Sether: Hidden, Unseen; Ryuto

Ryuto

Act 1

Katai was in a place with no place in it: No roof, no floor. She looked around her before spotting Sephiroth a short distance in front of her. She screamed at the sight of him.

"Aaa…" Was his reaction. He placed a hand gingerly beside his ear, "I wonder how loud you would have screamed if I showed up naked…" He then grew serious, "What Sether told you is not right."

Katai stopped screaming by now. She remembered that Sether said Sephiroth was 'harmless'.

'Sephiroth' and 'Harmless' in one sentence…

However, right now Katai wasn't even so sure about Sether himself.

"What are you talking about? He killed him? Did he kill Ryuto??" Her voice was panicked.

Sephiroth looked down and said,

"Yes."

Katai waved her hands in anger,

"So what's wrong about the story?!? I… I trusted him…!" Sobs started again, "I trusted him…! I protected him and trusted him! How could he… He said he could have killed me…? Now I know why he said it! He's heartless!"

The slap resonated louder than thunder. Sephiroth's expression was lethal; Katai's expression was shock. The silence after it was as absolute as the darkness around them.

"Don't talk like that about my little brother." His voice dripped icy danger.

Katai covered her cheek with her hand, looking at Sephiroth with slight fear and surprise.

"At first you disliked him," He said in the same tone, "But you learned to get along with him. When you learned he was my brother you feared him. Yet you learned that he was nothing like me and you trusted him." He glared at her with his green eyes, "By now you should have learned something about him that will make you realize he's not the worthless monster he thinks he is."

She lowered her hand and stared at Sephiroth,

"…He thinks…?"

Sephiroth shook his head in dismay,

"You have to learn to control your emotions, as he should to learn to show his. You said it yourself…" With a wave of his hand an apparition appeared of Katai in front of the mob, shouting,

'…and he's the kindest soul I've ever met!'

Katai looked down, not knowing what to say. With another movement of Sephiroth's hand, the image disappeared. He looked aside with a deep frown,

"Yes, he did kill your boyfriend, Ryuto, but it was an accident."

Katai looked at her mental feet,

"…He said it really wasn't…"

"Of course he'll say that!!" Sephiroth snapped at Katai, alarming her, "Of course he'll blame himself!! He's a holydamn Valentine! That's what we do when we make a mistake! We blame ourselves- torture ourselves!!" Katai drew back a step at his outburst, and he continued, drilling into her blue eyes with his glowing ones, "We lock ourselves in coffins, we try to take over the world and we live everyday of our lives since our mistake in hellish anguish, telling ourselves what monsters we are, that's how we handle things! It's bloody genetic!!! That's the Valentine way and Sether's no exception!!!"

He looked aside again, trying to calm his protective anger.

He waved his hand again, still not looking at Katai,

"I guess the beginning would be a good place to start…"

Act 2

Sound came before sight, and Katai could at first only hear laughing. Children laughing. When the sight came, it was all blinding light. After some blinking Katai saw that she was in the snow. There was a small frozen lake a few steps away and many children skating on it.

A familiar laugh caused Katai's heart to twitch and she swirled around. There he was, laughing and alive…

…Ryuto.

He couldn't really be called handsome. He was pleasant to look at, yes, but not more. His face was very Wutain, rimmed by his short black hair. His eyes were closed with laughter right now, but their color was dark, deep brown.

That's what Katai loved the most about him… Those beautiful brown eyes he had.

Her own eyes then reverted slowly, almost fearfully, to the figure beside her former boyfriend.

The other guy was taller, he had broader shoulder and generally a stronger built. He was very lean.

He wore a wolly cap that held all of his hair hidden in it except two bouncy bangs. One of those bangs was black while the other was silver.

That was the only thing that made Katai recognize Sether. At the moment he was chuckling, his shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter.

They were both around her age… Just before their twenties.

"This is not really how it all started, but I don't intend to show Sether's whole life to you. This happened three years ago. He's mad at me as it is that I'm showing you this." Sephiroth stepped beside Katai, gesturing at the snowy park around them. Perhaps needless to say that they didn't feel the freezing breeze, and did not leave any footprints in the snow around them. It was an apparition.

