Double update! Courtesy of my not-updating last weekend courtesy of Otakon. Woo! I'm almost done! Just this, and two more chapters after this! Holy crap! XD Wow… it doesn't seem like I've posted eleven chapters already… I guess that's what happens when you update once a week or thereabouts. There might be a side story and a sequel for this. But the side story will be presented as chapter fourteen. It'll be long. If I post it. I might not. I'll keep you guessing, shall I? Hehehe… I got a demo disc with the Advent Children trailer on it, and I saw it a dozen times when I first stuck it in… XD I have now seen it close to thirty times.

ooo

The months passed quickly. Sephiroth showed up more and more, and Ansem had taken to locking the library doors when he showed up so I couldn't get in. Once or twice, I saw Sephiroth carrying long sheets of paper, tightly rolled.

Ansem and I remained as close as ever. Frequently, we went down to the falls and simply sat together, never saying a word, just enjoying the fact that the other was there. Whatever he and Sephiroth had planned for me, I didn't care. I realize now that I should have.

One night, we were out at the Falls as usual, when Ansem had looked up at the sky.

"Shin no Hoshi, (1)" he muttered. "Damn."

I looked at him curiously. He smiled and shook his head. He said nothing more about the stars or anything, and neither did I.

The next day was the singular worst day of my life. The day everything came crashing down my ears, and I lost the single most important thing in my life.

That day, I was lying on my bed reading a book. Ansem came in, looking unexpectedly grim, and doing his level best to hide it.

"Lokii," he said, "come with me."

I set down my book, and followed him. He was moving quite fast, and I had trouble keeping up.

"Ansem, slow down!" I said loudly. He stopped abruptly, and I ran into him. He whirled around, and kissed me on the mouth. He pulled away, and continued walking, though his pace had slowed up.

He led the way to a room I'd never seen before. This room was stark white and empty, except for a chair in the middle of the room with chains hanging from the arms. A window was visible near the ceiling, but I could tell it didn't show the outside.

"Ansem, what…?" I started, but Ansem ignored me. Finally, we drew level with the chair. Ansem whipped around, and shoved me into the chair. The chains shot up and bound me to the chair. "What the hell?" I cried, struggling. Ansem teleported into the space behind the window.

"Stop struggling!"

I recognized the voice as Sephiroth's, and saw him also behind the window.

"You won't break those chains. So your efforts are wasted," he said scornfully. Ansem remained silent.

"What are you planning to do?" I snarled.

"Why, steal your heart, of course!" Sephiroth said, as though this were the most obvious thing in the world.

"What? But…"

"Nothing more than a clever illusion. Though, you fell for it anyway," Sephiroth sneered. He laughed then. "Ansem played his part very well indeed!"

"What!" I cried. I looked at Ansem. He was staring fixedly at the walls. "You mean…"

Sephiroth laughed again. "You mean you honestly thought he loved you? A scrawny little shit like you?" he said incredulously. "Oh, brilliant! Bloody brilliant! Ansem, you are without doubt the best actor I've met!"

I felt hot tears spring to my eyes. "So it was all… a lie?" I said softly. I looked down. "How could you…? HOW COULD YOU!" I shouted, looking at Ansem again. "How could you toy with my emotions like that!"

I couldn't bear it. I felt as though I would be torn in two. I stared up at Ansem, the man I had loved so much, and the only man I ever would love. I started sobbing as I'd never sobbed before. Through a haze of tears, I saw Ansem still staring at the walls, and Sephiroth looking at me, scorn curling his upper lip.

"Do you think he cares about your emotions?" he snapped. "You are sadly mistaken. It was all an act, even that little episode in the world of darkness. Idiot." He pressed a button, and a door on the wall slid open, admitting a Heartless I belatedly recognized as an Invisible into the room. It was toting its giant sword.

"Ansem, would you like the honor of giving the order?" Sephiroth asked. Ansem raised his hand, then let it fall.

"I can't," he whispered. "I'm sorry Sephiroth, but I just… can't."

"Fine," Sephiroth snarled. "Now!"

The Heartless moved forward. I shut my eyes tight, hearing a crashing of glass. The Invisible lifted its sword, and plunged it…

…Right into Ansem's back.

"What!" Sephiroth said, slamming his fist on the wall. "Impossible!"

Ansem had jumped through the window and moved in front of the Heartless just as it was about to cut out my heart. He was cut by numerous shards of glass, but these were nothing compared to the awful wound in his back. The Heartless pulled its sword out, surprised, and disappeared.

"Lokii… I couldn't let him… couldn't let him kill you," Ansem gasped. He slumped forward. I strained hard on the chains, and finally they gave way. I leapt forward and caught Ansem.

His eyes opened halfway. "Lokii… no matter what… always remember… I love you. No matter… what Sephiroth says…. I love you." His body convulsed, then he spoke again, a trickle of blood twisting down from the corner of his mouth. "It's true…I was acting at first… but then… I don't know when… but sometime… I truly started… to love you…. No one… can change that. Love you forever."

"Love you always," I whispered. Ansem smiled weakly, and his hand reached up to touch my face. The tips of his fingers brushed my cheek. Then it fell. His eyes closed, and his head rolled to one side. "Ansem? Ansem!" I cried. I shook him, but he didn't move.

I knew then that he was dead.

My tears fell onto his lifeless body. I clutched him tightly, sobbing hard.

I don't know when Sephiroth left, and I didn't care one whit.

All I knew was that Ansem, the only man I had ever loved, was gone forever.

A/N: O.O;; Mein Gott! I killed him! Oh no! Ack! And Sephy-kun's evil! Eeee! (Runs amok until a muse smacks her in the head)

Heh heh… oops. My bad. Er… oh dear. I should probably run. I'll leave the muses to do the Author's Notes. Auf Wiedersehen! (Heads for the hills)

Siegfried (muse responsible for Jareth's appearance and other things music-influenced): So… what the hell are we supposed to do?

Andante (muse responsible for this whole fic): Dunno.

Mirath (muse responsible for the tragic bits): Well… we could sing the "Funbox" song. Since, y'know, the inside of Fenrir's head is kinda like the Funbox….

All muses: "Funbox, oh Funbox! Small and square and dark! Funbox, oh Funbox! Check out these cool Funlocks, YAY!"

(From a faraway hilltop) Good lord, they're singing the "Funbox" song. I leave them to do the Author's Notes, and what do they do? They sing the "Funbox" song. I've gotta get me some new muses.

(1) The star of death. I forget if that's the real name or not, but translating "Shin no Hoshi" roughly means star of death anyway, so it's all good. Sorta. Legend says that it's a star shadowing a star in the Big Dipper. If you see it, your death is imminent, and there's no way for you to avoid it. So legend says. I doubt it's true, but I'm still never looking at the Big Dipper again! X3 Erm… imminent can be next day, right? BTW, I'm starting an AnsemRiku C2, so if you wanna be a staff member, leave a review on my fic "Misbegotten." M'kay?