Chapter 44
Ifrit had never seen such an ornate room. The walls of dark gray stone were festooned with floral garlands mixed with huge banners depicting the now united kingdoms of Asgard and Golgatha. Huge candelabras illuminated the hall in flickering primal colors. Queen Lethe and King Hasdrubal sat side by side on a pair of thrones on a large dais carpeted with crimson. They were deep in conversation. The Magi stood off to one side and Odin was speaking with Cyrus on the other side. Musicians played a lively melody from behind a green curtain. As he made his way through the crowd, he saw Diablos and Siren dancing together. Diablos seemed ill at ease but Siren seemed to float in his arms. He was dressed in a new cape with gold trim over his black and crimson dress uniform. Siren's hair was elaborately braided and she was wearing a long black dress that bordered on the indecent.
"Well, look who's here," said Diablos, doing his best to act nonchalant with Siren's head on his shoulder.
Siren looked up. "Ifrit! Where's Shiva?"
Ifrit tried to ignore her plunging neckline. "I wish I knew."
"Should we tell her you're looking for her?" asked Siren helpfully.
Ifrit shook his head. "I'll find her, eventually."
He walked over to a table laden with food and drink. He opened the lid on one dish and found Carbuncle sleeping underneath.
"Carbuncle!" he snapped.
Her ears perked up, but she remained curled up.
(Hi fire man)
He picked her up by the scruff of her neck. "I can't believe you."
She opened her eyes and yawned.
(But Carbuncle bored)
He frowned and walked through the crowd, searching for Cid. He walked over to a woman with long raven hair and a green dress.
"Excuse me Miss?" he asked.
She turned around and it took him a minute to recognize her.
"Hi Red," she said cheerfully.
He blinked and gaped at her long hair. "How?"
She ran her hand through it. "Do you like it? It just grew in like that last night."
She burst out laughing when she saw his somber expression. "I'm kidding Red! It's just a wig."
He sighed and handed Carbuncle to her.
"Aw, how cute, it this for me?" she asked, petting Carbuncle's head.
(Carbuncle not a pet!)
She jumped out of Cid's arms and hopped across the dance floor.
Cid stared back at Ifrit and giggled. "Well there's goes my present."
He smirked and offered his hand. She took it. She guided his other hand to her hip. He carefully watched his feet while they danced.
"Ifrit?" she asked.
He met her gaze. "What?"
"Can you look up?" she asked with amusement.
"I just don't want step on your feet," he said apologetically.
She shook her head. "Forget about that. Just look at me."
He nodded and in the corner of his eye noticed Diablos' look of surprise. He suddenly realized he was going to be the butt of several jokes the next day.
"It's just like a dream," said Cid, watching the dancers swirl around them.
"Yeah," said Ifrit.
She looked his way with puzzlement. "What's wrong?" she asked.
"Nothing," he said too quickly.
She looked at him with a slight frown. "Don't try to pull one over me Red. Is it about Shiva?"
He looked at her with a pained expression and nodded.
"She wanted to go with you to the dance?" she asked.
"Well maybe," he said slowly, "But she agreed with me that I should go with you."
"Was dressed in a ball gown when she said that?" inquired Cid.
Ifrit nodded.
"And she told you to go with me," she continued.
"Yeah," said Ifrit sheepishly.
"Of course she wanted to go with you!" she exclaimed.
"But why didn't she say that?" demanded Ifrit.
Cid smiled in exasperation at him. "It's a test Red. She wants to see if you really love her."
Ifrit looked annoyed. "Then she should have said so!"
"It wouldn't be a test if she just said so," said Cid, "You have to choose between us."
Ifrit shook his head vigorously. "The Magi said Shiva will die together with me. If I stay away from her, then maybe.."
Cid frowned slightly. "So I'm your consolation prize?"
Ifrit looked horrified. "No! I mean.I don't know anything anymore."
Cid leaned forward and kissed him softly on the lips.
"I'm not scared of you Red," she said smiling, "Even your true form."
"Cid.," said Ifrit his heart breaking.
"You're a bit dense, but you're a great guy," she added, "I know I'm human, but we can get past that if you're willing to try."
Ifrit stared at her as if he was truly seeing her for the first time.
"But you can't have us both," she added.
Ifrit regarded her in silence for a long time. "Cid, I like you a lot, but I love Shiva."
She leaned forward, her forehead resting against his chest. Her hands gripped his shoulders tightly.
"Cid?" he asked in a rising panic.
"Don't look at me!" she said, trying to hide the tears from him.
He pulled her close to him. "I'm sorry."
"You have to tell her Red," said Cid.
"I can't," he said, "My love will kill her."
She looked up, tears streaking down her face. "She deserves to know."
"It's better to be on my own," said Ifrit sorrowfully.
Cid shook her head. "You can't live like that!"
"I have to!" he shouted, breaking free and pushing through the crowd. He pushed open the double doors and ran into the courtyard. Siren walked over to Cid but her expression told Siren all she needed to know.
