Chapter 29
Shiva woke with a start. She felt intense warmth against half her face and opened her eyes to see that she had fallen asleep across his chest. She sat up quickly to see Cid staring at her.
"Thank Goddess!" she said, "You were out for ages!"
Shiva rubbed her face. "How long was I gone?"
"About half an hour," said Cid, "What happened?"
"Why are you crying Shiva?" asked Ifrit weakly.
He gently touched a claw to Shiva's face. She covered his claw with her hand.
Cid hugged him. "Red you made it!" she exclaimed.
He turned his head. "Cid, don't you start too."
Cid shook her head. "Don't ever do anything that stupid again!"
He grinned. "Sorry I worried you."
"I'll never forget you," said Shiva, still holding onto his claw.
Ifrit sat bolt upright, almost throwing Cid off. "Shiva, you remember?" he asked.
Shiva nodded. "We were given our powers in the Temple of Poltergeist. Grandpa was there, so was Odin."
Ifrit nodded. "I didn't want to believe it! I guess I couldn't face you."
Shiva sighed. "Honestly, you can be so hopeless sometimes."
Ifrit laughed hollowly. "Yeah." He began to glow and returned to his human form.
"Let's go and meet Diablos," said Shiva glancing at Cid.
Ifrit looked puzzled.
Later they entered the grand hall of Styx castle. Queen Lethe and King Hasdrubal were having an animated conversation near the thrones. Cyrus and Odin were standing nearby. Ramuh was talking with Maduin and Shoat. Diablos appeared out of a dark corner smiling broadly.
"Shiva and Ifrit, how nice to see you again!" he said extending his hands.
Shiva looked daggers at him. "Don't pretend we're friends!" she said haughtily.
Ifrit glowered at Diablos. "We haven't forgiven you yet," he said.
Diablos sniggered. "You may have to change your mind when we become allies."
"Allies?" said Ifrit.
"I doubt our Queen would agree to that," said Shiva.
They regarded each other in an uncomfortable silence. Siren walked up.
"Aren't you going to introduce me my Lord?" she asked Diablos taking his arm.
Diablos removed her arm. "This is Siren. She is an Esper like us."
"Pleased to meet you Siren," said Ifrit taking her hand.
Siren gave Ifrit a dazzling smile and he didn't let go until Shiva elbowed him in the ribs.
"I've heard so much about you both," said Siren, "I feel like I've known you for years."
"Really? How nice," said Shiva in a tone that suggested it wasn't.
Siren glanced at Diablos. "My Lord, if I may," she said, adjusting his collar.
Diablos hastily gestured for her to go. Shiva and Ifrit regarded each other. As she made her way through the crowd Carbuncle leapt onto her shoulder.
(You two timing floozy!)
Siren smiled serenely at her. "And who am I two timing sweetie?"
(Lord Diablos is mine!)
Siren shrugged. "That's for him to decide."
Carbuncle leapt onto a table.
(Floozy!)
She sighed and curled up on the tabletop. Shoat ambled over to her.
[Hi there!]
(Get lost pig boy!)
Shoat cringed and trotted off.
Shiva woke with a start. She felt intense warmth against half her face and opened her eyes to see that she had fallen asleep across his chest. She sat up quickly to see Cid staring at her.
"Thank Goddess!" she said, "You were out for ages!"
Shiva rubbed her face. "How long was I gone?"
"About half an hour," said Cid, "What happened?"
"Why are you crying Shiva?" asked Ifrit weakly.
He gently touched a claw to Shiva's face. She covered his claw with her hand.
Cid hugged him. "Red you made it!" she exclaimed.
He turned his head. "Cid, don't you start too."
Cid shook her head. "Don't ever do anything that stupid again!"
He grinned. "Sorry I worried you."
"I'll never forget you," said Shiva, still holding onto his claw.
Ifrit sat bolt upright, almost throwing Cid off. "Shiva, you remember?" he asked.
Shiva nodded. "We were given our powers in the Temple of Poltergeist. Grandpa was there, so was Odin."
Ifrit nodded. "I didn't want to believe it! I guess I couldn't face you."
Shiva sighed. "Honestly, you can be so hopeless sometimes."
Ifrit laughed hollowly. "Yeah." He began to glow and returned to his human form.
"Let's go and meet Diablos," said Shiva glancing at Cid.
Ifrit looked puzzled.
Later they entered the grand hall of Styx castle. Queen Lethe and King Hasdrubal were having an animated conversation near the thrones. Cyrus and Odin were standing nearby. Ramuh was talking with Maduin and Shoat. Diablos appeared out of a dark corner smiling broadly.
"Shiva and Ifrit, how nice to see you again!" he said extending his hands.
Shiva looked daggers at him. "Don't pretend we're friends!" she said haughtily.
Ifrit glowered at Diablos. "We haven't forgiven you yet," he said.
Diablos sniggered. "You may have to change your mind when we become allies."
"Allies?" said Ifrit.
"I doubt our Queen would agree to that," said Shiva.
They regarded each other in an uncomfortable silence. Siren walked up.
"Aren't you going to introduce me my Lord?" she asked Diablos taking his arm.
Diablos removed her arm. "This is Siren. She is an Esper like us."
"Pleased to meet you Siren," said Ifrit taking her hand.
Siren gave Ifrit a dazzling smile and he didn't let go until Shiva elbowed him in the ribs.
"I've heard so much about you both," said Siren, "I feel like I've known you for years."
"Really? How nice," said Shiva in a tone that suggested it wasn't.
Siren glanced at Diablos. "My Lord, if I may," she said, adjusting his collar.
Diablos hastily gestured for her to go. Shiva and Ifrit regarded each other. As she made her way through the crowd Carbuncle leapt onto her shoulder.
(You two timing floozy!)
Siren smiled serenely at her. "And who am I two timing sweetie?"
(Lord Diablos is mine!)
Siren shrugged. "That's for him to decide."
Carbuncle leapt onto a table.
(Floozy!)
She sighed and curled up on the tabletop. Shoat ambled over to her.
[Hi there!]
(Get lost pig boy!)
Shoat cringed and trotted off.