Part Six
When your education x-ray
cannot see under my skin.
I won't tell you a damn thing
that I could not tell my friends.
------------------
Black and violets surrounded him, deathly cold biting into his leather-clad skin and sinking in bone-deep, numbing his nerves. Sephiroth was immersed in the seemingly endless void, Darkness swirling all around him, bubbling and fading only to resurge again. The portal he stepped through closed immediately after he crossed through to the other side, and the man saw nowhere to go, nothing to head for except an endless abyss of black.
He stepped forward, contacting the gelatinous floor of the vortex, boot clacking harshly despite the ground's seemingly aquatic nature, swirls of dark colors rippling beneath his heel. Another spike of cold spiked up his body as one foot contacted the ground, the chill darting straight through his leg and up to the knee before retracting, leaving behind a dull, numbing throb.
Sephiroth growled at the feeling before hastily pushing it aside to venture deeper into the void.
He couldn't tell exactly how far he'd walked, nor if he was making any progress at all to whatever location he should be. His surroundings hadn't changed in the slightest, still the same congealing mass of dark. His eyes flitted side to side as he stopped and listened, hearing nothing except for his heartbeat in his own ears. The place was completely silent, no trace of life save his own inside it.
The ex-General lowered his eyebrows, unsheathing the Masamune, its bright, silver blade a stark contrast to the colors of the abyss. Even in that place, his beloved sword shone bright, gleaming despite the lack of light, refracting what it could in the dark like a cat's eye.
Sephiroth held the Masamune out in front of him and stood at ready.
With the speed and grace of a panther, Sephiroth shot forward, slashing the sword in a wide upward arc, jumping up to put his weight behind it. He thrust the sword in front of him as he landed and twirled, hair flaring around him, and swung the blade upwards then down before returning to his original position, the sound of his motions cutting into the silence.
Dominant arm outstretched, the man jabbed and swiped the massive Masamune into the nothingness, feet carrying him deftly as he darted forward and back. Creaks of leather behind his knees echoing slightly, an eerie and foreign sound as Sephiroth danced dangerously with his beloved weapon.
The occasional grunt escaped his lips as he lashed out easily, skill gained from years of practice during his days in SOLDIER, training diligently for hours nearly every chance he got. The man was the best at what he did, his training sessions usually drawing hordes of admiring spectators that always applauded when he was finished.
Sephiroth lost track of time as he slipped into the familiar trance wielding the Masamune caused. The sword itself seemed to have a mind of its own, as well as a definite hold over its master when the hand landed on the hilt to release it from its prison.
The gleaming silvery-white blade had been custom made for him by request of Professor Hojo, a man who gave nothing but the best to his 'most precious specimen'. The only time Sephiroth had felt at all happy in the mad scientist's presence was the day Hojo bestowed upon him the precious gift of the Masamune, something Sephiroth cherished even more than his own life.
He was still quite young at the time he received the Masamune, a not-quite-awkward boy of sixteen, and a year shy of being promoted to General of the ShinRa military, the youngest in history, and, consequently, destined to be the greatest after the war. The Masamune was nearly two feet taller than himself at the time, but he managed to wield it with ease, being a SOLDIER First… the Buster Swords the rank used were much heavier, after all…
A deep voice broke Sephiroth from his reverie, sounding quite impressed. "Such grace… a beautiful display, truly."
Sephiroth spun, Masamune in hand. A deeply tanned man of roughly Sephiroth's height and a slightly more solid build stared back at him, arms crossed. The man's hair was long and neat, a pale shade of grey - nearly white - pulled back and away from his face, but spiked on the sides and top in a style which vaguely resembled demon's horns, eyes a frightening shade of amber so clear they nearly glowed, as if the man was also infused with Mako.
The clothes he wore were extravagant with their details, a long coat and outfit closely reminiscent of Sephiroth's own back during his days as General, the fabric in shades of grey and white and gold, chest vainly exposed. Sephiroth squinted, noticing the man bore a symbol of a black heart, crossed out with jagged red lines.
…the insignia of the Heartless.
Sephiroth scowled at the intruder; the man's voice was familiar, but he just couldn't place it… "Who are you?"
The man smiled broadly, perfect white teeth gleaming behind tanned lips, and spoke. "My name is Ansem. I am the seeker of Darkness," he proclaimed, arching his arms around him, gesturing throughout the void. "I must say, it is a pleasure to finally meet you in the flesh, Sephiroth."
"How do you know my name?" Sephiroth demanded, stepping forward.
Ansem arched a delicate white eyebrow and smirked. "You don't recognize me?" The silver-haired one shook his head, scowling. "How unfortunate. Perhaps you hadn't caught on as soon as I originally imagined."
Sephiroth's face darkened considerably as recognition dawned on him.
"You."
The other man smiled thinly. "Ah, a little hint was all you required."
"Why are you doing this to him?!" Sephiroth spat, Masamune poised and ready.
"I've done nothing to him," Ansem replied easily, "he opened his heart to the Darkness willingly."
Sephiroth's eyes narrowed to slits, face hard and stony. "You lie. You fed him lies and showed him false 'truths'… used him, forced him to join your side, you and Maleficent both."
The darker man gave Sephiroth a patronizing grin, clearly amused with the situation. "Oh?"
"Yes. I've seen it all before and I'll be damnedif I allow it to happen to Riku." Sephiroth hissed his answer, fist white-knuckle on the hilt of his weapon.
"You're wrong in one respect… Maleficent is inconsequential, simply a puppet to aide the boy," the other man replied nonchalantly.
"Meaning, she's your puppet as well…"
Ansem nodded. "She was only necessary for Riku to realize his true power, nothing more."
"Lies. 'True power'… he's your puppet as well." Sephiroth growled dangerously. "What are you doingwith him? Why is he so important to your plan? He's merely a child."
"Things you need not concern yourself with," the other man answered dismissively.
"Tell me."
Ansem tilted his head to the side, small smile still gracing his lips. "On one condition… are you willing to give yourself over to the Darkness?" he asked, voice unsettlingly soothing.
