On Glass Wings

--xxSerenity

The last few chapters may come more slowly, just because of school. But in any case, thank you for your support as always and I hope the last few chapters are seen as a good end. BUT STILL not there yet, so don't worry. ;

-34-

the will of heart, a fitting end

The scene had ended differently than the audience could recall. There was a giant door in the last few productions, and a rather touching goodbye between the two younger males. Why was this scene so vastly different? And why did it lack those two popular scenes?

But regardless of the drastic change, it drew the same response. The scene was well played out enough after all, and Sephiroth and Sora were both incredible actors as well as performers. The way they performed made the whole thing seem so real.

As the standing ovation continued, Sora had to grin to himself considering he had grown to love that applause and who wouldn't? To know that those people were all cheering for you, to acknowledge all that you did out there. It was truly an incredible feeling, one Sora knew he'd get used to hearing in the near future.

But for the moment, all he could really focus on was any way necessary to keep his head, as well as the rest of his body, from throbbing so badly. The ending scene had required both Sora and Sephiroth to ad-lib, and in doing so it took quick thinking and even more quickly executed and unplanned moves that wore on both their bodies, especially Sora's poorly trained one.

Swallowing hard, Sora could feel the muscles beneath silky skin tense and relax as he clenched and unclenched his fist, gritting his teeth against the sting of the wound on his palm and when he moved to take a step, he felt the muscles of his leg cramp up, sending him stumbling into Riku's waiting arms.

But once caught, Sora quickly pushed off him, shaking the pins-and-needles feeling off in an eager gesture to show how not hurt he was, though Riku, like the rest of them, had all seen what occurred on the tightrope, and the standby doctors that were always there for each show were instantly called over despite Sora's protests.

"Can you go on?" Riku tensely asked, Sora noticing his own fists tightening until his knuckles whitened. To Sora, Riku seemed overly anxious, more so than he should've been, considering he rarely got nervous before or during a production.

"Of course." Came Sora's confident reply as the doctors cleaned, medicated and bandaged his flesh wound. One of them warned him that putting pressure on it was going to hurt like hell, and he had put on a special cream that would numb the area around it. "It's fine. I can handle it." Sora had growled in response to that warning.

Though he was thankful for the short intermission and as the doctors departed, Sora glanced around backstage to the other performers as they relaxed, enjoying refreshing water and musing over what they were going to do on their break.

"Where's Namine?" He asked with utmost interest, such that Riku looked around quick himself as if he'd only realized she was missing.

"She ran to her dressing room as soon as the half ended. I tried to go after her, but she said she'd be right back. "

Nodding, Sora quickly stood from his seat, and started in the direction of her room, though Riku stopped him out of confusion.

"I have to go see her." Came Sora's response to Riku questioning glance. But he let him go soon after, and made sure that he reported back so that Riku could know she was all right considering he had his own bad feelings on the matter.

-oOo-

Sephiroth avoided the piercing stares he got from cast members as he left the stage, until he finally disappeared out of the place and into the coldness of the nighttime air. He breathed it in deep, and released it in a long, drawn out sigh, just as the sound of a deep, hacking cough roused him from his thoughts.

Emerald eyes narrowed into the shadows, making out the silhouette that barely formed against the slight glow of the moon, but Sephiroth smirked regardless.

"Is everything ready?" he asked, and though silent for a moment after, then breathing in to settle his cough, the shadow nodded solemnly. "Good. An even trade then, I presume. I get to keep Sora."

Another solemn nod was offered, before the man spoke between his loud, rasping coughs.

"You can keep Sora, so long as I get his heart instead."

-oOo-

Her world was white, and she tightly clamped her eyes in order to block her view of the flashes she saw when the sparks elicited by the sharp stabs of pain in her shoulder that she grasped with one hand, flared and wincing and grimacing, she sat huddled up on the floor of her dressing room with her back against the door.

A few quick knocks brought her out of her pain-induced daze, even so, she harshly barked in response.

"I told you, Riku. I'd be right back."

"It's me.."

Realizing her error, Namine quickly pulled her hand from her shoulder and stood to open the door, anxious to have seen Sora herself after the act had ended.

She greeted him with that small smile, and the glint of concern that he easily picked up on. So he flashed her a grin and the bandaged hand before welcoming himself in to her room.

