Chapter 10: Goodbye

Beep

"How is she?"

Beep

"We managed to save her for now, but the poison has spread too far. We're sorry to say she only has hours left."

Beep

"Isn't there anything at all you can do to save her?"

Beep

"I'm very sorry, but there really isn't-"

Beep

"You have to do something! You're a doctor!"

Beep

"Sir, please calm down-"

Beep

"No! I just got the love if my life again, I'm not letting her leave me a second time."

Beep

"Nagihiko, get a grip!"

Beep

My hands ball into fists. My eyes snap open, despite the burning from the sudden brightness, I glare at everyone in the room.

"Will all of you shut up, you're giving me a headache!" Beep "And will someone please turn off that annoying beeping!"

They gape at me.

"What?" Kukai bursts out laughing. "What's so funny?"

"Even when you're in this state, you never fail to amuse me, Rima," Kukai says through breaths. Utau hits him on the shoulder. "Ow! What was that for!"

"You're an idiot," Utau hisses.

"But I'm your idiot," Kukai replies, wiggling his eyebrows. Azumi coughs.

"Excuse me, but there are some issues at the moment, including Rima-chan that I think she should know," she says curtly.

"Sorry," they both apologize.

"What do you have to say?" I snap. I don't know why, I just feel unusually cranky. Everyone in the room share glances. Everyone means my parents, Utau, Kukai, Yaya, Kairi, Nagihiko, Amu, Ikuto, Tsukasa, Tsukiyomi-san, a doctor, and Azumi. Yeah, this room is pretty crowded at the moment. "Well? Spit it out!"

"Mashiro-san, Vulture's poison is currently spreading throughout your bloodstream, I wouldn't be too jittery if I were you; it could spread faster that way," the doctor says.

"What's that suppose to mean?" I ask, giving him a cold glare.

"It means the more stressful you are, the few hours of life you have left might become even less," he says. I relax in my bed, trying to sort out everything in my head. Few hours of life you have left?

"I'm going to die in a few hours," I say in a blatant tone. I keep my gaze strictly on the blankets that cover my body.

"We are very sorry Mashiro-san, if there's anything you need, anything at all, jus-"

"Get out," I sneer.

"Excuse me?"

"I said get out!" I shout, making a few jump. They file out of the room slowly, Nagihiko being the last one. He tries to look at my eyes until I just glare at him and he leaves, closing the door with a loud bang.

I'm going to die; within a few hours I will be dead. How am I supposed to feel in a situation like this? I've had a pretty decent life, in my opinion. I'm thankful for everything I've been giving, everything I've accomplished. It's weird, most people just die and most of the time it's unexpected. Maybe it's better I know my time limit. I can say all I have to say to the people I love, and, hopefully, die peacefully.

I reach for a pad and pen right next to the bed. I start writing goodbye notes to my friends and family.

Maybe having a time limit on your life isn't so bad.

Nagihiko's P.O.V:

Honestly, I don't blame Rima for kicking us out like that. It's been a long day and what we told her is avery overwhelming to tell someone. I can't even wrap my head around the subject yet. The love of my life is about to leave my life for good in a few hours, and here I am standing with a wall between us.

She seems so distant to me for some reason. Her eyes; I got a glimpse of them before I left. From the moment I laid eyes on her, there's always been a sparkle to them. That sparkle has always been there, through hr worst times, her best times, even the time in which she's breaking down.

Just now, her eyes were a duller shade of honey yellow and the sparkle; completely vanished. Her eyes changed to an almost yellow color. Something doesn't seem right, doesn't feel right. It doesn't seem like Vulture poison is making her eyes change to a different shade. Something else must be doing this, and I have a good idea of what it is.

I make my way down the hallway, towards the exit of the infirmary.

"Nagi, where are you going?" Ikuto says, putting a hand on my shoulder to stop me from leaving. I don't think anyone or anything can stop me from doing what is need to be done. I give him a reassuring smile.

"Just have to check something," I say.

"Don't you want to stick by Rima?" he asks suspiciously. What I'm going to do next will do much more than sitting around waiting for her to calm down and let us in the room.

"It will just take a moment," I say, pulling away from Ikuto. I walk away before he can question me any further.

Walking down the silent corridor, I turn two corners before making it to my room. It's a traditional Japanese Style bedroom with a mat, bookshelf, screen doors, and paintings. There's another screen door across from the one I just entered, that leads straight to the garden.

I go straight to the bookshelf, looking through the books, picking out the one that's slightly ruined.

"You've cause us a lot of trouble," I mutter. "Elements Angel and Evil: Facts and Legends."

