"It's a Celestial Spirit!" the little girl was a bundle of adorable happiness, "you're so pretty!"

I eyed my Master-- this was his child, he told me. 

A bubble of life, with hair as blue as Aquarius', and eyes as kind as Aries's. She was as small as a Nicola, smiled as brightly as Lyra, and had as much cheer as Gemi and Mini.

She looked nothing like his father-- ah, I realized, she took after Master's wife.

Master's wife, that passed in the quest last year.

I wrapped her in my arms, and she giggled, fingers fiddling with the semi-opaque string of my silk scarf. She took to grabbing a fistful of my hair and breathe in the sweet warmth-- Capricorn once told me I smelled like milk and powder-- perhaps, this was what charmed the boy.

"Her name is Norn," my Master told me, "take care of her for me, would you?"

That was the last order my Master'd ever given me.

In this war zone, I wanted to protect him. I wanted to fight for him-- to ask him, if that wound on his arm was a broken bone-- if the blood on his clothes were his own-- and if that limp he struggled through was anything fatal.

He called me not to fight, but to protect. Even in this hopeless situation, with the last of his magic, he picked up his own sword and called me from the land of the spirits-- and it was not for himself.

Even though he knew I'd do anything to protect him.

Clutching the girl to my chest, he gave the girl-- the unknowing, oblivious, young and naive daughter-- what I gathered would be his final goodbye.

I didn't have a voice to stop him. If he allowed, I would go. Run, sprint, hunt, I would've brought our opponent down one after another, even if this was a whole Dark Guild we were up against.

For my Master, I would've done anything.

Celestial Spirits don't die. I wouldn't die, I could fight them-- I tried to express myself, but he only eyed me firmly, gently, painfully--

"I don't want a girl to fight and die for me. I'm the man of the family, so I'll hold them back."

His orders were to stay.

I hesitated, only for a moment--

And that moment was how I lost him forever.

ー

My gate was closing. Why? All the magic I had, all of what I could muster-- no, I didn't need my bows any longer, so I traded them for time.

I didn't need my arrows, my searching skills-- I just needed time and power.

That's right-- I don't need my key either.

I was dragged back to the spirit world-- but I clambered toward it again. With strength I didn't have, magic that shattered myself, I opened my gate of my own will-- so I could take her-- Norn-- home. 

She was asleep, perhaps-- or she had fallen unconscious at some point, overwhelmed by the situation-- I clawed out an escape route, tore through trees and crawled through tunnels-- with wounds resembling the aftermath of a struggle with a beast, I made it back to Magnolia.

My steps were painful as I weaved through the town, a sight I've never seen alone. Aries had once described to me-- 

It's suffocating, she grimly recalled her experience-- her punishment, her master had the gall to call it-- it's like getting a fever, when everything is just so cold, she became near tears, I couldn't breath, and everything just... darkens. 

I felt so sleepy, but I thought that- she broke down, inconsolable, I was so scared, that if I fell asleep, I'd never wake up again.

It was a saddening relief that Norn was asleep. Her breaths were steady, calm, in and out, gentle, soft, and undisturbed-- her body was warm, her weight was a dear droop in my arms I hated to be rid of. 

I didn't cry. I couldn't, wouldn't. It would've been a waste of energy, and I didn't need anything to add on to the exhaustion that crawled through my every nerve.

It hadn't even been five hours yet. 

I almost felt admiration that Aries bore through three consecutive days-- perhaps, that was what made her the honourable golden key she was--

My vision sharply tilted-- biting my lip and pulling my legs apart, my hand fell on the wall, sliding down as I barely kept myself on my knees.

I was full of mud and scratches and wounds. maybe this was harmful to Norn. Humans were fragile, after all-- I needed to hurry before I affect his health.

Someone's voice rang in the surroundings, a muffled, underwater sound-- so bleary and unclear, I barely even caught it. There was a flood of buzzing, chaotic noise rumbling in the cacophony, but I didn't think it'd matter to me.

Someone approached me-- a dark, grimy shadow, a man-- I shoved him away. 

My gaze was irritatingly blurry. I was tired-- like tears were flooding over-- annoying. my breath was breaking, rattling, harder, harder-- nauseating. 

The hands were grabbing at me, at us, at Norn-- no, no, no.

I wasn't safe yet. I was still being chased. With my eyes and my movements impeded, I no longer stood any chance. I needed to go. To hurry. To get him away from harm. To save him.

Before I reach my limit.

There was never a time I hated my own clothing more. My heels-- they were annoying, so I discarded them in the woods. My gloves, they would rub against Norn harshly and leave marks-- that wouldn't do. My scarf was stifling, wrapped around my neck, choking me-- my dress-- it used to have long sleeves, didn't it? 

It'll be okay, my heart assured the girl, I'll get you there. To the guild.

Stairs were a hurdle I'd never thought I'd find agonizing. But this was the last step before the last stretch. I couldn't give up here.

My body was heavy-- funny, I thought Spirits were stronger than humans. Our bodies were always light and strong, durable and..

My vision hazed-- my eyes squeezed shut, pleading to not open anymore.

I slumped over the staircase, and for a long while I was just hacking for air. 

My hands couldn't even clench over the fence-- I was staying still between the steps, leaning in a direction I hope wouldn't send me--Norn-- tumbling right down the bumps. 

My balance was null. Gravity was only there to hunt me down-- Libra and I were never on the best terms, after all. 

A sharp sound swelled like a growth in my ear. An irritating ringing noise that slowly, surely began to blare like a siren screaming at my brain, rattling and threatening to shred it right to pieces.

Fuck, I swore-- ah, that wasn't very like me, was it? shut up, be quiet, don't bother me, it's annoying-- just a little longer, just a little longer--

My arm clutched Norn as tightly as I could without hurting her, my eyes peeled open, and my knees dragged another step forward. 

I can't fall.

Keeping my eyes on the guild door, I braced my own heart and pushed the door open.

Determination was the only thing to bring me this far; willpower was the only thing that let me reach home; and only happiness brought me the last few steps into Master's arms.

Pressing the little bundle into Master's arms-- my arms fell. 

My knees buckled-- my body swayed to the right-- and just collapsed. It was like every bone in my body was broken-- everything just hurt. 

Black spots weren't dancing in my vision-- they were crawling deeper and closer to the center of my view, like the abyss swallowing me slowly, slowly. The ringing in my ears were shattering, blaring, emergency alarms that told me if I didn't go now, I'd die.

I felt a warm hand on my shoulder-- and realized just how cold I was. I was shivering, trembling-- was it from the cold or was it from fear? Or was it from death?

It took me a while to realize I wasn't breathing anymore.

Closing my eyes-- I succumbed.

I felt the golden glow of the Celestial Spirit King wrap me around his arms-- and filled with relief, I finally, finally let myself rest.

Goodbye.

Master Makarov let out a breath of only aghast awe-- and in his hands he clutched the young boy he couldn't have recognized any better.

Mirajane's expression were pale, appalled-- and utterly plagued by dismay.

In her young hands, those helpless, loose, and so weak hands-- were the shards of a key. Fragments of a silver, sterling key-- broken beyond repair.

In such tiny fragments even her hands couldn't contain them. 

Her tears threaded down her cheeks, pooling fearfully, denying-- then the key cracked further, and her senses overflowed into a panic as it burst like a firecracker, fracturing itself into dust, imploding into ashes in its own form of a woeful cremation burial.

The wind took it away-- and Mirajane chased, grasping at the bits in the air, failing, flailing desperately, watching little cinders dissolving watery into the atmosphere-- and then, they were gone forever.