"Does it hurt?" She asked, and he shook his head.

"Just a little scratch. What about you?" He returned just as concernedly.

"What about me?"

"You're hurt.."

For the first time, he swore he saw her anger as those brows furrowed, and she turned away to hide that angry look.

"If I was, I would say it."

"Would you?" Sora inquired doubtfully while reaching out to rest a hand on her injured shoulder, but she instinctively jerked away to his surprise. "I knowI didn't want to disappoint everyone when I got hurt. So I kept it a secret until I couldn't any more even if I wanted to."

Namine offered a smaller, weaker smile, and managed a little chuckle afterwards while recalling Sora's first real performance, all thanks to her.

She turned to face him, and reached out to take hold of his hand in both of her own, meanwhile biting back the wince that threatened at the throbbing of her shoulder that resonated throughout her entire arm.

"Sora." She started although paused then after drawing a confused look from Sora as he watched her seemingly try to sort through her words. A sigh was finally offered, and her eyes drifted shut in thought for a moment. "It was a brave move on your part to do that. Brave, as well as kind. You put everyone else before yourself. It was more than admirable. But still, you made that choice yourself, and even if it was bad for you, you still made that choice and no one interfered."

"No one knew.."

Namine tensed for a moment, squeezed his hand for her own needed comfort, and cast barely opened eyes off to the side before she continued.

"There's a lot riding on this show, and then me and Riku's festival performance." Another pause, and she felt the pressure building behind her eyes. A sob threatened and Sora could feel the shake of her grasping hands, though he remained quiet even if he was concerned, in order to let her finish. "I am not hurt. Please just– back off and let me make my choice."

It was all she needed to say really for Sora to finally understand, and Namine stepped back, letting her arms droop to her sides as she eyed his own saddened expression.

"I'm not perfect." She then admitted a little seemingly out of place. "But I want to get as close to it as possible.."

Sad eyes were fixed upon her own determined glance, and he finally saw it; The desperation in her eyes showed fierce enough and it was at that moment he finally understood the true magnitude of importance that these final performances held for her.

She was falling, but if she had to fall at all, she wanted to go down perfectly.

"I– I understand." Sora remarked then after, and Namine smiled faintly before leaning in to plant a small, friendly kiss to his cheek.

"Thank you.."

He returned the smile albeit reluctantly, and she gave him a playful shove with the hand of her good arm.

"Now take off that shredded costume. God, I'm going to kill Seph for ripping this. I worked so hard on it." She grumbled aloud while moving over to her dresser where she kept bottles of body paint. She took the brush and the bottle of black, and dipped the bristles into the contents, just as Sora reluctantly shed the shredded top, allowing the leotard to droop off to either side. He left his pants on for the time being and once done, he leaned his back up against Namine's vanity, just as she crouched down in front of him with the brush in hand.

"I'd hope you'd go to makeup to get this done. But nooo, you had to come check on me." She huffed while dabbing those rough bristles against the taut plain of his stomach.

Sora tensed a bit, like he normally did, at the sensation of the brush against his skin while Namine skillfully sketched out a half circle with numerous wavy lines protruding around from the start of his side to the middle of his stomach. A few extra squiggles, dots, and lines were neatly sketched for added affect.

"Then we have to take you to wardrobe for your costume, and to get this costume fixed a-sap." She finished with a similar sun drawn on his face after she stood up, just so she could move the bristles over his eyebrow, and around, circling his right eye.

"Well I have the costume right here."

The extra voice caused Namine to look up to the newly opened door of her dressing room, just as Riku made his way in, the new costume dangling from the hanger that he carried in before shutting the door.

Riku was in his own costume, for the second half, or part of it anyway, since the black cloak of it was draped over his free arm, while he hung Sora's on the back of her door before tossing his own extra ensemble around his shoulders, fitting his arms through the baggy sleeves and then reaching up to secure it in front of his neck.

Beneath the black cloak, Riku's costume was immensely similar to Sora's, and his own, as well, in the first half. The similar yellow vest ended inches above his own taut stomach, where there had been drawn a similar shape with the body paint on his paler skin. Though this shape was more of a crescent that rested on the side of his stomach, the curved portion of it inches away from his belly. The same shape was sketched onto his face as well.

