Chapter 45
Shiva had just finished changing into her black combat top when she heard a knock on her door.
"Go away!" she snapped.
She was pulling on her gloves when she heard the knock again. She wrenched open the door in irritation.
"I said go.!" she began and stopped as she said Cid standing there, her eyes red and moist.
Cid took her wrist. "You have to go to him!"
Shiva frowned. "Who.aren't you at the ball with Ifrit?"
Cid tried to laugh but ended up choking on her tears.
"He loves you more," she said, "But the funny thing is, he's too good for you."
Shiva tried to pull her wrist free but Cid's grip remained tight.
"Of course he's too good for me too," she continued smiling painfully, "But do you even care what's he's doing to himself for your sake?"
Shiva's expression became arctic. "That playboy wants it both ways! How can I forgive him?"
Cid slapped her. Shiva touched her reddening cheek in shock.
"It's all about you isn't it?" snapped Cid, "The Magi told him that you will die with him, so he's breaking it off with you to save your life!"
Shiva looked stunned. "You're lying!"
Cid dropped her hands to her sides and sighed. "No, if I was lying I would have said he loves me."
Shiva stared at her in amazement.
"Why are you telling me this?" she asked.
"Because I love him!" said Cid passionately, "He'll only be happy if he's with you!"
Shiva's anger drained away. "But what about you?"
Cid wiped the corners of her eyes and sniffed. "I'll manage. Go now."
Shiva touched her arm. "Cid, I'm sorry I doubted you."
Cid grasped her hand and smiled wryly. "If you ever hurt him, I'm taking him from you!"
Shiva sighed. "Sounds fair."
Cid shoved her gently. "Just go!"
Shiva ran down the corridor. When she reached the staircase she jumped down the stairwell and landed on the marble floor three stories down. She ran past the startled servants into the courtyard. She stopped when she saw Ramuh sitting under a tree.
"He went that way," said Ramuh using his staff to point down a passageway.
"Grandpa," she said hurrying over to him, "I'm such a fool."
He took her hand and placed the choker in her palm. "You're just young."
She embraced him and kissed his cheek. "I'm sorry."
"Do whatever makes you happy Shiva," he said warmly.
She nodded and put the choker back on. He watched her run off and smiled to himself.
"Good luck," he said.
Shiva ran down a covered porch with torches blazing in niches inset along the walls. She saw braziers in two rows across the courtyard near the gatehouse. They were burning abnormally high. She ran between them toward the gate. She saw Ifrit with a bundle over his shoulder and his sword slung from his belt. He was busy talking with the Golgathean guards manning the portcullis. He was still dressed in his white outfit.
"Ifrit!" she called out breathlessly.
He turned around as if he'd been shot. "Shiva?" he asked.
"You're leaving?" she asked numbly.
He nodded slowly. "I have to."
She folded her arms across her chest. "So it's true what the Magi said?"
He gaped openly at her. "How did you.?"
"Cid told me," said Shiva looking off to one side in shame, "She really loves you."
Ifrit hit his head into the stone wall. "Damn it!"
"I'm sorry I couldn't trust you Ifrit," she said sadly.
"It was a stupid thing to ask them," he said leaning against the wall.
"Can you give me another chance?" she asked walking towards him.
He looked at her fearfully. "Shiva.."
"Tell me you haven't given up on me," she said as a tear fell down her cheek.
"Stay away from me!" he yelled.
Shiva gasped as the braziers behind her flared up into pillars of flame. Ifrit ran past her to the center of the courtyard. She headed towards him, but she stopped when she saw him raise his arms. The fire spilled over the sides of the braziers and surrounded him in a ring. The flames rose to his chest, the firelight making his red eyes glow demonically.
"I don't want to kill you!" he yelled despondently.
"Did they say how we would die?" she demanded.
His resolve flicked and the flames subsided a bit. "No."
She frowned. "Did they say when?"
He shook his head.
"Do you want to outlive me?" she asked.
