra turned around to see a sage, but she didn't say any thing. "Why aren't you inside at the party with the rest?"
"They don't need me," she replied turning away from him, "You were right."
"What are you saying?" The purple-haired sage asked confused as he walked to sit beside her.
Serra turned away from him, "I don't feel well, Erk."
"I noticed. You didn't attack me with your constant bickering. Shall I get my staff? Priscilla taught me how to use it."
"You can't heal it, Erk. I just need to be alone. It hurts to…" Serra placed her hand on her heart, "I just want to be alone. I brought this on myself. It's the life I chose to lead." She turned to him with a false smile, "Go back in and ask Prissy to dance."
Erk looked at the way he came and asked, "Do you know how long you've been out here?" He turned to meet her gaze, "You've been crying!"
Quickly, Serra turned away and sighed, "Yes. Yes, I have been gone for three hours and no, I didn't cry! I will not cry in front of you! I'm stronger than that. To cry in front of you would be like confessing that I—" She stopped in mid sentence with her words hanging in the air. With a deep breath, she continued, "You were right, no one cares. I've been gone so long and no one has come out to find me."
"Tell me, Serra, tell me what hurts," Erk grabbed her shoulder and gazed into her teary red eyes.
She averted them from his stare, "Leave me alone and go back to Priscilla. I hear Heath is leaving tonight and she'll need someone to comfort her."
"Serra!"
She pulled away from him, "I can handle myself. I always have. You can't help me, Erk. Just go."
"Serra, stop being stubborn and tell me. I might be able to help."
Serra placed her hand over her heart and balled her other hand into a fist. She shot up from the bench and shouted at Erk, "What is wrong with you? I told you to go! I told you to leave me alone! My heart can't take it anymore. It pains me to be with you and knowing that you want to be with someone else. It pains me to know we can never be together. My duty is here in Ostia and yours is in Etruria and to Lord Pent. I-I… Leave me alone, Erk!"
"Serra!" Erk called to her after she ran into the garden. Without delay, he chased after her. "Serra! Damn it." He called when he saw her. She turned around and glared—in her hand was a tome. Before Erk could move any closer, lightning struck the ground between them. When the debris cleared, Serra was no where to be seen, but Erk didn't give up.
He wandered in the garden before he heard a small cry. He followed the noise until he saw Serra crying beside a fountain. "Serra…" He said softly. She turned quickly to meet him with angry in her eyes. Before she could grab her lightning tome, Erk knocked it in the water and grabbed Serra's arm, "Serra, don't run."
"Erk… Give up…" Serra wiped her tears with her free arm, "I have."
"Serra." Erk wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, "Let's just stay here together for the remainder of the night. You can shout at me or whatever tomorrow until I leave with Lord Pent. Just stay here with me." He kissed her forehead.
With that, Serra burst into tears and wrapped her arms around him. When her tears dried up, she rested her head on his shoulder with a flushed face, "I love you but… I know you don't return my feelings… Thank you. I'm okay now." She looked up at him with a true smile but it faded when she saw a silhouette of a wyvern in the sky. "Heath's leaveing… You best go to Priscilla…" Serra released from him.
Erk stood up and tidied himself since Serra made his robes wrinkled and stained with her tears. He turned to Serra and extended his hand, "Sweetest Serra." Serra looked at him with wary. He grinned knowing that only Sain called her "Sweetest Serra."
"May I have this dance?" When she continued to stare at him with a blank expression, he pulled her in his arms, "I told you I'll stay with you for the remainder of the night."
Serra laughed, for the first time tonight, "Now I know how you feel when I bother you."
"Hush," Erk whispered and started dancing, "Let's enjoy tonight."
After a few moments passed, Serra broke the silence, "Erk."
"Hmm?"
"Never mind." She replied as she rested her head on his shoulder. In her mind, she knew the night would only last for a few more hours and then she'll be alone again but the ache in her heart lessened. No, she won't be alone. There's her extended family with Lord Hector. There was also Oswin and Mathew. "Thanks Erk… but don't expect me to be nice like this tomorrow."
"I won't. I expect the little annoying brat I escorted a year ago."
Note: Before anyone reviews, which I know you will ALL do, I know they are OOC.
If you like this, I might write some more after I finish my One Piece story.