And to complete it all, through a slit on the back of his cloak, a single, black feathered wing protruded from his left shoulder, while Sora's, on the new costume, was fixed to the right.

As he dressed, Namine was just about finished with Sora's makeup, and she replaced the jar's cap and put it back on her vanity, leaving Sora to turn around to admire it.

"You know, I think that's the stupidest part of your costume idea, Nami." Riku pouted mockingly as he moved along side Sora, just to eye his own makeup as well.

She let out a little hmph to that, and reached to the desk in order to take up Sora's chain before prodding him in the side to get him to turn.

"Come on, one more part." She offered while ignoring Riku, and Sora obliged, even if he pouted himself when he recalled that final part.

"I can't believe I agreed to that.." He muttered while Namine wove the chain around his hips and fixed it into place in his piercing.

Riku stifled a chuckle as he slid his arm around Sora's shoulders, watching as Namine locked the clasp in place.

"Oh please. We both know how much you love it. You said so in your sleep that time." He remarked, and Sora instantly blushed and batted his arm off from around his shoulders.

"I did not!"

Namine giggled herself as she unhooked his costume from the hanger and then carried both pieces over to Sora, just to drape the jacket with over his back so he'd fit his own arms through the sleeves, and she helped to fix the silver shoulder guards into place.

"Ignore him. He's only teasing." She offered while holding out the pants that were similar to his older ones save for the fact that these were black, and had loose red belts that started at his hips and wrapped around each leg.

Grumbling, he took them from her just to quickly put them on after he shed the previous costume, and the remains of the heartless leotard while Riku continued on with a wide set grin.

"No, really! He left it on while he was sleeping the other night and he said he thought it was sexy."

"Shut up, Riku!"

"That's okay though. Namine thinks it's sexy too. Otherwise she wouldn't have included it as part of your final costume design." He sounded a teeny bit annoyed with that last statement, though Namine grinned anyway, and offered a shrug as she turned to lean against her vanity besides Sora.

"I do. So what? It's part of my creative genius. Plus I'm sure it's annoying the crap out of Sephiroth, since I stole it. But he's not going to belittle himself by saying anything about it."

".." Riku didn't answer that bit about Sephiroth, and instead merely focused still on the fact that she liked Sora's piercing at all.

"You're not supposed to think it's sexy! This is my boyfriend here!"

Chuckling, Namine moved to gather the shredded bits of Sora's costume before reaching to gently hook her injured arm around Sora's, just to pull him in the direction of her door.

"Well if you'll excuse me, Riky, Me and my boy toy here who lets me dress him up in embarrassing costumes must go see about fixing the old piece of crap that Sephiroth destroyed, so we'll see you out on stage.

Riku pouted a few moments more; his arms over his chest while Sora merely let himself be dragged out, his expression sort of blank.

"Fine! Maybe I'll go mess around with Roxy and see how you like it!" He called after her, jokingly of course, but with that same edge that depicted a tiny hint of jealousy.

Of course, hearing that Riku might go mess around with Roxas instantly snapped Sora out of his own bewildered daze, and before Namine could direct him entirely away, he glanced over his shoulder, offering a defensive "Hey!" in response to that subtle zinger, but Riku then hung back and grinned just the same before casting him a last parting wave.

-oOo-

Sora was thankful for that intermission along with the playful, teasing banter of his friends. It gave him time to settle his nerves before the second part of the show.

Though that second half of the production played out as smoothly as the first half, sans the climax that is, and it had opened with Roxas' and Sora's combined routine, which involved those ever difficult aerial silks.

Though Roxas taught Sora well, and the scene played out perfectly, even though Sora appeared rather pensive as he posed at points, dangling from the end of the cloth while Roxas swung his own cloth around Sora's, and the two twisted so that they formed a V at the intersecting point from where they hung from the ceiling, and when the scene ended, the two were poised with one hand interlocked with the others, their other hand clutching securely around each of their own silks in order to hold themselves up..

"I can't finish this show feeling like this.." Sora thought to himself with a sad sigh despite the audience's applause and he glanced off to the side just in time to catch Namine's somewhat threatening glare that made him know he had to perk up for her sake more than his own.