"No."
"Pity." The white-haired man raised an eyebrow, re-crossing his arms. "Though by denying me, I cannot assure you of the boy's safety." Sephiroth again growled and took a step forward, slowly closing the gap between the tip of the Masamune and Ansem's neck.
Sephiroth's voice rumbled deep in his throat. "Don't you dare touch him." Ansem simply smiled, ticking a finger.
"Threatening me will do you no good, Sephiroth," he mocked.
"Fool. I know damn well that you would not harm Riku if I do."
Ansem arched an eyebrow and smirked. "Is that so?"
The silver-haired man suddenly advanced, slashing at Ansem with the Masamune.
"Come, Guardian!" the white-haired man shouted, calling forth a large, dark creature which appeared before him, swinging his giant demon's arms outward. It easily deflected Sephiroth's attack, protecting the darker man safe from harm, and each following strike Sephiroth let loose was stopped, a bright white light erupting from the creature's skin whenever the blade made contact.
The beast lunged towards him with a feral growl, a large clawed paw lashing out in a wide, overextending arc. The blow knocked Sephiroth backwards, his stance faltering slightly but unsuccessful in thwarting his balance.
Sephiroth darted forward and slashed in rapid succession before taking a step back, thrusting the sword forward quickly. He dropped back seconds afterward when the attacks were again blocked, and began to summon the 'Fire Wall', as he dubbed it.
Guardian howled as the searing heat of the inferno scorched its already pitch-black skin, retreating like a beaten dog until the flame died down.
Again the ex-General shot forward, slashing at the beast in movements too fast for Guardian to catch. The creature snarled and flung itself forward, a massive clawed hand threshing out, and managed to strike the ex-General's face, ripping through the tender flesh of his cheek and drawing blood.
Sephiroth simply ignored the pain, slammed his sword into the beast's stomach and withdrew, the wound gushing blackened blood, staining the clean silver blade of the Masamune. That familiar tug on his cheek let the silver-haired man know the Mako and Jenova cells were doing their job, making their way to the gash and quickening his healing processes as his skin cells threaded together, dutifully repairing the wound.
With an enraged howl, Guardian rushed the man, claws readily outstretched. Sephiroth dodged the attack by nearly flying out of the way with one strong flap of his wing, swinging the sword upward to deflect the attack. He rolled until he was laying directly behind Ansem's protector and shot to his feet with the aid of his wing, then proceeded to slash the beast's back wide open, spilling even more of its dark, tainted blood. Sephiroth's foot slammed forward, knocking the creature several feet away.
Immediately Sephiroth turned on his heel and advanced on Ansem, the man merely floating in midair, watching the battle, arms crossed, and a complacent expression on his face.
The Masamune was raised and Sephiroth slashed viciously, but the white-haired man flew backward before the blade was able to make contact. Guardian bellowed at the attempted attack of its master and flung itself at the silver-haired man, infuriated.
The creature threw its entire force into the attack with a vicious snarl, ramming into Sephiroth hard enough to snap several bones and tearing feathers of the large angel's wing on his back. Sephiroth fell forward before smoothly performing a tuck-and-roll, a technique taught to even the lowest of ShinRa's military to brace the impact of a fall.
Sephiroth whirled around and went in to attack. Guardian rushed forward, whipping its arm to the side and crushing it into Sephiroth's heavily armored shoulder, almost pushing the ball out of its socket. The move caught him off-guard as Sephiroth's beloved weapon was tossed from his hands, landing far away from him as it was sucked into the Darkness.
The ex-General sneered before he spun, rushing at Ansem with wicked speed. In the blink of an eye, a black-gloved hand shot forward as Sephiroth snatched the other man's tanned throat, squeezing tightly.
"You are going to die," the paler one spat as he balled his fist and swung, crushing it into the other man's jaw. The punch connected solidly with a dull thud as Ansem's head jerked to the side, blood streaming from his newly split lip.
Guardian bellowed when his master was attacked and threatened. A massive clawed arm was raised, and the monster brutally slammed its ham-fisted hand into Sephiroth's side, forcing the man to release his grip from Ansem's neck as he was thrown aside, crumpling to the ground of the vortex, positive the massive blow managed to shatter a rib or two.
Sephiroth was paralyzed, half his body immersed in the sub-zero temperature of the Darkness. He struggled to move as Ansem calmly floated to his side before landing without making a sound, blood trickling from his lip. The white-haired man towered over a prone Sephiroth and sneered.
"Submit, Sephiroth," he ordered, voice stoic, betraying his expression.
Sephiroth glared up into gleaming amber eyes. "No," he replied with a menacing scowl. Ansem's arms were crossed with quiet grace as he dismissed Guardian, the creature dispersing into thin air.
"You have no choice but to submit," the darker man said with a smile, teeth stained with crimson. "Unless, of course, you prefer something happen to Riku…"
"What will you do with him?!" Sephiroth demanded, growling fiercely. He could feel the broken bones and torn skin of his body rapidly repairing itself as he lay submerged in the Darkness.
The white-haired man's smile grew wider, reopening the wound on his mouth. A fresh ribbon of blood seeped out and slid down his throat, apparently going unnoticed. "Get on your feet and come with me," Ansem murmured, beckoning with a finger.
Sephiroth snarled and got up, no longer paralyzed, the Darkness' hold over his body withdrawing. He glared at the other man but withheld attack; though Sephiroth was quite deadly in unarmed, hand-to-hand combat, he was well aware had no chance in effectively battling Guardian without the Masamune.
"Will you behave?" the white-haired man asked, smirking slightly. The ex-General pursed his lips, clenching a fist at his side as he nodded, still glaring. "Good."
Suddenly Ansem flicked his wrist and the Darkness slowly shifted, changing its form. The black masses swirled violently, sprouting small tornadoes that spun and twisted around the void, seemingly pulling the Darkness into themselves, making it fade away as it lifted. Sephiroth blinked in confusion as he gaped at the unusual spectacle.