His eyes widened in terror. "Of course not!"
"Do you think I'd want to outlive you?" she inquired.
He looked away from her. "I don't know."
"Well I don't!" she yelled, "So what's the problem?"
"Shiva.," he paused, trying to work up his courage, "I'm doing this because I-I love you!"
"I love you too Ifrit!" she said trying to stem back the tears, "So please trust me!"
The fire briefly flared up hiding him. When they lowered again he stood there in his Esper form, steam hissing off his cheeks.
"Shiva, I have to protect you, no matter what!" he said.
She transformed into her Esper form and took a step closer to the flame. She flinched as she felt the waves of heat reverberating through her.
"I'll prove it to you then!" she said resolutely.
He held up his claws. "No, you'll get burned!"
"I'm not afraid anymore," she said.
She walked through the flames, shrieking in pain as the flames licked at her skin. Ifrit rushed towards her as she collapsed.
"Shiva!" he yelled, "No!"
She looked up and weakly smiled. Already her skin was reddening painfully. He knelt in front of her and reached out to her but stopped short.
"Shiva, I can't touch you," he said.
She reached for him. They both gasped as steam rose from their joined hands. Ifrit tried to pull his claws away but she held on firmly.
"Shiva, I'm hurting you!" he begged.
"Let it hurt!" she said, meeting his gaze.
He took her into his arms. It was strange to feel such comfort from the pain of thousand shards of ice burrowing under his skin. They seemed to be melting together into oblivion.
"I'd rather die in your arms than live without you," she whispered in his ear.
"Shiva I'm sorry," he said watching the steam rise off them, "All my power does is hurt the ones I love."
"You're so warm," she said in amazement, "I feel like I'm hugging the sun!"
His glowing eyes met hers. "Shiva.."
They kissed, their fused bodies radiating out a wave of boiling water. Every torch and brazier in the courtyard was extinguished. The guards at the gates gaped in wonder. Shiva and Ifrit fell apart and floated weightlessly to the ground, side by side.
Shiva had just finished changing into her black combat top when she heard a knock on her door.
"Go away!" she snapped.
She was pulling on her gloves when she heard the knock again. She wrenched open the door in irritation.
"I said go.!" she began and stopped as she said Cid standing there, her eyes red and moist.
Cid took her wrist. "You have to go to him!"
Shiva frowned. "Who.aren't you at the ball with Ifrit?"
Cid tried to laugh but ended up choking on her tears.
"He loves you more," she said, "But the funny thing is, he's too good for you."
Shiva tried to pull her wrist free but Cid's grip remained tight.
"Of course he's too good for me too," she continued smiling painfully, "But do you even care what's he's doing to himself for your sake?"
Shiva's expression became arctic. "That playboy wants it both ways! How can I forgive him?"
Cid slapped her. Shiva touched her reddening cheek in shock.
"It's all about you isn't it?" snapped Cid, "The Magi told him that you will die with him, so he's breaking it off with you to save your life!"
Shiva looked stunned. "You're lying!"
Cid dropped her hands to her sides and sighed. "No, if I was lying I would have said he loves me."
Shiva stared at her in amazement.
"Why are you telling me this?" she asked.
"Because I love him!" said Cid passionately, "He'll only be happy if he's with you!"
Shiva's anger drained away. "But what about you?"
Cid wiped the corners of her eyes and sniffed. "I'll manage. Go now."
Shiva touched her arm. "Cid, I'm sorry I doubted you."
Cid grasped her hand and smiled wryly. "If you ever hurt him, I'm taking him from you!"
Shiva sighed. "Sounds fair."
Cid shoved her gently. "Just go!"
Shiva ran down the corridor. When she reached the staircase she jumped down the stairwell and landed on the marble floor three stories down. She ran past the startled servants into the courtyard. She stopped when she saw Ramuh sitting under a tree.
"He went that way," said Ramuh using his staff to point down a passageway.
"Grandpa," she said hurrying over to him, "I'm such a fool."
