Darkness Rising
By Chibi Nataku
Disclaimer: In no way do I hold claim over any of the characters of Kingdom Hearts, who are currently owned by Square. Despite my attempts to grab hold of even a cardboard cut-out of my favourite characters, my efforts have fallen short so they will probably always remain under rights of Square (the world is so unfair :P)
Chapter 7 - Shadows of Truth
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Sephiroth stood silently, contemplating how long it had been since he had last been to his home planet. As far as he could tell, it had been at least ten years since his death in this place, and it really had not changed much in appearance. He remained unimpressed with the fact that nothing seemed out of place, except for the fact that there were no actual people wandering the once populated palace. His gaze took in all the details of his home with a single glance.
He chuckled softly as he thought about how Hades had fallen for his little lie about going to destroy a planet, though his laughter was silenced as he recalled how long it actually took him to find Hollow Bastion's location amoung the stars. He had been forced to research in the endless scrolls that Hades kept, based on a lie that he wanted to find out what he would be going up against on a certain planet. He wasn't entirely sure that Hades fell for it completely, just enough to allow him freedom to do as he pleased. He had remained looking around for Hollow Bastion's location for the better part of a night, only moving from his studies when he heard laughter in regards to his property; obviously Cloud's little escapade to Traverse Town has landed the blonde into a little bit of trouble. Yet, he forced himself to remain at his post shifting through the endless wall of rolled up paper instead of going to check on his canary. He determined that once he found Hollow Bastion and the miserable report, he would have plenty of time to check on Cloud's health and much more.
So, he had found Hollow Bastion's location in an obscure scroll and now stood looking around in his old home, a place he never thought that he would get a chance to return to alone. However, now that he was here, he could accomplish many of the activities that had been swirling around in his mind, like finding out more about Cloud's history, how to absorb the planet's energy to be the sole protector of his property, and now to find the report by Ansem. The latter wouldn't be too much of a problem considering he knew every Ansem hid experimental items and especially books; his lord wasn't that smart, despite what people said about him. No, the harder parts of his little mission would be to find a way to draw in the life energy of the planet and to find out more secrets about Cloud Strife, a man with more secrets than hair on his spiky blonde head. Of course, digging up secrets to use against Cloud would be much more difficult now that there were no people living on Hollow Bastion, and he had never been able to dig up a diary or writings, aside from reports, that either Cloud had written or someone who actually knew him. He wondered if there were any people that had actually seen the blonde behind all the masks and walls.
Still, he began to wander towards the library, smiling as his boots clicked on the stone beneath his feet as he walked and the doors creaked under his touch. He stepped into the main hall, shaking his head to find that everything had been left the way it should be, almost too perfectly so. He remembered quite distinctly finger painting with blood in this room and killing indiscriminately anyone who entered his path. Really, the room had improved considerably since he had last been in it, as if someone had taken the time to clean up his little games, and he seriously doubted it was Cloud. This could only mean that there was something still here with more intelligence than a normal Heartless. He could use this to his advantage depending on who remained behind.
He silently took to the steps, stalking up as he had done many times in the past, only to stop when he heard a soft chuckling that seemed to echo around the room so that an occupant could no pin-point the owner's location. His glowing gaze shifted around the room and his hand settled on his sword hilt as Heartless began to climb from the floors, walls and even the roof. He sighed in annoyance and swept his long silver hair over his shoulder, rolling his eyes when all the small black creatures surrounded him. He noted that they did not attack him and listened for the laughter again, quickly locating it to be nearby. He crossed his arms as he turned to regard the top of the stairs, expression sourly as his gaze fell on the very man whose report he was looking for. "Ansem..."
Sephiroth shifted his weight and let an arm settled over Masamune's hilt as he regarded the former ruler of Hollow Bastion. He quirked an eyebrow to find that Ansem was wrapped in a bland black cloak, only the zipper and the strings hanging from the hood defining features. The large hood of the cloak was pulled back, revealing a face four years older than his own. Ansem's exposed features had not aged, the same tanned skin and manipulative golden eyes staring back at him, though he noted that the older man did not appear quite right. Ansem's exposed features held an odd light to them, as if it were only the cloak that was really there in front of him and the older man was only filling the space where a body should be. He could sense nothing from Ansem as one could with a fully functioning human being, meaning that the older man had learned some new tricks or Ansem was a mere spirit wandering about.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't my bastard brother descending from the world of living...and here I thought you were dead. Obviously, you must have a good mouth on you to get yourself out of that one." Ansem crossed his own arms and regarded his younger sibling with some amusement. He never dreamed that Sephiroth would return without his other General hooked over one shoulder after all the events leading up to the fall of his planet. He shook his head in amusement and hopped up to sit in midair. "I take it that you are here to either give up your body to me or to finish up a bizarre plot to grab General Strife again." He scrutinized his sibling and smirked. "You can just give up your body now and save me the effort."
