It was a bright summer morning. The silver haired, orange-eyed nine-year-old sat in the grass as usual, reading his book. The breeze made Ansem's hair move constantly, like a river.
A shadow slowly moved over the pages of the book that the boy was reading to the point where he couldn't read the words at all. Annoyed, Ansem lifted his head up and shot a glare at the caster of the shadow.
An eight-year-old little girl stood in front of him. She had shoulder length silver hair, and the most dazzling cerulean eyes. Her skin was tanned, but not as dark as Ansem's. She wore a black turtleneck sweater, despite the warmth, and black silk pants.
"What do you want," Ansem asked hotly.
The little girl smirked. For being so little, her smirk was already a seductive one. It didn't affect Ansem however.
"Nothing," The girl said. "My name is Riyoji."
"Riyoji what."
"Oh, I forgot. Princes need to have the full names of people who kindly introduce themselves."
"Yes, we do."
"My name is Riyoji Jeremishou. Richest woman in Nia. Probably all of Gaia, too."
Ansem scowled. He loathed the Jeremishou family. They were rich and acted so high and mighty.
"Your not a woman," He corrected her, "and my name is Prince Ansem."
"But Ansem's your first name," Riyoji said, ignoring Ansem's comment.
"Fine then. Prince Tenrai."
"Better," Riyoji said, sitting beside Ansem. "What are you reading?"
"None of your busin–"
But Riyoji had already swiped the book and was now examining it. Then she laughed. "A prince!" She exclaimed. "A prince, reading a fairy tale book!"
"Hey, give that back!!"
Riyoji smirked and handed it back. "You're a bit disconnected with reality, aren't you?"
Ansem sulked. He watched Riyoji pick at the grass.
"Your father wants to see you," She finally said.
"Well he can wait."
"He said right away."
"And?"
Riyoji rolled her eyes. "Disobeying your father is one thing, but disobeying a king? Not even I'll do that." She pulled out a long staff with rubies embedded into it all over. "This is such a lovely item. How much do you think I could get for this?"
Ansem blinked. "But that was in my room! How the heck did you get it?"
"I have my ways. And that's not the only thing I took."
Ansem's eyes narrowed.
* * *
The King of Nia, Ansem's father, stood with a sword. He had knocked Ansem to the floor with a powerful punch to his son's jaw.
Ansem sat up and glared up at his father. The two were almost complete opposites.
At least I don't look like him. But Shenter does…
Shenter had the king's long, flowing black hair, the lightly tanned skin, and the thin eyebrows that knitted together when he thought too hard. He didn't inherit the king's muscular body or broad chest. Nor the pale blue eyes.
Shenter was thin and 6'4". The king was 6'2". Shenter's arms were strong, but no muscles could be seen. His chest had broadened slightly, but not all that much. Unfortunately for Ansem, he himself inherited his father's body.
"You are such a failure!" The king spat.
Shenter, eighteen, stood well hidden in the darkness of the doorway.
"How could you refuse to kill her!?"
Ansem forced himself to stand. The nine-year-old growled. "It's not like she did anything wrong!"
"She stole the kingdom's Ruby of Chaos!"
"And? It's your fault! You're the one that left in unprotected!"
"And you're the one that caught her! But you let her get away!" He kicked Ansem, who fell, and landed on his stomach. The King took the sword and pressed it into Ansem's flesh, into his left shoulder. Then the sword was dragged down in a messy zigzag pattern, down to Ansem's right hip. The cut stopped at his waistline.
"Ansem!!"
The king and Ansem looked at Shenter.
"What are you doing here, Shenter. You know you're not part of this royal family."
Shenter walked over to Ansem who was laying in his own pool of blood. "I should be. But I'd rather Ansem be ruler. What makes you think you have the right to treat Ansem like that? He's not a black-hearted demon like you, King Ashram."
"He's failed at the only task I put upon him."
Shenter picked up his younger brother. "I'll have you dethroned by tomorrow, King Ashram. I have so much information that I could 'accidently' leak out. Then Ansem will be crowned King."
Ansem, who refused to let a single tear leave his eyes, shuddered. "When I'm King…" He began in a quiet, strained voice, "I won't be King of Nia. I'll be the King of Hollow Bastion. The world that I've been working on since I was five. The palace is finished. I'll start on the houses…"
Shenter looked down at his brother. "And I'll help you. As soon as King Ashram is dethroned. Lede will be Queen, but at least it won't be Ashram."