The receding blackness revealed a rather nicely furnished stateroom, filled with plush, high-backed chairs with matching sofas in a deep, rich crimson. Dark, floor-length draperies hung from large windows, tall vases stuffed with elegant floral sprays tucked into its corners.
He turned to catch sight of a large, stately oak desk standing against a far wall, flanking vast shelves of books - most of which appeared to be spiral-bound journals and other such documents.
Thick, expensive-looking area rugs sat on the floor, large classic paintings placed along deep red walls, and even one of Ansem himself. The room even had a bed as well, a wide four-poster with a canopy matching the color of the drapes, and stacked more pillows one would ever make use of.
Upon inspection of the room, Sephiroth noticed something very much out of place - a large doorway which spanned the entire length of floor to ceiling, set back against the wall alongside one of the bookcases, with a giant keyhole staring back at him. And even stranger still, the door apparently had no knob to open it…
Ansem noticed the silver-haired man staring at the door and frowned.
"You may never go in there," he stated firmly, "and you will never go in there. If somehow manage to do so, I willfind out and trust, the circumstances will be dire."
Sephiroth raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Oh?" He tilted his head to the side, eyes flitting about Ansem's form.
"Yes."
"And how, pray tell, might I be able to get in there?" The corners of Ansem's mouth quirked slightly out of anger. "Must I break the door down?" Sephiroth continued, blinking innocently. He gestured with one hand and added, "you've seen my strength. I could do it, as you are well aware."
"I am," Ansem growled. "But you cannot."
The silver-haired man felt a momentary lapse in sanity as sudden thoughts of Zack popped into his head… caused by the guilt he felt for Riku, Sephiroth was sure, though why… he couldn't tell. He hadn't done anything to put Riku in his situation, he was merely an innocent bystander in the entire thing…
/…but I didn't do anything to stop it, now, did I?/
Unwittingly, Sephiroth took on his first friend's personality as his eyebrows shot up comically, suddenly quite amused. "Or is there a giant key?" he asked, a joking tone evident in his voice. "Those giant keys seem so… integral to these worlds."
Ansem's eyes darkened. "You dare mock me," he muttered, more of a statement than a question.
The other man nodded briskly, a wide, out-of-place grin plastered on his angelic face. "Oh yes, I do dare mock you, my kind sir." Sephiroth blinked quickly and shook his head, placing a hand to his forehead in attempts to knock Zack into the far corner of his mind. That was definitely one of the last things he needed at that moment…
/Oh, I am losing it… again…/ He frowned slightly. /Although, that key idea is plausible…/
Ansem scowled at him as Sephiroth's eyes darted about the room, and the ex-General gasped as his gaze landed on the Masamune. Ansem made no protest as Sephiroth padded towards it and went on to pick it up, very nearly kissing his precious weapon.
"You cannot harm me in here, if you've plans on attacking."
/Oh, I do believe I can./ The silver-haired man took a few experimental swipes of the sword, snarling at Ansem. "And why not?"
"Would you honestly attempt hurting Riku?" the tanned one chided, arms crossed.
"How does all this have any connection with him?" Sephiroth questioned, narrowing his eyes, arms gesturing around the room.
Happy that the other man asked the question, Ansem beckoned him to a thick drape-covered window. His eyebrow raised as Sephiroth walked over, flinging the heavy curtain to the side.
Sephiroth's aqua eyes widened as he took a close look out the window, clutching the red fabric angrily. /By the gods…?/
He watched the scene unfold before his eyes, curiously looking down at the three from up high.
Sephiroth recognized Sora, standing at the entrance to Rising Falls with two animals flanking his sides. The boy's face was pained, eyebrows knitted together with his large blue eyes dull with anger, hands clutching tightly the Keyblade.
The boy's feathery teammate was sneering as best he could with his orange duckbill, both eyes narrowed dangerously, one arm raised and ready for attack with the other by his side, holding a mage's staff. The stupid-looking dog seemed much more lax but still quite mad, holding a large shield with a wicked spike gracing the middle right out in front of him.
Beside the group laid a hulking, purple-covered beast in a pool of blood, still, and no movement to speak of with the exception of the hitching rise and fall of its chest, or the occasional, very faint twitch of its tail.
Sephiroth turned to face Ansem, quietly watching the white-haired one as he followed the events outside the window. The ex-General's jaw slackened a bit before he hastily closed it, shifting his aqua eyes back towards the window once more.
/What is this…?/
"Stop!" Sora yelled in frustration. Sephiroth could feel the palpable anger, seemingly directed at himself, and flinched at the tone.
"So, you finally made it," a familiar voice replied, mockingly. The silver-haired man cringed as his head buzzed, the words coming through in waves which felt like they were emanating from his very being. "About time. I've been waiting for you."
The voice stopped as the scene tilted slightly, and Sephiroth thought he saw a piece of silver blow past his field of vision.
"We've always been rivals, haven't we? You've always pushed me as I've always pushed you."
/No…/
The brown-haired boy pouted, face faltering. "Riku…"
"You bastard!" Sephiroth screamed, whirling on Ansem, "what have you done?!"
"But it all ends here. There can't be two Keyblade masters…"
"Why are you making him do this?! He loves that boy!" The silver-haired man's face burned a fiery red as he grabbed Ansem's collar, shaking him violently as he snarled, "how are you making him do this?!"
"What are you talking about?"
"He is doing so of his own volition," came the other man's calm reply, amber eyes flashing.
"Let the Keyblade choose… its true master!"
"You LIE!" Sephiroth spat, once again punching the other man in the mouth. Ansem simply smiled.
The ground shook and vibrated as the silver-haired man's body was jerked violently back by an unseen force. Ansem's grin grew wider, an eyebrow raised, and easily focused his attention away.
Sephiroth choked out a gasp of pain, his entire body feeling as if it were being run through by thousands of Cactuar spikes. His knees gave out and he collapsed to the floor, searing with agony, fingers clawing at the polished floorboards. The silver-haired man's breath hitched up into his throat as he ventured, "what are you doing with me?"
Ansem pressed a finger to his lips and smirked to himself. "Nothing. It's merely a side effect."
