Part Four

With a creak of the door he stepped inward, finding it was pitch black around all but for a stream of moonlight shining through the open window. The girl sat across the room at a desk, looking to be writing something. Even there was no light, she seemed to act normally, as if it were lighted by the rays of the sun. He approached her quietly, going to the side wall and using a small spell to light a fire. Nevertheless, when he stared back she did not turn to face him. In this he took the iron rod, sticking it in fire to get the end red hot for the taking. Before this would happen, however, he went behind her, staring over to see what she was writing. As he suspected from the moment he got close, she was not actually writing but drawing. Sephiroth narrowed his eyes when he put a hand on the extra chair space, leaning over to glace.

It shocked him, oddly enough, to see her draw such a detailed picture in such little light before...and such a graphic one. The pen acted as if a guidance for her hand and not even knowing what she was doing. But the picture showed of just a blank smudge at the top above a darkly colored in base on the bottom of the page. The darkness held hands, reaching up as if to pull something down from the middle. The sky held streams of light, flowing down but fading towards the center. These two areas all curved around the middle oval shape, the sight within it looking to be a calm, watery surface. When he stared closer, he noticed that this 'water' took form, appearing to swirl and finally take the outline of an eye.

Blinking, he stood back, not understanding what this meant. Instead, he put a firm hand on her shoulder, willing to ask.

"What is this you're drawing?" he questioned.

"It is what we all are..." She paused, turning up to meet his gaze. "Or at least what we all once were."

"How could you see in no light?" he asked.

"There is light...as long as you're willing to find it."

He shook his head, pulling his hands away and walking over to the fire. He took the rod from out of the smoldering ashes, beginning to stare as the heat began to burn at his being. Turning back, he began to walk over to her, taking her shoulder once more to get her to face him. This time, however, she suddenly reached up her hand, grabbing his wrist.

"Be warned, Sephiroth, for with everything there shall be repercussions," she stated, Sephiroth twisting her around ripping his hand away.

"I'll be concerned about that when it happens," he proclaimed, wrapping his hand around her slender neck to lift her from the chair. When she stood, he let go, reaching his hand up to pull off her blindfold. As he did, her eyes remained squinted shut, taking his hand and gripping it once more around her throat.

"Wait, please!" she pleaded. "One thing before I can no longer see. I have never been able to witness my eyes for I cannot see very well in the sunlight. So, if you could, please tell me what my eye color is."

He looked at her with question. "Why?"

She grinned. "Mama gave them to me, so I should at least know. For her and father's sake."

He knew he would not be able to get her to open her eyes if he did not agree, so with this he agreed. In hesitation she slowly squeezed them open, revealing them once and for all to the flames.

'Take care of him for now...I'm counting on you...'

Sephiroth froze, glimpsing the sight of her eyes. Through they wondered furiously in attempt to find shade, he just kept her there, still, and gazed that them in inquiry. They were a hazel color with a tint of brown on the edge of bright green, almost...beautiful in their splendor. Those eyes did not seem to fit her, but as he saw all of it together, it seem to create a totally different image. Not just that, but that voice...the one that spoke in his mind. The eyes that gaped in an attempt to see gave him a memory he never knew existed. He could not burn out these eyes; these mysterious, gorgeous eyes, for somehow they meant too much.

Throwing her to the floor, he shook his head, blinking in disbelief. He couldn't do it. Sephiroth just couldn't do it...He looked to Ray, who continued to wander like she was blinded, called his name in a question, her incredulity to what he had done in question.

"But why?" she thought, Sephiroth picking up her blindfold to the side. He held it there for a moment, contemplating, and then knelled over, dropping the rod surprisingly and taking her hand, placing it in her palm. "Sephiroth?" she asked as he picked up the rod again, standing and taking it over to the fire where he sat it there, his head tilt. He stared deep into the warm light, noticing her stand from behind, covering her eyes once more with the black piece of cloth.