Sephiroth snorted, lifted a hand in the air and summoned forth pillars of fire around him. He enjoyed the kiss of the heat against his skin before allowing the flames to fade away, not very surprised that Ansem remained pleasantly seated watching him, though all the Heartless around him were destroyed. "Out of my way, Ansem. I have better things to do with my time than visit with you."
Ansem chuckled softly. "So, you are after General Strife then. I thought as much." He watched Sephiroth walk past him and floated beside his younger sibling, smirking when Sephiroth attempted to hit him. He watched as his brother's hand passed through his form. "Sorry, can't hit what doesn't have a body, my dear brother." He smirked when Sephiroth stopped to regard him, leaning his chin on one of his hands as if waiting for some obvious question to be asked of him. When his brother just stared at him, he decided to encourage Sephiroth into action, if only to amuse himself. "So, while you were dead, did you see father? How about my mother? Yours...considering, you are second best to me...pushed off to the side because you're an illegitimate bastard son."
"Pretty large words for a dead man." Sephiroth shot back, smirking when Ansem scowled. Having a family reunion with his older arrogant brother was not part of his plan at all. Since Ansem's little experiment on some of the guards, their teetering relationship had fallen from balance, and they usually did not manage to keep themselves from harsh words and low blows from childhood. Their relationship had soured and turned more into vulgar competition that seemed much too childish for two fully grown men who were well respected. Still, he had little liking of Ansem bringing up the fact that he had come about by an accidental roll in the hay on his father's part. The fact that he had been forced to grow up with Ansem was bad enough, and their four year age difference only seemed to get larger the older they both were.
Ansem quirked an eyebrow at Sephiroth. He did not get the response that he had been looking for, obviously indicating that the stimulus used was not the right type to receive an experimental reaction to his liking. The organism at hand required more of a harsh stimulus to awaken a much more rash human desire, one that would reveal true emotions that rounded out without the need for thought. Striking on nerves was usually the most productive manner to get such responses.
He forced his expression to remain neutral as he regarded his younger brother. "So, how is my favourite General?" He watched Sephiroth glared at him and shrugged his shoulders innocently. When his brother opened his mouth to reply, he held up at hand. "Not you, General Strife." He couldn't hold in a smirk at Sephiroth's death-glare and angered swat in his direction, which passed through his body. "Come on, tell me how he's been holding up? I bet that man is still silent, generally good-natured, with all his marbles in place...."
"He's given himself over to the darkness again." Sephiroth noted the fact that Ansem's expression faltered considerably, but knew that his older brother would not comment just yet. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and stared at his brother. "He now bears a demonic wing and hand, but he still remains...mentally stable." He glared when Ansem smirked at his comment to Cloud's mental strengths. "However, he is working for Hades now."
Ansem chuckled. "Meaning he's still working for me. Well, as least the boy has some sense of where he belongs." He shifted in his position to stand on the floor again, rubbing his chin with the back of one of his hands. "And you say that he remains normal aside from his new physical characteristics?" He smirked when Sephiroth nodded and walked up so that he was looking eye-to-eye with his younger sibling. "You do realize what this means, don't you?" He noted that Sephiroth's expression remained neutral. "It means Cloud Strife, youngest member of my Royal Guards and best fighter in the ranks, is better than even my own brother. It means that I have found Hollow Bastion's light, the one strong heart that keeps this planet alive." He leaned even closer to his brother. "I always knew that boy was special the moment I lay eyes on him." He pulled away quite suddenly, walking a few steps away from Sephiroth. "He does look a lot like you, you know."
Sephiroth lifted his chin away from Ansem before turning his back fully to his brother. "That's enough out of you. I have better things to do than stand around and talk with my dead brother." He started towards the library again, noting that he could not actually hear Ansem following but knew that his older brother was trailing behind.
Ansem smirked as he watched Sephiroth's tense back moving away from him. "You still have no idea if he's yours, do you?" He continued to float forward even when his younger brother stopped dead and glanced back at him. He shifted until he was in front of Sephiroth, almost a pitying expression set across his features. "I will take your silence as a no, meaning that you didn't manage to find anything out for Elecia, meaning that you didn't actually see her. Ah, love can be quite a nasty virus, especially when a possible product of your...labours eludes you continually."
"He will be mine, I assure you." Sephiroth snarled.
"In one form or another, I have no doubt. Whether by blood or lover or even a mere object, I'm certain that Strife can only resist you until the end of time, especially considering he cannot die of old age." Ansem chuckled when his sibling sighed heavily. "You know, I could tell you who his father is because I do know." He smirked when Sephiroth glanced at him before huffing in stubborn pride. He found amusement in his brother's discomfort. "I'm amazed that you never found out about the little bundle of joy earlier. I'm amazed that it was hidden from all of us. A child like that...I wonder why Walian never spoke of the boy."
Sephiroth snorted. "Probably because he died, and I doubt that the child was old enough to have ability to attend a funeral." He glanced back at Ansem. "Besides, I did see Cloud once when he was young, at the summer festival during the parade. I remember distinctly looking at the child before he disappeared into the crowd." He shook his head slowly. "I should have grabbed the runt right then and there. It would have made things easier for me. I would already own the boy."