/A side effect…?/
"Huh?" a voice squawked, followed by a string of incoherent obscenities.
"What?!" came a the second voice in a muffled, goofy-sounding tone.
"…of what?" Sephiroth croaked out, biting his lip.
The white-haired man turned to kneel next to Sephiroth's writhing body, watching as the ex-General curled his long, leather-bound legs up to his stomach, contorting his face into a tortured grimace. "You shall see soon enough."
"Maleficent was right," Riku's familiar voice rang, tone cocky.
/Gods, Maleficent… you rotten witch marionette…/
"You don't have what it takes to save Kairi. It's up to me."
Ansem smiled and spoke, fingertips gliding softly over Sephiroth's pale cheeks. "Only the Keyblade master can open the secret door… and change the world." The silver-haired man's eyes shot open, the other man's voice echoing outside the window and overlying Riku's.
"No…" Ansem grinned wickedly.
"My plan comes to fruition, Sephiroth, you should be happy for me," he murmured, disturbingly saccharine.
"But that's impossible! How did this happen? I'm the one who fought my way here with the Keyblade!" Sora replied Riku, disbelief clearly evident.
Sephiroth snarled, glaring daggers at the other man. "I will killyou for using Riku like this… mark my words…"
The white-haired man smirked, staring straight into Sephiroth's eyes as he answered through Riku. "You were just the delivery boy," he mocked, "sorry, your part's over now. Here, go play hero with this."
Pain subsiding, Sephiroth shifted, every muscle in his form aching terribly. He groaned and sat up, forcefully slapping the other man's hands away from his face as a wave of nausea washing through him. Sephiroth's head wobbled visibly on his neck and he raised a shaky palm to his forehead to steady himself. "I must know why… why are you using Riku like this?"
/…how can I not see…?/
Ansem's amber eyes flashed angrily as he stood, growling. He stalked over to the window and pounded viciously against the glass. "What do you want?!" he snapped through Riku's lips, apparently at the duck and dog.
"Answer me, Ansem!" Sephiroth growled.
"Gawrsh, we have 'ta follow the Keyblade!"
"Yeah! King's orders!"
"Your King is not here!" Ansem hissed, "I do not want you to trail behind me. You are not welcome to accompany me."
"Why are you using Riku?!"
"Wa-a-ah!!! We're just doing the mission! We have to follow the King's orders!!!" the squawking voice shot back.
"Uhm, D-Donald… that feller looks pretty anger-y, doncha think?"
"I don't care!! We have to obey the King!" Donald scolded.
Ansem's eyes were blazing with fury as his fists pounding on the windowpane, and to Sephiroth's surprise the glass hadn't shattered or cracked, despite its severe beating. He smirked to himself at the other man's vehement response to the tagalongs; the simple act of Sora's party joining Riku had the man nearly exploding.
Slowly, Ansem took a deep breath and answered, "you follow the orders of your King because he is just that - the ruler of your world. Is my assumption correct?"
"Erm… H'yuck! Ah-yup!"
"Am I safe to assume you would be obliged to follow the wishes of leaders of other worlds as well?" Ansem ground out, hands clawed on the drapes as he visibly fought to keep his composure.
"…whaddya think, Goofy?"
"Gawrsh, I dunno… we're supposda not muh… muh…"
"MEDDLE!!!" Donald screamed. Sephiroth winced at the shrill cry piercing his eardrums.
"In that case, you must respect my wishes, as I am the ruler of this world," Ansem responded coolly.
"But we gotta follow the Keyblade!" the duck - or at least, Sephiroth assumed - shrieked.
The silver-haired man growled, "answer me, Ansem!!"
Ansem punched the glass again, letting out a feral snarl as he whirled on the silver-haired ex-General and glared. Clearly unable to deal with two frustrations at once, the white-haired man turned back to the window and sneered. Sephiroth guessed Riku's face contorted as well.
"You rotten bastard, child-using son of a bitch!" Ansem ignored him and continued to glower.
"Uhm… how about we just… ya know… follow ya?" Goofy asked meekly. "N-not too close, h'yuck…" he added, very tentatively.
Sephiroth smirked, amused by Ansem's anger. "You realize they will not leave you be," he mocked, eyebrow raised. "At least, they haven't left so far… awfully determined to perform their duty, aren't they?"
The white-haired one growled at the Sephiroth's jeering tone, clenching his fists in frustration. Ansem then smiled and crossed his arms, forcing Riku to mimic his stance. He tilted his head to the side as he replied with, "fine, you may follow." He paused. "But if you are killed upon the way, you've only yourselves to blame." Turned to Sephiroth again, eyes narrowed, Ansem growled, "when I am having a conversation, do not interrupt."
The silver-haired man raised an eyebrow. "Do I send interference?" Ansem just sneered.
/So I do…,/ Sephiroth smiled thinly, /information useful to me./
/--You have no idea how right you are, Seph.--/
The silver-haired man blinked. /…Zackary…?/ Ansem stared at the other man's face, riddled with pure confusion as he stared off blankly into space.
/--I don't want to alarm ya, Seph, but Asshole - er, 'Ansem' - is staring at you with a pretty wonky look in his eyes…--/
"What?!" Sephiroth spat at the other man, visibly shaken by the intruding presence in his mind. Ansem tilted his head up, amber eyes boring into aqua.
The white-haired man crossed his arms across his chest and inhaled, puffing up, appearing larger and more menacing. "What was that look?" he asked, voice cold and demanding.
/…nothing truly, just a resurgence of voices in my head. It's actually quite blasé these days…/ "It was anger. Nothing more."
/--Wow, great answer, sir.--/
/Shut up, Knightblade…/
"Don't you have things to do?" Sephiroth grunted, glaring at the other man. "Shouldn't you be out, pulling Riku's strings?" he hissed, balling his fists.
"A terrible hypocrite," Ansem muttered with a sigh, waving his hand dismissively. "I do realize what you're doing, Sephiroth."
"Congratulations, do you want a fuckin' cookie?" Sephiroth shot back before clamping a hand over his mouth.
