Memories of Darkness

by Prodigious Techie

Disclaimer on Chapter Three, you should know by now. I don't own this song in the chapter, it's by Savage Garden.

This chapter is TWO MONTHS LATE : ( Sorry...almost complete though This chapter, another, and then an epilogue to go. Total10 chapters. Once again this is especially dedicated to AshiraMitsune. I know OriginalxOC fics are disapproved of but hey it's my fic, I write what I want. Ashley/Ashchan are obviously the same person.

Warning: Random things ensue. Oh, and no more lemon-writing. Just so you guys know.

Eighth Life I knew I loved you...

A few months later...

I dropped by my house (it is STILL my house even though I moved out...half of my stuff is still there) that Ashchan and Tidus were currently occupying for themselves. I had the key, so I went over to visit this morning. Our boyfriends weren't around with us, but we were doing just fine without them for now. We sat in the living room over a few cups of coffee. I'm not always here at my house, always spending time at Sephiroth's. "I'm here for once," I say, sighing that it's a girls' morning out. Probably 11:30 AM right now. "What's up Claire?" Ashley asked, smiling. We haven't seen each other for weeks but we keep up talking on the phone, or online. "Nothing, and how've you been?" "Ha I feel so badass today!" she smirked. I smiled. "You're not the only one," I declared. "I got a new job today, that I deserve a victory screw with Sephy!" I giggled. "Don't you get enough screws on the first night?" asked Ashley. "No, you get more than me," I replied. Of course I do, she thought in her head. We're friends, we're competitive about sex, we live it, we love it.

"So did you have fun with Tidus already?" I asked. Lady Tidus across from me blushed, "'Course I did. How 'bout you with Sephy?" she grinned. "Oh, I only could get him once, which was last night. I haven't seen him around this morning, since I've been working." Ashley chuckled at my remark. "Hey we don't compete!" I retorted. Too bad Ashchan was off in her own world. "Hmm...come to think of it I get screwed more than once in one day." She winked...damnit I've come to realize we seem like sluts. I inwardly flinched. "Of course our boys deserve it too, don't they?" I asked. "Yup yup, and we are more in need of deserving don't we? We work hard for our boys!" Ashchan said. "Of course!" I agreed.

"So what have Sephy and Tidus been doing while we've been busy chatting? I don't see Tidus much before bedtime," wondered Ashchan. "Tidus ran off today...I don't know where he's gone. I miss him." She started to tear up as she said that a bit. "Aww," I cooed. "Oh wait...Sephy placed a tracking device on him cuz he knew Tidus'd be doing something weird today." I handed her a portable mini screen that's satellite-connected to the tracker. "I guess he was at the hentai con?" thought Ashchan. Not damn likely. She saw a dot that was three blocks away from the house, and yelled, "Damn, 3 blocks is THE STRIP CLUB!" She ran out of the house angrily and down to the pub. "Go Ashley go!" I cheered on. As Ashley got to the strip club...she saw her man in black belts and tight pants, and took a seat. "Whoohoo nevermind, go go go go!" Secured to Ashchan's waist and mine were walkietalkie-ish devices but not really. I ended up hearing her cheering, and my jaw dropped at that remark. Ashley watched as she saw Tidus go by a dancing pole, still cheering that "Go, go." Tidus lashed his whip and licked it. Gawd...thought Ashchan. I said into the device at my hip, "I think you either better go kick his ass or take that whip and whip him, give 'em a good show." I suggested. "Oh I'm gonna give a good show, all right," the voice on the other line giggled. I heard whips cracking and Tidus' unmistakable voice gasping. I thought, Whoa, go Ashley.

A strong pair of arms wrapped around me, as silver hair cascaded over my own arms. "Sephiroth," I breathed. I leaned back and kissed my boyfriend. We heard another whip crack and a different gasp. Ashley. "So, they're really giving a good show, hmm?" Sephy asked as he kissed me. "I think so." Somehow we got upstairs into my room (remember, this is my regular house, not Sephiroth's). I kissed him back, which led to undressing of clothes.

I stared at the ceiling, my head laying on his chest. He and I were breathing the same, slow pace. We just lay there for how long, it seemed like hours. I wanted to lock this moment up forever. Later, the two of us left, and I locked the door because Tidus and Ashley weren't home yet. Greaaat. "What time is it?" I asked. "2:30," Sephiroth said, glancing at his watch. "Still a good day," I sighed. "So where do you wanna go?" I glanced up, I had been expecting to go home. Sephy seemed to read my mind. "Well it's just a good day to get out, don't you think?" "I-I guess so." "So where do you want to go?" "Anywhere." We hopped into our car, and drove off. I didn't really care.

