This was not right. I felt my body wanting to recoil away. It was a struggle to breath. Each breath was starting to feel like I was drowning. The world focuses for a moment among the pain. I see see Aster before me now. I hear her voice- panicked, in muffled tones. She sounds so far away, but I know she is close as her muzzle touches mine. She is safe. That is all that matters is that she is safe.

I manage to lift my head slightly. I can feel my strength slowly draining away with each struggling breath. I want to say that I know what is happening, but at the same time, it becomes so confusing. There are so many sensations in my body right now, and I cannot seem to process it all. She is safe, my baby girl, and that is all that matters. I cough up more blood- not sure if it gets on her muzzle or not. She lights up for me though, and the cough allows me to speak.

"Aster, my...baby girl, I love....y...you," I say weakly as I cough up more blood. My body does not move other than my head and my chest struggling to lift with each breath.

"You are...my joy...so....s-" I say as I recoil in a wave of pain, my eyes closing hard as I attempt to take in a deep breath that is met with blood. I cough it out...but it just keeps coming.

"We...we all...die, just...just live long, stay...stro-ng," I say, slowly with much struggle with each word. Something feels wrong, something hurts but I know that there is nothing I can do. "Aster....Aith- Aith-ne...nee...nee-" I say with bloody words, my head falling to the earth as I simply now attempt to breath. I don't get any air though. It is only blood now. I try to gasp, my tongue dangling from my mouth, but nothing. My eyes try to stay on Aster. They try to stay on that lovely face- how bright it is, but I wish she was not so scared. I am not scared...not for myself. I will be okay. I just know something is not right...My Aithne, something isn't right but I cannot muster the breath to tell Aster to go to her. I can only look at her with my blue and violet eyes, as my body no longer tries to cling to breath. I do not think that I close my eyes- as I fight to see her face- until I see it no more. I see it no more and...I think...I think...or...do I? Is this... the...end or the...