/Zackary, do not use me like this!/
/--C'mon, he deserved it!--/
Ansem blinked several times, shocked that the dignified ex-General would have spoken so ineloquently. "Excuse me?"
The silver-haired man shook his head, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. "Ignore me… being so near to you… I'm not feeling well."
/…thank you very much, Zack, I honestly needed that,/ Sephiroth thought sarcastically.
/--No prob.--/ Sephiroth could practically feel the crooked grin on the other man's face.
Ansem pursed his lips for a moment, simply watching the silver-haired man. Seconds later he spun towards the window again, grinning madly. "Come, Sephiroth. Let's enjoy our marvelous view."
The silver-haired man shivered at the disturbingly joyful tone in the other's voice. Standing slowly, Sephiroth strode over to the window and looked through, still quite disturbed by what he saw. He felt like he was invading the Riku's privacy by using the window as a vehicle to see through the teenager's eyes, observing the things Riku was with the tanned man tagging along, the boy unaware his body was being used as a vessel for Ansem's own gain.
/--You gotta get through that door over there, Seph, you know that, right?--/
/Why? What is it…?/
/--I… look, just trust me on this, okay?--/ Sephiroth sighed at the request and watched the scene unfold before him.
The small boy was left alone, standing inside Hollow Bastion's walls, a wooden training sword in his hand. He held the sword ready to strike, beads of sweat prickling on his brow. He was chewing on his bottom lip relentlessly, bruising it. A pang of guilt shot through Sephiroth at the sight of him.
"Quit while you can," Riku ordered. Sephiroth saw Sora's face falter momentarily, mouth taking on the semblance of a pout before he resumed chewing on his lip, nervously.
The younger boy shook his head. "No. Not without Kairi."
/--Can you feel it…?--/
/'Feel' what?/
/--Fuck, Seph, THAT!--/
The ground shook violently, nearly sending Sephiroth to his knees. He broke his eyes from the window to see Ansem bathed in a sickening green glow. His face bore pure malice and pain, burning fiercely, as he threw his head back and howled. The green burned brighter to a near-yellow, his body contorting, and very nearly ripping in two.
The other man's darkly tanned skin bubbled, pure black seeping out from his pores to run down his body and onto the floor. Ansem's screams became louder as he clenched his fists tightly, back arching impossibly far behind him.
Sephiroth stared in horror as Darkness poured from the man's body, through the floorboards and out of sight. His body twisted and snapped from side to side, wrenching in anguish as he bellowed until the mist around him glowed a bright, blinding white.
Sephiroth shielded his eyes, the light too much to bear as it filled the room, the air crackling, zapping louder than a Thundaga spell. Ansem's cries reached a pitch no mortal could have possibly emitted before they abruptly stopped, and the man fell silent.
Sephiroth's eyes cracked opened when he felt the bright light dissipate. He saw the other man collapsed on the floor in a fetal position, breathing harsh and ragged, hitching in the back of his throat. But despite the obvious pain, the other man had a grotesque, overly satisfied smile plastered on his face.
"Soon, yes, I can feel it…," Ansem murmured, closing his eyes as an even more sickening grin spreading across his lips.
/--…well… that sounded awfully foreboding.--/
/Shut up, Zack./
------------------
"Ya gonna enter the tournament, Spike?"
The blonde blinked at the sudden question. "…what tournament?" Yuffie grinned widely, smacking him lightly on the arm.
"The Hercules Cup, duh!" she replied, rolling her eyes. "Phil asked for you specifically, y'know. Got quite a reputation there, doncha?" the girl added, winking at a rather stupefied Cloud.
"…when did you talk to Phil?" he asked, eyebrow raised.
The ninja girl tilted her head to the side, blinking. "Duh, the last tournament he held. Remember? Me and Squall got our butts whupped by Sora?" Yuffie shook her head and chuckled. "Man, you shoulda seen Leon after he lost. He was pissed. Swore up a storm!" she cried, throwing her hands up in the air for emphasis.
Cloud scratched his head. "…I honestly don't remember you two leaving recently." The Wutaian blinked incredulously.
"…are you high?"
"What?" Cloud snorted, shaking his head. "No, I just don't remember." He frowned and knitted his brow. "…speaking of… how long have I been here now, Yuf?"
Yuffie put a finger on her chin, deep in thought. "Oh… about two weeks?"
"Already?!" the blonde nearly shrieked, dumbfounded. He buried his face in his hands and groaned.
[I haven't done shit to look for Seph…]
"Yep. It's 'cause you don't do anything but bum around," she teased, nudging Cloud with her elbow. She frowned when he didn't react in kind. "Hey, Spike? You alright?"
He sighed, waving his hand. "Yeah. Just thinking about things…" Without looking up, the blonde mumbled, "so when's the tournament?"
Yuffie squeaked. "Um… tomorrow?"
Cloud's head snapped up, eyes wide. "What?!" The ninja blinked then grinned sheepishly, blushing.
"…oopsy."
The blonde let out an exasperated sigh. "Phil asked if I was entering the tournament when?"
"Urkk… um… like… a week ago…" she answered, wincing slightly.
"And you told me about it when?"
Yuffie cringed, shoulders creeping up to cradle her head. "…five minutes ago…"
Cloud dropped his hands and sighed.
"You know, you're impossible, Yuf." The ninja girl nodded, making a face. The blonde grunted, lifting himself from the couch. "I'm gonna go…"
"Where?"
Cloud shrugged. "Out." He turned and left the small house, grumbling under his breath about absentminded teenage thieves.
The blonde warrior had growing feelings of worthlessness lately, all due to the general ease of life in Traverse Town… and he hadn't seen Sora since the boy dropped him off in the world full of refugees. The mercenary couldn't help but worry constantly about the little brunette. Something was deeply troubling him when it came to thoughts of Sora, but Cloud just couldn't put his finger on what it was…
Not to mention the lack of action also put Cloud on edge. He went out looking for Heartless every day, simply for a change in pace instead of with the intentions of keeping Traverse safe. Of course, he didn't need to, he figured, since Leon and Yuffie managed to keep the town clear when the Keybearer was missing in action.
