Behind Black Curtains
An AU, Sephiroth and Tifa fanfiction
- by Amaranthos-
Chapter 36: Who we are
I sat down quietly observing my morning's breakfast. I sighed. With just one day to go before the official public execution of Sephiroth, I sat there strapped in fear and uneasiness.
"You should really eat something, Tifa" the voice of Yuffie softly beacons to me.
I smiled.
"Sorry… I was thinking" I sheepishly smiled.
Yuffie nods, "I know" she whispers, "always thinking" she sips some of her tea.
She places down her cup, "I was thinking, Tifa. Perhaps if you're not too busy today, would you mind taking me into town?" she blushes, "I guess since you're back I tend to feel a lot more comfortable with you there." She looks up, "so will you…think about it?" she asks.
I sipped some of my tea before looking at her, "that's a great idea." I informed, "I could do with some air…"
"Thank you" she smiles…
"I see some happy girls." Interjects my father. "what's the good news?" he asks pouring himself a cup of tea.
"Tifa and I are going into town" Yuffie gleefully responds.
He looks at us, "oh? Well you girls enjoy yourselves" he smiles before disappearing around the bend.
I have never seen Yuffie so excited before in my whole experience of knowing her. She gingerly hops from one small shop to another, googling at this strange, pretty and unique world before her. For the most part, she really does remind me of a little sister. She buzzes with such frenetic energy perching herself at the different stalls completely enrapt in their merchandise.
"Tifa" she beacons to me. I run to her side.
"Look at this" she gasps as she pulls from a table a blue marble necklace. Some of the beads shimmered remarkably and I could tell Yuffie was completely swooned to its attractive blue colour.
"Would you like it?" I asked, softening my eyes on the giddy girl.
She nods instantly, "I would love it" her grin fades into a serious stare, "but I couldn't" she places down the chain.
I blinked back confused at Yuffie's phased of emotions.
"What's the matter Yuffie?" I asked quizzically.
She weakly smiles, "I can't take your money." She pauses, "I need to earn my own money" she informs.
I sighed.
"Oh Yuffie" I pat her back.
She was more noble than most people would give her credit for, and that's something to appreciate in a girl like her, but she didn't have to assume or rather deny herself some of the good things she deserved in her life because she believed they required a sort of… payment or reciprocation in return.
"You don't have to think like that. You've saved my life and for that my father and I are indebted to you. Whereas back at Black Crescents they required you to work and pay for your duties and actions even when you were the hero, at home here - your new home, we see you as a hero...one who doesn't pay. So let me Yuffie…it's the least I can do" I smiled..
She looks up, her eyes full of bright cheer.
"Thank you" she smiles…
"Your welcome"
I turned to the vendor purchasing the small chain.
Yuffie is so excited taking it out the box, as she places it around her neck.
"My first ever piece of jewelry…" she grins, "and it's pretty too"
"It does look lovely on you"
She smiles, "so where to now?" she asks expectantly..
"Well let me show you this plant store and then I'll buy you the most amazing pastry laced in sugar"
As I promised, I served. I took Yuffie to this exotic plant shop where we saw all sorts of amazing plants and flowers. I never knew Yuffie to be a daisy kind of girl, but she took an immediate fancy to them. The owner of the shop absolutely fell in love with Yuffie, that he gave her a small daisy plant to grow at home. She was extremely happy and I could tell this journey was a successful one.
As a young child growing up I was very fond of the busy streets of Red Hearts. There was always so much to see, so much to do… and in some way, so much to buy. My father would often grow annoyed at times when I spent the whole chunk of my monthly allowance in the town. I usually got into a lot of trouble and sometimes grounded…but in a way it's a memory of my childhood.
In the case with Yuffie, I imagined Black Crescents sterile and grey. Opportunity, freedom and even the simple luxuries of jewelry and nice food, not a routine for the servants at Black Crescents. In some way, their lives were monochromatic. They worked and paid their dues to rulers who suffocated them from the simple delights of life, which had to be a sin. I imagine Yuffie being kept in rooms and the main fortress of Black Crescents not experiencing all of life…all of this.
