Chapter 6 – Revival of a Heart
Ensnarement of ice and blood I dwell in
A Goddess of eternal beauty I glimpse
As you walk the earths of ruins
Bestowing upon me the light of freedom
Instincts gutted the moment I saw her hit the ground after the two gunshots. Landing smoothly in front of her, I exhausted little time in meting out my judgement.
"Firaga!" I chanted as the merciless flames from the depths of hell consumed the swarm of men who were trickling down the pathways to where I was.
I did not even wait to find out what happened to them for surely none would survive that. Turning swiftly, I bent down to the ground on one knee to examine the wreck that was before me.
Oh, not such a mess after all. I thought as I inspected the injury that she had been dealt. Her hair framed her face as she was huddled up clutching her stomach. A worried expression froze on those delicate features as her eyes were screwed shut tightly and her mouth was turned down slightly. I let my eyes roam down her chest to where her stomach was. A terrible wound gushed from the infected area, stark red blood staining her white shirt. The ends of my silver hair soaked up her blood as strands of it lingered over her whilst I had looked down at her.
There's no time. The wound is too big. I decided as I picked her up in my arms and strided swiftly to my mansion that was nearby. Deciding against a former choice of actually sending her back to the 7th Heaven might save her life as I watched her blood flow like water out of a facet and staining my leather gloves.
Aiming a swift kick at the French doors of my mansion, I stormed past the entrance with her in my arms. She stirs a little but cringes in pain as I scaled the stairs to the second storey to where the resting rooms were.
"Chocobo…is the chocobo alright?" She trails off weakly.
I maintained a grim silence as I could not comprehend why anyone would be silly enough to care about the well-being of an animal when their own lives were in danger. Placing her as gently as I could on my bed, I hastened to retrieve my first aid kit from the shower room.
Years of training in Soldier had required that we could treat physical wounds by ourselves, with or without a doctor. It was either that, or you died.
"General! What's the matter?" my pageboy suddenly runs up the hallway and appears at my door.
"Fetch me some warm water. Bullet wounds." I ordered.
Lightly touching her waist, I eased back her black leather top and white cotton shirt to examine the wound more closely. She shivered when my cold fingers came into contact with her warm skin. Frowning, I quickly snapped into the regular dynamics of removing a bullet when I had recognized the wound parameters.
Hit by two high velocity bullets from a short distance, the permanent cavity caused by its wake was devastating. Large portions of body tissue had been destroyed as the bullets seared into the abdomen. A stroke of luck had actually saved her vital organs from being targeted.
The next two hours was especially grueling as I painstakingly extracted the two bullets slowly, applying pressure to stop the bleeding and making sure she was comfortable all the time.
What a brave woman. Not even a scream.
Why, I had seen plenty of screaming men in my days in Soldier when there were uncountable casualties. It did impress me that despite such a gaping wound, she had been able to tolerate the immense pain. Her teeth gritted in determination as I removed the last of the bullets and swiftly applied a medical patch to curb the bleeding. Cleaning up her wounds, I wringed the blood drenched towel in the basin that my page-boy had brought and gave the infected area a final dab before discarding the towel into a bin nearby.
Sitting back against the walls of the windows I wiped my brow as beads of perspiration dripped down the sides of my face. Gazing at the form lying on my bed now, I could not help but notice how serene she looked. With her head rested against the soft pillows, her luscious raven hair fanned out behind her as though heralding a princess. Fair, lean arms placed across her waist spoke volumes of peace within. Finally, her feet stretched out gracefully against the white sheets of the bed, one knee slightly raised above the other.
Strong, yet soft.
How interesting.
Standing, I stretched languorously before proceeding to leave my room for dinner. Well, she could have my bedroom until she recovers.
"General, who is the lady?" My page boy inquires politely as he sets my dinner of grilled fish and potatoes topped with sautéed mushrooms in front of me.
"Someone from the enemy camp." I reply, a tinge of amusement interlaced in my voice.
"Pardon me, but rarely have I seen the General so worried about someone." The page boy answers thoughtfully.
"I owe her one." A curt reply from me signaled the end of this inquisition.
As nightfall approached, I treaded lightly into my bedroom and hovered at the foot of the mahogany wooden bed frame. Scrutinizing the petite figure that was on it, I did for a moment, wonder if I should keep vigil by her side as she recovered. I also speculate on what her reaction might be if she saw me.
Before I could decide on my course of action, her eyelids opened slowly, letting the pressure ease off. Even from this distance, I see her eyes glowing an ethereal ember.
"I would advise against that, Madam." I cautioned as I saw her trying to get up and wincing in pain.
"Where am I?" her voice is weak as she arches her face in my direction.
"My humble abode." I extend a slight bow, although I do wonder why there was no hint of recognition for me.
"Did you save me?" she realizes as she remembers what happened earlier.
"As any passer-by would, Madam. Now rest well." I turn to leave the room.
"Wait. Would you mind lighting some candles for me? It is so…dark." A request as she put forth, with the most polite of manners.