"He looks so miserable out there.." Riku commented by Namine's side, and for a split second Namine felt instant regret flare since she knew full well that his misery was because of her, because he was worried.

"He's fine. I'm sure he's just tired." She remarked sourly and turned away much to Riku's surprise. She seemed too eager to be alone at that point, and it had him confused as she stalked away.

"That, or perhaps he misses performing with me too much."

Riku rolled his eyes when he heard that annoying interjection, but he did his best to pass it off, knowing Sephiroth would be on his way soon enough, and also that things weren't going to carry on like they had in the past, once this final show was over..

"Go to Hell, Seph." Riku grumbled, while moving away from the view of the backstage and past the elder who sneered and snickered at the gesture.

"My, my. So snappy today, brother. Would something happen to be wrong?"

"Don't patronize me. I'm really not in the mood." Riku had stopped in his journey away from him, though his fists balled tight in warning before he cast those cold, fierce eyes over his shoulder.

Sephiroth was still unflinching in his response, while muscled arms crossed firmly over his chest.

"You're adorable when you're angry, you know that?" He mockingly replied, while daring to edge those few steps closer just to pat his younger brother on the head. Though his hand was harshly batted away, and Sephiroth obliged, letting that offending limb rest at his side. "Heh. You look exactly like I did at your age."

"Don't remind me. It's enough to make me sick."

"Hey, will you two cut it out? Fight like rabid animals all you want but do it after the show please?" Leon finally cut in, stating simply enough with his own arms over his chest as he nonchalantly moved between the two.

Riku took that opportunity to turn away, muttering a weak "gladly" as he glanced back to the opening of the stage, watching as the rest of the scenes played out.

Though to his utter aggravation, Sephiroth had taken up a spot behind him, and was uninterestedly watching himself. He wasn't verbally pestering Riku any more, but his mere presence that close had Riku seething.

-oOo-

Moment by moment the ending was drawing near, and each of those passing moments had Riku excited to the point of giddiness, even if he masked it well.

He could feel himself trembling lightly, and he even held up his hand at one point to watch the tremors of the outstretched limb before curling his fingers inwards and pressing his nails tightly against his palm.

Turning his gaze outward on the stage, Namine was currently there with Sora and also with Sephiroth, but he didn't appear to be trying anything funny that time.

Of course, it did have to be awkward, thought Riku, especially since Sephiroth was supposed to be playing a good character.

He knew Namine could handle it, but he was worried about Sora, who still appeared so forlorn and distant out there, that it was a wonder to Riku that the audience was positively responding at all.

It had to have been because of that unseen magic the younger teen unknowingly brought. The thought had Riku grinning to himself as he fixed his blindfold into place, tying it tightly around his head beneath that mess of long, silver strands as he perched himself atop that platform, poised and ready for the climactic ending to come.

"As Kairi joined their hands, she instructed Sora to close his eyes, and only when he did as told did he finally see that which he had lost so long ago, and that which he had fought so long and hard to find.."

The set was drastically different than the first half, with its glowingly white walls and floors decorated with odd black shapes and symbols.

There were swings in wait still, but the trampolines had been changed and moved, such that there were three particularly small ones. Two of which were angled on either side of the stage and facing each other and the third was planted in the center toward the very back of the stage, such that there was a vast open portion that was without equipment, and also without the luxury of a safety net.

Namine was doing her best to withhold her expressions of pain as she dangled by the top of her foot hooked over the swing facing outward, and her back arched while her arms extended, and on her face she mustered up the most believable smile she could.

Meanwhile, as Sora and Sephiroth both fell on each respective side, they'd hit the slightly angled trampoline, which then aided in their angled jumps, leading them both to cross each other in the center, just to hit the other's trampoline and once more meet together in the middle.

But this time, Sephiroth had reached out to take a hold of Sora's offered wrist, and although his body was tense, and his expression was less than desirable, for a performer anyway, he endured it, and the scene unfolded as planned, despite the horror wrought on the teen from Sephiroth's mere touch..

Once joined together, they turned a single time, just so Sephiroth could unlock his fingers from the youth's, their palms coming to press together just so he could propel Sora up and out while he himself was forced back to the one angled trampoline.