Ifrit had never seen such an ornate room. The walls of dark gray stone were festooned with floral garlands mixed with huge banners depicting the now united kingdoms of Asgard and Golgatha. Huge candelabras illuminated the hall in flickering primal colors. Queen Lethe and King Hasdrubal sat side by side on a pair of thrones on a large dais carpeted with crimson. They were deep in conversation. The Magi stood off to one side and Odin was speaking with Cyrus on the other side. Musicians played a lively melody from behind a green curtain. As he made his way through the crowd, he saw Diablos and Siren dancing together. Diablos seemed ill at ease but Siren seemed to float in his arms. He was dressed in a new cape with gold trim over his black and crimson dress uniform. Siren's hair was elaborately braided and she was wearing a long black dress that bordered on the indecent.
"Well, look who's here," said Diablos, doing his best to act nonchalant with Siren's head on his shoulder.
Siren looked up. "Ifrit! Where's Shiva?"
Ifrit tried to ignore her plunging neckline. "I wish I knew."
"Should we tell her you're looking for her?" asked Siren helpfully.
Ifrit shook his head. "I'll find her, eventually."
He walked over to a table laden with food and drink. He opened the lid on one dish and found Carbuncle sleeping underneath.
"Carbuncle!" he snapped.
Her ears perked up, but she remained curled up.
(Hi fire man)
He picked her up by the scruff of her neck. "I can't believe you."
She opened her eyes and yawned.
(But Carbuncle bored)
He frowned and walked through the crowd, searching for Cid. He walked over to a woman with long raven hair and a green dress.
"Excuse me Miss?" he asked.
She turned around and it took him a minute to recognize her.
"Hi Red," she said cheerfully.
He blinked and gaped at her long hair. "How?"
She ran her hand through it. "Do you like it? It just grew in like that last night."
She burst out laughing when she saw his somber expression. "I'm kidding Red! It's just a wig."
He sighed and handed Carbuncle to her.
"Aw, how cute, it this for me?" she asked, petting Carbuncle's head.
(Carbuncle not a pet!)
She jumped out of Cid's arms and hopped across the dance floor.
Cid stared back at Ifrit and giggled. "Well there's goes my present."
He smirked and offered his hand. She took it. She guided his other hand to her hip. He carefully watched his feet while they danced.
"Ifrit?" she asked.
He met her gaze. "What?"
"Can you look up?" she asked with amusement.
"I just don't want step on your feet," he said apologetically.
She shook her head. "Forget about that. Just look at me."
He nodded and in the corner of his eye noticed Diablos' look of surprise. He suddenly realized he was going to be the butt of several jokes the next day.
"It's just like a dream," said Cid, watching the dancers swirl around them.
"Yeah," said Ifrit.
She looked his way with puzzlement. "What's wrong?" she asked.
"Nothing," he said too quickly.
She looked at him with a slight frown. "Don't try to pull one over me Red. Is it about Shiva?"
He looked at her with a pained expression and nodded.
"She wanted to go with you to the dance?" she asked.
"Well maybe," he said slowly, "But she agreed with me that I should go with you."
"Was dressed in a ball gown when she said that?" inquired Cid.
Ifrit nodded.
"And she told you to go with me," she continued.
"Yeah," said Ifrit sheepishly.
"Of course she wanted to go with you!" she exclaimed.
"But why didn't she say that?" demanded Ifrit.
Cid smiled in exasperation at him. "It's a test Red. She wants to see if you really love her."
Ifrit looked annoyed. "Then she should have said so!"
"It wouldn't be a test if she just said so," said Cid, "You have to choose between us."
Ifrit shook his head vigorously. "The Magi said Shiva will die together with me. If I stay away from her, then maybe.."
Cid frowned slightly. "So I'm your consolation prize?"
Ifrit looked horrified. "No! I mean.I don't know anything anymore."
Cid leaned forward and kissed him softly on the lips.
"I'm not scared of you Red," she said smiling, "Even your true form."
"Cid.," said Ifrit his heart breaking.
"You're a bit dense, but you're a great guy," she added, "I know I'm human, but we can get past that if you're willing to try."
Ifrit stared at her as if he was truly seeing her for the first time.
"But you can't have us both," she added.
Ifrit regarded her in silence for a long time. "Cid, I like you a lot, but I love Shiva."
She leaned forward, her forehead resting against his chest. Her hands gripped his shoulders tightly.
"Cid?" he asked in a rising panic.
"Don't look at me!" she said, trying to hide the tears from him.
He pulled her close to him. "I'm sorry."
"You have to tell her Red," said Cid.
"I can't," he said, "My love will kill her."
She looked up, tears streaking down her face. "She deserves to know."
"It's better to be on my own," said Ifrit sorrowfully.
Cid shook her head. "You can't live like that!"
"I have to!" he shouted, breaking free and pushing through the crowd. He pushed open the double doors and ran into the courtyard. Siren walked over to Cid but her expression told Siren all she needed to know.