But I'm happy that in some way I can give her a little bit of what she's missed out.
We continued walking through the bright busy streets of the town. People were passing by with some of their livestock, while others sold their livestock products: cheese, milk and butter. There were children running through the market area, while women tried to sell their crops and handcrafts. Men would sell other things too, knives, horse saddles and all about us is a certain sort of pandemonium.
Old men play Mahjong under some large Cherry blossom trees, while young couples sit together affectionately courting each other.
Paper lanterns, wind chimes and the sweet smell of incense seem to be decorated at every stall and looking at Yuffie I can tell this is all so much for her to take in. With a large stretched smile on her face, she walks aimlessly into the crowd becoming side-tracked to the colours, sounds and smells.
She's intrigued I can tell.
I bought some small sugared pastries to eat on the way and Yuffie gobbles them up, absolutely loving it.
"This place is amazing Tifa…" she chirps, "it's all so much to take in…gosh I wish everyone could live in a place like this" she smiles..
I smiled. I was so happy she felt like Red Hearts was the kind of conducive environment that people would love to live in.
I followed my eyes to a large crowd of people around the Informant Pole – a place where town bulletins, news and palace orders were stuck to.
I peered over some heads to read the scroll nailed on the post. I couldn't make out anything however. As I continued to try my luck, the crowd around me intensifies. Pushing forward, I finally came face to face with the scroll. The contents shook my core:
LEGENDARY ASSASSIN SEPHIROTH CAUGHT & TO BE PUBLICLY EXECUTED.
My eyes continued to read the fine contents and details - everything from the place and time to the exact moment of his death was printed and permanent. Stiffening, I felt someone pull at my dress.
I turned around to Yuffie who kept pulling me away.
"Tifa" Yuffie softens
There's nothing to say after reading something like that. I swallowed somehow digesting something very heavy in me. She places a hand on my shoulder, gently coaxing me to look at her. But I couldn't keep my eyes from looking at floor…not after reading something so horrible.
I shook my head, "its fine…" I smiled…
A smile that was probably cracked in more than a hundred places. I opened my mouth to say more…but nothing comes out. Turning to her, I swallowed.
"Why don't we continue to walk the town?" I started in a gentle voice.
Yuffie keeps an intent look on me but I try avoid her concerned stare.
"So..so..much to see" I stuttered weakly.
"Why are you doing this to yourself Tifa?" she whispers sadly
I swallowed looking away.
"I don't know what you're talking about" I tried to shew her question.
She shakes her head and pulls me to her direction.
"You can't keep doing this Tifa… this can't be good for someone like you" she explains… "you must let him go" she finishes…
Her words entered my body erupting my soul in chaos and frustration. No matter which crowd I explained my simple emotions, they would not understand the intricacy of my love for him.
"You don't understand, Yuf" I shook my head…
"What don't I understand Tifa?" she narrows her brows, frustrated at my defense…
"No one will ever understand what we have" I defended looking away.
"What do you have with that man, Tifa?" she angrily asks, "he's a murderer… a man who doesn't feel and understand the emotions of his victims, much less you – the woman whose head over heels for him… don't you see what you're doin-
But I cut her off, as her words deeply anger me.
"Listen to me…" I started, "I don't expect you, or my father or the stinking world to understand what a puny feeling it is to be in love and to be trampled, ripped and severed for having it taken away from you. I don't expect the world to get my understanding…to understand why I chase him like a phantom in the dark. But I know why…I see a man, and where you see no soul…no heart…no emotion, I see it. I see something and I know…" I whimper… "I know…he feels it too" tears falling down my face.
She stands there watching me cry.
"Tifa—" she starts…
"—I need to be alone, I'm sorry" I curtly turn my back, leaving her alone in the busy town.
