As I Lay Dying

My Magic Light left me so suddenly that it physically hurt. I doubled over with a gasp as I stopped glowing. My daggers went back on their own, no longer could they stay. I was out of Magic Energy. I fell to my knees and hunched over as I vomited up blood. I wheezed and coughed uncontrollably when more of the crimson liquid came up my throat. I didn't dare look at the crumpled body not even two feet away from me. The very thought provoked salty tears to mix in with the copper tang of blood. With a shaky breath, I pushed myself back up to my feet using a hand that wasn't shaking.
Now, I had only one objective...get Natsu out.

I stumbled over to him, nearly slipping on my own blood that stained the floor in puddles. Once I had managed to stumble over to the boy, I carefully lifted him up into my arms that were shaking. I cried out as my wounds roared to life with a vengeance. I clenched my teeth to stifle my howl of pain and instead focused on putting Natsu's limp arm around my shoulders. I hauled him up and I almost collapsed from the sudden flare of extra weight on my blistering wounds. I bit my lip so hard that the soft skin split open. With a grunt I steeled myself before I began to move forward. My eyes were glued to the ajar door. I could do this. I would get him out of this horrible place. I would get him help. I would make sure that all of the horrific things that Natsu had suffered through would be a distant memory. He would be okay.
He had to be.

I continued my achingly slow, shuffling steps forward. In the back of my mind a small voice hissed that I wasn't going to make it...that I was going to bleed out before I could get Natsu out of this building that held too many dark secrets. I knew it was true, and this...this scared me.

I had to do something.

I had to get him out.

NOW

I hated this plan. A chilling feeling was washing over me, the plan already forming itself in my mind, until I could see it all. So clearly...so frighteningly clearly. After a moment of reining in my fear and the all to real truth of the matter, I sucked in the fear that was threatening to swallow me, and turned all my will and determination into my plan.
Because that was the only thing I could do.
I gently lowered us to the ground and I laid Natsu on his back. I coughed again, the force of it making my whole body shake, and my bones to rattle.
More blood fell from my spilt lips. I was breathing to shallowly. I wasn't getting enough oxygen. It seemed my inner clock was beginning to tick.

And it didn't have a lot of time left on it.

I closed my eyes and let out a soundless sob.

I wasn't going to make it out.

I opened my eyes and fixed my eyes on Natsu.

But he would.

I would make sure of that.

With the little Magic I had left, I managed to summon one dimly lit dagger. I looked down at it. It had been so beautiful once. They both had been. I still remembered a time when they hadn't had so much blood coated and embedded forever into their blades. How long that had been.
I missed it.
With a breath I shoved back into the here and the now. Even though I didn't want to, I knew I had too. No matter how painful it was. If I did this...I would surely die. I looked over at Natsu's still and bloody form.

But if I didn't...then he would die. I closed my eyes one more time and smiled.
Worth it.
I bent over him and touched the tip of my dagger to his shredded chest, right above his faintly beating heart.

I'd make it beat stronger.

As my dagger pulsed with a brilliant blue light that wasn't as bright as it was supposed to be, I began to chant softly under my breath. The words sounded foreign even to my own ears. They flowed from my quivering lips like they were forever mine. As if the words knew where they belonged. As I continued to chant the melodious words, I swiftly brought my dagger in a circular motion around the Fire Mage's heart. My dagger left behind a glowing blue light as I completed the circle. I then gently made an X in the center of it, still chanting.

I placed my hand on one of his slashed cheeks as a tear left its wet, cold trail down from one of my eyes.
"I never got to tell you..." I breathed out, swiping my thumb gently back and forth across his cheek. "You were taken away from me before I could..." I sucked in a breath that rattled my lungs. "But I love you, too." I laughed thickly even though I felt like crying, "Ever since you crashed into me...I loved you."

I touched my forehead to his just as I heard pounded footsteps bouncing off the tiled floors and walls. The many sets of boot cladded feet were steadily getting closer to us. Their coming. I smiled softly and muttered.

