Author's Note: I think we all get the point when I say that Final Fantasy
and all of its characters are owned by Squaresoft. Unfortunately, because I
am very poor, I am repeating it again. I don't own this stuff. I wish I
did, though. Then maybe I'd have money.
Chapter Six
The Vigil
The last time Tifa had been so terrified, she had lost one of her closest friends and chief rival. Watching Sephiroth descend like some black and silver lightning bolt onto the unsuspecting Aeris had pierced something in Tifa's heart, just as surely as Sephiroth's blade had pierced Aeris'. It had been a quick fear, one that had started and ended in seconds, turning into a sick dread, and finally, sorrow. The moment had passed in seconds.
Now, as Tifa stood vigil at Cid's bedside, she felt a similar fear, but this one refused to go away. This moment, possibly Cid's last moments, would not last a few mere seconds. At worst, Cid would survive another few hours. At best, he would survive, but would more than likely never walk again.
She shuddered at the memory of Cloud slowly dragging the make-shift litter bearing Cid, made from a spare cape of Vincent's salvaged in the crash, a piece of the Highwind's support structure, and Cid's spear, Venus Gospel, into Kalm. Cid had been bleeding, and was badly burned in a lot of places, but what was worse... one of Cid's legs was twisted at an awkward angle, and the way he lay on the stretcher, as if his back weren't properly aligned...
A soft moan brought Tifa back to the present. She looked at the nearby clock and sighed. Almost noon now. It was time to do another healing. They had to be spaced out every few hours, otherwise they risked too much shock to his body, and driving him over the edge. Yuffie had long since been tired out and had to have been put to bed. Red XIII had offered a turn next, but Tifa knew that his injuries were worse than he had let on. She had sent Cosmo Canyon's guardian right to bed alongside Yuffie and taken on the responsibility of seeing the pilot through the night.
Leaning over to the table loaned by the Kalm inn, Tifa picked up the most potent Cure Materia the hospice had and stood up. She held it in her hand, and focused on the green orb. Images flashed through her mind as the condensed knowledge of the Ancients flowed through her. A soft green light began to bathe Cid, turning the few burns that were left into unmarred skin, and sealed the last of the scars. Cid's upper body began to arch slightly. Tifa, panicked, but off the healing immediately. Almost too much. She was too tired to do this. She needed someone to replace her, but everyone else had long since sought their own bedding. Just a few more hours, and ...
Her eyes snapped open abruptly. She had sat back down and not even realized it, her eyes begging her to be closed, to be allowed to drift into sleep. She looked down and saw the hand on her lap that had awoken her.
"Hey there, girl," Cid said weakly.
"Cid! You're awake!"
"'Course I am. Sure as hell wouldn't be talkin' if I was sleepin'. Where are we?"
"In a hospice in Kalm. Cloud managed to drag you out of the Highwind after..."
"God damn!" Cid exclaimed. "The Highwind! What's happened to my girl?"
Not knowing what to say, Tifa swallowed. Knowledge of the Highwind's destruction would only upset Cid, possibly making him lose the will to live. But he deserved the truth.
"It was... it was destroyed, Cid. You managed to steer the ship away from Kalm. You saved the village. I'm sorry."
"Damn. She was a fine ship. Oh well. I can always build a new one. A better one. Where's my smokes? You didn't steal 'em, did you?"
"No, Cid, I don't smoke, remember?"
"Oh right. Nasty habit you got there. I'm guessing they're with my clothes?"
She nodded. "I'll get them for you."
"I'll be damned if I need you to get something for me that I can easily get up and get myself. I'm a man after all, and don't need anyone fetchin' my smokes and slippers for me."
Cid shifted slightly on his bed, but didn't move that far. He moved again, then looked down at the restraints that bound him to his bed. Panick filled his eyes.
"Tifa, what's goin' on? We didn't get taken prisoner by Shinra or nothin', right?"
A tear fell down her cheek. "I'm sorry, Cid... but... the accident... and..."
"Why can't I feel my legs?"
"You were badly injured. Cloud says you were trapped partly under some debris at the helm controls. You were all twisted around, they were lucky to be able to pull you out without killing you... I'm so sorry."
"But that Materia stuff o' yours will cure me, right? Never trusted all that magic stuff much, but if it'll make me... Tifa?"
She shook her head furiously. "Red XIII says that if we use it too much, the shock could kill you. But if we don't use it enough, that could kill you, too. If we can use the right amount, you'll live, maybe even be able to walk again, but... all of our Master Cure Materia, our Full Cure Materia... we lost it in the crash. And we can't spare anyone to go looking for it since there are wounded coming in from Midgar now... I'm sorry, Cid."
The old pilot nodded numbly. "It's okay. Ah hell. It's not okay, but you guys'll pull through an' figure it out. Swear, you can be the biggest pile of sentimental numbskulls sometimes, but you always pull through. I trust you. Now, can you get me my smokes? And maybe some tea. Yeah. I'd like some godamn tea right about now."
"I'll have to go get some from the inn. I'll be back in a few minutes. Is that okay?"
"Yeah. You go ahead. I'll be okay."