Unfortunately, the Gizmo Shop was the only real place of interest for the blonde when he felt the urge - or, more specifically, the need - for battle; the place was absolutely overrun with Heartless, and the sheer number alone was enough of a lure for him.
[…I think I miss the Coliseum…]
With a forlorn sigh, Cloud let his mind drift back to Leon… and then he remembered. The brunette, along with Yuffie, had left for the tournament the day after Cloud made a move on the scarred one…
Thinking back on it, to his great surprise, Squall hadn't mentioned the kiss at all, and the even bigger shocker was the fact that he had even allowed the diminutive blonde to room with him, allowing Cloud a place to stay in his living room.
Naturally, all of Cloud's teammates silently questioned the stoic man's sudden show of hospitality, but - smartly, Cloud figured - never asked why he did so. The blonde himself personally believed it probably had something to do with the fact that he was nearly completely broke after the shopping trip, having paid 250 munny for the pants alone at that freakin' leather store, and it was all the ex-SeeD's fault.
Unexpected cordiality aside, Leon had also stunned Cloud when he asked the blonde if he wanted to go to the 'Secret' Waterway with him to practice. Aerith mentioned to him earlier that Leon was very reluctant to allow most other people into the place, and that wasn't just towards strangers - he was apparently that way even if he trusted them. With a chuckle, the flower girl said she herself had to wait nearly two months before Leon shared the privacy of the waterway under Merlin's odd little house with her.
The blonde frowned when he thought of Aerith. She had been acting increasingly strange around him, and strangely distant, instead of talking to him she gave him longing stares before quickly excusing herself. Cloud imagined it had to do with issues from the past… he didn't doubt that whenever she saw Cloud she was reminded of Sephiroth…
Cloud didn't know of any way to help her through her anguish, though, if that truly was the case. Aerith knew he would never say an unkind word to her about the man, considering she was well aware - even during the 'Calamity from the Skies' incident, as it were - that the blonde loved him.
He didn't push aside the fact that she still felt something for him, though. Aerith - …Aeris, rather… - had always been attracted to Cloud, he knew that much, but whether it was himself she found appealing, or the Zack in him…
Back then, she flirted with him constantly during their short time together as they all tracked down Sephiroth… and not to mention their date at the Gold Saucer. That was awkward, to say the least… Cloud still recalled the event with a cringe. At the time, he didn't want to lead the girl on by going or give her any hope of a relationship beyond what they had already forged between them… but she had literally dragged him out of the Ghost Hotel that night…
Cloud frowned; on that date, she said some cryptic things to him, and he only understood what she referred to after he took that plunge into the Lifestream, where Tifa had ultimately saved him…
The blonde sighed, pushing the sentiments of the past away, and focused on his current problem: he still had no clue where to look for Sephiroth.
The Gummi ship Cid loaned Leon and Yuffie for the flight to the Coliseum had been completely trashed - a direct result of a persistent ninja and an irritable gunblade wielder with a short fuse and no tolerance.
The way Cloud heard it, the girl had bothered Squall for a chance to pilot the aircraft back to Traverse Town and he ultimately gave in after a very long while of constant begging. Of course, he immediately regretting the decision as she ineloquently slammed into space rocks and endless Heartless craft for the whole two minutes Leon allowed her to drive.
As expected, Cid chewed the girl out for hours on end about responsibility and proper training before attempting to drive a Gummi ship.
Needless to say, Cid had barred anyone from driving any of his Gummis unless you happened to be Leon.
The ship was in fairly decent condition now that the pilot poured nearly a week straight into repairs, but Cloud didn't know if Cid would allow even him to take a ship to the Coliseum - by himself, that was - for the tournament… which meant that if he was planning on going…
…well, he'd have to travel together with Leon.
The blonde grumbled as he kicked a pebble on the ground, absently making his way through Traverse Town. A few of the friendlier citizens waved at him as he walked by, somewhat recognizing him from the times he spent walking through town with Leon, but usually he didn't return the greetings.
Cloud raked a hand through his hair, resetting a fallen spike, and fingered the armor set at his hip. The man was bored out of his mind.
His eyes were fixed to the ground as he walked, hands stuffed in the pockets of his SOLDIER-issue pants, and didn't notice where he ended up minutes later, leading himself almost unconsciously to the so-called Secret Waterway where a gorgeous, scarred, blue-eyed sex-on-legs just-so-happened to be practicing.
"Hey."
Cloud waved dimly. "Hey."
"You want to spar?"
"Not really."
Leon shrugged and lifted his gunblade again. "Whatever."
Cloud - despite his impulses - rarely ever sparred with Squall. Usually, he opted to simply sit back on the sidelines and watch as the other man swung his large weapon in brutally heavy attacks, muscles flexing and contracting beneath his - rather tight - apparel, body breaking out in a fine sheen of sweat.
Sometimes Leon accidentally pulled the trigger and he would silently scold himself while making the cutest little frowning face the blonde had ever seen in his life. The gun never fired, of course, as the older man always emptied the barrel before practicing, but that never stopped the censuring once it got started.
And, to Cloud's quiet delight, the brunette happened to be making said cute little frowny face at that moment. Cloud smiled lightly behind his hand and pretended to scratch an itch on the tip of his nose until the smile faded.
…of course, Leon being the hypercritical man he was, the frown usually didn't fade for a long while after, therefore it always left Cloud with a rather large welt on his face.
[…nothing the Mako won't fix.]
"Are you participating in the tournament?" Leon asked, slinging the gunblade over his shoulder, finished with training for the day. His voice echoed off the thick stone walls of the cavern, and Cloud shivered.
[…wait.] "You knew about that, too?"
Leon nodded, placing a hand on his hip. "Yeah."
"…why didn't you tell me?"
"Yuffie said she'd take care of it." Cloud sighed, puffing a wayward spike out of his face.
"Do you know when she told me about it?" The older man shook his head. "A little over a half hour ago."
Leon made a face. "Ouch." He tilted his head, gesturing to Cloud with his chin. "So are you going?"
