My Last Breath

By: Tya Katrine Bell

I do not own any of this stuff I'm writing about. I enjoy listening to Evanescence very much and every time I listen to the 10th song on the Fallen CD I think of Lina and Zelgadiss. I apologize for anyone I might offend with this.

HOLD ON TO ME LOVE

YOU KNOW I CAN'T STAY LONG

ALL I WANTED TO SAY WAS I LOVE YOU AND I'M NOT AFRAID

CAN YOU HEAR ME?

CAN YOU FEEL ME IN YOUR ARMS?

He should have never believed Lina when she said that she could take care of herself in this Mazuko infested place. He should have known something was wrong days ago when she had started to get grouchy. He should have guessed that that meant Lina was without magic and that they should all come back later. But the possibility of a cure had drawn him on and he had ignored the feeling of foreboding. Now here he was holding Lina as she bleed her life away and no matter what he did she just kept bleeding.

HOLDING MY LAST BREATH

SAFE INSIDE MYSELF

ARE ALL MY THOUGHTS OF YOU

SWEET RAPTURED LIGHT

IT ENDS HERE TONIGHT

She had found the supposed cure a few days previous and they had been headed back to Saillune to find a new lead when they had been ambushed. She had jumped in front of a killing blast meant for him, she had forgotten again that he couldn't be hurt that easily, and now before he could even tell her his feelings she was dying. No she wouldn't die, he wouldn't allow it to happen again. He had lost too many loved ones in the past, he wouldn't loose the first woman he loved in his adult life. As if reading his mind Lina looked at him and said "I love you Zelgadiss, I always have. I wish I could have found the courage to tell you sooner but I'm going to die here and there isn't anything that you can do to save me." "No Lina you're going to live I can't lose you too."

I'LL MISS THE WINTER

A WORLD OF FRAGILE THINGS

LOOK FOR ME IN THE WHITE FOREST

HIDING IN A HOLLOW TREE (COME FIND ME)

I KNOW YOU HEAR ME

I CAN TASTE IT IN YOUR TEARS

"Please Lina don't leave me alone in this world, I can't live without you." "Zel you won't be without me ever, I'll always be there for you." The chimera cried as Lina grew weaker and weaker from blood loss and the internal injuries she had sustained. Some of his tears fell onto Lina's face and she blinked up at him. "Zel don't cry, this isn't the end, not by a long shot. I'll come back. I promise." "When will you come back, I can't wait, I might die before you can come back to me." "No Zel I'll be waiting for you when you get away from this place."

HOLDING MY LAST BREATH

SAFE INSIDE MYSELF

ARE ALL MY THOUGHTS OF YOU

SWEET RAPTURED LIGHT

IT ENDS HERE TONIGHT

Lina reached into one of the many pockets sewn into her cape and pulled out something wrapped in a red ribbon and put it in Zelgadiss's hands. "This will help you find me, but you have to survive to find me again." Lina smiled up at the man she loved more than life itself and held her last breath then exhaled slowly and went to meet L-sama.

CLOSING YOUR EYES TO DISAPPEAR

YOU PRAY YOUR DREAMS WILL LEAVE YOU HERE

BUT STILL YOU WAKE AND KNOW THE TRUTH

NO ONE'S THERE

Zelgadiss awoke from the dream suddenly, the same dream he had been having since that night when he held her as she lay dying. Maybe if he and Lina had not been separated from the others then Amelia could have saved her. As it was he couldn't even show the others her body because as she had exhaled that last time her body had disappeared and left him clutching what Lina had put in his hand and empty air. As he sat up now in the sudden cold he looked at what he was clutching in his hand now. A crystal pendant with what looked like a drop of blood in the setting on the front of the crystal. And threaded through the silver loop was a blood red ribbon. Lina's last gift to him. As he sat up he saw Gourry stirring the fire trying to get some heat to combat the cold of the snow that surrounded the camp where they were spending the night on their way to tell Lina's sister of her death. Amelia was pretending to be asleep across the fire from him and Zel called to her to stop pretending and go ahead and sit up. As he stood he tied the ribbon around his neck and was so intent on his "sister" he didn't notice the pendant glowing. He went to join Gourry at his place by the fire and soon Amelia joined them as well. As each of them sat there and dreaded tomorrow when they would arrive in Zefilia and have to tell Lina's family the tragic news that Lina wouldn't be coming home. When suddenly Amelia looked at Zel's pendant and let out a soft gasp. "Mr. Zelgadiss the crystal is glowing." Zel quickly untied the ribbon and found that Amelia was right. As they all looked on the glow grew brighter until it was so bright they were blinded by the light.

SAY GOODNIGHT

DON'T BE AFRAID

CALLING ME CALLING ME AS YOU FADE TO BLACK

SAY GOODNIGHT

(HOLDING MY LAST BREATH)

DON'T BE AFRAID

(SAFE INSIDE MYSELF)

CALLING ME CALLING ME

(ARE ALL MY THOUGHTS OF YOU)

SWEET RAPTURED LIGHT

IT ENDS HERE TONIGHT

HOLDING MY LAST BREATHE

SAFE INSIDE MYSELF

ARE ALL MY THOUGHTS OF YOU

SWEET RAPTURED LIGHT

IT ENDS HERE TONIGHT

HOLDING MY LAST BREATH

A twig snapped behind the three friends and they turned to defend themselves, even though they couldn't really see thanks to the crystals flash everything had faded to black. Then they heard a voice that they never thought to hear again this side of existence. "Are you going to attack me or just let me slowly freeze to death. If I die again it may take a while to come back this time. I would have thought that you guys missed me. And here you are trying to attack me." Zel's sight returned first and there before him was the woman he had been dreaming of since her supposed death. And she stood there smiling at them, alive and well. After much crying and hugging all around. Lina and Zel had a moment to themselves and he got down on one knee and said, "Before anything else happens, Lina Inverse will you make me the happiest man alive and marry me?" "Yes I will and you better believe that we're going to be together for a long time because from what I was told while I was dead we're both going to be around for a long, long time." "That's fine with me beloved, I look forward to many adventures with you."

"Do you think that was a good ideal daughter, to return her to life?" said a shadowy figure with gold hair and eyes that looked exactly like the girl hugging the chimera by the fire. "Would you rather I let your favorite die and your grandson as well? Not to mention that Lei would have been extremely upset with the both of us if she had died." answered a figure with silver eyes and brown hair that was streaked with red, "besides I really didn't want to have to deal with sis if she found out that I let her granddaughter die and didn't try to save her." "Well you're the one in charge of this world so you have to do what you think is necessary." "Hush, they'll hear us if you don't keep your voice down. Come on I have a wedding to plan and I think a few questions to answer when Lina gets home in the morning." And with that the two figures vanished leaving the rejoicing party to themselves and planning on many interesting and powerful children that would be born to the powerful people who had finally admitted their love to one another.