Ansem laughed at his brother's obsessive manners. "Well, then the boy would not have been a challenge for you. No, it was good that Elecia kept him hidden for all those years. Much more exciting." He smirked and pretended to pat his brother on the cheek. "That woman went to her grave with her secrets right after she blew the Royal court's mind by placing her only fatherless offspring in its protection. I must admit, she was very cunning, especially since she managed to hide Strife's existence for fifteen years." He grinned at Sephiroth. "Why, if she hadn't died so tragically, I would have loved to perform a few experimentations on her to find out just went on in that female mind of hers."
Sephiroth remained silent, not sure what he could say to shut Ansem up. If he did not give his brother a reaction, then Ansem's little emotional 'experiment' would fail and his brother would most likely give up. However, it took all of his self-control not to find a way to pound the arrogant bastard into the floor for dragging Elecia into this mess. He clenched his jaw tightly as an annoyed female huff echoed in the back of his mind before it turned into a soft giggle of female beauty. He looked up sharply at Ansem who seemed all too pleased to see him think. "Leave before I fully test whether or not you're dead."
"I'm not dead." Ansem replied coolly, but refused to answer anything more on that topic. "Just a little advise my brother...you can't walk the paths that have already been treaded and have long faded over time. Now, the doors of the future are open and opportunities arise." Ansem looked at his gloved fingers, sighing softly. He really did wish a new body, and being able to get hold of Sephiroth's body, as nice as it would be, was not what he wanted. He glanced at his younger brother. "Don't go chasing the past. You'll only wrap yourself in a web of lies."
"Your cryptic crap may work on children and simple minds, but it will not work on me, Ansem." Sephiroth spat at his brother and turned away from Ansem again, stalking towards the library. He shoved open the door and glanced around, finding his older sibling standing beside him with a slightly annoyed expression. "Where did you leave that book you were always carrying around...your diary, I think it was?"
Ansem grinned and shrugged his shoulders. "Hidden with the mysteries that now reside in this place." He walked over to a shelf and ran his ethereal fingers over some of the books, disappointed that he could not feel their leathery texture. "I will have a body soon, you know. Even if I can't get yours, I have another...a boy who believes too much in competition. A foolish boy who will lead me directly to the source of the Heartless and then...darkness will be forever in this place. It will be wonderful..."
"You're still on the darkness kick, are you? I think you're more insane than father was." Sephiroth walked over and pulled out a book.
"Hmm, insanity must run in the family then." Ansem walked over to Sephiroth and leaned close to whisper in his brother's ear. "One...big...happy...family." He ran his fingers over Sephiroth's shoulder pads, letting his ethereal fingers brush over his younger sibling's hair until Sephiroth pulled away and glared at him. He smiled almost pleasantly. "You won't find it in there."
Sephiroth shot another glare at Ansem. "Where did you hide it then?"
Ansem's smile turned more crooked. "Give me your body and I'll show you." He followed when Sephiroth stormed through the library knocking books around. He noted that Sephiroth's rage issues had not gotten any better over time as a book flew through his ethereal form. He sighed and continued to trail his younger sibling up the stairs of the library, eventually stopping when Sephiroth seemed intent of rustling through some more books. "I believe that darkness sleeps in every heart, no matter how pure..." He watched his brother turn to regard him slowly. "...given the chance, the smallest drop can spread and swallow the heart. I have witnessed it many times..."
Sephiroth turned to regard Ansem fully, letting the book in his hands drop to the ground as he walked a few slow steps towards his older sibling. "You wrote that? Some brilliant man you are...nothing remotely complex about that little speech. I bet you had someone else write it for you while you...did whatever it was that you did."
"I'm a man of science. I am a sage of this planet. I dedicated my life to learning the answers that I didn't know." Ansem again sat in the air as he regarded Sephiroth. "I learned many things that a simpleton like you could not possibly understand. I know just how weak the heart is and the darkness will someday consume it all. I watched it happen to this place." He flicked pretend dust from his black cloak. "Only Strife and the strong hearts have the ability to resist the pull of the darkness, but...once they have given over, nothing can stop it. The darkness will consume every last drop of light that their hearts hold."
"So, you are saying that Cloud will be consumed by darkness?" Sephiroth asked calmly, crossing his arms in front of his chest.
"I guarantee it." Ansem raised an eyebrow at Sephiroth's almost miffed look and sighed heavily before drifting closer to his brother. "If what you are saying is true, then yes, he will fall into darkness, probably slow at first but it will eventually happen." He stood again and walked passed Sephiroth, noting that it was his brother that followed him now as he walked. "But, our General Strife is a strong boy, and he'll resist the change for a long time, meaning..." He rounded on Sephiroth. "He may have some fight in him left to try and find his light, but... everything returns to darkness...even your precious Cloud. Nothing can resist the darkness, not you, not I, not even the wielder of the keyblade. It is a fact based on the simple calculations of probability that I have created."
