New Appreciations

For the Love of the Planet

So they waited a week. And no one came. Cid killed animals for them to live off of and Shera found a few fruit trees on the other side of the island. They lived off this, as well as Shera’s tea. And it was getting colder. After another week, they were still alone, and it was still getting colder. After three weeks, they were running out of food, and it was very, very cold. After a month, they had almost entirely run out of food, and it looked as if it was going to be a very quickly ended winter.

“Dammit,” commented Cid, rubbing his hands together and blowing into the air, watching the cold breath disappear in front of his eyes. “Not sure how much longer I can keep this up.” He turned and looked at Shera, lying on the ground with her eyes closed. “Figure maybe it’s time to built a raft and try to cross the ocean on a pile of sticks.” He laughed humorlessly. Shera said nothing. He got up and walked over. “Hey, Shera?”

She still lay on the ground with her eyes closed, breathing slowly in and out. “So…cold…” she murmured. Cid, alarmed, knelt down beside her. “You ok? Fire isn’t helpin’ any?” Shera opened her eyes and looked up at him. “Can’t…feel…anything…where…? Co…cold…tired…” “SHERA! Dammit, Shera, listen to me!” He grabbed her hands, and tried to warm them in his. “You gotta hang in there, ok? I’m gonna get us the hell out of here, but you gotta hang on!” She closed her eyes. “So…cold…” She fell silent.

In horror, Cid, pulled her to him, held her close, could feel her heart still beating. She’s still breathing, she’s still alive, c’mon Shera, live, he thought. “Shera,” he said. “SHERA.” He spoke her name again and again, but she didn’t respond. She lives, she lives, she lives, he kept telling himself. But he knew it wouldn’t be for much longer if he couldn’t find some way to keep her alive.

Gently, he picked her up, and carried her to the place where the Temple of the Ancients used to stand. He sat there with her for a while, holding her to him, making sure that she stayed warm, and kept breathing. It started raining, and Cid sat there for some time longer, letting the rain drench him, not caring, not feeling it. “Shera,” he whispered. Her heart had stopped beating.

Slowly, he stood up, and laid Shera down. Tears stung his cheeks, and he stared into the chasm before him, and then looked into the sky. “I protected you,” he screamed at the planet. “I helped fight this damned war for you! I’ve lost friends to save the god damned planet!” He was sobbing now, throwing his challenges at the planet that was killing the only person he really cared about. “And what do you do? YOU KILL HER. I’ve been fightin’ to save this stupid, cruel, god damned planet! I ain’t ever given up!”

He sank to his knees. “DON’T YOU DARE LET HER DIE! Is this what you do to the people who try to help save your sorry ass? The ancients were wrong,” He muttered, crumpling to the ground. “You ain’t worth shit. Not if you kill the people who try to help you. You ain’t worth shit. I loved her…Shera…I love you…”

Just as Cid crumpled to the ground, a light began to glow from the inside of the chasm. It rose higher and higher, until it engulfed the whole area in blinding green light. “The hell?” Asked Cid. It flowed around him and Shera and then suddenly…was gone. As if it had been turned off. He heard a mumbling behind him, and whirled, to see Shera opening her eyes. “SHERA???” She stood up, looking tired.

He ran over to her and took her in his arms. Then he looked up into the sky, and smiled. “’M sorry,” he said. “Sometimes, even I’m wrong.”

Go on to Chapter 7