AN: One of my favorite drabbles to write up, playing with a, hmm... completely AU plot written in the middle ages set, if that makes sense. Sorry if it is OOC for Sephiroth and Lightning. I can explain: Sephiroth is a hard character to write for and I'm confident of writing his Good Guy side over his Evil. I know that right now it seems too much of Light's POV but I try to level it out and switching back and forth, yay, for Seph's POV! Hope you like this one.


Crystal

So… We meet again, Claire…

"I'm sorry…"

Why are you?

"I'm so sorry."

Why are you apologizing? Shouldn't I be the one saying that?

There was a woman that wanted no involvement with him.

She was to be his bride due to an arranged marriage which was against both of their wills. She rather not be bounded to the title of wife and be forced to be with a man she doesn't love. He had no interest in being married entirely, marriage was not a necessity to him.

Her name was Claire Farron and she was his wife.

Claire despised the arrangement but not nearly as much as she did for General Sephiroth, the revered hero of the Wutai war. She felt that his malevolent tendencies on the battlefield were unjust were crueler than anything she have witnessed. Through and through every barrier that barred the two of them to find connection, Sephiroth began showing compassion towards his enemies and to his wife.

Before they realized it, they were falling in love and recuperating their feelings. Everything was almost perfect with the terms of the relationship and the war coming to an end. By that point they could plan out for the future, even start a family together. It would be finally over.

Until he discovered the brand.

Where and when did she get it?

She had been hiding it from him of course. Maybe it was to keep pushing it farther and farther out of her mind so that she never had to mention it or to deal with it herself when it comes to that point.

Without his knowledge.

It didn't matter. None of it did. She selfishly kept it from him and he was concerned for what would happen to her. The fate of an I'Cie equates as a death sentence. He was her husband and it was his right to be privy to her well-being.

"It's nothing!" Claire argued, rushing to cover up the evidence by zipping up her turtleneck sweater.

"It's not nothing!" Sephiroth barked menacingly, reaching over to grab her wrists and pressed her against the wall behind her so she wouldn't dare escape him. He glanced at the half way zipped up sweater top in haste. Dead in the center of her ample breasts is that wretched dark brand. "Need I remind you what happens when a person is branded?" He snarled and his grip tightened around her wrists. She winced and recoiled, more from his tone than the force he applied. "They become monsters…"

Don't you think she already knows that?

No. He wasn't upset for her for keeping the brand a secret. It's understandable. The damage was already done. He loosened his hold, but leaned against the wall for support, resting his hands to both sides of her. They stood like this for a while, his head leaned over her shoulder, his long silvery hair created a curtain over them. He only proved by surrendering to his emotions that the real monster here is him. Again.

"What can I do?" He murmured softly, not meeting his young wife's eyes, intoxicated by her scent and overwhelming presence. His fists clutched tighter as his voice echoed to her ears. "What could I do for you?" What has she done to deserve this?

"Sephiroth…" Claire mournfully touched her brand, perplexed by this side she has never seen in her husband. This hideous blemish was like a tattoo etched on her skin and she had tried with no avail scrubbed hard to remove it. Until it was fiercely raw and bled, telling her that it was useless. She decided against her will to touch, to embrace the man that gave in to his anger and now crumbling to pieces before her but much too proud to openly admit it.

His green eyes finally turned to her, the sorrow in those wintery orbs. There is only one option to fix this. Her Focus. It was fruitless to stand around conflicted on the degree of her trust on him. The longer they stood around the sooner she would be transformed into a Cie'th. He parted from her, not trusting himself to lay his hands on her again. "We have no choice but to move forward. We still have plenty of time. Your Focus. What is it?"

Claire shook her head, her aqua colored eyes already indicating the truth. "I was only given bits and flashes. Nothing concrete."

Sephiroth whipped around, his back coldly rejecting her. "Then I will find and complete your Focus. I will save you, Claire."

"It's not yours to complete! This is my burden alone!"

"You are a fool if you believe inaction would change your fate. Unlike you, I'm going to act to prevent it."

"Sephiroth." She muttered quietly, reasons she's attempting to come up with evident on her features. She's stubborn and strong willed, traits of hers that can be either admirable or incredibly irking to no end like a double-edged sword.