Sephiroth snorted. "I wouldn't call your calculations simple."
"Well, that's why father gave you a sword and not a book. Your ignorance to true science means that no matter how hard you try, you will understand nothing." Ansem smirked at his younger sibling's scowl. "That's why father like me more, dear brother. I had some sense bred into me while you..." He noted Sephiroth's warning look and smirked cruelly. "You were produced on the wrong side of the sheets. No fault of your own. It just gives you a small bit of justification as to why you are stupid."
Sephiroth forced himself to grab hold of his quickly flaring temper. He would not give his brother a rise if only to get the report out of Ansem for his own personal gain. He doubted that Ansem even held any of the other answers that he was seeking, though his older sibling was not usually one to bluff with him. He rounded on Ansem, growling at the almost pleasant expression on his brother's face. "So tell me then, since you are so smart, how did you lose your body and not be dead?"
Ansem sighed melodramatically. "A tragic accident on my part. Who would have thought that a simple mathematical calculation could have gone so wrong at such an inopportune moment...just when the destruction of my planet was getting good too." He cast a glance back at Sephiroth who really didn't seem too impressed with him at the moment. Obviously, the double strike had hit a rather large nerve on his younger sibling. "I suppose that you wish me to tell you in lay-man terms?"
"You have no idea what happened to your body, do you?" Sephiroth asked as he raised an eyebrow of skepticism.
"Absolutely none." Ansem replied, shrugging his shoulders. "Even a scientific mind can only go so far, and though I know that I wasn't consumed by darkness or killed by Heartless, it seems to me that it just disappeared."
"Some scientist." Sephiroth muttered softly, rustling through more books. He glanced back at Ansem to find his older sibling watching him silently, all the calculation draining away from the both of them. The room suddenly felt much less tense, as if the ice between them had been melted away with a simple bit of insane humour on both of their parts. Their obvious malice for each other slipped back into slumber, giving way to more logical thoughts and cognitive questions between them. There was an obvious shift in the feeling of the room and of each other's body language, despite the fact that Ansem was only an iridescent spirit wrapped in a black cloak.
Ansem sighed heavily and drifted a bit closer to Sephiroth, watching intently as his younger sibling continued to rustle through books, probably not even looking for his notes now. He noted that Sephiroth bearly glanced at the title of each book and despite his accusations to his brother's stupidity, he knew for a fact that Sephiroth was an extremely intelligent man. But, his brother's intelligence only went as far as loyalty would allow and as he reached out an ethereal hand to touch the wing that he had forced on his younger sibling's form, he was a bit surprised when he could ghostly feel the softness of the black feathers. "I am surprised that you have yet to be taken over by the darkness fully. I would have thought that you would be a Heartless by now."
Sephiroth glanced over at Ansem. "My insanity keeps me healthy and driven to resist the lull of power. I want only one thing, meaning that I am not greedy for more power. I already know that Cloud will be mine." He shifted to lean against the bookshelf, watching Ansem closely. "I've come to the conclusion that it is really greed that draws the darkness, that and using its power too often. A heart becomes weak when one becomes greedy." He smirked at Ansem's slow nod of approval.
Ansem drifted back and started to descend the stairs of the library again. "I have many pawns that cannot see what you do about the darkness. Each one of them is a fool for power, and truly cannot understand just how exponentially the darkness can grow if it is not resisted." He stopped and looked back at Sephiroth, their gazes meeting equally. "My only desire is to understand what others cannot. I must open the doors myself...using whatever means possible. Limiting oneself to one single purpose slows the process, but everything returns to darkness eventually. It is a simple fact that cannot be denied." He shifted his gaze away from Sephiroth and beckoned his brother. "Come, I wish to show you something that you may find interesting."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Cloud stalked down the hallway, very much aware that he was being followed, his every movement noted and probably recorded for Hades to look over at a later time. He growled and continued on his way, making for his room if only to attempt to bandage his still bleeding wounds.
He was still annoyed over the insulting tongue-lashing that he had reached from Hades for wandering off without permission. He had done what Hades had asked of him, so he believed that he had a right to move off to accomplish other tasks that the god had no business in. No, he had been stuck standing in the middle of Hades' throne room, bleeding on the floors and being called various colourful names. He had said little in the exchange, not in the mood to play Hades' game of insults and guessing for answers that he was aware that Hades would dangle in front of him. So, Hades had grounded him like a child to the Underworld. He was not allowed to leave until Hades told him to, and he had been subjected to having a spirit tracking to make sure that he 'behaved' himself as Hades had put it. He felt like he was ten years old again with the treatment that he had received, which only made his mood more gloomy.
He completely ignored anything that drifted by him, set on his destination, pulling his cloak up higher on his face so that only his eyes peeked out from beneath his golden bangs. However, he was forced to slow his pace as his stomach churned uncomfortably, wrapping an arm around his midsection in an attempt to calm the rebellion. He grunted in stubbornness to force his legs to continue forward even though he was certain that he left his ailing stomach behind. He was well aware of the sweat that was building on his brow, his aching muscles, throbbing wounds, and now grumbling stomach. He doubted that his day could get any worse.
