Ansem's head ached as he watched himself clumsily tie a bandage
around his cut hand. The piece of glass that was once lodge in his fist lay
bloody and exposed on the ground at his feet. Through blurry eyes he saw
his left hand fumble and for the third time skew up the bandage's path
about his fingers. He cursed again and clenched the white tape in his hand.
He knew he would cry again, but his head was pounding so hard that it hurt
to shed anymore tears. He never noticed Rassia step back into the room.
She gazed at him through pitiful eyes. The cut on his hand was exposed as the bandage drooped and sagged. Both his hands were shaking terribly, but so was the rest of him. She was afraid to step any nearer. She was afraid to touch him knowing that it would hurt both of them too much. Taking another step she found Sephiroth's cursed blade at her feet. Its long silver edge gleamed a sinister red from the moon rising outside of the bedroom. It seemed to whisper something, probably for its master, or maybe to her. Either way, she did not touch it. She stepped over it and stood before Ansem, peering down at the crown of his head. With a deep breath she reached out her hand for him.
"Don't...," Ansem whispered and Rassia recoiled quickly. She heard him sigh, then he lifted his face towards hers. "Don't make me cry again; it hurts so much." Rassia bit her lower lip and placed her hand at her mouth to stifle a small cry.
"I do not deserve you, Ansem," she said in a small voice. "You asked me to be patient, but I couldn't wait for what was true. You asked me to faithful, and I was so easily taken back to...him. I doubt that there is any amount of apologies I can say to make everything better again."
"Then why try?" Ansem spoke gravely lowering his head back to his work. It took all Rassia's strength to stay calm.
"Because I love you and that will never change," she whispered harshly. Ansem shook his head and let out a bitter chuckle.
"So it was your love for me that drove you to Sephiroth again? Tell me how that works, Rassia," he growled.
"There was and is no love between me and Sephiroth! There never will be. Oh Ansem, I hate his as much as you do, but-"
"Hate? It was hate that drove you to be with him? How is that Rassia?" Rassia opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again. She couldn't answer his question. Ansem stomped his foot and stood tall before Rassia. His face was red from crying and anger. "Forget him, what have I done, Rassia? What did I do to scare you away? That's all I want to know. What have I done to cause this because I would have gladly made it better for you." His voice lowered and his eyes softened a bit almost to the point of tears. Rassia could already feel herself begin shed a few. "I would have done anything for you, my Queen. We will go back to Hollow Bastion, reclaim our status, travel to the other worlds; tell me what you want and I will make it yours. Just, let everything be the way it was between us, Rassia."
Rassia exhaled a long, slow breath before reaching for Ansem's right hand. Carefully she wound the bandage around his wound and tied it tight. Then she brought his hand to her lips and kissed it softly. Ansem could feel the pain diminish with the cool breath she breathed upon his bandaged cut.
"If you will believe me, I was caught in his spell. I have never in my life wanted to hurt you, Ansem. I just wanted to feel loved. Tonight, I was caught entirely off-guard. He has polluted my dreams for so long, Ansem. He confessed love to me twice, and I was entranced. But Ansem I do not love him! He is not, and will never be able to be you. You have done nothing wrong, my love, so please do not apologize. It is my turn now to do so, even though it still may not be enough. Everything you do it perfect for me, though I seem unappreciative." Her voice seemed to crack and she rested her head softly on Ansem's chest.
Ansem could not resist the urge to pull her closer. His anger had subsided with Rassia's apology, but he was not entirely cured. However, as Rassia cried bitterly before him, only the love and compassion he had only for her was released. He sat down on their bed and pulled Rassia onto his lap, cradling her and brushing her limp hair behind her ear. Rassia lay her head against his shoulder and sobbed, feeling Ansem's strong and secure touch around her. Slowly the tears began to cease and Rassia reached out for Ansem's hand. She intertwined her fingers with his then pulled it to her stomach. Ansem looked puzzled to the woman in his arms, but she just stared dreamily into his neck with shimmering silver eyes.
"Sephiroth will never have what we have," she spoke quietly. "It's your love that matters most to me and it is by our love that this child will be born." Ansem went speechless as he released Rassia's hand. His palm fell to her waist, still small and petite, then to her womb.