Stunned, I averted my eyes to the chandelier fixated to the ceiling of the room, resplendent in all its glorious light. In 3 strides, I sauntered over to the bed where she was, leaned my weight against it and bent over to look into her eyes. As my shadow blocked the light from the lamp, the pupil of her eyes did not react.
She's blinded. I realized as the truth of what her assailant had thrown in her face dawned on me. Sensing how badly she wanted to get up, I slipped my right arm around her shoulders as support whilst she sat up with relief. My heart beat quickened as her right hand grasped hold of my other free arm in order to sit up straighter.
"Madam, I am afraid you have been rendered blind by those men." I quickly explained to recover from my embarrassment. I could feel my cheeks flushing.
"Oh." She seemed thoughtful, her eyes turning a warm hazel.
"I am sure you will be fine in a few days." I reassured, feeling like a parent putting his child to bed.
"Thank you Sire." She lifts her eyes to meet mine. In that instant, it was as though she could see. Those divine eyes of the finest rubies, dancing with the most dazzling of soft lights and yet burning with the most unyielding of fires.
Her eyes.
They change color.
I feel…like I am in a tranquil ocean of fire.
Abashed, I turned away from her face, so close to mine that our cheeks were almost touching. Carefully extracting my right arm, I moved away and stood up, dusting my trench coat.
"I bid you goodnight, Madam." I finally say.
"The name's Tifa." She smiles, like a child who never knew how to lose hope.
For once, as I strode down my dark hall-ways, did I realize I had never known her name.
Tifa.
A beautiful name for a beautiful woman.
I had my fair share of meeting women in my days. Most of them were pretty but had no real character substance. In fact, I believe I ended up despising them. That was what I found appealing with Mother. Mother was pretty and strong, that was what I found beautiful.
That is what I respect.
The next morning, I tossed and turned in an unfamiliar bed as I watched the seagulls skim low outside, the tremendous waves of the seas crashing against the cliffs. A form limping past my room door warranted my attention instantly and I was alarmed the moment I identified to whom it belonged to.
"Madam! What might you be doing?" I propelled myself out of my bed in an instant and was holding her arm to support her before she fell.
"Oh. I..I wanted to get up." She admits, a little flushed.
Tightening my grip on her arm firmly, I swept her to her feet in one fell swoop and firmly stepped into her bedroom with her struggling in my arms.
"First of all, Madam, you are severely injured and need more rest to recover. And second, you do not have your sense of sight now and hence it is VERY dangerous for you to be roaming about my house." I was strict with my resolution for her to recover.
"Alright, alright, put me down!" her eyes sparkle with mischief.
"Not unless you promise me not to wander about on your own." I find myself chiding a child, much to my chagrin.
She pouts, those lucid eyes turning that warm hazel again. Nodding, she sighs in resignation. Satisfied, I lowered her onto my expansive bed and peered down at her, wondering what she would contemplate next. Drawing her knees close to her chest, she closed her eyes, her eyebrows twitched in deep thought. Although curious to know what was weighing on her mind, I kept my silence for it was never a practice of mine to inquire into what was not my business.
"Do you have a Restore material, Sire?" She suddenly opens her eyes and faces my direction. The gaze is slightly off-target however, but I suppose this was as good as it could get if you were blind.
"Actually, no. I never saw any use for those things."
"Oh." She sounded disappointed.
"Well…restore materias are good for curing ailments inflicted by monsters. If it were for concoctions or powders by humans, that materia serves no purpose. You would have to either find an antidote or wait until the poison wears off." I informed her.
"Kill her!" the voice of Jenova hisses sharply into my mind, halting my train of thoughts. I increase my psychic shield, blatantly ignoring Mother.
"Powder? You saw the fight?" her eyes reignite with interest, this time interlaced with that ruby tinge.
"Yes. All of it. Even the part when you were being stupid." I spoke my mind.
"Stupid?" she frowns.
"Madam, you were blinded and almost lost your life for a chocobo." I reminded her, suddenly feeling that this was one conversation I was going to enjoy.
"That isn't being stupid." Her eyes flare, scaling the heights of fires in furnaces.
"Tell me why it is not." I touted, unable to remember the last time since I had such fun.
"Then you must be stupid too." She crosses her arms in irritance.
"Excuse me?" I was rendered speechless, not entirely sure if I had heard it right.
"You tried to save me. Whom to you, I believe, would have been very much like what that chocobo was to me. Unknown, but needed help." She justified her accusation for me.
The faintest beginnings of a smile played across my lips as I comprehended what she meant.
What guts this lady has. No one had ever had the nerve to say something like that to me. If a subordinate dared to question my place, it would have been a punishment so harsh, he would wish he had never been born. Or born to be recruited into Soldier and come under my lead, to be precise.
"You must be stoked to have needed my help." I pushed her buttons, one at a time.
I was right, this was one proud woman.
"Yes." She was annoyed, I could tell.
How ravishing, even in anger.