Katai hesitated before asking,

"He doesn't want me to see his past?"

Sephiroth smiled,

"He's afraid."

"A… Afraid of what?"

"Up until now you saw mostly what Sether wanted you to see of himself. He's afraid that you might not like what's beneath his mask. He's afraid of rejection." He smiled wider, "Aren't we all? He wants you to see this, but he's afraid that you'll judge him…"

Katai suddenly frowned,

"How do I know that you show me the truth?"

Sephiroth shrugged,

"It's true that I was known to be quite manipulative when I was alive. But… See for yourself," He pointed at the laughing boys, "See for yourself that it's all true."

The young boys stopped laughing, opening their eyes. Katai gasped softly.

Sether looked like an entirely different person. He looked so totally happy. Totally at peace and held himself with confidence.

"Sa! Choduyo, Seth-kun!" Ryuto shouted, starting to run towards the lake with twinkling eyes.

Katai, as mentioned before, knew only two words of Wutain, but she somehow understood every word. The Wutain sounding as clear as if she was born in Wutai.

"C'mon! Let's start, Seth-kun!" Ryuto ran beside Katai, and she, without thinking, reached out to his passing form.

She gasped aloud when he just went through her arm.

Seth-kun joined his friend and they both sat on the brim of the lake, wearing their skating shoes.

Seth-kun finished wearing his first and got up, sliding in front of Ryuto,

"C'mon, C'mon! I haven't skated all year! By the time you're finished wearing them the ice will melt!" He grinned and offered Ryu his hand to get up.

Ryu stuck his tongue out,

"If you tie your shoe too loose you can get hurt!" He took Seth-kun's hand and got up.

Yup, that was Ryuto, always worrying about the tiniest things. Always trying to do things slowly but carefully, even trivial things like washing the dishes or wearing a shirt.

"Race ya to the middle!" Seth-kun shouted, already half way towards accelerating.

"Hey!" Ryuto laughed and started after his red-eyed friend.

Katai was speechless. Sether… Using slang? Having careless fun? His eyes were so totally happier. They even seemed bigger, more innocent.

Katai started running after them, continuing to run on the ice as if it were normal ground.

Once he gained enough speed, Seth-kun turned around, though he still sped towards the middle of the lake. He stuck his tongue at Ryuto, pulling down the bottom of his eye in mockery,

"Is that the fastest you can go, Ryu-chan? Eh? Eh?"

Ryu-chan laughed and increased his speed,

"You, Seth-kun, are cruisin' for a bruisin'!" He then playfully attacked Seth-kun, causing him to shout out in surprise and fall. He was chucking as he grabbed Ryuto's hands and made him fall too. The two continued sliding on their backs until they lost momentum.

Seth-kun stopped beside a pair of legs.

"Oh! Hello there, Sakura-chan!" Sether smiled at her from the ice. She yelped, for she did not notice him there.

He got up and helped Ryuto up as well.

"Big brother!" Sakura skated gracefully to Ryuto, "Those guys were teasing me!" She pointed at a bunch of older guys, who at the same time were looking at their direction and laughing among themselves as thugs do.

Sether frowned at them while making sure that Ryuto was stable on his blades. Ryuto patted his little sister on the head.

Sakura was significantly shorter than her brother, but did not seem younger by much. Katai remembered her from the times she visited Ryuto at Wutai. She also remembered her from the funeral. She was such a nice girl.

"Don't mind them, little sister, just skate someplace far from them- don't even bother messing with them- they're just a bunch of morons from our school."

Sakura nodded her head, her red locks bouncing around her round face. She then turned around and started skating away, humming to herself.

Seth-kun and Ryu-chan watched her go with brotherly love. They then proceeded to try and shove each other from their feet, laughing (or chuckling) with happiness and skating with carefree joy.

Katai watched them with astonishment. That was Sether?