"It...it is mine?" he stammered with wide eyes. Rassia nodded sleepily.
"Of course," she said smiling, "and she will be beautiful, just like her father."
She gazed at him through pitiful eyes. The cut on his hand was exposed as the bandage drooped and sagged. Both his hands were shaking terribly, but so was the rest of him. She was afraid to step any nearer. She was afraid to touch him knowing that it would hurt both of them too much. Taking another step she found Sephiroth's cursed blade at her feet. Its long silver edge gleamed a sinister red from the moon rising outside of the bedroom. It seemed to whisper something, probably for its master, or maybe to her. Either way, she did not touch it. She stepped over it and stood before Ansem, peering down at the crown of his head. With a deep breath she reached out her hand for him.
"Don't...," Ansem whispered and Rassia recoiled quickly. She heard him sigh, then he lifted his face towards hers. "Don't make me cry again; it hurts so much." Rassia bit her lower lip and placed her hand at her mouth to stifle a small cry.
"I do not deserve you, Ansem," she said in a small voice. "You asked me to be patient, but I couldn't wait for what was true. You asked me to faithful, and I was so easily taken back to...him. I doubt that there is any amount of apologies I can say to make everything better again."
"Then why try?" Ansem spoke gravely lowering his head back to his work. It took all Rassia's strength to stay calm.
"Because I love you and that will never change," she whispered harshly. Ansem shook his head and let out a bitter chuckle.
"So it was your love for me that drove you to Sephiroth again? Tell me how that works, Rassia," he growled.
"There was and is no love between me and Sephiroth! There never will be. Oh Ansem, I hate his as much as you do, but-"
"Hate? It was hate that drove you to be with him? How is that Rassia?" Rassia opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again. She couldn't answer his question. Ansem stomped his foot and stood tall before Rassia. His face was red from crying and anger. "Forget him, what have I done, Rassia? What did I do to scare you away? That's all I want to know. What have I done to cause this because I would have gladly made it better for you." His voice lowered and his eyes softened a bit almost to the point of tears. Rassia could already feel herself begin shed a few. "I would have done anything for you, my Queen. We will go back to Hollow Bastion, reclaim our status, travel to the other worlds; tell me what you want and I will make it yours. Just, let everything be the way it was between us, Rassia."
Rassia exhaled a long, slow breath before reaching for Ansem's right hand. Carefully she wound the bandage around his wound and tied it tight. Then she brought his hand to her lips and kissed it softly. Ansem could feel the pain diminish with the cool breath she breathed upon his bandaged cut.
"If you will believe me, I was caught in his spell. I have never in my life wanted to hurt you, Ansem. I just wanted to feel loved. Tonight, I was caught entirely off-guard. He has polluted my dreams for so long, Ansem. He confessed love to me twice, and I was entranced. But Ansem I do not love him! He is not, and will never be able to be you. You have done nothing wrong, my love, so please do not apologize. It is my turn now to do so, even though it still may not be enough. Everything you do it perfect for me, though I seem unappreciative." Her voice seemed to crack and she rested her head softly on Ansem's chest.
Ansem could not resist the urge to pull her closer. His anger had subsided with Rassia's apology, but he was not entirely cured. However, as Rassia cried bitterly before him, only the love and compassion he had only for her was released. He sat down on their bed and pulled Rassia onto his lap, cradling her and brushing her limp hair behind her ear. Rassia lay her head against his shoulder and sobbed, feeling Ansem's strong and secure touch around her. Slowly the tears began to cease and Rassia reached out for Ansem's hand. She intertwined her fingers with his then pulled it to her stomach. Ansem looked puzzled to the woman in his arms, but she just stared dreamily into his neck with shimmering silver eyes.
"Sephiroth will never have what we have," she spoke quietly. "It's your love that matters most to me and it is by our love that this child will be born." Ansem went speechless as he released Rassia's hand. His palm fell to her waist, still small and petite, then to her womb.
"It...it is mine?" he stammered with wide eyes. Rassia nodded sleepily.
"Of course," she said smiling, "and she will be beautiful, just like her father."