Maybe it's intuition
But some things you just don't question
Like in your eyes
I see my future in an instant
and there it goes
I think I've found my best friend
I know that it might sound more than
a little crazy but I believe

We arrived at the harbor. I blinked and got my head off the headrest. I'd been half asleep. "Why here?" "Don't you want to just get out sometimes, love?" "Don't answer my question with a question." I said drowsily. Need coffee, badly. Sugar too. Sephiroth wrapped his arms around my waist, just like earlier. "Mm...what're you thinking, love?" "Need something to eat," I implied, my stomach growling. Sephy chuckled. "So...lunch?" he looked towards a direction of a nice outdoor cafe. I'm probably getting deja vu, but we sat down and ordered our food. I had coffee, he had a strawberry smoothie, and we both ordered the seafood platter to share. "I want to tell you something later, Claire, my dear. You must know." he said. "Oh?" I replied, he caught my attention. "You'll find out later. Just not right now."

I knew I loved you before I met you
I think I dreamed you into life
I knew I loved you before I met you
I have been waiting all my life

I wanted to know what he meant. Our lunch was a quiet one, save that for the people milling about and the call of the sea. We finished, and headed back for his house on the other side of the sea. Sephy suggested I take a rest for a while, as he goes to "finish up some work" he says. So I take the offer. I've been rather tired lately. I wandered around the halls until I found an empty room. Actually the rooms were all empty, we lived here by ourselves of course, but I meant I've never seen this room before. It looked so inviting, large, white, with a sweeping view of the sea. There was a big, soft bed in the middle of the room, and I couldn't help but jump right onto it. So inviting...I thought, as I faced the sea and almost drifted into a world of sleep. Almost. "I've been sleeping too much lately...should be doing something other than this," I said to myself. I looked around the room and hopped myself off the bed. Pure white everywhere. "What does he do with all these rooms?" I shook my head and wandered around. As much as I liked the view of the sea, I thought it was time to leave the room.

Wandering around someplace later, I found Sephiroth's office--of course, he said he was finishing up some work, and I found him on his computer. "Hey, lovely" he said. "Hi," I smiled. "What are you doing there?" I asked. "I told you, just some work. You don't really need to know." he replied and smiled back. "O-okay, then I'll talk to you later." I closed the door. I sighed. Wasn't upset or anything, just bored. Seriously, this house is too quiet with just two people living in it. And Sephy's been living by himself before I came into his life! What a wonder...

Anyway I decided to go outside, actually I went out back, cliffside but there were rocks blocking me off from falling. Smart. I spent some time by myself wondering how did I get this far, did I just whore myself out or what? ((Yes.)) There's a part of me that wishes I could take back everything that happened in the last year, me spraining my ankle and everything. What would happen then? I'd be a single girl, yes, I wouldn't be a supposed mother-to-be. No I'm not pregnant. I giggle to myself as I think about this. "If life were like that again." I leaned back and lay my head on the ground. The sky was white, just a light drizzle of rain. Something just REALLY wanted me to get out of there, but I couldn't. I wanted to leave, and yet I didn't want to leave. It started to rain hard. I wanted to stay a few minutes I just headed back inside. Sephiroth found me. Around this time, I was halfway soaked ((cuz of the rain, perverts.)) and shivering. Sephy handed me a towel and I gladly took it.

And then...

"Honey, we need to talk."

There's just no rhyme or reason
only this sense of completion
and in your eyes
I see the missing pieces
I'm searching for
I think I found my way home
I know that it might sound more than
a little crazy but I believe

That was him. I thought we were going to break up! You know my current split mood, I was fighting in my mind. "YES!" "NO!" My eyes widened. He led me to the living room and it was dimly lit with some candles around. Fireplace? Check. Sephy in a suit, what the hell? Check. Me? Check.

"Whaaaat exactly is going on here, sweetie?" I asked. He got down on one knee.

"Will you marry me?"

Do you know what I said?

I knew I loved you before I met you
I think I dreamed you into life
I knew I loved you before I met you
I have been waiting all my life

I said yes.

He smiled. I fell into his arms and we were both kneeling on the ground, kissing, embracing. We cried.

A thousand angels dance around you
I am complete now that I found you