~Magnolia's Number One Assassin~ (Fairy Tail)

Chapter 71: As I Lay Dying

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.