But as Sora sailed upwards, flipping backwards and then twisting so that arms, once outstretched to the side were then aimed over his head to grasp the waiting swing, Sephiroth bounced from the angled trampoline and flipped towards the one in the back.

And once he hit, he crouched low, gaining that necessary energy that would aid him to the top platform and out of sight.

Meanwhile, as Sora caught the trapeze, the weight instantly rocked it forward and up, high enough so that his small body was horizontally outstretched and a few inches above the platform.

He was helped to that place by one of the technicians standing by for effects, and he stood easily then after, turning his hands on the trapeze that he clutched so that he was facing the stage and ready to swing back down on cue, all the while watching as Riku made an entrance, merely to perform a bit in preparation for that anticipated maneuver of Riku and Sora's.

Of course, Sephiroth was also catching his breath on the platform, though he had a bit of a longer break, since he didn't have to make another appearance until one of the very last scenes, so instead he moved over to Sora, watching with a grin as the youth mentally prepped himself for that big act.

"It's a big responsibility, you know." Sephiroth started, even if Sora had tried to ignore his presence. "You would've been better off just letting him do it himself. What if you miss? Riku will fall to his death. It's a long way down you know."

"Shut up! We've practiced it a million times. I'm not going to drop him."

"Are you sure? Are you sure you even want to catch him? What about all those horrible things he said to you in the past?"

"I forgot them."

"What about the reason you're here at all? He took you away from everything you've ever known and loved. What about Kairi?"

"I forgave him."

Sephiroth frowned for the moment, tilting his chin down a bit with eyes narrowed in his direction. A glance to the side showed Namine performing, just barely holding on as she jumped and spun and flipped, performing by grabbing the swings with the hand of her bad shoulder and with fought-back winces of extreme pain.

"Namine is hurt.." He commented, and Sora growled lowly and threateningly, his knuckles whitening as he clutched the swing. "It's about time. I wanted that wench gone long ago anyway."

The swing dropped as Sora lunged, but as if just realizing the error, his eyes widened, and he leaped back into place, catching the trapeze with one hand just before it made that fatal fall that would've messed up everything. Sephiroth chuckled at the display.

"Eager, hm? Don't worry, m'dear. You'll get all the chance to fight you need before you just lie back and accept it. When this show is over, everyone you've come to know here will be gone, and it'll just be you and I and whoever else I decide to hire."

Sora's eyes clamped shut while he tried desperately to dismiss the invasive thoughts that had him shaking, but no soon after did the echoing of trampoline springs sound out, and he realized he was a few seconds late on his entrance.

"Shit!" He cursed out loud and jumped much to the amusement of Sephiroth, who looked over the side to watch with utmost interest.

The swing descended, and Sora quickly went about leaning forwards this time in order to easily hook his knees over the bar before his hands released and his upper half dropped, but having entered so late, Riku's hand missed Sora's wrist by mere seconds, and Sora stared horridly for that split millisecond as the elder started his fatal fall.

But after thinking quickly, Sora let his knees unhook from the bar, sliding his calves against the swing until he skillfully jumped but barely, just enough to twist himself so that the tops of his feet caught the top of the bar, and he was fully facing Riku this time. This position allowed him to drop a few more inches lower, just so he could quickly lash out in order to catch Riku's hand at the very last second, though the new position had him catching Riku with the wrong, injured hand and the pressure on his own wound then made him grit his teeth in agony as the swing rocked back into place, not to mention the heavier weight pulling on his smaller form.

Despite the awkwardness with which they held on to each other, both tried to maintain that pose, just as the audience, which had hushed after a gasp at the near fatal fall of Riku, stood to applaud. Once again, that edge-of-your-seat entertainment sparked a standing ovation that had Sephiroth growling lightly, and Leon sighing in relief as the lights faded off, and the swing was raised electronically to that high up platform, where Namine was eagerly awaiting them.

Once having climbed off the swing and to the platform, Sora sank to his knees with a deep exhalation, his eyes wide, and his nerves clearly shot, visible by the tremor in his small, lithe form.

Riku merely snickered as he ripped off the blindfold, just before dropping down besides him, and taking the slightly shaky Sora into warm, comforting arms, which had him sitting back as Sora collapsed against him.