"Secret Art of the Twin Daggers: Heal."

Icy blue light shot up around us and engulfed Natsu from my sight. I was blinded by it for a moment, my hair whipping in front of me by the sheer force of my Magic. After just a moment the blue light began to evaporate back into the air. My dagger, now dull, and cracked disappeared from my hand.
I was completely drained of all Magic Power.

But...Natsu...he was healed. He didn't have one cut on him. His color had come back and he was breathing normally now.
The spell had worked.
He looked so peaceful. In that moment, I almost believed that we were both safe, that if I blinked, we would be back in the Guild that we both loved so dearly. I almost believed.

I smiled even as my vision began to darken. I was barley breathing now, but I still had one more thing I had to do to keep Natsu safe. I sat up and raised my arms to my chest. I reached inside my shirt and unwound Natsu scarf from around me. His scarf was the only thing that had held back the flow of blood. Now, with it gone, the sticky liquid now flowed freely. I would bleed out soon. That meant I didn't have much time left. I could practically already hear the ticking of my own clock of life. I had to do this quickly.
Tick
Tock
I placed his beloved scarf on his chest and I also reached up to my neck. I yanked my necklace off my neck and I placed it in his warm hands.

Tick

"I love you..so don't forget...about me." I won't ever forget about you.

Tock

With one last brush of my fingers against his sleeping face I stood up. On shaking feet...I walked away. It was one of the most hardest things I had ever had to do.

Tick

I rounded the corner and saw the many guards coming my way. Their boots thumped loudly against the floor as they all picked up speed. They had their swords, daggers, and magic at the ready. I took a gasping breath and I staggered away from them. I had to lead them away from Natsu.

Tock

I had to keep him safe.

Tick

This...this was my last stand.

Tock

I ran a hand across the wall beside me so I could keep myself up. Blood smeared the wall where my hand ran across it. I heard the men's raised voices all bunch together as run after me. They would catch me soon.

Tick

I wasn't even trying to escape them anymore. I just had to get them far enough away from Natsu.

Tock

I screamed when something sank into my back. Most likely one of the Guard's spears. I fell forward and landed face first onto the ground, unable to stop my fall. I lifted my head, gritted my teeth, and began to crawl forward.

Just...a...little...further.

Then I could rest. I could shut my eyes and finally rest.

Tick...Tock

The footsteps suddenly halted and I could hear the men start to scream. I heard what had to be body's hitting the floor, along with the clank of metal. Then, the screaming stopped. I didn't have enough energy to look behind me. A single pair of heavy footsteps came running to me and someone fell to their knees beside me.

For one moment...just one moment...I thought it was Natsu.

Tick...Tock

Large hands grabbed me by my shoulders and turned me over. I was left staring up into a pair of red, stilted eyes.

Tick...

"Oi, Little Fairy, can ya hear me?"

Tock...

A rough, male voice asked me urgently. I smiled weakly up at him. "Gajeel...where ya been?" My voice was barley above a whisper. I tried to suck in a breath but I couldn't.
My lungs wouldn't allow it.

Tick...

"Hold on. I'm gonna get ya out of here." He was trying to hide it...but I could see that he was in pain.
You can't hide it from your eyes. "Gajeel...your hurt." Gajeel shook his head, a trickle of blood fell from his temple, as he wrapped his arms around me and tried to pick me up. "You're hurt more." He reasoned gruffly.
I cried out when my body mover even slightly. The Iron Dragon Slayer stopped immediately and I could hear him suck in a sharp breath through his sharp teeth. He must have seen the extent of my wounds.

Tock...

I put a shaky hand up to stop him. "No, Gajeel..." I tried to keep my smile as I uttered out, "I'm dying."

Tick...Tock

His eyes widened and he shook his head harder. "No, ya ain't! Yer fine."

I let out a small sob and tried to smile through it. "Y-you need...to go back to...Natsu." I looked around him and nodded down the hall. "He's down there...get him out...please."

