Pandemia Chapter 5; Pumpkinheart, Core Of The Veritas

Tear arrived in his designated area of Pandemia, hidden in the void and away from all others. The only thing in his corridor of the college was the library, as the composition of his locale absorbed sounds, and was therefore quite sufficient as a quiet area for reading and studying.

Be that all as it may, his actual office, where he spent most of his solitary time, was usually vacant of extraneous beings, as he really only had visitors if there was an execution needed to be made about any such situation wherein which judgment was passed, or if introducing new students into the curriculum. Otherwise, he was either alone or he was out of office, and dwelling in the halls, or even off doing the... Secret things that he did.

The only other entity that was within this place was that which brought it light, the Pumpkin Heart, resting as a softly glowing moon above his head, casually shifting between colors. With the atmosphere both absorbing and suffocating the light, even when it was brightly illuminating the room, nothing shined, though the outlines of the void-like objects was clear. Everything was visible, but none of the materials around produced light, so they did not have any color.

Tear walked down the descending staircase and to his desk, which rested underneath the Pumpkin Heart. He patiently awaited Tifa, if she would come, and partially hoping that she would.

It was a brief pause between Tear's setting at his place and Tifa's arrival in his office, a look on her face bearing a subtle curiosity, as she looked at him with lowered lids that seemed to hint at a type of anticipation. Initially silent, Tifa waited until she was down the stairs and closer to Tear before she asked him, "So... What Is It You Wanted To Show Me? I Hope It's Not Your Dick." Obviously she was joking, but the fact that it was on her mind at all meant something, too. She couldn't help but look up at the pretty, colorful moon bringing light to the pitch black room. "Hey, Nice Lamp Ya Got There." She uncrossed her arms and let her hands flop outward to her side, as if she was shrugging without making the motion with her shoulders. "I Mean, It's Not As Bright As Colorful As The Light In My Room, But, Ya Know, It's Got A Really Nice Little Ambience To It. It's A Different Vibe Than My Room, And It's Pretty Cool." She hadn't been in here in so long, and it was so briefly that she didn't even remember... But it was more than likely that with her newfound sensitivity, she could sense more subtle wavelengths, even in a place that naturally absorbs and muffles them.

The sentiment behind Tifa's acceptance of Tear's invitation was noted, as crude as she was in her interaction, as usual. He knew it was just her way of expression. There was no harm in it, despite being a bit blunt. "... As Much As I'm Sure You'd Enjoy It, That Is Not The Nature Of Why I Have Called You Here Today," Tear began to say, quipping slightly in retort to Tifa's remark. "In Fact, It Is Actually That Moon You Are So Fascinated With Which Is The Reason." Tifa was so interested in it, but many people thought it was just decoration and didn't pay too much attention to it after initially laying eyes on it. "You See, That Moon There Is Actually The Pumpkin Heart, Which Is A Core Of The Veritas. It Has A Great Number Of Different Purposes, But One Of The Most Obvious Ones Is To Express Emotion, As Would A Normal Heart." Tear raised his hand to the side slightly, holding his palm facing upward, toward the moon. "But What Makes It Special Is That The Pumpkin Heart Is Alive With The Spirit Of Pumpkinheart, And The Pumpkinheart Is A Spirit Of Love That Is Directly Associated To... Well... You, Tifa."

She may not have known much about Pumpkinheart, being as mysterious as she was, but there was a binding force between her and Tifaret that Tear wished to expose to Tifa. "That Is To Say, The Reason Why You Are Here Is Because I Wanted You To Know About The Pumpkinheart And Understand Its Connection To You And The Rest Of The Veritas. I Believe That It Is About That Time."

Tifa had a glazed look in her eyes, and she sniffed slightly after Tear finished. "... Pumpkinheart, Eh?" Looking up again, Tifa narrowed her eyes. "I'unno... That There Seems Somewhat... Familiar To Me..." Her narrowed eyes became squints, as something about that moon seemed to resonate with her. "... Ya Know, I Think... I Think I--"

Suddenly, her eyes widened and a light flashed, her fiery cosmic hair bursting a bit. "WAIT!!! That Moon...!!! It Can't Be...?!" She quickly brought her head back down to look at Tear, awe upon her face. "That's That Amber Moon... When You Sent Me On That Mission...! When I First Came To This Room...!" The memories that seemed to be a distant haze to her became clear again, flashing before her eyes. "... That Was When Crystalheart Gave Up Her Form To Bind Us Together...! And That's When I Became The Sun Goddess!!" Tifa raised her hands, which trembled before her as the memories came flooding back. "... Tear... You...!" Feeling so many emotions, Tifaret was at a loss of words. It almost seemed like the Pumpkin Heart was feeding her the memories of the former Crystal Heart before it assimilated with the Fourth Moon and became Pumpkinheart.

