Hearts in Ice

Chapter Ten: Breathe No More

-Summary-

After Tidus denies her forgiveness, Shiva sits in the Ice Palace alone and hurt. Tidus sits in Macalania Woods until Auron tells him to go to Yuna. On the way to the pond, Dina shows up, and what she tells him strikes Tidus hard. Shiva is killing her.

-Note-

YES! I got baptized yesterday and it was great! The water was freezing, but it was awesome nonetheless. I want to thank my family for the giant chocolate cake (PYRO! GET OVER TO MY HOUSE AND HELP ME EAT THIS THING!), Ruth for the cute pin she got me, and to Pyro and her two sisters and mom for my NASCAR bandana, my reviewers (you guys are awesome!), to my entire family and Pyro and her family for supporting me through the whole thing. Love you guys!

He flipped through sketches of scenery, plants, some animals, then he came across Shiva. Closing his eyes, he slapped his sketch book closed and rolled over on his side. Then, all of Shiva's words came back to him.

It hit him twice as hard as before, making the young man bury his face in his pillow.

And cry himself to sleep.

It has been three days.

Three long days since Tidus found out Shiva's secret.
Three long days since both of their world's fell apart before them.
It's been three days since Tidus lost the one he knew he loved, the one he was destined to be with.

Even if she was an Aeon.

Though the group had been through so much lately, his thoughts still lingered and Shiva and her tear filled blue eyes staring at him with sorrow and regret. But he ignored her silent plea for forgiveness and left her to fall apart. Even through Yuna getting kidnapped, having to fight Seymour again, and plowing through countless Bevelle guards and machina in the process, regret and Shiva's hurt expression stayed with him. He had seen the Queen of Ice cry, the Aeon who supposedly had no emotions and had a heart of ice. He had hurt her by denying her the forgiveness she deserved, and he felt like a complete jerk for it.

Tidus's thoughts were interrupted when Auron nudged him with the toe of his boot.

"Go to Yuna." Commanded the older man, his voice low and emotionless.

Tidus didn't question his authority and stood up while brushing the bottoms of his shorts off. He took the path the pond and readied himself for a long walk.

I've been looking in the mirror for so long.
That I've come to believe my soul's on the other side.
Oh the little pieces falling, shatter.
Shards of me,
Too sharp to put back together.
Too small to matter,
But big enough to cut me into so many little pieces.


Shiva looked into her mirror, with Dina's reflection staring back at her. Dina was a mere fragment of her, but she was the one that caused Shiva to be broken into so many pieces. In an angry moment of rage, a blue fist launched out and shattered the mirror into hundreds of pieces. A couple of maids rushed in and saw her standing there, blood on the floor and her right hand.

"My lady!" Called one of the pale blue maids, rushing to Shiva's side and taking her hand.

The other ran to retrieve bandages, Shiva pulled her hand away from the maids grasp.

"Continue with your duties. I will clean up here." She murmured, kneeling down to pick up a shard of glass.

"But, Your Highness, you are injured."

"Do not defy me! Leave now!" Shiva roared, sending a spear of ice towards the woman.

Frightened, the woman ran from the room and slammed the great doors closed. Shiva looked at the shards on the floor, and reached up to take her necklace off. Dina's appearance quickly dominated over Shiva's. When she looked into the broken mirror, Shiva was looking back at her.

If I try to touch her,
And I bleed,
I bleed,
And I breathe,
I breathe no more.


Dina tried to pick up a shard of the mirror, but it pierced the tender flesh on her hand. She watched the blood rush from the cut and drip to the floor. Dina felt sick all of the sudden, her heart felt like it was beating more slowly than usual. She clutched her chest, and lay on the floor, then she realized what was happening.

The Shiva she had become was rejecting her presence. She was dying.

Take a breath and I try to draw from my spirit's well.
Yet again you refuse to drink like a stubborn child.
Lie to me,
Convince me that I've been sick forever.
And all of this,
Will make sense when I get better.

Without her, Shiva was a mere shell. Without emotion, without anything. After the chosen humans joined with the Aeons, they lived on inside of the powerful entities as their Souls. And now Shiva was pushing her out, rejecting her own Soul. Dina wished that she could see Tidus one more time before she was gone forever. She smiled to herself, and got up to leave through the portal each Aeon had in their domains. She was going to she Tidus, and Shiva wasn't going to like it at all.

Tidus was halfway to the pond when he felt someone behind him. He turned quickly, and what he saw next made several mixed emotions arise within him. Dina was leaned up against a tree breathing heavily and clutching her heart like it pained her. She was wearing a silver body length dress with long, elegantly flowing sleeves. She gave him a weak smile.

"Hello...Tidus." She murmured weakly before sinking to the ground.

Tidus ran up to the brown haired girl and took her into his arms. Her eyes fluttered open, and she smiled at him again. Tidus looked down into her deep blue eyes with intense worry.

"Dina! What's wrong, are you ok?"

Dina gave a weakened chuckle, then she felt Tidus's hand enclose around hers.

"Shiva is killing me, Tidus. I lived within the Goddess of Ice...as her soul, but my energy and strength became one with her. My emotions and thoughts were... still mine. And that is the only reason why... she feels anything. It's the same with...The other Aeons"

Dina closed her eyes tightly, it was getting extremely hard to breathe. Tidus looked at her with tear filled eyes. He didn't want to lose her now.

I know the difference,
Between myself and my reflection.
I just can't help but to wonder,
Which of us do you love.

Dina's breathe was becoming more and more labored. She inhaled some of the final air she would breathe, and Tidus pulled her close.

"Dina, no! Dina no, please don't die on me! I love you!"

Dina looked at him with fading, questioning eyes, and Tidus knew what she was silently asking him.

"Shiva was a fantasy, but when I met you, I gave everything I had to you. Please forgive me Dina! I need you!" Tidus leaned his forehead against hers, his tears dampening her cheeks.

"I need you." He sobbed.

She brought her arm up and wrapped it around his neck. A sharp intake of a final breath enabled Dina to murmur a final goodbye.

"I love you...Tidus."

Her arm fell from his neck, and Tidus looked down at her pale face. His shoulder shock violently as he pulled her to his chest and rocked back and forth with her silent form.

So I bleed,
I bleed,
And I breathe,
I breathe now...
Bleed,
I bleed,
And I breathe,
I breathe,

She was gone. The girl he was destine to live for was gone. Tidus looked up at the night sky and let out a cry of sadness.

"Nooo!"

I breathe no more.

END! -Sniff- May she rest in peace. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see you next time!