Tick...

"I ain't leaving ya here, dammit!" He told me with a snarl.

...Tock...

Stubborn.

"Gajeel, you can't carry us both...and you know it." His face was starting to get blurry. "I can...I can." His voice became small. So small that I couldn't believe it was coming from him.

Tick

I brought up my hand and cupped his tanned cheek...because I could no longer see him. "No. You can't..." My body began to shut down and my hand dropped limply to my side.

Tock

"Tell Levs...everything...She's been waiting." By the feeling of his muscles tensing I knew he understood what I meant. "And...tell her I'm sorry." I heard him breath out a sigh, "Okay." As he stood up I could see very faintly that he was bleeding heavily from his stomach.

I chuckled weakly, "Stubborn...you are...hurt..." Gajeel looked down at me with a pained look in his eyes. "I'll come back for ya." "Promise." I gave him a soft smile.

Tick

We both knew that that I would be gone before he came back.

Tock

"Gajeel...?" He looked over his shoulder at me. "Thank you...for being a part of...my family..." Gajeel closed his eyes tightly and began to stalk down the hall where Natsu would be.

"I still am, Little Fairy." Was the last thing I heard from him before I couldn't see his large form anymore.

I sighed tiredly and closed my blearily eyes. The building suddenly shook again and I knew that Gajeel and Natsu were out.

Tick

Now...it was my turn.

Tock

I knew Dark Wizards would be going after them and I knew that there were still some in this building. They would target Fairy Tail...my Guild...my family...
Tick

I couldn't have that.

Tock

I reached up to my neck and pulled a small device from a string that I had tied around my neck. As I looked at it I reached up and put my thumb against it.
A green light began to blink.

As I had been searching for the Dark Wizard Master or Raiden as I now knew, I had placed small bombs around the building's many walls. Just in case things didn't go as planned.

Tick

They hadn't.

Tock

I stared at the small device as it began to make a beeping noise. I dropped my arms and closed my eyes. I could feel my blood making a puddle around me. I let out a breath and thought about my family.

Tick

I would never see them again.

Tock

I would never walk through those two wooden double doors again. I would never see the Guild Hall again. Never go out on another job again with my friends.

Tick

I would never see Levy's bright smile again. Never hear Lucy talk about her novel again, never read it.
I would never see Levy and Gajeel.

Tock

I would never see Erza yell at anybody again or see her eyes light up in delight at the mere sight of strawberry cake. I would never hear Elfman shout 'Man' again or see his two sisters laughing together.

Tick...

I would never see Gray's embarrassed face as he realized his clothes were gone or the soft look that always comes to his eyes whenever Juvia's around.
I would never see Happy absolutely glow when he talked to Carla. I would never get to see Wendy's small, hesitant smile again.
Gramps' wise words would never ring in my ears.
Gildarts's cracks about his daughter, and the way Cana would react, would never reach my eyes again.
Laxus.
Freed.
Bixlow.
Evergreen.
Romeo.
Macao.
Wakaba.
Reedus.
Sting.
Rouge.
Lector.
Fro.

Fairy Tail

Tock...

I wouldn't be able to soak in their warm smiles that seemed to always have room for me.

Most of all...I would never see Natsu again. That one boy who somehow wormed his way into my heart, burned down all the carefully set barriers, and latched onto my heart with a ferocity of a Dragon, that only had room for one more.
...Tick...
And he claimed that spot.
...Tick...
He would never hear me say that I loved him back. I would never see his larger then life smile, hear his joyous laughter that my ears seemed to yearn to hear every day, never hold him in my arms again...

Tick...

I loved him...I love him...
...Worth it...

Tick...

Always and forever.

Tick...

Beep....beep...beep...
beepbeepbeepbeepbeep

Tock...

Nat-

BOOM
*
*
*
*
The clock ticks no more

Dedicated this chapter to @pastel_angel and minecraftiachick