"That's not the Sether you know." Sephiroth spoke her thoughts, appearing by her side again, watching the pair with sad eyes, "That's Seth-kun. He'll die in about two months, and the Sether that you know will be born."

"Why are you showing this to me?" Katai's voice was weak. All that Sephiroth did was point. She followed his extended finger and saw Sakura. The young girl was skating happily on the other side of the small pond when the ice broke beneath her feet and she screamed as ice water swallowed her.

Seth-kun and Ryu-chan were there in seconds.

Ryu-chan spread himself on the ice near the hole, trying to reach her. She was hysterical, and splashed around while screaming. Ryuto called her name, but she was too panicked to even hear him.

Understanding that there was no other choice, Sether jumped into the ice water.

Katai yelped as water splashed towards her, but it, too, just went through her.

Ryu-chan cried out to Seth-kun at his impetuous action, but could not think of anyway to help. Sether's woolly hat fell somewhere in his heroic jump, and his hair floated around him.

Katai noticed that it was much shorter than it's current length.

Seth-kun seemed totally oblivious to the fact that it was ice water he was swimming in, and he quickly wrapped one hand around Sakura, trying to get back up to the ice with other.

The ice kept breaking each time he reached to it, so Seth-kun was forced to swim all the way to shore and break the ice in his path. He did his best to keep Sakura safe.

Once they reached the shore, Sakura and Ryuto's parents quickly took her away, fearing that she would have hypothermia.

Seth-kun tried to catch his breath on the shore, snow sticking to his wet limbs and hair. People came by him, offering him a blanket, but he refused with a smile, getting up to his feet and brushing snow from himself with as if nothing happened.

"It'll take an army to keep me down," He assured them with a big smile, "I'm fine! A little water won't melt me!" He chuckled kindly at their worried looks.

"I'm fine!"


Black.

Katai blinked several times just to make sure her eyes were really open. The flashback ended.

She was about to ask Sephiroth something when he said,

"Two days later Seth-kun collapsed at school during a regular warming up run. He coughed a lot and had a very high fever."

"Pneumonia…?" Katai breathed out, still thinking about the young Seth-kun she had seen.

Sephiroth nodded,

"It took him two months of our parents' intensive care to get better." He paused, looking towards the darkness with infinite sorrow,

"It was on the first day of his return that it happened."


Act 3

"Oy! Seth-kun! How do you feel?" Some of his acquaintances shouted to him as he walked up the dirt road that led to the school. He was wearing clothes that were big on him and a dark cap, in which he stuck his hair. He let only his bangs out.

Seth-kun pointed at his nose and said with a smile,

"I'm feeling better, but I still have a stuffy nose!"

They smiled at him,

"Yuffie-sensai said the Masamune was getting full of dust! She kept it in the storage room, in case you'll look for it."

He thanked them and started towards the center field in front of the school where all the kids hung out.

"…Masamune…?" Katai asked softly, looking at Sephiroth by her side. He nodded, freezing the world while he spoke,

"Each generation of Valentines has one person who can summon the Masamune. Sether is now the wielder or the Masamune. I can still do it but… Well, it's a bug."

The world continued to move, and Seth-kun reached the rocky field. He looked around for Ryuto, but could not find him anywhere. The whole school was out there that morning until class began because it was a pleasantly warm morning.

"Oh-ho, look what we've got here! Seph-kun is back!"

Seth-kun froze with annoyance. Without turning around he said in a casual tone,

"It's Seth, and yes, I'm back. Got a problem with that, Mikado?" He turned around and froze. His usually happy face contorting in shock.

Ryuto was among them, and he wasn't resisting.

"Hey, let Ryuto go! Don't pick on him!" He waved his fist in front of Mikado's face. Even though Sether was younger, he was approximately the same height as the older kid, "Pick on someone your own size, pig!"

Their leader, Mikado, burst out with laughter at Seth-kun's reaction,

"Ryu-chan likes it with us. He joined us because he was sick of hanging around with a freak like you," Here Mikado shoved Seth-kun's shoulders and added with venom, "No one wants to hang out with a third rate Sephiroth clone!"