I found it not far from where Rima and Kairi almost fell to their deaths. Taking it, I hid it in my bookshelf, mixing it in with other brown covered books. I feel it pulsing in my hands. It can sense my slight fear of it, I know it.

Tucking it under my arm, I go out the other door to the garden. The dirt is squishy under my sandals, but I ignore it, going straight to the hearth. It's embedded into the side of the wall, and the blaze is almost always glowing. By the new coals, I know someone just recently lit it. The flames are very small and weak, probably because the coals are damp from the rain.

Digging through the bag of coals right next to the hearth, I find a couple dry ones and put them in. The fire inside grows more ablaze as the fire accepts my offering to it. I can feel the heat waving over my face, removing the slight chill the rain has left behind. I smell the ashes burning and the crackling of the fire is almost deafening. The flames change colors from blue to red to orange to gold to blue again.

Sucking in a deep breath, I take the book from under my arm and hold it by the bottom half, looking at the cover. The pulsing gets stronger and the chills are back. Extending my arms, I let the top of the book catch flames. The pulsing gets even stronger to the point where I see the book moving.

Grimacing, I let more of the flames lick up the book. The book moves so much, I almost drop it. However, I keep a tight hold and grit my teeth together in frustration.

"Goodbye forever," I mutter, getting the courage the drop the rest of the book in the flames. For a moment, I just watch the flames eat up the side of the book. It's like a load of weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Turning, I walk back to my room, planning on going back to the infirmary. Mission accomplished.

Goodbye Elements Angel and Evil: Facts and Legends, goodbye and good riddance.

Rima's P.O.V:

"Where's Nagi?" I ask. I allowed my friends and family to come back in the room.

"He said he had to go do something," Ikuto says. What? I'm about to die and he's run off doing an errand? The door to the room opens and Nagihiko stands there with a smile on his face. He's, glowing? He walks up next to me and suddenly pulls me into his arms. Why does he smell like ashes?

"Nagi, where were you?" Utau asks, crossing her eyes, eyeing him up and down suspiciously.

"Just taking care of some business, Utau-chan," he says politely. I furrow my eyebrows together, but he just winks at me. What's going on?

"How long does she have left?" Nagihiko asks the doctor. He holds my hand tightly. To think, I'll be gone soon. I feel horrible for leaving Nagi, but the note is all I have left to give him. It'll explain to him everything. Exactly, I'm not really sure what everything is; just how I feel and how I'll miss him. Most of all, I want him to move on.

How can I be selfish and let him love me while I'm dead? Actually, if it's even an immediate that he finds another, I don't really mind. The sooner he can forget about me, the better. That way I can be forgotten easier. It tears me apart with just the slight thought of Nagihiko with another girl, but he can't stay loving a dead girl.

Suddenly, I get into fits of coughing and I can't stop. The monitors go crazy. The doctor and nurses shove everyone out of the room. I hold on to Nagi's hand as tight as I can.

"Nagihiko!" I breath out his name, one last time. I feel something twist in my chest and I know the poison has spread there.

"Rima-chan!" he says, as the doctor finally pries our fingers apart and the nurse tie me down to the bed. The tears stream down my face as I see him fighting with the doctor in the doorway. He looks at me and our eyes lock. Something changes within his eyes; relief. "I love you."

The door closes, locking him away from me forever. A single tear slips down my cheek and on to the pillow as I close my eyes. It was just a whisper, only three words, three syllables, not even ten seconds. Within that ten seconds, I think Nagihiko just made my heart flutter so much, and I know it's not the Vulture poison that's doing it.

At that moment, I know Nagihiko will move on. He's strong for the both of us. Even though I'll be gone, I'll always be with him. Looking to the nightstand, I see all the notes I wrote to everyone. One note to each friend, one to my parents, one to Tsukasa, and even one to Nadeshiko. I don't know what ever happened to Nadeshiko. Hopefully Nagihiko will give it to her for me, without him reading it.

The doctors hook me up to a few machines, but I know everything is useless. It's my time to go. My breath gets heavier and I find it hard to breath.

"We're losing her!"

No doctor, you lost me so long ago. You all lost me so long ago.

I open my mouth to scream as I feel a burning sensation spread throughout my body.

So I've been thinking a lot about this. I really honestly want to know if any of you would read a squeal or if I just kind of add the sequel on to this one and continue this story. its gonna be messed up a lot lol. the story will change. its gonna be more ACTUAL Shugo Chara and not whatever my imagination decides to pop out.

There will probably be a sequel. you guys have persuaded me with your reviews to about 30% to make a sequel. next chapter is the last and after is the epilogue. thanks for sticking by me through this guys, love you :)

~MA~