Stay With Me

Chapter 21

"Huh?" Natsu said, confused. What did she mean no? She needed help! "What do you mean, Luce? You need to get medical attention. Now." He said as he was about to help her up.

Lucy pulled tighter on his vest, signalling for him to stop. "Natsu...." Lucy whispered, fighting to keep her eyes open. "It's.. Too late...."

Natsu was starting to get an uncomfortable feeling in his stomach. "W-what do you mean it's too late?" He asked. "We defeated that guy, got Nashi back, and now have you back! We won!"

Lucy laid in Natsu's lap and looked at him through half open eyes. A tear fell down her cheek. Her breath became more shallow. Her skin was colder. It was harder to move. She didn't know how to tell him...

"N-Natsu....." Lucy sobbed.

Natsu put his hand on her cheek and wiped away her tears away with his thumb. He looked at her with a worried expression. "What's wrong?" He asked.

The words she wanted to say got caught in her throat and came out as a whine instead. Deciding she couldn't tell him, she decided to show him instead. Slowly, very slowly, she grabbed the bottom of her shirt and pulled it up. She revealed the nasty bruising and swelling of her infection and Natsu gasped.

"Lucy..." Natsu said, tracing around the wound lightly. "What happened?"

Lucy couldn't help it. Tears wouldn't stop rolling down her face. "Take care of Nashi for me." She sobbed. "Please."

Natsu furrowed his eyebrows. "Luce, what are you talking about?" He demanded.

A sob escaped Lucy's throat. She turned her head and tried to avoid eye contact with him, but he pulled her chin back towards him.

"Luce." He said seriously. "Tell me what happened to you."

Lucy's eyes closed, but she shook her head and fought for consciousness. "I...I... I'm.. dying...." Lucy choked.

Natsu's eyes widened. He felt like he couldn't breathe. The turning in his stomach intensified. He couldn't move...

"W-what?" He said in disbelief. This couldn't be happening. He just got her back! He couldn't lose her... Not again... "Y-you can't die..." He choked.

Lucy was silently crying. "I-I'm so s-sorry." She cried as she used as much strength as she could to hug him.

Natsu didn't respond. His hands shook slightly as he sat there in disbelief.

Dying.

Dead.

Died.

Lucy was dying... And he could do nothing about it. He looked down at Lucy as she sobbed into his chest, not knowing how to respond. He then wrapped his arms around her weakening figure and buried his face into her neck.

"I don't want you to die..." He whispered and his voice cracked with every painful word he said.

Lucy held his hands and squeezed as she became more limp. Her breathing slowed and her skin paled.

"Promise... Me s-something." Lucy croaked when her eyelids began to feel heavy. Natsu looked at her a intently and held her hand. "Keep... Having adventures... L-like we u-used to..." She mustered. Her hand fell to her side and her eyes snapped shut. But she was still breathing.

"No!" Natsu yelled. He cupped her cheek and turned her face toward him. "Luce. Luce, open your eyes." He demanded and tears brimmed his eyes. "C'mon, look at me!" When her eyes opened and she looked at him, a sob got caught in his throat. "Don't die... Please." He begged. He breathed in a raspy breath before saying, "I love you!"

A smile etched Lucy's face. "I... L-l-" She tried to say but a was interrupted by a terrible cough. When she calmed, she looked back at his hansom features. "I... Love y-you too..." She said.

Natsu breathed heavily before making a bold move. He leaned down quickly and caught her lips with his own. Lucy gripped his neck with her hand as he held her waist firmly. A very powerful gust of wind exploded around them and sent things flying and shattered the windows in the process.
~~~~~~

Every window on the last floor shattered and wind and dirt blew through them, catching the attention of the fighting wizards and all the guards.

"What was that?" Erza questioned as she finished pushing down a guard.

Gray shrugged and blasted one of the enemies with his magic. "Dunno." He said. "But I'm sure Natsu has it under control." He punched another guard and cursed under his breath. "Damn... Why are there so many of em?!"

Erza glanced back up at the building and showed and unsure look. "I hope you're right." She said and immediately went back to fighting off the guards.
~~~~~~

Lucy's hand slipped from Natsu's neck and landed on the floor. She stopped kissing him and her head hung back, going completely limp. Natsu could practically feel the life slip away from her body.

Tears fell from his eyes as he held Lucy's lifeless body in his arms. He didn't want to open his eyes. He didn't want to believe he had just lost the love of his life. He didn't want to believe any of this. He wanted to wake up and all this just be a bad dream. A terrible nightmare. But that wasn't the case. He did just lose the love of his life. He had to believe it because it was happening right now. And it wasn't a nightmare. It was reality...

He opened his eyes and forced himself to look at her. He looked and looked and felt angrier and angrier as he saw her colorless face. What was once beautiful and vibrant was now cold and lifeless.

Natsu covered his mouth with his hand as tears streamed down his face. Images of her flashed through his mind as he thought of her. Her gold colored hair. Her dark brown eyes. Her soft skin. The kindness in her eyes. Her slim figure. Her smile. Her laugh. Her pout. He thought of every characteristic she used to possess.

Natsu's bangs covered his eyes as he picked Lucy up. Her head hung off his arm as her hand dangled at her side. He headed downstairs to the exit.
~~~~~~

Gray clapped his hands and brushed the dirt of his pants. "That's the last of em." He said.

"All right! Let's go help Natsu and Lucy!" Erza exclaimed and everyone agreed.

They were about to run to the entrance before it opened. What was reveled horrified every member. Natsu. Carrying Lucy. Unconscious Lucy, or, so they hoped. But the look on Natsu's face confirmed that Lucy wasn't unconscious. She was dead...

Some gasped, some cried, others had a loss of words. Natsu walked right through them though. Emotionless. Not sparing any of them even a glance. Just walked....

And everyone followed.