Seth-kun stumbled back. One of his legs shot back to stop his skid, and he remained like that a short moment, breathing through teeth clenched with anger.

"That's a lie!" He raised his head to stare with flaming red eyes at Mikado, "Let Ryuto go! He's not a jerk like you guys!"

"Shut up!" Ryuto suddenly yelled, stepping past Mikado and in front of Seth-kun, "Shut up! Stop protecting me all the time!"

Sether blinked in shock,

"But…"

"Stop it! I don't need you to protect me all the time like I was a girl!" He was shouting as hard as he could, drawing attention from the kids in the grounds.

"I was… Just trying to-"

"You were just trying to help, I know! Holydamnit, Sether- I can't stand you!!!"

Sether took a step back just from surprise, "Ryu-chan…" he uttered, shaking his head. Ryuto continued,

"Stop thinking I'm perfect! I'm not like you!!! I'm not strong like you- I'm just normal! I hate you! I hate freaks like you!!"

Seth-kun was still staring at Ryu-chan as the later turned and joined the Mikado gang. His head was hung low, but his strides were resolute.

Mikado laughed his mean laugh again.

"He's clastrophobic." Ryuto said, his voice now low and with a hint of mischief in it.

Seth-kun's eyes grew wider with terror. Ryuto continued,

"Gather around him and he's helpless."

"…No." Katai and Seth-kun mumbled together. Sether's younger version took another frightened step back. Mikado's group did as Ryuto advised, and blocked all of Seth-kun's escape routes with their bodies. They stood shoulder to shoulder in a tight circle around him. Eight boys around one. One of them snatched Sether's hat off his head, letting his silver locks with the black stripe be seen by all.

Seth-kun looked around with wild eyes, distress griping his heart and showing on his pale face.

"He's Sephiroth's younger brother, you know." Ryuto smiled evilly, scaring Katai greatly, "He's nothing but a third rate Sephiroth clone!"

…Third rate Sephiroth clone…?

Ryuto had been telling them all of Sether's weak points, and now they were having fun pressing them, poking them.

Mikado then shoved the frightened Seth towards one of the other kids, which in turn, shoved him further. It went like that for a few moments, and a crowd formed around the commotion.

"Third rate Sephiroth clone!" They laughed, "Freak!"

…Third rate Sephiroth clone…

…Freak…

Eventually Seth-kun lost balance and fell to his knees. He closed his eyes hard, his breaths were erratic and he was slightly sweating. He could feel them around him. No air, no light.

"What? Malboro caught you tongue?" Mikado placed a cupped hand by his ear with a mocking smile, "I don't hear you saying anything!"

Seth-kun's face contorted with anger, and he leapt to his feet,

"What have you done to Ryuto, you bastards!" Before he could reach Mikado, though, four of Mikado's guys grabbed his arms, two on each arm, preventing him from moving any farther.

Again, the shocked face and the laugh from Mikado,

"Ryu-chan also told us how strong you are. We know two of us can't hold down a freak like you." Mikado then bowed his head slightly towards Ryuto, and the later stepped forward, between Seth-kun and Mikado.

"Go ahead." Mikado urged him, "Pop him one!"

Ryuto bit his lower lip, seeming to debate with himself what he should do.

He met Seth-kun gaping eyes and his own drew hard. He then punched him square in the stomach a blow that knocked the air out of Seth-kun.

It wasn't because the blow was strong that caused him to be breathless, though. For a long moment Seth-kun was just hung there, arms trapped, claustrophobia celebrating. His expression that of disbelief and betrayal.

"Ryu-chan… Why?" He mumbled, shaking his head. Ryuto said nothing and only looked away. His hand reached to his pocket and he produced a black marker.

Mikado smiled, and Ryuto said in a whisper,

"If you're a Sephiroth clone, then where's your number? You should have a number…"

He then grabbed Seth-kun's left palm.

"No!" Seth-kun started struggling and Ryuto uncorked the marker, "Stop! Stop it!"