"I don't think I can." The brunette raised an eyebrow.
"Why?"
Cloud blinked, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. "No ride."
The other man shrugged nonchalantly. "I can take you."
[…I wish you would take me.] The blonde winced. [Damn brain…] "You'd do that?"
Leon nodded. "Whatever."
The former SeeD made his way towards the cave's exit, belts dangling oh-so-sexily off his narrow hips, and shrugged. "Besides, there's nothing better to do," he smirked, "than watching you get your ass beat by the kid."
Cloud grunted. "How do you know he'll be there?"
"He's always at tournaments." Leon tilted his head slightly as he opened the Secret Waterway's gate. "I think he collects the cups… and don't ask me how, but he always wins them."
The two men walked through the Districts, heading towards Cid's for permission to borrow the Gummi Highwind… or quite possibly the Gummi Tiny Bronco, if the man was feeling generous enough, considering the Highwind still had some repairs to be made. Cloud groaned inwardly at the prospect of traveling in the Tiny Bronco.
The pilot painted the ship pink in homage to the one he had back on the Planet.
Leon and Cloud made the trek in relative silence as they usually did, both sets of blue - greyish, and bright as hell, respectively - eyes peeled for signs of Heartless that may be prowling the streets. Cloud's gaze, though, had a nasty tendency of straying away from the streets as he dropped back ever so slightly, watching Leon taking hard strides on the cobblestone in the tight pants the blonde was slowly obsessing about.
[Please get back soon, Seph… ass… really nice… ass…]
"Why are you walking so slow?" the older man asked, knitting his eyebrows.
Cloud blinked and jogged forward, not realizing he had simply stopped and stared as Leon waggled away. Scratching the corner of his eye with a finger, Cloud shrugged. "I'm tired." Squall looked skeptical but accepted the answer anyway.
"There's something I wanted to talk to you about," Leon said, nearing Cid's Gummi Garage.
[Really, now?] "What's up?"
The brunette clicked his tongue, tapping the flat edge of his gunblade on his shoulder. "I wanted to know if you want to join up with me in an upcoming tournament at the Coliseum."
Cloud tilted his head. "Why is that?"
"I was thinking… if I couldn't beat Sora on my own, and if I couldn't do it with Yuffie's help… if you happen to lose to him when you fight him tomorrow… maybe if you and I do it together…"
[I'd do it with you any day, Leon.]
"Fuck, I gotta beat the kid one of these days," Leon smirked, an eyebrow raised, oblivious to his companions train of deteriorating thought.
The blonde shrugged. "I guess." And abruptly, Cloud's eyes went impossibly wide as the other man actually… smiled.
"Great." He opened the door to Cid's garage, greeted only with the clanking sound of metal followed by a typical stream of curses. The two walked to the back of the shop to find the pilot hunched over a mutilated Flare-G, nursing a greasy thumb in his mouth.
"No fuckin' good piece of fuckin' shit engines," the oldest man muttered, rapping the side sharply with a wrench, and looked up in acknowledgement when Cloud cleared his throat. "Well, if it ain't the pretty-boys. Didn't think ya'd want to come back here, might make yer fuckin' skirts all grubby." Leon rolled his eyes.
"Gods, you're awfully nasty today, Cid," Cloud grumbled.
"You would be, too, if you were me. That fuckin' bitch in the General Store won't fuckin' sell me any goddamn cigarettes, and I'm outta fuckin' tea," the blonde pilot muttered. "And this fuckin' piece of shit!!" Cid stood up and kicked the Flare-G hard, toppling it over, where the engine nearly crushed his foot.
Leon crossed his arms, looking down at the gruff old man. "I guess this is a bad time to ask about borrowing a Gummi?" Cid glared at the brunette momentarily before snapping his fingers.
"Buy me some tea and cigs and I'll let ya keep the goddamn thing."
The gunblade master raised an eyebrow. "That easy?"
[Never thought I'd say this…] "Don't blow it, Leon," Cloud grumbled, shoving the taller man towards the door. "We'll get them for you, Cid."
"Hurry the fuck up," came the reply as the pilot kicked the Flare-G again, denting a side.
Cloud sighed as they left the garage and tossed his head back, frustrated, and the brunette followed closely behind him, belt buckles clanking loudly together. "This sucks," the blonde muttered, grumpily.
"What's wrong with you?" Leon asked, making a face as he looked down at the relatively tiny blonde. Cloud shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets.
"Everything."
A brown eyebrow lowered. "Everything?"
Cloud sighed and dropped his head onto his chest, frowning deeper. "That's what I said."
He pulled the door to the General Store open, prompting a bell dangling above to jingle, to which Cloud cringed. The bell's sound was far too tinny, and produced a rather ugly sound. Frankly, he would've rather been greeted by a horde of Chocobos instead of that.
The shopkeeper trotted from behind a curtain to the back room, smiling cheerily at the two young men. "Hello!" she said, her tone overly friendly. "How can I help you gentlemen today?"
Cloud's eyes absently darted to rack containing bottles of lube and condoms before he shook his head, blushing. "Pack of cigarettes, please."
The grey-haired woman frowned, arms folding on her ample bosom. "For you, or for that disgusting Highwind?" she asked, her earlier cheer gone in mere seconds upon hearing the - healthy-looking - blond's request.
Leon stepped forward, raising his hand. "For me." He turned to walk down one of the aisles before grabbing a bag of tealeaves, tossing it onto the counter. "That too."
"…alright." She grabbed a pack of cigarettes from behind the counter, the picture of a smoking donkey printed on the front. "That'll be 25 munny, Mr. Leonhart."
The blonde blinked, shocked at the exorbitant amount of munny for a simple pack of cigarettes and some tea, but he didn't question as Leon handed the shopkeeper what she asked for, however. Her fixed gaze was on Cloud and was giving him the creeps.
Cloud quickly grabbed the items and started out the door.
"Tell Cid he must apologize before I sell him those provisions again," the woman said curtly, giving the men a short nod before retreating to the back room. Cloud and Squall exchanged glances before shrugging, walking briskly back to the grumpy pilot's.