"My apologies," he said quietly, clenching his fists. "I must've overreacted."

"No need," she replied. "But...it is so strange for you not to carry out your task. Why didn't you?"

He turned to face her, his eyes in a sort of daze. His silver hair reflected in the dim flickering light, giving a shadow to his appearance. Shaking his head, he said, "I...don't know...I just couldn't do it, after I saw your eyes. There was just something about them..."

"What color?"

"What?"

"What color were they?" she asked.

"Umm...Hazel. They were hazel..."

"Oh," she answered shortly. With a long pause, she continued. "So what did you see?"

"What? How should I know?! There was just something, alright!" he yelled, already getting agitated from where she was going with it...if she was trying to get at anything.

"But...tell me...Can you see?" she asked softly, as if intending it.

"See? See what exactly?"

"Just...Can you see?"

There was a very long moment of silence between them, Sephiroth trying to figure out what she meant and Ray just trying to get an answer. He continued to clench his fists, his anger rising in annoyance once again. Why wouldn't she just say it? If she knew what he was talking about why didn't she just tell him? Was it some sort of game she was playing? To see how long she could make him aggravated before he really did severally harm her? Well, she would wait no more, for this was the last straw. The spell from her eyes had worn off, and he was back to normal.

As he attempted to take a step towards her, he found that he couldn't, feeling a abrupt pain coming to his chest. He lifted his hand to put a hand on where it ached, but as he did he felt a warmth, one he had never experienced before. Looking down, his eyes widened and faded in and out of darkness as he saw a red and orange object, all in the shape of a glowing heart. Staring up, he saw Ray put her hands over her mouth, undergoing the pain that came when it was suddenly seized from him. He did not see what creature took it, but only fell to his knees, sensing a cold stain of blood drip from the side of his mouth. When he shut his eyes, preparing himself for the fall to smash his face into the floor, it did not come, but only a pair of hands on the side of his arms and soon his head resting on her shoulder. His eyes opened again, fading even more so although his hearing remained at attention. Even though his head rang with a thousand thoughts, all he could say was two words...

"But why?"

He never got an answer before his consciousness diminished, his being falling prey to the unknown darkness.

The light came back to him, caressing his face with the radiance of the sun. His vision came back with a glimpse of the sandstone ceiling, still a bit blurry. Feeling something cold in his chest, he aimed his sight down, seeing a hand coming forth from where it had placed something over his heart, but to what he was not sure. Following it back to its owner, he saw another hand come to his forehead, dabbing a wet cloth on it. Again he was greeted with only a halfhearted smile, belonging to the person he had last seen. Trying to sit up, he found he could just lift his head and barely his shoulders, the rest unmovable. Ray pressed on his one shoulder, shaking her head.

"Don't try getting up. You'll only strain your heart more than it needs to be," she stated.

"Why...?" he asked tranquilly.

"Why what, Sephiroth?" she question, continuing to dab the cloth on his forehead.

"Why do you do this? I should have been left for dead and yet...I still remain. Why would you help me?"

"Because," she answered, shrugging.

"Because what?"

"Just because," she replied, taking the cloth back to the bowl at her side, rewetting it.

"Then explain to me why I am still here," he said.

She sighed, finally just putting it on his head to speak clearer. "The regular Heartless were growing tired and hungry, so I guess found the nearest target."

"Shouldn't I have been swallowed in darkness, though?"

"I...got it back for you," she answered slowly, Sephiroth turning his head to her.

"You got it back...?"

"Yes...It was just a misunderstanding, really, and so they gave me back your heart. Though, I have to give it back to you little by little, so that's why you can only move your head. Actually, I'm quite surprised it worked. I didn't think you were going to wake up honestly."

He ignored that last statement for more important matters. He lifted his head again, trying to sit up. "Why would it ever listen to you?"

"I just did," she answered harshly, reaching out her hand and pressing his head back down onto the pillow. "If you dare get back up again I'm going to glue you there!"

"Yeah, well, I can't go anywhere anyway."

