Disclaimer: I do NOT own Yu yu hakusho or any of it's characters
The fox had in mind no short walk for us. I trudged behind his tall form, bleeding and sweating and once stopping to throw up. Heat was never my best friend, and today it was rediculous. I didn't think at all to ask to stop though, and he never offered. The only sign that he even remembered I was there was the occasional glance at my still oozing chest. I had attempted to bandage it with my destroyed shirt, but to no avail, so i let it bleed. The fox didn't seem too worried so i assumed I shouldn't be, either. I figured it like this; he hadn't killed me, but my family had tried. I might as well follow him. And follow him i did.
We walked for what felt like close to two hours before I finally had to stop. I collapsed, my knees buckeling under the weight of all my pain, and slid into the dirt of the path we'd been following. It ground into my wound, and I cried out. The Fox turned.
"We can't rest Natalie," He said, not without a little sadness, "We don't have time."
I looked up at him, feeling the color slip from my face, and begged, "please, I have to!"
He shook his head and leaned over me. Helping me to my feet, he stood me upright.
"forward," He commanded, but didn't let me go. I obeyed.
I clung to him like a life raft, pulling myself along the path. Poor fox, I must have been heavy. Near-dead weight.
"Sorry," i chocked out, but he just shrugged, and kept on. I heard voices growing near us, and prayed they were good voices. Prayed they could help Fox carry me, and help the blood stop flowing down my front.
"yeah, I don't know what's up with him," an annoying voice said, as we grew closer to forms that were blurring before my eyes.
"Either of 'em," The voice added, hesitantly. "Hiei left with him. They doing a mission we don't know about?"
Another voice said, "I dunno."
The forms grew even more so close, and then Idissapeered all together as I met the Fox's chest with my face. I gasped as his clothing brushed my wound, and the voices became frenzied.
"what the Hell Kurama? Who is this?" One person yelled, and the Fox answered him with a tired voice.
"Her name is Natalie, and I'm afraid she's dying."
The voices went silent, and i felt the ground come to a standstill under my swimming head. I looked up into the sky spinning around me, falling down across my face. Was that rain? No, those drops of liquid cooling my skin, those were my tears. And the pain in my chest, growing more and more overwhelming on the ground, was my failing heart. I cried out, begging one of the voices to stop everything, make the dying stop. But the Fox hushed me, saying, near silently, or was he screaming? Either way, he wa telling me just to calm down, everything was ok. Everything was ok. He said I was dying, but that was ok.
No, that wasn't!
i tried to focus my eyes, but I couldn't so I just cried out.
"I am not going to let you let me die damn it!"
The voices hushed, and the fox's voice entered my ears.
"there's nothing we can do. You've got to die Natalie."
I shook my head, feeling as if my brains were spilling out with my tears.
I couldn't die.
"What are you talking about?" I gasped, as a pain shot up from my chest.
"This was supposed to happen. It will release your abilities Natalie."
The Fox bent over me, stroking my cheek. When he came into view, I calmed a little.
I took a breath.
"I don't want to," I whispered, feelig the pressure in my throat throw up blood.
"I'm not ready."
I layed there for what seemed like forever, the Fox starig down at me.
The first thing to go was my sight, one eye at a time. My vision became crooked, barely holding him in my sight. Then my hearing slipped away. It slid out and up into the sky, leaving me in dark silence.
Then, I knew I was touching death.
It slid from my feet, numb extensions of myself, and up my body. When it touched my chest, I choked up every ounce of blood caking inside my throat, and heaved one last breath. then i let that slip out, and away, ravaged and tired, into the outside air.
I don't know wether it was day or night, warm or cold, loud or quiet when I died. I just know that I died.
So goodbye world, and hello, whatever was next.
Here comes Natalie, be prepared.
~May