"But you see," I teased, leaning down to whisper in her ears,"you are different from that chocobo. You are important to me." A small gasp of surprise escaped her at the same time as Jenova could tolerate it no longer and barraged my psychic shield.
"Sephiroth my son! Whatever are you doing?" the consciousness of Jenova screams at me.
"Argh, I hate this." I sat down by the edge of the bed holding my head in my hands, letting my silver hair fall between the space of my fingers.
"Are you alright?" Tifa's voice changed immediately from that of frustration to that of concern. She reaches out to touch me, her delicate fingers resting on either side of my head, over my hands.
I did not speak.
Jenova was trying to drive me to the brink of insanity with her orders. This was Jenova being overbearing. I wonder if this was what children felt when their mother kept nagging them to do certain tasks. I never had a real mother before Jenova so I never knew.
"Here, let me make it better for you." Tifa reassured and laid her left arm across my chest, guiding me to lie down on the soft beds against the pillows. Pressing her fingers on my temples gently, she started to knead my headache away.
If she could only see, I thought as I looked up her small chin at her exquisite porcelain face of epitome features, how close our bodies were in contact with each other. As she concentrated on my headache, her bosom pushed against my chest ever so softly. The side of her body leaned against the right side of my body, so much so that I could feel her body warmth. She would be so embarrassed, I muse to myself.
Of course, I had to revel in that.
"Do you realize, my lady, that I can feel your warm breath against my cheeks?" I tout again. Why, I must be spoiling for a fight today.
She gives me a little smack on the chest before continuing the massage.
"Anything to get the job done." She laughs.
And to my own amazement, I engage in a hearty laugh.
Something I have never done before all these thirty years of my life.
Night saw her pestering me to bring her outdoors as she could not bear the thought of being confined indoors. I had been worried about her being gone from her home for two days but that seemed the least of her concerns as she trod her way over to the grand entrance from the dining table slowly. She looks back in my general direction and grins with mischief again. I was starting to love that look, much as I did not want to admit it.
Sometimes, I wonder if her eyes had recovered. It almost felt as though she could see, with the way she could make her way around but then again, her walking into walls and stepping into tables did not justify that suspicion. I sigh in resignation, stood up from my chair at the head of the marble dining table and walked over to her offering her my arm.
"Don't you want to go home?" I asked out of pure curiosity.
"Not really." She contends.
"Why not? Your family would be worried about you." I pursued.
"I hardly think so." She replied quietly, a sudden sadness entering her voice.
Cloud Strife, whatever have you done. I could not help but feel that her momentary melancholiness was related to that moron.
"Where do you want to go?" I enquired after a moment of silence.
"Where the stars reside!" she was suddenly elated again.
Shaking my head and smiling, I marveled at how much a child she was like. Leading her carefully out of the house, I guide her movements throughout the Ancient Forest to a clear meadow which I had discovered one day whilst training my magic casting.
With attentiveness that would make any care-taker proud, I saw to it that she was seated safely on a soft tuff of grass. As she claims her place under the moons in a very lady like fashion upon the most olive of grasses, I could not help but bask in the sun of her glowing beauty.
I watch her now, her face uplifted to the skies above and seemingly enjoying the breezes that drifted past our bodies.
"Look, look, can you see the stars?" She points excitedly at a portion of the dark skies.
Shifting my gaze to where she was pointing, I wondered again, if she could see.
"Actually, no." I had never been an avid observer of nature.
"No no, look up. Tell me what you see. Can you see, the little embers of silver light glowing at us?" She encourages.
"It seems as though you can see. Are you sure your eye-sight has not recovered?" I raise my eye brow at her suspiciously.
"I feel them." She contends with a sweet smile on her face.
"Oh." I was at a lost for words.
The world never seemed to appeal to me and no matter how I looked, I find myself unable to see the intricate workings or beauty of things.
Are you this way too? Working so hard on one thing that you never spare the time to look upon other things?
"Alright, Alright." I relent, "Let me try."
She nods her approval and smiles slightly.
"It is like…a living emerald sea that meets the sable sky" I start, panning my gaze from the meadow to the skies above, "where the flowers bloom in a myriad of colors and where millions of tiny stars illuminate as though…to guide the lost." I found myself resting my gaze on her, a little surprised at myself.
Those alluring chestnut eyes, so much like placid unfathomable depths of the ancient woods as they hold you in their embrace of comforting warmth. That lofty mane of dusky tresses, the darkness before the dawn that was to bring light to all in the forest, that faint glimmer of hope. Those cherub lips, the blossoming of the tiny rose buds amongst the woodlands, the final touch to a divine painting.
Her body, voluptuous and curvaceous, made all the more perfect by the wounds on her stomach, like the incessant weathering of a forgotten bronze statue in the midst of ruined earths.
A Goddess.
She who walks the earths bestowing hope to all who believes in her.
For the very first time since I have met her again, I found myself hoping that I could have her by my side a little longer. Just…a little longer, before she realized who I was and left.
A fervent desire as it etched itself in my mind.
It was a selfish one.
I wish…she could never see again.