"You did good. Thought you missed me there for a second." Riku teased with a chuckle, but Sora shot him a look, and decided against speaking of Sephiroth's little pep talk.

"Well I caught you, didn't I?" His slightly aggravated tone had Riku still grinning, even though his voice seemed to soften a bit, as well as lose its joking edge as he reached up with a steady hand of his own just to smooth back unkempt brown bangs considering he knew Sora was feeling utterly horrible for nearly messing up the routine, and was covering it up with his bit of nastiness in order to defend the true feelings beneath. Riku understood this, so naturally he forgave him.

"Oh don't be so mean sounding, I'm only teasing."

"Come on, you two. One more scene left.." Namine urged as she stood, a hand to Riku's shoulder urging them up and off to the side in order for Riku to get fitted into his new costume. But as she did, Riku glanced over his shoulder at her, and caught the slightly winded look that she immediately tried to brush off. He narrowed his eyes, but decided not to comment on it.

Then as the trio did start off to the side, Riku peered over his other shoulder, just in time to catch sight of Sephiroth's malevolent grin and bright green eyes that shown with certain darkness. The presence had Riku uneasily tense, but the excitement from earlier had instantly replaced those feelings since Riku knew that Sephiroth's dark light was about to be snuffed out once and for all.

-oOo-

"The battle with Xemnas was long and hard, and left both weary and weakened, until at one point, Riku had to watch helplessly as Sora was trapped within the Superior's dark power the energy sucking away what little strength Sora possessed and leaving only an injured Riku to save him."

When Cloud finished narrating, Riku was in the process of catching his own swing while Sephiroth landed atop the bar from which Sora dangled from the cloth wrapped securely around the trapeze, and then it separated.

The fabric draped down in two long pieces that ended in two loops securely around Sora's wrist, and as he dangled, he'd manipulate the cloth around his small form, pulling himself up and flipping so he dangled upside down, executing other tricks of that nature while Sephiroth waited for his final cue.

Riku grabbed hold of the wires in order to pull himself up, bending his body back so that his feet could touch onto the bar as it rocked up until his back was parallel to the floor, but with one hand still on the wire, he then lunged forward, grabbing hold of the edge of the platform out of sight and merely holding onto it for an extra five seconds.

It was only five seconds, but it was five seconds that would change the course of everything, and he counted it out loud with an ever-growing grin.

"3, 4, 5!" On said five, he released his grip and turned on the balls of his feet as he sailed back down so he was facing Sephiroth who had already jumped from his own swing, his attention aimed at Riku as planned.

The teen plopped into a seated position, and then fell backwards, hooking his knees and arching his back with his arms outstretched in offering, even if he knew that Sephiroth wasn't going to catch.

It was here that Sephiroth then noticed Riku's error, or so he thought it to be an error. His own eye widened in slight shock when he realized the timing was way too off to finish this. But unfortunately for him, he realized it way too late after having been confident enough in Riku to not make such a foolish error.

Riku's swing was just reaching its peak, where Sephiroth was supposed to catch his wrists. But he missed by those few drastic seconds, and Riku kept his hands outstretched, although slackened them a little so that even if he did catch, which he couldn't, he'd have to struggle to hang on.

But he didn't catch him at all, and as he fell, Sephiroth's horror stricken face was all Riku needed to see to make him grin particularly manically when his swing started to fall back down on top of him, and the arm outstretched by the elder in a call for help went unanswered.

But after Sora noticed Sephiroth fall, he was eager to assist him regardless of all that had happened and all that he had done to him. He had to convince himself at first though. There was slight hesitation followed by an instant pain in his chest. No one deserved to die. No one, so he thought.

Swinging up by those bits of cloth, he flipped himself that long distance around until he was on the bar, and after the initial back-swing, in which he quickly untied the silks from the trapeze, he pushed himself off, taking the fabric with him that was still secured around his wrists.

He wouldn't be anywhere near to making it, but he knew he'd hate himself forever if he didn't try, and Riku cursed under his breath, after not expecting Sora's noble act, though he chided himself for not having anticipated it.

Pushing himself off his own swing, he launched with all the speed of a rocket, and as he met Sora in the middle, he caught the boy's hand in his own, and Riku turned so he was angled with his feet toward the slightly tilted trampoline, tugging Sora along with him despite his loudly voiced protests.