* * *
Ansem was now standing, staring blankly into the darkness within the cloaks. Riyoji Jeremishou…That woman who gave me my scar on my back. It's her fault…
He blinked. When did I stand?
The tallest cloaked figure advanced upon Ansem. He stood there, rooted to spot.
"Even though they're right here, or at least a few of them…"
Ansem slowly looked at Shenter.
"We still can't reveal any information to you."
The tallest cloaked man lifted its arm, the sleeve falling back as a green, scaley arm rose. A gnarled finger with a long, dirty black nail, touched Ansem's forehead. Images flashed through Ansem's mind in a rush.
That woman, Riyoji again. She was wearing a wine colored dress.
Another image, too fast. It was only a blur. Something black with two green glowing circles.
Two huge mountains. Two paths.
A puddle of blood in the dirt.
An image of a diamond embedded sword.
Riyoji, dragging a cloacked figure off.
An empty jail cell.
A man. His throat was soon slit.
A ballroom. People were slow dancing.
A bright white light.
Ansem opened his eyes. A feeling of dread overcame him. He wasn't in the dining room anymore. He was laying on his bed. Pure fear coursed through him. He was tired, completely drained of energy, but afraid to sleep. Would those images return? He pulled the silk blankets around him protectively. His rapid breathing slowed after a while.
"How long was I out?" He asked the ceiling. "And when did I pass out…?"
"You didn't pass out," A cheerful voice said. "You fainted."
"Wha–!?" Ansem narrowed his eyes and glared at the speaker. Sephiroth stood beside the bed, grinning. Ansem mentally kicked himself for not noticing the man earlier.
"So what did you see there, Ansem?"
"King Ansem," Ansem corrected, his voice thick with venom.
Sephiroth yawned boredly, showing his abnormally long canines.
"And what are you, a vampire?"
Sephiroth blinked and looked at Ansem's sudden hostility. He shifted slightly. "No, of course not. If I was a vampire, I'd have drained you by now. You were just laying there for two hours after all." He said airily. He scratched the bridge of his nose and watched Ansem glare at him.
"You weren't expecting them to use words to tell you, right?"
Ansem's eye was twitching violently in his rage.
Sephiroth snickered. "You were?"
Sephiroth found his game was getting boring fast. "Cat got your tounge?" He waited for an answer, but got none. He walked out moodily.
Ansem growled. "Just who does he think he is!?" He grabbed the nearest thing he could and threw it at the door that just closed.
Ansem watched the crystal explode upon impact with the door. "DAMMIT!"
* * *
Sephiroth was sleeping peacefully underneath his cocoon of silk. He and Ansem needed their rest. They were to be leaving for Gaia in the morning. Around his neck was now a silver chain necklace. Small rubies, diamonds, and saphires where embedded into each chain.
As time slowly crept by, Sephiroth fell into a deeper sleep. He was a light sleeper, but in this bed, it just seemed as if he was dead. If this simple guestroom bed was this comfortable, how comfortable would Ansem's be?
The blankets were slowly removed from his loose grasp, and pulled down to his waist.
* * *
Sephiroth yawned and stretched. Cracking open his eyes slightly, he found his face was buried in the silk. He reluctantly sat up and looked around. There was something wrong. He yawned and rubbed his neck–which was now bare.
"What the hell? I didn't take it off…What happened to it?"
Annoyed, he got out of bed and dressed himself. He trudged down stairs and into the dining room. Ansem was already there, poking his food with a fork.
"Are you sure this is edible?" Ansem asked, looking up at Shenter.
"It may look disgusting," Shenter said, grinning, "but it'll make you grow up into a big strong boy!" And then Shenter returned to his normal mysterious self. "It'll make you healthy, keep you healthy, and you'll feel better. But you have to eat it. It can't do anything just sitting there."
"It can go in the garbage," Ansem said, sulkingly.
Shenter rolled his blue-black eyes. "Don't make me shove it down your throat because I will."
Sephiroth walked over and looked at the goop. It was bubbling and black with red streaks. "What's that?" He asked, fingering the crystal bowl's rim.
"This is what your brain looks like."
And it was then Shenter realized that Sephiroth and Ansem were completely different. He started to doubt their capability at succeeding. He shook his head and sat down, saphires clinking together.