She thought for a moment, shrugging, "I suppose it's an excuse." She took the cloth from his head, putting it in the nearly empty bowl and standing up. As she headed for the door he stared after her.

"Where are you doing?" he questioned.

"I'm going to get some more water for the cloth that will cool your fever. That is unless you want to be smoldering when afternoon gets around."

"No, that's quite alright. Go ahead," he agreed, setting his head back.

"Get some rest. It will make you heal faster anyway."

He shut his eyes, hearing the door gently close, drifting off into sleep. Feeling numb after a few moments, he thought that something wrong, knowing he had never felt like this before. Opening his eyes, he saw himself standing there, but not particularly anywhere. He was staring up as he had been, seeing a blinding white light falling upon him. As he diverted his eyes to the floor, they only widened, hands beginning to reach up from the darkness and pull him down. He kicked them away and kept them at bay for a moment, but soon enough they swarmed around him, whispering things that echoed through his head.

Donotponder!Justdoit!Destroy!Kill!Donotaskjustgetridofthethreat!Destroy!

He held his head, trying to block it from any more whispers and laughs and taunts from occurring. Finally he could no longer take it, looking up to try and find that calm, comforting light above. Instead he was meet with one small glimmer of it, the rest covered with the black shadow. Reaching up, he tried so hard to grasp it, and eventually did, blinking for one brief second before he was brought back up, staring up at the light. At least this time he would not look down and would have a second chance to somehow wake up from this bizarre dream. For that's what it was. Of course! It was all a dream, just a dream...

Right?

His ears perked up as he heard a voice from behind, echoing until it bounce in front of him, staying there.

"There is light which we shall never fully reach, and there is always darkness to pull us down. But will you give in or stay above to find your light as much as you can? For there is light and there is darkness...but there has to be a mean somewhere, right? In this life no one is perfect. But at least you can find everything you will be. There is black, and there is white, but where is the gray which we so must seek...?" There was a pause, Sephiroth getting the message and looking straight ahead, where his eyes enlarged tot eh sight before him. It was exactly like the picture Ray had been drawing before, a calm blue and white watery surface in an ellipse shape, or an eye. In this, the voice continued, the last thing he would hear in this so-called dream. "Can you see...?"

A wind whipped at his face, the watery surface suddenly flying forward and about to crash into him when he shut his eyes, feeling a cold shiver run up his spine, quickly opening his eyes. He sat up, finding this later as surprising, but at this time putting a hand on his forehead, breathing in deep. Finding his hands were quivering, he just glared, clenching them and putting them back to his side, looking out the window. Angry at himself, his hands tightened in thought, knowing what this meant. He actually feared his own dream, and stupid dream! Narrowing his eyes, he felt something by his side, releasing his grip and looking at his hands. Amazed in a way, he looked to the sheets, seeing that the stainless white fabric was now absorbed with a great deal of blood. Shaking his head, he threw the blankets off to the floor, finding that his abdomen was wrapped in bandages, his boot no longer on his feet but to the side of the bed. As he prepared to move his legs, he saw that they would not move, though at least he could move his upper half now.

Another creak came from the door, this time louder, the person knowing he was awake. She step to the side of the bed, just sitting there for a moment. He stared at her, Ray seeming to be staring back. His eyes fixated on her, trying to see past the dead appearance and find something more, something that would explain this to him. But she hid it, almost like she knew he was searching for something. She just looked at his hands, sighing and shaking her head. Whatever had been there, whatever he had seen in her eyes the night before, it was no loner there but bared back deep within her. It would resurface again, he was sure of that, but not at this time. No, all he could do was sit back and wait.

And patience wasn't exactly one of his virtues...

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A/N YEA! snowdays rock! More time to type! Anyway, I think I'm making Sephiroth...I dunno, not like him? Well, he did get his heart taken so I guess that counts for something...Anyway, thanks for reading this chapter, please review, and please stay tuned for the next!