She slowly stood up and began to walk out of the tent. As she did, she could hear Cid softly crying.
Author's Notes:
Next chapter, the Turks!
Chapter Six
The Vigil
The last time Tifa had been so terrified, she had lost one of her closest friends and chief rival. Watching Sephiroth descend like some black and silver lightning bolt onto the unsuspecting Aeris had pierced something in Tifa's heart, just as surely as Sephiroth's blade had pierced Aeris'. It had been a quick fear, one that had started and ended in seconds, turning into a sick dread, and finally, sorrow. The moment had passed in seconds.
Now, as Tifa stood vigil at Cid's bedside, she felt a similar fear, but this one refused to go away. This moment, possibly Cid's last moments, would not last a few mere seconds. At worst, Cid would survive another few hours. At best, he would survive, but would more than likely never walk again.
She shuddered at the memory of Cloud slowly dragging the make-shift litter bearing Cid, made from a spare cape of Vincent's salvaged in the crash, a piece of the Highwind's support structure, and Cid's spear, Venus Gospel, into Kalm. Cid had been bleeding, and was badly burned in a lot of places, but what was worse... one of Cid's legs was twisted at an awkward angle, and the way he lay on the stretcher, as if his back weren't properly aligned...
A soft moan brought Tifa back to the present. She looked at the nearby clock and sighed. Almost noon now. It was time to do another healing. They had to be spaced out every few hours, otherwise they risked too much shock to his body, and driving him over the edge. Yuffie had long since been tired out and had to have been put to bed. Red XIII had offered a turn next, but Tifa knew that his injuries were worse than he had let on. She had sent Cosmo Canyon's guardian right to bed alongside Yuffie and taken on the responsibility of seeing the pilot through the night.
Leaning over to the table loaned by the Kalm inn, Tifa picked up the most potent Cure Materia the hospice had and stood up. She held it in her hand, and focused on the green orb. Images flashed through her mind as the condensed knowledge of the Ancients flowed through her. A soft green light began to bathe Cid, turning the few burns that were left into unmarred skin, and sealed the last of the scars. Cid's upper body began to arch slightly. Tifa, panicked, but off the healing immediately. Almost too much. She was too tired to do this. She needed someone to replace her, but everyone else had long since sought their own bedding. Just a few more hours, and ...
Her eyes snapped open abruptly. She had sat back down and not even realized it, her eyes begging her to be closed, to be allowed to drift into sleep. She looked down and saw the hand on her lap that had awoken her.
"Hey there, girl," Cid said weakly.
"Cid! You're awake!"
"'Course I am. Sure as hell wouldn't be talkin' if I was sleepin'. Where are we?"
"In a hospice in Kalm. Cloud managed to drag you out of the Highwind after..."
"God damn!" Cid exclaimed. "The Highwind! What's happened to my girl?"
Not knowing what to say, Tifa swallowed. Knowledge of the Highwind's destruction would only upset Cid, possibly making him lose the will to live. But he deserved the truth.
"It was... it was destroyed, Cid. You managed to steer the ship away from Kalm. You saved the village. I'm sorry."
"Damn. She was a fine ship. Oh well. I can always build a new one. A better one. Where's my smokes? You didn't steal 'em, did you?"
"No, Cid, I don't smoke, remember?"
"Oh right. Nasty habit you got there. I'm guessing they're with my clothes?"
She nodded. "I'll get them for you."
"I'll be damned if I need you to get something for me that I can easily get up and get myself. I'm a man after all, and don't need anyone fetchin' my smokes and slippers for me."
Cid shifted slightly on his bed, but didn't move that far. He moved again, then looked down at the restraints that bound him to his bed. Panick filled his eyes.
"Tifa, what's goin' on? We didn't get taken prisoner by Shinra or nothin', right?"
A tear fell down her cheek. "I'm sorry, Cid... but... the accident... and..."
"Why can't I feel my legs?"
"You were badly injured. Cloud says you were trapped partly under some debris at the helm controls. You were all twisted around, they were lucky to be able to pull you out without killing you... I'm so sorry."
"But that Materia stuff o' yours will cure me, right? Never trusted all that magic stuff much, but if it'll make me... Tifa?"
She shook her head furiously. "Red XIII says that if we use it too much, the shock could kill you. But if we don't use it enough, that could kill you, too. If we can use the right amount, you'll live, maybe even be able to walk again, but... all of our Master Cure Materia, our Full Cure Materia... we lost it in the crash. And we can't spare anyone to go looking for it since there are wounded coming in from Midgar now... I'm sorry, Cid."
The old pilot nodded numbly. "It's okay. Ah hell. It's not okay, but you guys'll pull through an' figure it out. Swear, you can be the biggest pile of sentimental numbskulls sometimes, but you always pull through. I trust you. Now, can you get me my smokes? And maybe some tea. Yeah. I'd like some godamn tea right about now."
"I'll have to go get some from the inn. I'll be back in a few minutes. Is that okay?"
"Yeah. You go ahead. I'll be okay."
She slowly stood up and began to walk out of the tent. As she did, she could hear Cid softly crying.
Author's Notes:
Next chapter, the Turks!