Cid was still cursing the faulty engine when the two men strode in the room, throwing their purchases at the older man and telling him what the shopkeeper said. "Took ya fuckin' long enough," he grunted before tearing into the cigarettes, popping one into his mouth. His demeanor immediately softened as he lit it, taking a deep drag with a contented sigh.
"Thanks," the pilot said after the initial puffs were taken, nicotine cravings softened.
"What did you do to that woman?" Leon asked, watching Cid as he proceeded to suck down half the cigarette in five seconds.
The oldest man glared at him. "Don't fuckin' worry about that." Leon held up his hands in concession.
"Which ship can we take?" Cloud ventured slowly after their little episode, praying for anything but the Tiny Bronco.
Cid thought a moment before replying. "The Tiny Bronco." The mercenary scowled. "And ya fuck 'er up, I'll kill ya."
"Should I laugh or be scared at that?" Cloud asked, only half-joking. The pilot actually would do something as crazy as that if anyone hurt his 'baby', he knew it.
Cid raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Yer a smart kid, Spikey, figure it out." He narrowed his eyes as his face turned stony. "Pretty-boy number one's drivin', right?"
Cloud blinked, jerking a thumb towards Leon and a questioning gaze at Cid.
"Yeah, Spike. Gods, the past year really fucked with yer head, huh?"
"What?"
"Ya weren't usually this stupid," the older blonde said with a harsh laugh, followed by a smoke-filled cough. The two other men grimaced as Cid went on to hack hard enough to bring up a blackened lung. When his breathing was back under control, Cid grabbed a new cigarette and shoved it into his lips.
"Y'all goin' to Olympus?"
Cloud threw his hands up into the air, exasperated. "Gods, did everyone know about this but me?"
"Pretty much," Leon replied smoothly, shrugging. The blonde made a face and grunted.
"When're y'all leavin'?" Cid asked, wiping at his nose with a thumb. He seemed to have set his difficulties with the Flare-G aside for the time being, getting up to tinker with a Meteor-G which was tossed haphazardly on a worktable, parts strewn both on the table and on the floor.
[What a slob… just like his real home…] "Um…"
"As soon as possible," Leon cut in, "tonight, if Cloud's ready." The blonde blinked.
"I guess tonight would work… I don't really have a whole lot to pa—"
"Alright, keys're in the 'pit," the pilot interrupted, "and I'm serious when I say don't fuck around with 'er." Cid brought his eyebrows together, holding up a small piece of the laser in the light, and muttered, "the fuck is this?" The oldest one made a quick, disturbed face and shrugged, carelessly throwing the piece over his shoulder before he looked up at the other two men.
"Why the fuck you still here? Go."
Cloud shot Cid a confused, sidelong glance. "Bye, then." The pilot waved dismissively.
"Yeah, don't fuckin' die."
The two younger men left and quickly went back to Leon's, where Cloud packed a few necessities - a simple pair of pants to sleep in, boxers, his SOLDIER turtleneck, and a few random belts he hadn't bothered to put on when he woke.
After the blonde and Leon were all packed, they left for Yuffie's to say their goodbyes, and the girls escorted them to the Tiny Bronco.
"Cloud," Aerith started as he threw his pack into the Gummi, "I have something for you."
Cloud tilted his head, eyebrow raised, as he watched the pink-clad girl smile and pull something from her pocket.
"It's a keychain I keep on me… it's my good luck charm."
"Oh… thanks, Aerith," he said as she put a little, gunmetal-dark keychain in his hand, closing his fingers over it to make a fist. She nodded and smiled before giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.
The blonde backed away chuckled as he opened his hand, surprised to find a little metal Chocobo figurine staring back at him from the bed of his palm.
"I know it's a silly thing," she said, shaking her head, "but I just… wanted you to take it." Her emerald eyes twinkled as she added, "I don't think I need it anymore."
Yuffie balled her hands and placed them on her hips, shooting Leon a death glare. "You better not expect anything from me, Squall."
"Leon." He looked at the blonde, gesturing towards the Tiny Bronco. "Ready?"
Cloud nodded, then turned and bowed politely to the two girls, placing the little Chocobo in his pocket. Leon's lips quirked into a quick, small smile at the blonde's back. He shook his head and blinked, placing a palm to his forehead as if he was losing his mind.
Leon's cold blue eyes made their way towards Cloud again, then over to the teenage ninja. He bit his bottom lip, shifting his weight nervously before Leon let out a grunt and, after a short deliberation, grabbed Yuffie roughly by the shoulders, pulling her into a chaste - but convincing - kiss on the lips.
The blonde's eyes went wide as he watched, shocked beyond words. After all, Leon barely seemed to tolerate Yuffie, let alone like her…
When the ex-SeeD stopped, he pushed the girl away, hard, and quickly started for the Gummi ship. "Come on," Leon barked as he grumpily boarded the ship.
The former materia thief's jaw dropped as she turned to stare blankly at an equally surprised, gaping, Cloud. "…well… that was unexpected…"
Cloud looked from Yuffie to Aerith - whose eyes held a little sparkle of hope for her own parting kiss - and shrugged as he gave the girls a short wave of his claw. "See you two after the tournament."
The blonde just disregarded the small look of disappointment in the flower girl's eyes and made his way for the Tiny Bronco.
"Good luck!" Yuffie squealed, bouncing as the two departed. Aerith's lips pulled into a thin smile.
"Yes, good luck."
----------------------
A/N: Revised on 5/11/04, added 1200 words… and god, Ansem's so fuckin' creepy…
That Sephiroth/Guardian fight scene wouldn't let me sleep 'til it came out. It was seriously driving me insane. ::eye twitches::
Also… uh, for those of you who haven't played FFVII: I apologize for adding Zack into the story. .
To those who have and know who I'm talking about: the inclusion of him in this fic will make sense eventually, 'kay? Plus, a little comic relief is never a bad thing, right? ;
…besides… Seph saying random shit way OOC and getting weird stares from that freak Ansem? Priceless.