The Rune Mage and the Celestial Dragon Slayer

Chapter 5

Trigger warning: This chapter contains depictions of self harm, if you are not comfortable with such topics, skip this chapter.
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"Corrana come on, you gotta eat." Freed persisted.

"I'm not hungry, besides, I can feed myself. I'm not some child!"

"I'm not calling you that."

"You're treating me like one."

Freed and Aunt Mariposa have been taking care of me for the past few weeks, but Freed's taking care of me like he's my nanny. I don't need this kind of attention. I'm a strong independent woman! It started about 2 weeks ago, he tried to help me to the bathroom so I could shower. He even offered to wash my back. Um, no thanks! Anyway, we were still bickering about whether I was going to eat or not when I heard the window open. Aunt Mariposa went out to get groceries so it wasn't her.

"FREED! WHERE'S STARDUST?!" shouted a familiar voice.

"NATSU! WHY DIDN'T YOU USE THE DOOR?!" I shouted back.

"CAUSE I NEED TO SEE YOU NOW!"

He stomped up the stairs and into my room. Freed was standing by my side holding my plate of food. Natsu walked up to me and kneeled down.

"You feeling any better?"

"Yeah, I guess. I'm healed up to the point of no bandages, so that's a plus."

"When you fully recover, wanna go on a job with Team Natsu?"

I tilted my head, "Depends on what the job is."

"We're just gonna help the chief of a city find his daughter, I think he said his name was Malachi or something."

My heart dropped, "What city?"

"Starsdale, way outside the border of Magnolia."

"I-I can't."

"Why?"

"Malachi's...he's my father."

Natsu laughed, "Don't be stupid. The guy's last name is Rallison."

"That's my last name, well it was before my mother abandoned me in Magnolia."

Natsu stopped laughing and looked over at Freed, who shook his head.

"We'll find a different job then! I'll destroy the job request so nobody takes you away from us, don't worry Corrana. We'll keep you protected."

"Thank you, really. I don't want to go back there...it was awful there."

"I can imagine. I can see what effects they left on you. Are your parents mages like us?"

"Both my parents are mages. Strong ones too. They never wanted me to learn magic."

Freed put down the food and kneeled down next to Natsu, "Do you want me to inform the guild?"

"Please don't. I'll do it myself."

"Whenever you're comfortable with it, tell them. We're not forcing you."

I hugged the both of them, "Thank you."

I pulled away from them and stood up, "I'll be back in a moment, you guys should go tell the guild that I'm doing better. I might stop by for a bit, but if I don't it's nothing important."

They nodded and left, I walked to the bathroom and locked the door behind me. I could feel hot tears running down my cheeks, they burned. I felt a giant pressure on my chest, like I couldn't breathe. I opened the cabinet and grabbed a dagger, rolling up my sleeve to reveal unbroken skin on the right but broken on the left. I sat down and pressed the blade against the skin of my left arm, slowly pulling it across my wrist. The blood trickled down my arms onto the tile under me. The pain was unbearable, but it felt so good. I repeated the motion again and again moving down my arm. I switched to the other and broke the perfect skin. I let the blood run, I didn't care.