Tear was quiet for a time as Tifa experienced her revelations, but once it was clear she was at a leveled-out point, he continued to speak. "... Yes. For A Long While, As Your Superior, I Have Been The Guiding Hand In Your Progression Into Who You Are Now." Knowing her, she wouldn't take this well, especially not in such an emotional state, but it was now or never. "... But Even As I May Have Been Just An Influence To You, It Was You Who Took The Steps To Becoming Greater. That Is Something No One Can Force You To Do, And Something That You Have Done All On Your Own, And In Your Own Way. That Is Far More Respectable Than If I Would Have Just Held Your Hand The Entire Way Through, Or Even A Majority Of The Way. The Truth Of The Matter Is That You Did This Yourself, And Far Outside Of Anything I Ever Intended. There Were Many Times Where I Was Upset For You Straying, But It Is You Who Taught Me Something In All Of This..." Tear trailed off, finding his own words to be rather surreal even to himself, which made him chuckle with the reflection. "... To Trust In Others To Develop In Their Own Way, Instructed Or Not."

Tear raised his hand up to the Pumpkinheart, which, as Tifa realized, bore the pieces of the former Crystal Heart that was with her before they left the Lost World. "So Now, You Are Not Just The Sun Goddess, But Also The Life Goddess. And You Have Accomplished Many Other Things All On Your Own As Well, Much To My Impression. So I Ask Of You, Tifa, To Not Think Of This As Anything That Detracts From Your Own Growth Into The Beautiful Soul You Are Now. I Didn't Do Nearly As Much As You Might Think I Did, And I Really Want To Make That As Clear To You As Possible." Tear lowered his hand, clasping his hands together before himself once again. "... So I Insist That You Use Your Remembrance And Embrace It Along With The Pumpkin Heart, Which Has Been Awaiting This Day Ever Since It Took The Form Of Pumpkinheart At All."

All of this information was a lot to take in; a lot to deal with emotionally. But it wasn't like it was bad. Tifa felt like she could trust what Tear was saying, even if it seemed like it was something that she could get upset at for a number of other reasons. It was a testament to herself how she would react to this, even in the heat of emotion. The fact that she felt that way at all further showed her that what he was saying was true, and he wasn't at all trying to cover his own ass. This let Tifa accept it all more easily, and she was pleased with herself and the new perspective about herself she got from Tear.

"... Chyeah, Well. You've Got A Point There, Buddy Boy." She felt the remnants of the old Crystal Heart in the Pumpkin Heart, and using the current Crystal Heart, she would connect directly to them, establishing a gateway between herself and Pumpkinheart. "It Took A Lot Of Guts To Tell Me Something Like That Out Of The Blue, And A Lot More Heart Than I Thought You Had." Tifa's receptiveness to the scenario gave her strength, as well, and she would be able to feel the power of the old Crystal Heart in conjunction with the new Crystal Heart. "... So, Thanks For Pushing Me, Tear. And For Not Giving Up On Me. I May Not Want To Say It, But... Even Though I Know It Was Mostly Me, I Still Wouldn't Be Who I Am Today Without You, Either." She wouldn't discredit him for his influence in her life, which was mostly positive, and continued to push her to work harder to achieve.

The sentimentality between the two coupled with the joining of the old and new Crystal Hearts awakened the dormant Pumpkinheart, whose spirit rested within the Pumpkin Heart. A skeletal jack o' lantern face manifested on the surface of the Pumpkin Heart, and its glow went from colorful to clear. Looking upon the two of them, it sensed that the love they shared was genuine and pure, and so, the two would receive the blessings of the Pumpkin Heart.

"Tifaret..." called Pumpkinheart, "I Have Been Waiting For You. Tear Has Protected Me For A Very Long Time, And Has Devoted His Very Love To This Cause. I Can Feel A Love Inside Of You That Once Was Not Present, And It Is Flowing Into Me And Mixing With Tear's, Which Has Been Within Me For A Very Long Time." The cocktail of emotions that stirred within the Pumpkin Heart would be transferred to the both of them, sharing any unspoken feelings that they had between them. "The Power Of Your Raw Emotions Gives Me Strength, And My Strength Becomes The Strength Of The Veritas, As Well." From there, Tifaret and Tear would further feel the power of the Pumpkin Heart, which had power from the Veritas, and it would strengthen them. "Though My Presence Is Not Very Well Known In The Veritas, It Is Of Great Importance, And, Much Like Tear Has Influenced Your Growth, You Have Influenced Mine, Tifaret." The kind words would rest upon her spirit like a soft cushion. "You Are Far More Integrated In Affairs Than You Have Known, And Your Purpose As The Goddess Of Life Suits That." Maybe Tifaret would understand, maybe she had more she needed to learn. No matter what, the exposure here today would not leave her untouched.