He took her hand and placed the choker in her palm. "You're just young."
She embraced him and kissed his cheek. "I'm sorry."
"Do whatever makes you happy Shiva," he said warmly.
She nodded and put the choker back on. He watched her run off and smiled to himself.
"Good luck," he said.
Shiva ran down a covered porch with torches blazing in niches inset along the walls. She saw braziers in two rows across the courtyard near the gatehouse. They were burning abnormally high. She ran between them toward the gate. She saw Ifrit with a bundle over his shoulder and his sword slung from his belt. He was busy talking with the Golgathean guards manning the portcullis. He was still dressed in his white outfit.
"Ifrit!" she called out breathlessly.
He turned around as if he'd been shot. "Shiva?" he asked.
"You're leaving?" she asked numbly.
He nodded slowly. "I have to."
She folded her arms across her chest. "So it's true what the Magi said?"
He gaped openly at her. "How did you.?"
"Cid told me," said Shiva looking off to one side in shame, "She really loves you."
Ifrit hit his head into the stone wall. "Damn it!"
"I'm sorry I couldn't trust you Ifrit," she said sadly.
"It was a stupid thing to ask them," he said leaning against the wall.
"Can you give me another chance?" she asked walking towards him.
He looked at her fearfully. "Shiva.."
"Tell me you haven't given up on me," she said as a tear fell down her cheek.
"Stay away from me!" he yelled.
Shiva gasped as the braziers behind her flared up into pillars of flame. Ifrit ran past her to the center of the courtyard. She headed towards him, but she stopped when she saw him raise his arms. The fire spilled over the sides of the braziers and surrounded him in a ring. The flames rose to his chest, the firelight making his red eyes glow demonically.
"I don't want to kill you!" he yelled despondently.
"Did they say how we would die?" she demanded.
His resolve flicked and the flames subsided a bit. "No."
She frowned. "Did they say when?"
He shook his head.
"Do you want to outlive me?" she asked.
His eyes widened in terror. "Of course not!"
"Do you think I'd want to outlive you?" she inquired.
He looked away from her. "I don't know."
"Well I don't!" she yelled, "So what's the problem?"
"Shiva.," he paused, trying to work up his courage, "I'm doing this because I-I love you!"
"I love you too Ifrit!" she said trying to stem back the tears, "So please trust me!"
The fire briefly flared up hiding him. When they lowered again he stood there in his Esper form, steam hissing off his cheeks.
"Shiva, I have to protect you, no matter what!" he said.
She transformed into her Esper form and took a step closer to the flame. She flinched as she felt the waves of heat reverberating through her.
"I'll prove it to you then!" she said resolutely.
He held up his claws. "No, you'll get burned!"
"I'm not afraid anymore," she said.
She walked through the flames, shrieking in pain as the flames licked at her skin. Ifrit rushed towards her as she collapsed.
"Shiva!" he yelled, "No!"
She looked up and weakly smiled. Already her skin was reddening painfully. He knelt in front of her and reached out to her but stopped short.
"Shiva, I can't touch you," he said.
She reached for him. They both gasped as steam rose from their joined hands. Ifrit tried to pull his claws away but she held on firmly.
"Shiva, I'm hurting you!" he begged.
"Let it hurt!" she said, meeting his gaze.
He took her into his arms. It was strange to feel such comfort from the pain of thousand shards of ice burrowing under his skin. They seemed to be melting together into oblivion.
"I'd rather die in your arms than live without you," she whispered in his ear.
"Shiva I'm sorry," he said watching the steam rise off them, "All my power does is hurt the ones I love."
"You're so warm," she said in amazement, "I feel like I'm hugging the sun!"
His glowing eyes met hers. "Shiva.."
They kissed, their fused bodies radiating out a wave of boiling water. Every torch and brazier in the courtyard was extinguished. The guards at the gates gaped in wonder. Shiva and Ifrit fell apart and floated weightlessly to the ground, side by side.