When he reached his door, he practically shoved it clean off of its hinges as he entered, cringing as the wood crashed loudly into the nearby wall. He quietly shut it behind him and rubbed his forehead as he stumbled over to his bed. He flopped down unceremoniously and struggled to kick off his boots, eventually succeeding in sending the offending objects across the room. He shook his head and flopped onto his back, folding his hands behind his head as all his aches and pains seemed to scream in the back of his mind.
After a few minutes lying, he forced himself to his feet and removed his armour, belts and ruined sweater. He pulled out a knife from beneath his pillow and began to cut the material into long strips, clenching his teeth as his stomach gurgled its disapproval. Ignoring his discomfort, he began to wrap the strips of material around his waist, covering over the weeping wound that he had received in his battle against Leon. Though the wound was healing quickly, he still felt comfort in bandaging his injuries, an activity that he had done numerous times in his youth.
He stood to find some water to wash the blood from his cheek, but he had barely managed three steps away from the bed when his stomach finally demanded attention. He froze as pain raced up his back, and he was forced roughly to his knees as liquid raced up his throat, choking and sputtering at the foul taste that came with it. He shook his head as he began to heave, his body thrusting forward with effort as inky black liquid mixed with ruby blood hit the floor and rolled down his chin. The vile substance burned his mouth and throat, and it sent shudders down his body as he attempted to force himself to remain on his hands and knees. He wiped his mouth quickly with the back of his hand as he forced himself to sit back against the bed, breathing heavily as his stomach threatened to react again. He desperately tried to catch his breath again, wrapping his arms around his shoulders as coldness spread from his back all around his body, seeming to turn his internal organs to ice.
He pushed himself further against the bed as his glowing gaze settling on his black vomit, which now swirled on the floor. The liquid seethed and chittered noisily, rising up slowly from the floor, the inky blackness shifting into a form that took up more liquid than he had actually expelled from his body. He nearly clawed back further into the bed when he found himself staring up at a shadowed reflection of himself as a small child. He shook his head as the shadow turned to regard him, its features chiseled as if carved from stone, the eyes hollow and haunting of days long since dead. He involuntarily flinched when the shadow boy reached a hand towards him, its cold fingers smearing inky black over his cheek, causing him to suck in a sudden breath.
"What...?!" Cloud squirmed away from the touch, leaping across the bed despite his ailments. He gasped when the boy was no longer there, as if he had imagined it all. He stood rigidly, breathing heavily until a small cold hand touch his back. He whirled, finding the same boy watching him with an inhuman wolfish grin. "Don't touch me!" He yelled as he tripped and scrambled to the other side of the bed, gaze fixed on the little figure. He couldn't remember the last time that he had felt this panicked. Of course, he couldn't remember seeing something this bizarre either.
Yet, he didn't have time to react as strong freezing arms slipped under his own and pinned his shoulders, gaze arching to regard another shadowed version of himself. He attempted to struggle out of the impossibly strong hold, suddenly pushing back against the shadow holding him as he found the first one crawling towards him, its grin now taking on more sadistic qualities. He tried to scramble away, but the hold on his arms held tightly, and he found himself face-to-face with the little boy that now sat comfortably in his lap. He turned his face away when the little shadow almost tenderly ran a cold finger down his nose and over his lips. He tensed when the shadow leaned forward and nuzzled his cheek. He felt more freezing black liquid smear on his cheek and shuddered involuntarily.
"Darkness rising." The shadow whispered, its voice much too old for the form it inhabited. It let a finger trace the blonde's ear lobe. "You are losing your touch..." It pulled back to grin cruelly, placing both of its small cold hands on the blonde's chest, enjoying the immediate tension in the muscles beneath its touch. "Hidden we were...punished for a crime we never knew. They hide us for all those years...shamed by us."
Cloud felt his breath catch in his throat as the arms holding his shoulders gripped tighter. He forced his reeling brain to focus and to think logically, to find out the answers to these creatures' meanings and purpose. "You're not real. I'm dreaming again. What do you want?"
The little shadow leaned forward, its hollow black sockets staring into glowing blue ones. "He never like us. He wished us dead...hid us instead." It cocked its head the side as it lifted a hand to trace the blonde's strong chin. "She never knew. She never loved us either."
"Don't talk about her!" Cloud shouted back, surprised by his own angered voice. He was not so sure whom he was angrier at.
"We can't even call her by what she is...mother. She bore us screaming into this world yet she wanted to take back our existence the moment she lay eyes on us..." The shadow leaned closer still, almost touching the blonde. "How does it feel to still be all alone? He abandoned us. She abandoned us. They left us to face the questions of the court alone...always alone." It followed the blonde's eyes, keeping their gazes locked until it received a stony glare, causing its grin to return to its previously sadistic form. "We fight alone, weep alone, desire alone...mourn alone. No one cares to understand us...they use us, want us, hold us, hurt us..."