The two came in contact with the bed, just as a resounding, sickening crack was heard, and a glance over their shoulders was cast just in time to catch sight of Sephiroth smash his head against one of the towering pillars a little over the trampoline after having flipped to land on his back.

His head snapped inward from the force at which he fell, and his limp body then continued to the trampoline, though he merely slid down the slightly angled bed while Riku and Sora both sprang from it, Riku's arm snaking around Sora's waist when the boy tried to break away from the elder teen's grasp.

No one breathed those few moments, the audience was silent, and everyone backstage was in complete shock.

Though Namine felt her world start to spin, as she grew increasingly dizzy from the increasing sparks of pain resonating in her injured shoulder. She still fought to keep her focus as she watched the horrific scene unfold.

The strength with which Riku pressed into the bed and sent them both back up had the two teens reaching the higher, centered swing, and as Riku caught it with one hand, he quickly ushered Sora up to do the same, and he did, grasping the bar with both his hands while Riku moved his other arm over Sora's, his hand grasping the bar between Sora's outstretched palms.

In this position, although once again, not planned, their costumes clashed, and the single wing they each had fastened to opposite shoulders, gave the appearance of a single entity, given the closeness with which their bodies touched as they each dangled.

Sora swallowed hard as he stared out across the unmoving audience, and then down to the unmoving form of Sephiroth just as the lights quickly blackened on the bottom of the stage in order to hide the body as the doctors quickly rushed out.

The two heard the murmurings from below, and although it made Sora's stomach turn, Riku seemed perfectly calm, even if his face was expressionless.

"Head trauma."

"Died instantly."

"You killed him.." Sora finally murmured against the sudden upraisal of applause from the audience. It was louder than before. And ongoing since it appeared the show was over, and even given that, once again, drastic scene change, the audience was equally as responsive, if not more so.

Many probably believed that since it was the last production of Glass Wings before Hell's Eternity finally took over, they wanted to go out with a bang. Nobody really cared, so long as they were kept on the edge of their seats throughout the whole thing, which they were.

It was definately going to be a story to read in the paper the next day, that was for sure.

At Sora's words, Riku visibly tensed, and as the lights finally dimmed on the rest of them, he sighed and turned his head to face him.

"I had to. I couldn't let him take this place from us, and I couldn't let him take you from me any more."

Sora knew he understood, but in his heart he still felt torn. He knew that Sephiroth was a horrible, waste of human flesh, no doubt, but to die as horribly as he did, and because of Riku…

"I know he's done horrible things to you and your family.." Sora started in response. "But– two wrongs don't make a right!" He then exclaimed, eyes glazed over with new forming tears. The sight of such death—It had everything in him aching and he knew after seeing his mother die so gruesomely, he never wanted to see anyone suffer like that again, no matter how evil.

Riku sighed lightly, sensing the inner turmoil of his friend, and then turning his eyes up to the fading lights in the ceiling.

"I know that, Sora. But what else could I have done? Nobody was willing to do anything except accept everything he was dishing out. He stole our home from us and our business– my mother's life..." Not to mention something of Sora's that he himself would've liked to take at that point, but that seemed way too selfish to state, so Riku bit his tongue on that matter. "He's degraded you, hurt you, and no one here wanted to step up and do anything about it. I couldn't take it any more, Sora. I love you too much to let you suffer any more."

Taken aback by his words, Sora was silent, though his eyes that had at first widened were then shielded half way by heavy lids, and he sighed lightly and looked away, ashamed at the feel of those tears threatening in the back of his eyes, and even though he knew how wrong it was that Sephiroth was dead, he had to shake it off. Riku only did it to protect them all anyway, to protect him.

"I–I love you too." He practically whimpered, and Riku smiled softly before the electrical buzz sounded overhead, and the two found themselves being raised to the platform over the newly darkened stage.

The crowds could still be heard cheering, even if backstage was chaotic, and people were clamoring around to see the dead Sephiroth, whom even in death looked utterly haunting, or so Leon thought as he leaned into the outstretched arm of Cloud for support after his lifeless body had been dragged off the stage. Sephiroth had been his brother after all..

