Part 2: 

Pain, wing, pain, arm, pain........Tifa only barely saw the Healer, Betta was her name, through her blurr of vision. Betta was gently tipping the herbal medicine, sheeratt root, down Tifa's unwilling throat. Tifa coughed and sputtered weakly as the medicine went down through her. She hated the feeling, it was like someone forcing a knife down your throat.

"It shall heal you," said Betta the Healer calmly. Through slitted eyelids Tifa saw her doubt. Betta wouldn't even tell her what was wrong with her, but Tifa thought she knew. Broken wing. She would die.

"How.......Lyre.......Li?" said Tifa in a weak, shuddery whisper. Tifa saw the Healer's look of sympathy. 

"They're here, Tifa. Both are burned, but they will live," replied Betta.

"Good." Tifa rolled onto her side, wincing as her right and most painful wing slung to the side. She closed her eyes. The pain......Was it leaving......It couldn't be, the sheeratt root hadn't really worked before....Was this death? It wasn't as bad as she had imagined it. Her breath was slowing. Maybe she was going to sleep? 

She heard faint voices in the background, and a familiar hand was rested on her shoulder. "Tifa, please don't go!" It was Lyre, Tifa could barely tell through sobs.

"Stay, Tifa, please stay." That was Aurelius. Tifa couldn't move, or she'd have said it was time. Her breath grew fainter, slower. Someone pushed on her stomach now. Probably Betta the Healer. Darkness fell, darker than what was just behind eyelids, and Tifa floated away, her body still as a bear in its winter slumber.

She was gone. Lyre sobbed and stroaked her dear friend's almost violet brown hair. She stared at Tifa's face, now gone still. Her face still wore a small smile, as if she was having a happy dream. This made Lyre feel a bit better, but not much. 

Aurelius sat beside her in his wheelchair. "So early on." His voice was restricted, as if he were holding back tears. Lyre looked at his face, and his eyes were the saddest she had ever seen them. It was horrible. Lyre stood up and hugged him, wiping away her own tears.

"Yes, it is horrible," said Lyre when she released Aurelius. So, so horrible.