Cloud again tried to struggle out of the hold on his shoulders, grimacing as sharp claws began to dig into his flesh, the cold spreading down and numbing his muscles. When he could no longer feel his shoulders enough to struggle, he hardened his gaze at the child that now sat almost playfully on his knees, watching him. "Leave and say nothing more. I don't want to hear what you have to say, whatever you are. You know nothing about what has happened. You only assume that you know what I have felt. I won't let you manipulate my feelings."
The little shadow chuckled softly and clapped its hands together as if it were playing a game. It slid itself forward on the blonde, settling itself on Cloud's hips. "The clock is ticking...our time is slipping away as the darkness rises." It ran a cold finger up the blonde's muscled chest, smirking cruelly. "We only wish to help, to save us...*he* wants us badly." It leaned forward. "*He* draws closer to us, desires us, makes moves to capture us...he knows where to find us. We are but a puppet with no strings that can be seen, but a puppet all the same. We are no more in control than the day she hid us and he stop speaking of us....How long until her secrets stop biting at us, tearing us...hindering us?"
Cloud snarled and attempted to dislodge the boy, gasping when the arms holding him suddenly lost all of their strength and released him. He scrambled to catch himself, but fell from the bed anyway, landing hard on the floor. Yet, he rolled into a crouch, his gaze slipping around to find the shadowed boy watching him from a few feet away. He set his shoulders, pulling his wing from a relaxed position on his back. "Leave." He ordered firmly, clenching his demonic hand as he readied a strike against the creature if it persisted.
The shadow chuckled again and gestured at the wing that stood from the blonde's back. "Remember to breathe when we slip below to surface. Only nightmares await us where we are going." He smirked knowingly as it began to dissolve away, slipping back into a black puddle before even the puddle crawled between the cracks in the floor.
Cloud breathed in a tight breath and closed his eyes, feeling the cold that had taken hold of his body slowly begin to slip away. He reluctantly sat down on the floor as all his efforts had only succeeded in making him completely exhausted. He shook his head as he had trouble opening his eyes again, looking around at the floor around him for any sign that he would be attacked again. Without really thinking about it, he slammed his clenched demonic hand into the hard stone floor, gritting his teeth as pain laced up his arm.
"Damn you..." He shook his head more violently as he felt a shadowed bit of laughter echo in his mind that was cut short suddenly. He remembered why she had stopped laughing; he had entered the room rubbing sleepy eyes, too young to understand what her silence really meant. "You always knew exactly how to hide me away so that no one knew about me. What did I do to shame you...and him?" His gaze stared blankly at the stone beneath him. "Then you left me to struggle up the ranks on my own...just like you always left me to struggle through everything on my own...." He clenched his teeth until the emotions settled again. "Damn you mother..."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Sephiroth tucked the book he was holding beneath his arm and casually strode after Ansem. He followed his brother down to the lower ranks of Hollow Bastion's palace, weaving down blackened corridors that seemed to shift with their presence. He stopped when Ansem did, at an open door that he had never seen before. By the manner in which it appeared, it was obviously a secret door that had never been revealed to him, a fact that he was slightly annoyed about. The walls around him shifted with an inky black substance that seemed to stop at the door. For a moment, he wondered if this was even their destination, despite the fact that he had been in every other door in this hallway and had found nothing of interest in them.
He followed more cautiously when Ansem drifted forward again, hand on the hilt of his sword in case this was an elaborate trap set by his older brother. Yet, he was surprised to find that the inky shadows did not enter this large room, rather there was glowing aqua crystals that jutted from the walls and illuminated to room in a sickly green light that kept the shadows at bay. The heat was intense and hit like running into a wall might. The heat only seemed to increase the further he entered into the room.
The room was huge, yet it was mostly filled with a gapping hole directly in the middle. Within the extremely deep pit, his eyes locked on the source of the warmth of the room, a bubbling mass of aqua liquid that seethed and churned almost angrily. The greenish crystals seemed to hum softly as he stepped away from the pit.
"What is this place?" He asked quietly, noting Ansem's gaze remained on the churning liquid. "I don't believe that you ever told me about this place, and do I dare ask why you've now brought me here?"
Ansem smirked mockingly as he glanced over to Sephiroth. "A bastard had no place knowing such information. Father instructed me to keep anyone but myself away from this place for the simple fact that he had little understanding of it." He drifted over to his brother and reached out as if to touch one of the crystals. The hissing angered sound increased the closer his fingers drew, and he eventually pulled his hand back. "It appears that they are angry today. I don't think they like you very much, brother."
"Who is 'they'?" Sephiroth asked coldly.