Meanwhile, back on the platform over the stage, Riku scratched idly at the back of his head while Sora shifted uneasily from one foot to the other. Neither knew what to say really after all that, given Sephiroth's untimely death at first followed by Riku's sudden declaration and Sora's return of it. Thankfully, Namine would interrupt the moment anyway, though she looked paler than she normally did, much to Riku's concern.

"G-great..job, out there– you two.." She smiled through her own half-lidded gaze, but she wobbled uneasily as she spoke, and Riku could see the glassiness in her own eyes as he moved a hand to her shoulder.

It seemed like that was all it took to cause her to blacken out, and she involuntarily shifted as she fainted, turning as she fell so that when Riku's arms lashed out to catch her, she landed in those waiting limbs on her back.

"Namine? Namine!" He shook her, much like he had after her initial fall that time in the practice room, but again there was no response from her unmoving body.

-oOo-

Namine was rushed to the hospital that was close by to the entire site of the stage and its surrounding buildings and dormitories. Sephiroth's body was taken there too to be discarded of.

She was instantly admitted, and when the costume was removed, the wound of her shoulder would instantly be noticed.

It was red and slightly swollen and the doctors instantly sent her in to have it X-rayed. Though only Leon was allowed to accompany her. Everyone else had to wait in the in the designated waiting room.

They didn't have time to change, so everyone was still in costume, and while Riku paced anxiously, Sora merely sat, trying desperately to remain as calm as possible, even though he knew it was his fault Namine was so hurt. He should've said something when he knew...

"Calm down, Riku. She'll be alright.." He offered, while tugging his knees up to his chest in his seat for added warmth considering the chill on the air that was currently making him even more uncomfortable than he already was.

But Riku ignored the gesture and continued to pace, fingers trailing through his hair as he paused just barely, outwardly sorting through how this possibly could've happened.

"That fall…She was hurt already and she didn't tell anyone. She trained and performed on her injury and got hurt even worse. Damn it! Why didn't I see it?"

Sora curled up tighter and sighed, instantly overcome with that dread and regret since he knew it was his entire fault. He should've told someone, and he was the reason Riku didn't see Namine's injury. Riku had been too busy worrying about him with Sephiroth to notice it.

Glancing up and watching just as Riku passed by for about the millionth time, Sora was about to speak, when Cloud had beat him too it.

"Here, Riku." He started, holding out a few single dollars. "Go take a walk and get yourself a drink or something to calm you down."

Riku had moved to take up Cloud's offer with a nod and thanks when Sora pushed himself off the chair eagerly.

"I'll go with you!" Sora exclaimed eagerly, just to be settled back in place by a rather harsh glare.

"No." Was all he simply said, and a glance over to Cloud on Sora's part had the elder reaffirming Riku's refusal.

"Fine.."Sora visibly pouted, but sank back into his chair anyway, even if he did shift around then just to sit up a bit on his knees in order to watch out the glass wall as Riku left the small waiting room, and started that long venture to the vending machines that sat off in a particularly secluded and creepy end of the open hallways by an emergency exit.

By the time Riku reached the vending machines, he noticed the form of someone else moving in behind him. Sora noticed him too, but he hadn't seen his face, so the youth didn't think much of it.

Upon hearing the rustle of another presence behind him, Riku didn't seem to mind much either, assuming it was nothing more than another patron of the hospital.

But as Riku went to feed one of the dollars Cloud had given him into the water bottle machine, he hadn't been expecting that extra person to wrap his arms tightly around his stomach and chest, quickly trapping Riku's arms against his sides and moving his other hand that had been clutching a rag laced with a few drops of chloroform over his nose and mouth. It wasn't a lot at all, since a lot would've instantly killed him, but it was enough to render him unconscious.

Riku had struggled for the moment, yanking and pulling before the drug went instantly to his head, and the strong drug invaded his senses, shutting them down temporarily so that his entire world blurred before it finally went black, and his form fell limp in the stranger's arms.

So yeah, sephiroth's gone. Death wasn't anything flashy. Hope that isn't minded much. Wanted to go for like a retribution thing, so yeah. if you couldn't tell, i'm a little bleh about this chapter, but still content anyway ; anyway, hoping you all stop by and send me some love after reading :) Until the next chapter! -heartheartheart-