He turned to face her and reached out to run a gloved hand through her long strawberry blond hair with a rare softness in his eyes. A familiar act that both are accustomed to for when they're alone like this. Claire had joked on occasion how he is obsessed with her hair or when he doesn't know what to do, he absentmindedly twirls his long fingers in her stray locks. She sucked in her breath and her eyes met his. For an intense, drawn out pause, the two only stared at one another as the situation encasing them in its hold. Then she broke the spell placed before them and stepped forward to wrap her arms around his form. His rigidity was a brief response before returning the embrace as though he were shielding her from the entire world crashing down on his shoulders.


The next morning was when Sephiroth decided to head off on a trek all on his own. The story of the sudden departure as gossiped by the servants of the castle was that it was a personal visit to one of the towns in the area. Seemed like a trustworthy reason as the general would often make journeys himself to obtain certain lore or to make an appearance to the public. Only Claire knew the truth. He was off to complete her Focus and as a precaution of her safety, abandoned her alone and guarded.

It was her Focus in the first place, not his but he was so thickheaded and determined to accomplish an impossible objective. She was capable of solitary holding her own in combat. Claire couldn't even face him minutes before he left, she instead watched him from afar, memorizing every detail of his visage to last for the days without him. The breeze drifting lazily through his silver hair and clothes, his virile hands restraining on the reins of a chocobo, the way his lips moved as he spoke, his trained posture…

She couldn't bear with his leaving and lied to the maids that she was feeling under the weather. He was fixated on what goal he set himself to do but also was waiting for his wife to bid him farewell. She could tell, but of course he's never one to openly admit such a fact. He wouldn't go back inside to search for her nor commit public display of affection to reveal his weaknesses to bystanders.

After some time of preparation for his trip, Sephiroth glanced up at one of the windows of their home and his piercing eyes locked on the window Claire was standing in behind of. The woman blinked twice, hoping to turn the general's attention away from her, suddenly forgetting to breathe. Was he upset that she didn't confront him before he left? Could he see her or has realized she was watching him? She pressed her palm against the glass and spread her fingers wide, staring down intently.

He smirked. Not one of malice and malevolence like in the past.

It was of fondness… Of confidence…

Then, as if he had never looked her way, Sephiroth broke eye contact and rode off to the horizon, his dark coat billowing behind him. Oxygen slowly returned to Claire's lungs as she gawked at the spot where the general had vanished. Gone, just like that. How much have I really hurt you?


Something was wrong. It doesn't take long for the severity of the atmosphere to sink in. So much for the moment to absorb in temporary victories and yearning to finally be home.

"My wife, where is she?" He demanded smoothly, his voice being just loud enough to resonate across the room and the halls. It made the timid maids flinch and the servants visibly tremble in fear, but they stringently stood up straighter to cover that and kept their heads bowed respectfully. One of the servants gulped and his mouth quivered to answer the general.

"Milord, it's regrettable to say that Lady Claire is no longer with us."

She died while I was away for a damn month?

A painful silence rolled across and the unfortunate servant fidgeted in place with the general's eyes bored cruelly down at him. He shook his head, grasping to threads of courage before him. "She… She was gone two weeks after you left, sir. One day she just disappeared and never returned. We searched but—"

"Stop talking." The general's voice dripped with acid at the blinking servant meekly staring at the raised blade at his throat, the point of the weapon was pressed against the flesh of his throat yet didn't drew any blood. The others employed in the general's service dared not to breathe, terrified that the old Sephiroth, the vengeful and ruthless general has resurfaced. Not that this other side made a greater difference but it was an improvement than in the past. His wife tamed most of his old ways but now that she's not here… He could go insane in madness and extract punishment on those unfortunate to receive it.

But then he returned Masamune back in its scabbard and walked away leaving his indentured servants astonished at the unexpected action.

She fled from him of her own free will and was gone forever.


The crystal appeared to contain a nude yet angelic woman sitting upon a pristine limestone throne raised at an elevated height by crystal seracs from the ground below. The woman emanated a luminous golden glow from within and from her position had a gunblade rested upon crossed slender legs, her head turned delicately to her right shoulder and wore a pensive, morose expression.

It unmistakably was Claire.

I found you.

She was the one thing he cherished the most, he realized, now taken away from him.

She completed her Focus somehow. She had to if she was crystallized in a place like this. She will be granted eternal life as the legend goes when she awakes from her prison.

If she ever wakes up. If he was still alive when she does.

As he approached the crystallized form of his wife and reached out to stroke her hardened cheek, one question processed his mind as he lamented his sorrow:

What was her Focus?