He grew more hysterical as the marker got closer to his left hand, his struggling more violent. All six members of Mikado's group except Ryu-chan had to grab Seth-kun arm to counter his strength. They held it firm.

"Stop it! Ryuto, please, stop it!!!" Seth-kun was shouting, tugging at his arm as strong as he could, trying to break free.

They let his arm go, and he slammed behind first on the rocky ground.

He raised his left palm and stared at it's back, where a large black zero was etched.

…Zero…

He started shaking, still staring at his hand in terror.

It all happened so fast.

Between one blink and the next Seth-kun's pupils contracted and reopened, now cat-like.

With no sound except a 'whoosh' of inconceivable speed, Sether was up on his feet, right arm extended forward and his face contorted and twisted with inhuman rage.

He then blinked, his pupils returning to normal only to contract sharply in utter horror.

He was holding the Masamune.

He was covered with blood.

The sword's blade went clean through Ryuto's chest.

Sether's lower lip started trembling and he started shaking all over.

Silence.

Katai was covering her mouth with both hands so she would not scream.

"…S…orry…" Ryuto uttered before falling.

Sether dropped the Masamune in favor of catching his friend before he hit the ground.

"Ryu! Ryuto!!!" He hugged the limp buddy close to himself, rocking back and forth.

His lips made out words, over and over and over again he mumbled them as tears streamed down his face,

"It was an accident… It was an accident… It was an accident… It was an accident…"

All the kids that gathered around were simply staring at the scene before them; none could find anything to say.

The world around her turned black again for a second, and when it was light again, Katai saw that she was at the pathway that led to Ryuto's house. Sether was standing at their door, his head hung low.

When he raised his head, Katai was appalled by how dreadful he looked. He had black circles beneath his eyes, his hair was disheveled and unkept. His eyes were dead. Ryuto's parents were standing at the doorway of their home, looking at Sether.

His lips moved, and Katai could not make out what he was saying. His face was a mask of dejected misery.

When his lips stopped moving Ryuto's mother slapped him as hard as she could and started crying,

"You monster!!!" She wailed, "You're insane!! You should be locked away!" Her husband came by her side to take her in, giving Sether a stare full of hate,

"Don't ever show your face here again!"

They slammed the door in his face, and he started crying again. Before the image faded, Katai caught a glimpse of Sether's parents coming to hug him.

The last scene she was seeing was Sether in his room. Although it was night, no lights were turned on. He was sitting on his windowsill with one leg dangling inside the room, the other bent and his elbow leaning on it. He was looking outside at the moon.

Katai started crying.

His eyes were the ones she knew now.

All the life and happiness that he had were gone, and he chose to cover himself in dark clouds. From his speech to his composure, he was a different person. A person dead in many ways. A shattered, pale image of his former self.

No, you couldn't even compare him to his former self. This was Sether, and Seth-kun was someone else.

"…Why are you showing me this?" She sobbed, covering her face with her hands.

"Because you deserve to know the truth." Sephiroth appeared by her again, looking at the image-Sether with compassion, "Because you're the only one he trusts enough to help him."

She lowered her hands and suppressed her tears,

"…Trusts…?"

Sephiroth smiled,

"He showed you all this, didn't he? You're the only person to whom he ever told the whole story."

Katai shook her head, looking down,

"You showed me all this, not him."

This was Sephiroth's turn to shake his head,

"I can't steal memories. To show you all this I needed Sether's permission. He allowed me. He's not happy with it, but he agrees- that's a big thing when talking about Sether."

Katai raised her head to look at the gloomy Sether on the windowsill and bit her lower lip.

Sephiroth started fading. He smiled wider and said,

"Help him, Katai. You're the only one who can…!"
She raised her head in surprise, but before she could utter a word, she woke up.
Her last thought was 'Man, these are the worst three days I had in my life, and I have a feeling it's just starting.'

She would probably start crying again if she knew just how right she was.

Please tell me what you think, ok? ^_^
Oh, by the way, if you're interested in seeing how I imagine Sether (More or less), you're invited to my site, The Ancient Capital! It's; Http://www.geocities.com/LunarBlade/