I walk the dim dingy halls of the dungeon, biting my red lips tightly. I wanted to see him one last time before the execution. The torches down the hall grew brighter and I could hear the sounds of grunting and male cursing eminent. My chest twisted with fear as I kept drawing closer.
I smell the air and it's old and dirty. This place gives me shivers…yet I'm here for one reason.
As I find myself to his cell, I'm surprised to find others of higher military rank standing by taking in the ambience. Chained from the ceilings, with his head bent low, was Sephiroth.
"Are you going tell me, Black Crescents doesn't have the final weapon product?" shouts a general to Sephiroth.
He refuses to speak.
"Come now Sephiroth… you don't have to endure this agonizing pain if you'd tell us what we want to know" the man explains.
Sephiroth lightly chuckles, "you call this agonizing?" he continues to laugh in derision.
"Aghhh!" The general shouts out, signaling for the beater to whip Sephiroth across the back.
Immediately I jump back completely mortified by what just happened. I held myself, shivers running up my spine.
"What are you people doing?" I suddenly spoke aloud.
The soldiers and Generals looked at me, surprised I was present in the crowd. Empty expressions intently focused on me and I couldn't help feeling angry at their actions.
Cloud, who is to the front of the gathering slowly advances towards me sparing me a sympathetic stare.
"Tifa, what are you doing here?" he holds my hand gently.
"What is the meaning of this, Cloud?" I searched his eyes for answers, angry that he too was a part of this.
Sephiroth spits the blood from his mouth, "what do you expect Lockhart?" he speaks in a coarse voice.
"Don't speak to her" Cloud angrily shouts at the fallen General…
I pushed myself pass the observing Generals to Sephiroth's side, "what are talking about?" I asked curiously…
He laughs in a mocking voice, "you people are no better than Black Crescents." He averts his head to look at my eyes, "it's only you who lives believing otherwise…" he scoffs, "but the truth is.. behind these walls are things you won't begin to believe." He laughs
"Shut up! Shut up you bastard" Cloud shouts at Sephiroth angrily.
The beater whips Sephiroth viciously across the back.
Sephiroth grunts out, glaring at me with anger in his eyes.
I trembled…
For the first time I believed him. In this room with all these men, I once in my reverent knowing supposed them men of righteousness but studying the atmosphere I noted they were inspecting the brutal beatings of a famed assassin. I couldn't comprehend why and when did we begin to act like them? I studied the faces around me; remorse foreign to us. All about are men who I thought and assumed right and noble, but this here: the witnessing of Sephiroth beaten is beyond me and what I think of them right now.
A tendril of blood leaks down the side of Sephiroth's mouth.
The more I stare at him is the more my heart is breaking. I leaned forward to wipe the blood from his mouth but Sephiroth averts my simple affection.
"We aren't all the same" I softly said to him.
Sephiroth stares at me smirking. "Perhaps you are more stupid than I expected"
"How dare you!" Cloud shouts, "Whip him" Cloud orders…
The beater whips Sephiroth frantically across his back, impaling him with long bloodied scars. All the while I stand there completely shocked and hurt by the events. Sephiroth stares at me, gritting his teeth, taking each lash with a certain reservation and calm.
"Stop it" I pleaded…
The look in his eyes grows fiercer.
But the lashes kept coming and Sephiroth kept bleeding. The puddle collected at his feet grows darker and larger. The blood from the whips flicks on my face and I stand back in horror. Reality I thought, was cruel.
"Stop it…" I screamed.
But his beatings are tuneless…
They beat him mercilessly…senselessly.
"Stop it, Cloud" I cried pleading with him.
He doesn't oblige as his eyes are focused on the silver-headed man. He seems unnaturally calm and collected about staring at a bleeding, defenseless man and it troubles me that they've all grown twisted and bent.
I grab his shirt, fisting my hand tightly in his collar, "please Cloud, please…stop it" I cried, begging him to cease the beatings.
He stares at me intently and orders the beater down. Cloud gently cradles me as I sob pathetically in his arms.
Now more …please
To be continued…