"The voices of the planet, of course. I doubt you understand so I will tell you." Ansem sat in mid-air, far enough away from the crystals so that the pool only emitted a low grumbling of disapproval. "Every planet has a life force that nurtures and cures, blah blah, happy day. Now, when someone dies, their spirit enters this life-force to stand around and wait to be reborn, but the planet has its own voice that controls all of these spirits. Once the life force is consumed, say by the Heartless, the planet dies and a star goes out in the sky." He smirked and waved a hand when Sephiroth quirked an eyebrow at him. "The true goal of the Heartless seeking to consume a world is..." He gestured towards the pit. "...to consume that, thereby, killing the planet and consuming all the populous along with it. Until a planet's life force is consumed, the Heartless can only wait and increase the power and number by having more Heartless flood in through the keyhole that connects the planets."
Sephiroth crossed his arms and walked back over to the pit, taking a step back when a blast of heat hit him. He glanced over at Ansem. "So, these cute little voices don't like us because we have some darkness in us."
Ansem chuckled as he drifted over to where Sephiroth was standing. "No, no, our planet is particularly talkative. It has a strong will of its own and quite frankly, it is almost as obsessed about getting its strong heart back as you are to claim the strong heart for yourself." He smirked at his brother's angered glance at the equally angry crystals. "Because of Cloud's strength, it wishes him to return to be the planet's protector, and because of what you have told me about our General, the planet knows it only has a limited amount of time to do it." He leaned over the pit almost casually. "I find it quite fascinating that it knows about Strife's condition, probably because it feels his fading life-force."
"And what will happen if Cloud returns here in a triumphant blaze of glory?" Sephiroth inquired.
"Oh, he'll probably spend most of his remaining days fighting the Heartless here. Our General does not bear the keyblade, meaning that he cannot actually stop all the Heartless that will come after him." Ansem smirked and gestured for his younger sibling to follow. "The planet knows this too, but because it is slowly losing, it will do whatever it can to bring back its strong heart." He looked at Sephiroth and gestured to the crystals. "You are hindering the planets attempts to draw Strife home; therefore, the planet doesn't like you very much."
Sephiroth quirked an eyebrow and lifted his chin arrogantly. "The planet can't have what is mine. I won't share with a stupid dying rock. Cloud is mine and not even some glowing cesspool of death is going to stand in my way." He stalked from the room when the rumbling increased, stepping back into the darkened hallway. He glanced back to Ansem who seemed intent of drifting slowly after him. "Tell me where your notes are and I will leave you to whatever mad plan you've got running in that head of yours."
Ansem smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "I can't." He stopped beside his younger sibling, noting the displeased look he received and chuckled. "The report on the Heartless is gone. I ripped the pages out and dropped one here and there so that no one could really know as much about the Heartless as I did. Rather, they would not have enough knowledge to think that all my studies have led me to controlling the Heartless to further my own plans. By the time all the notes have been brought together, it will be too late to stop me." He leaned closer to his brother and grinned. "Everything is going according to plan."
"You still don't have a body." Sephiroth pointed out as he started to walk down the hallway again.
"Such matters are merely an inconvenience. My body is on its way, I guarantee that." Ansem smirked and gave Sephiroth a purposeful glance, causing a scowl to be shot back at him. He stopped drifting after his younger sibling and glanced back at the room they had been in previously. He smiled almost pleasantly and moved in front of Sephiroth's path. "I've decided."
Sephiroth stopped walked despite the fact that he could probably just walk right through Ansem. He quirked an eyebrow in mock disinterest. "You've decided on what? This had better be good."
"I don't want your body." Ansem declared. "I'll use that little brat that Maleficent has for me." He gave Sephiroth a purposeful look. "You are more useful to me alive and wandering about."
"That's a good thing, I suppose. I wasn't planning on giving it to you anyway." Sephiroth snubbed his brother's mock hurt expression as he stepped around Ansem and continued walking. "I never give up what is mine, to you least of all." He ignored Ansem's snort of apprehension and started stepped from the hallway, glancing back to make sure that his older brother was not about to try something on him. He smirked when Ansem drifted passed him. "If you tried to take my body, I'd never get my hands on Cloud, now would I?"
Ansem snorted in annoyance and crossed his arms across his chest, sending a glare at Sephiroth. "That won't matter, anyway. Even if you do manage to get your hands on Strife, he'll slip between your fingers before you can indulge in your victory." He cast a knowing glance back at his younger sibling and smirked evilly, beckoning Sephiroth closer as if he had a secret to tell. He bet to whisper in the other man's ear when Sephiroth reluctantly stopped in front of him. "The darkness will not just stop at a wing or a hand...no, Strife will be completely absorbed and become a Heartless. And if that happens..." He drifted away, smirk still etched in his features. He gestured around him at the walls. "Hollow Bastion goes with him...everything will die on this planet and its light will fade from the sky."
Sephiroth blinked and took a small step back. "What?"
"A strong heart consumed by darkness is a truly marvelous thing to watch...I myself have only seen it once. General Strife is doomed if he cannot fight back to hold off the darkness, meaning that you will probably be seeing him only in the afterlife where his soul will be cleaned of its impurities and he walks straight to hell. You can save a cozy stalagmite for him if you really want." Ansem snickered at his younger sibling's dumbfounded look and waited for the information to sink in.
