Tifa helped as Barrett carefully dropped his heavy burden down onto a bed. Noticing the dried blood about Vincent's face, she quickly fetched a bowl of water and a towel, and began carefully wiping it away. Seeing no marks or wounds, she checked his hand and gauntlet, but they were clean, untarnished. She turned quizzical eyes to Barrett.
"Don't have a clue," he replied, in response to her unspoken question. "We just found him like that".
Vincent began coming to, straining to push himself up into a sitting position, and swatting at Tifa's hand as she continued to clean his face. "I'm alright," he insisted, although he wouldn't admit to them that his head still felt groggy.
"What happened?" asked Tifa. "You've blood on your face".
Vincent looked at her in surprise. Had Sephiroth attacked him while he'd been unconscious? A quick inspection showed that not to be the case. "How did I get out of there?" he asked, rubbing at his sore temples.
"I carried you," Barrett stated simply, his large arms folded across his broad chest.
"The hum that affected us before…..It abated. So we dared to venture in," Red XIII explained.
"That was brave!" Vincent remarked, arching one brow.
"Huh, I was done sitting on my butt anyways!" Barrett retorted.
Vincent looked around the room he now found himself in. It was the make-shift sickroom where they had earlier brought the unconscious bodies of Cid and Yuffie. Cid was no longer there, but Yuffie lay on the bed next to Vincent's, her tiny face drawn and pale.
"She's sleeping," Tifa said tenderly, as she saw his look of concern. "I gave her a sleeping draught. She's not taken the baby's death well".
Vincent turned his face away from Yuffie, staring out of the window. He didn't know what it was like to lose a child. Yet.
"And Cid?" he finally dared ask. Tifas face brightened a little.
"He's with Cait…….They think they've found something that will help us bear that awful noise in the tunnel," she said, a small smile playing about her lips.
"Sounds interesting," Vincent said, pushing himself off the bed. Tifa went to remonstrate, but thought better of it when she saw the glare of red in his eyes. "Shall we go see?" he continued, walking purposefully out of the door. Sighing in defeat, Tifa followed him.
"Yeah, we might finally get to kick some ass…….'bout time too!" Barrett whooped, as he followed them. Casting a quick glance at the sleeping Yuffie, Red XIII too left the room.
A small breeze blew gently upon Yuffies brow, caressing the soft hair that draped over her forehead. Yuffie stirred. The breeze blew a little stronger, and Yuffie moaned, fighting to stay asleep.
Help me...help me, please .
Confused and dazed, Yuffie sat up, staring with unfocused eyes around the room. Why couldn't they just let her sleep?
I need you. Please……..help me .
Something by the window caught Yuffies eye. A shape, a form. She tried to focus, but it hurt her head to do so. "What is it? What do you want?" she muttered.
The shape came closer, slowly taking on an appearance. Yuffies eyes registered a girl, a small girl, maybe five years old, with long flowing blonde curls. She had a pained expression in her violet eyes, and she held out an arm in front of her, an arm that was cut from shoulder to elbow. Yuffie stared aghast at the gaping open wound of the child, watching mesmerised as blood dripped slowly from it, seeming to fall in slow motion upon the floor. Yuffies heart melted. She knew that this child needed her help.
Pushing herself up out of bed, she went to the wardrobe, and found what she needed. A Restore materia. The young child's eyes lit up as Yuffie went towards her talking softly, kindly.
"Now, this won't hurt you a bit, I promise," Yuffie said, as she healed the small child's wounds with the materia, a gentle smile touching her lips.
"Such a pity that I can't promise the same for YOU," the child shouted as, snatching the Restore materia from Yuffies hands, she reverted to her true form.
Eva stared down at the small globe of magic now in her possession. So much healing power contained within it, a power that she had never known before….had never needed to know before……Until the silver haired Nemesis had appeared, and had struck her a lucky blow with his sword.
Until today, no-one had ever had the ability to hurt her, and so she had never had a reason to learn how to self-heal. Until today…….when she had discovered what pain and fear felt like after her arm had been injured. That was why she had needed to find someone to aid her, to help her recover.
Now though, with the precious Restore materia hers, that need was gone. She would soon learn all of its secrets, and this girl in front of her was needed no more.
"Who……What…. are you?"
Eva looked into Yuffies frightened face and laughed……before straightening her newly healed arm out in front of her, and casting her vicious bolt spell.