To Tear, the experience was enlightening in his heart, as he was able to better understand Tifaret now than ever before, and the blessing of the Pumpkinheart was upon them, which only furthered the sanctity of the night. He flashed his signature deadly nonchalant smile, trying to maintain his emotions. "... It Was No Mistake That You Came To Me Today, Tifa, And Of Your Own Volition. You've Made Me Feel Much Better Than I Have In A Very Long Time, And Surely, You Know, That Is Saying Something Grand About How You Make Me Feel, Since Many Beautiful Things Bring Me Much Pleasantry." Being the lover of all things beautiful and being able to notice them even down to the most minor intricacies, a statement like that was quite the high honor from Tear. "I Certainly Underestimated Your Feelings, Given Your Exterior And Choice Of Expression. But I See That I Was Wrong For That More Clearly Than Ever."

Tear rose from his seat, overcome by passion. "... I Think That We Should Try Again. To Pilot Pandemia Together. With The Blessings Of Pumpkinheart, And These New Feelings, Then Perhaps..." He trailed off at the thought of so many different possibilities that extended from his suggestion, as well as the great opportunities which could also arise.

Tifa let the two of them express themselves, snickering to herself a bit. "Woah, The High And Mighty Tear, Saying That He Was Wrong? And About Me, No Less? Man, Must Be A Miracle, Or Somethin'." Still retaining her playful nature, Tifa shrugged her shoulders and diverted her gaze purposefully, though the intent for jesting still very much apparent in her attitude, regardless of her actions. "... Buuuuut, If Pumpkinheart Is Saying All Of This Mushy Stuff Too, Then It Must Have Some Merit Behind It. I Guess Some Things Are Just The Way They Are, And All We Gotta Do Is Accept Them."

Tear's proposal, though, came as a surprise to Tifa, and she quickly became serious. "... You Sure? I Mean, Do You Think We're Really Ready For That? Didn't The Me-ou Just Get On Our Case About What We Did?" The rebellious thought from Tear against any type of authority figure that he normally followed unquestionably was an anomaly that Tifa could not have ever dreamed of believing she'd ever get to see. Maybe she was having just as much of an effect on him as he was on her.

Pumpkinheart bore the feelings of all, and in them, she had her own feelings. The Pumpkin Heart could feel not only Tear and Tifaret, but also Pandemia, which was silent. "Consider Also What Pandemia Wishes For The Two Of You, As It Is Its Own Entity Independent Of Us All."

As time passed and it was approaching the end of the day, Pumpkinheart also felt it necessary to alert the two of them about the very special day that it was. "... Perhaps You Have Overlooked It Because Of The Commotion Going On, But It Is Valentine's Day, Though That Is Quickly Fading, Since It Is Now The Night." Pumpkinheart could be somewhat cryptic at times, in the likeness of her counterpart, but unlike him, her cryptical nature was subverted by a sense of directness of emotional intention. "With My Blessings, I Wish The Two Of You The Best Possible Outcome... With Love." Pumpkinheart quieted herself after that so that the two of them could sort out their thoughts about what they would do next.

Tear chuckled lightly to himself as Tifa made her quips, taking them for what they were. But it was what Pumpkinheart said that actually got to him. "... Ah, Yes. Pumpkinheart Is Correct. It Would Be Best To See How Pandemia Feels." But to Tifa's inquisition, he'd respond, "The Me-ou Certainly Was Cross With Us, And Our Punishment Was To Remain Confined To The Premises And Not Pilot Pandemia... But That Does Not Mean That We Cannot Still Train By Bonding With It And Each Other Until We Are Allowed To Pilot It Again. Then, We Will Be Ready When The Time Comes." Hopefully Tifa would understand where Tear was coming from, since he seemed passionate about doing this with her.

"... Also, Pumpkinheart Brings Up Another Very Valid Point..." he added. "... It Is The Night Of Valentine's Day. We Are Under The Light Of The Moon. We Are Alone. And We Are Sharing Our Feelings With One Another. It Takes Me Back To The One Valentine's Day We Shared Together At The Cantina, When Our Feelings Were Fresher Than They Are Now... So, Let Us Spend The Night Together, Since We Won't Be Going Anywhere Else." Again, Tear gave his signature deadly nonchalant smile, finishing by saying, "... I Feel Further Encouraged To Say... Happy Valentine's Day, Tifaret."

Tifa laughed a little bit, shaking her head. "Ha! And Here I Was Thinking That You'd Just Gotten Cool." She would lean her rear upon the desk, then lean a bit closer to Tear. "Ah, Well. Guess If You Didn't Keep Us In Line, No One Would. Besides, I Like The Idea Of Living On The Fringe Without Actually Crossing The Line, For Once." A further chuckle escaped her, before her eyes settled on Tear, filled with a hint of allure. "... Not To Mention... I Don't Hate How You're Suggesting We Spend The Night, Either..." Tifa slid her legs around so that she was closer to Tear, yet still seated upon his desk. "... Let's Finish This Conversation In The Morning, Yeah? We Can Start Our Bonding Tonight..." Tifa winked at him, reciprocating his feelings. "... Happy Valentine's Day, Tear."

So, Tear and Tifa spent more time together after that night, confined to Pandemia for the period that they were. As discussed, they began to bond with both each other and Pandemia more intimately, and as Tifa had begun to do when they piloted the school, they all became more intimate with each other.