Fan Fiction ❯ Heart of the Warrior ❯ Heart of Fire ( Chapter 3 )

Diane sighed. "I'll do the best I can. But tell me, what's so important about him anyway? Yeah, I know life in itself is precious, but why his? Why does so much hinge on HIS life?"

Herc explained it as best he could while they walked into the back. "You know how the doors between worlds are open now, right? Well, this world has become a waystation of sorts, a place where the refugees can feel safe and recover. It was that way until OUR keyhole opened. Sephiroth has come to see this place as his home, and the LAST thing he wanted to see was it being swallowed in darkness. He connected himself with the gate, and has been using his own life-force to keep it closed. If he dies, it will fly open, and darkness will take anyone who survives Olympia's fall."

Diane nodded, seeing suddenly a new side to this one who had once been mad. But she sensed the young one was not telling her EVERYTHING.

She stepped into the locker room, threading a needle with some of the surgical cording she had been given as she did so. She bent over the man, setting a hand on his cheek.

"This is going to be painful, and I am sorry. You're so weakened already I don't think we can risk an anesthetic."

Sephiroth nodded, grunting out "Just get on with it." between gasping breaths that became more and more labored. He bit his lip as the needle pierced his flesh for the first time, the bite of it felt deep inside as the girl began repairing the organs that had been damaged in the fight. Then, he let forth a loud cry before passing out.

Diane felt him go limp beneath her, almost relieved that he'd passed out. She hated causing pain, even to heal. As she completed the repair to the best of her ability, she draped a blanket over him, brushing a strand of silver hair from his face before turning to go. "I almost could have loved you . . . if it weren't for prior obligations."

Cloud stood in the doorway then, and the missing piece of the puzzle clicked into place, that which Herc hadn't told her. Her anger spilled over then, at the smirk on Cloud's face. His voice rang out then.

"You gonna take a chance on the pretty-boy, are you? You do realize what happened to the LAST woman that did that?"

Diane whirled on the blond, fury written clearly on her features, blue eyes sparking.

"You don't understand what he's going through, do you? On top of the grief of losing the only person he gave a SHIT about, he has to live with the GUILT of knowing he is the one who destroyed her. Not that you give a shit, Strife. and another thing. . .whether you realize it or not, he is using his own LIFE FORCE to keep that damn keyhole sealed so we have ONE safe world left until Sora's ready to fight. Think about THAT next time you open your fucking mouth." and with that she walked away, red hair lifting in the slight breeze, leaving Cloud standing open-mouthed in shock. Then she turned back with the final blow. "Oh, and in case you didn't know . . . he's doing his damndest to prepare the boy for the battle to come . . . even though he knows when Sora wins, it means his own death."