Lina rushed up to Dan's side and shook him gently to attract his attention. His eyes were shut tightly and there was blood trailing out of the side of his mouth along with the blood pouring out from his stomach. "Dan..." Lina called him, her voice shaking. Zell just woke up and he felt like his head was just hit by a brick. The room was spinning and when it finally stopped, he realized what had happened. "Dan, come on! Please answer me..."
Lina kneeled down next to him and lifted his head onto her lap despite the blood. Dan managed to open his eyes and there he saw Lina's worried face lingering over him. He blinked to make sure he wasn't dreaming...nope, her scared expression was real along with his extreme pain.
"Hey...Lina...happy birthday," Dan murmured. Lina's eyes widened with fear as Dan struggled to smile his familiar, heart-warming smile. His blood was everywhere. How could Gorld have done this? How dare she? Lina looked around desperately for some sort of help.
"Seifer! Mitsukake!" she screamed for their help. There was no response. Dan blinked slowly looking up at her worried face, his smile still glued to his face, but fading slowly. Lina patted his shoulder, trying to comfort him, but Dan, with an effort, grabbed her hand and rubbed it in his for a moment. His hands were so cold...
"It's alright, Lina," Dan muttered, almost breathless; he looked peaceful, almost happy by the smile on his face. Lina put her index finger to his mouth with her free hand and then held his hand, trying to bring the heat back to it...trying to bring the life back to it. Why was it so cold?
"Sh...don't talk," she whispered, trying to stop him. His hand's grip on hers lightened as she watched him helplessly. Dan disobeyed her order.
"Since ...the seventh grade..." he spoke between fractured breaths. "I've...loved you...so... much." A tear dropped suddenly from Lina's eye and she was frozen with anguish and horror. Dan continued to speak slowly, "Take my guitar...keep it."
"Dan, you're going to be fine...sh..." Lina tried to make him stay quiet for speaking was already too much an effort for him. She didn't want to face the reality that he could be gone at any second. She just hoped that Seifer or Mitsukake would miraculously arrive at that moment, cure him, and make him better.
Zell knelt down next to Lina, staring down in horror at Dan who was truly a bloody mess. Zell, of course, had seen blood before--tons of it, loads of it-- but seeing it associated with a familiar face was always hard--especially because there was just so much. Zell knew the outcome of this would not be pretty...even if Dan would be able to survive, he would be in critical condition for possibly the remainder of his life.
"Tell my parents I'm sorry... I didn't...have time ....to visit," Dan continued. "And tell Steve Landry...in the reality world. We've got it arranged...he'll give you ...what you need ...to see me again..."
"No, Dan! Please stop!" Lina shook her head furiously. She never imagined the day she would be looking down at her best friend like this. He had been there with her through so much trouble, so much drama, and he had always been able to help her through difficult situations at some of the most dangerous times.
"Please...Lina...be happy..." Dan's eyes turned to Zell. Zell could sense the caring in his eyes and the pain that stung at him as he said this. "Take care of her...I want... you two ...to be happy together..." Lina felt his body twitch as more tears sprung out of her eyes.
"Dan..." Lina whispered, holding onto him tightly. He took a breath--not a deep one, but not a small one either--and then his lungs stopped his breathing pattern all together...it hurt him to breathe...to look at Lina's tearstricken face and agonized eyes.
"Lina...don't forget me..." Dan attempted his smile again, and then closed his eyes slowly and peacefully. Even though his spirit lifted out of his body, death pulled it down and made his body heavy and lifeless. The blood stopped emerging from his body as Dan simply disappeared.
"NO! DAN!" Lina shouted, realizing that he would never open his eyes again. She cried painfully as if it would retrieve her best friend and stick the life back in him, but no. That's just what it is. Death. That's just what he was. Gone. Lina got so many flashbacks at that moment that seemed so real and alive.
"Stop picking on her!" the boy picked up a stick from the grass and pointed it at the bully like a sword. Liz sat still behind him, scared of what might happen.
"What're you gonna do?!" the bully mocked him. "Poke me!?" The boy smirked.
"Of course," he smiled. He jabbed the stick straight into the bully's stomach. The bully leaned down, arms around his waist. The boy then twirled around and poked the bully in the eye.
"Agh!" the bully screamed and ran off. "Mommy!" The boy dropped the stick and turned to Liz.
"T-Thank you," Liz stuttered. She may have only been twelve years old, but she could tell the boy would be her friend. "I'm Liz."
The boy stuck his hand out to help her up. Liz took his hand and pulled herself up.
"I'm Ronny. Ronny Calor."
Since that moment, they had become close friends, but Lina left that world and found her place in life. When she finally returned, she had forgotten all about Ronny.
"That person," Amber said. "Is Ronny Calor!" She sighed with great admiration as Jen glanced at him dreamily. Liz glanced at him and immediately noticed his brilliant crystal blue eyes and shone even when there was no sunlight near. And as he rushed a large through his stylish brown hair, Liz stared a little more closely, thinking she had seen him from somewhere. Liz had to admit he was handsome even though she was blind to the world of boys.
"He is the hottest boy in the school!" Jen fanned herself and looked up at the sky as if she were talking to it. Amber nodded and leaned helplessly against Jen's shoulder as if holding her for support. Liz giggled; why were they so boy crazy?!
"All of the girls want him, but he's out of range," Amber explained, sighing with melancholy. "He says he's still looking for that special someone." Liz nodded in understanding.
"Apparently that's no one here, right?" Liz asked, raising an eyebrow. Jen and Amber clapped sarcastically at how fast she was catching on and Liz smirked slightly.
"Exactly," Jen nodded
It was almost clear to her how Dan and Ronny were connected and yet she was so blind, she couldn't see how Dan was feeling towards her.
She was shocked and after a moment she finally managed to sputter out the words, "Hi, Ronny" quite stupidly of course. Her tongue was tied and she thought she couldn't say anything clearly. Her friends were right...he was extremely handsome even though he just couldn't compare to Zell.
"Ron, please," he corected, paying no attention to the amazed look on her face. "Hm... so there's a formal dance this Friday, eh?" Liz nodded quietly, her eyes not leaving Ronny's face.
"You going with anyone?" he asked. Liz shook her head in silence, admiring his ability to acknowledge that someone might be drooling over him and completely ignore it, acting like there was nothing wrong. She then thought for a moment.
"Wait...are you asking me to go with you?" she asked, feeling stupid as soon as the words had left her mouth. He looked at her with his piercing blue eyes. His eyes... they were so familiar... and yet, they were so distant.
"Would you like to?" he smiled at her, his smile half yearning. She fell silent for a moment, her heart was racing. The school hottie was asking her to a school dance!? Da-bump, da-bump.
"Sure,"
Then, Ronny finally made his appearance in Lina's world. The hints, the clues, nothing seemed clear to Lina. But he loved her so much; she just couldn't see it.
"Oh," Lina said. "I'm so sorry." She looked up at a pair of crystal blue eyes. It was a young man with almost black hair and very handsome features. He was about sixteen, just like Lina. She recognized him.
"Ron..." Lina gasped. "How are you...here...?" Lina was utterly astonished. Not many people in the Reality World knew about the Magic World.
"I live here," he laughed.
"Oh... well let's start over. My name is Lina Heartilly," she held her hand out for a handshake. He took it and shook her hand happily.
"Hello, Lina. My name is Daniel...Daniel Alanson."
All of that, all of those memories still existed, but Daniel Alanson, Ronny Calor... was gone.