Sephiroth stood silent for a long while, eyes on the stone at his feet. This was not what he had expected to hear, nor did he like it very much. Having Cloud walking such a dangerous line without the power to stop his property from falling from the sky made him quite angry. Cloud was his, meaning that he should have the ability to choose the path that the blonde should walk, but he was hindered because of Hades. This was not according to plan at all! He would not allow Cloud to die, and he would not let the blonde slip through his fingers either. He would stop anyone from taking Cloud from his grasp, not matter the obstacle it took to pull the blonde closer into his hold. Obviously, the blonde required his aid, but he could not help Cloud if he was not able to touch or speak with the blonde. He would have to wait for the opportune moment to delicately extract his property from the danger.
He felt his anger slip forward into his mind along with frustration, and he clenched his fist tightly against his side. He looked up at Ansem who stood almost patiently waiting his reaction. He settled his expression into complete neutrality as he began to walk past his older brother, climbing the stairs from the basement level. He glanced back when Ansem chuckled and followed him. "I'm leaving. I have worlds to destroy."
"Ah, venting frustration again? Does this news mean that things are not going according to your plans?" Ansem drifted beside Sephiroth and hummed softly, watching his younger sibling out of the corner of his eye. When Sephiroth stopped and began to pull together a teleportation spell, he smirked and ran a hand through his white locks. "Before you go, dearest brother, do your best to keep General Strife from the area. It would be best for all of us."
Sephiroth sent a glare over his shoulder at Ansem. "Why should I bother to help you? You've done nothing to help me so I owe you nothing." He shifted his hands as dark energy gathered around himself.
Ansem chuckled softly. "If you keep him away, I'll keep the Heartless away from consuming the planet's energy, meaning you have longer with your 'precious' toy." He smirked and shifted himself in front of Sephiroth, catching his younger sibling's attention. "Oh, do drop by and visit again. I may even tell you if you actually managed to sire a certain General of mine."
"You could just tell me now." Sephiroth shot back in irritation.
"True, but then I wouldn't have any more fun with you. Sometimes, you make my life exciting." Ansem grinned and pulled the cloak hood up so that only his face remained exposed to Sephiroth. "Next time we meet, I will have a body. Until then, my brother."
Sephiroth remained silent as the teleportation spell enveloped him, only giving Ansem one last stony glare for good measure. He closed his eyes as darkness filled his vision, and he was surprised by sudden soft laughter echoing around him, much too familiar than he would have liked. Perhaps Ansem had pulled a trick on him?
"Elecia...?"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"How dare you!" The lithe blonde woman yelled, glaring at the obviously apologetic silver-haired man across from her. She stomped her foot angrily on the ground as she pulled her basket of fruit closer to her chest. "What kind of man runs into a woman and stands completely dumbfounded while she has to clean up the mess that he made! Some gentleman you are." She swiveled quickly, her wild long blonde locks shifting back over her shoulder with her rough movements. Next to her, her sister desperately tried to calm her down. "Stop it, Aeryn! I've never met anyone so rude!"
Sephiroth glanced back at the shocked guards at his right, a bit stunned himself by this show of female intolerance. He was so shocked that he forgot to be offended and merely stood looking between the angered blonde woman and the men who he was showing about the fourth district of the city. He had never been treated in such a manner, and if he were not so astonished by the blonde's rage, he might have tried to put the woman back in her place. Yet, he did not. He stood and eventually held out a hand in an attempt to calm the woman. "I...I'm sorry. I did not see you there, miss..."
"Elecia, please! Let's just go home!" The younger woman asked, taking hold of her sister's arm.
Elecia swiveled back to face the silver-haired man, blue eyes flashing dangerously. She pointed a finger at the man, watching as his glowing aqua eyes crossed to watch the offending finger. "Of course you didn't see me! I may be a commoner compared to you, but I will not tolerate such rudeness! You should know better than to run over a woman carrying her groceries!" She pulled her finger back and glared at the silver-haired man. When he merely stared down at her, she growled. "Staring is almost as rude!"
"I'm sorry. It's just..." Sephiroth knew that they were quickly drawing a crowd and his men were standing in shocked silence as he was yelled at. No one had enough balls to yell at him, but he quickly realized that the fact that Elecia was a woman put him into confusion. He was the most important member of the Royal Guards, and he was being reduced to standing silent under the fury of a woman. He wondered if this woman even knew who he was. Yet, he didn't have time to ponder if it was wise to question the blonde as the furious woman turned on her heel and stormed off down the dusty street. "I apologize...?" He called after her, more than a little confused as she completely ignored him.
As soon as she was out of sight, Sephiroth closed his eyes as the silence descended into a chaos of whispers. He sighed heavily and glanced around, finding the other shorter blonde bowing in apologetic meekness. He held up his hand, allowing the woman silent permission to leave and watched her hurry after the heated Elecia. He immediately turned and gave his men a hard look, silencing all of them. "Enough. Fall in line and we'll finish your rounds."
He stalked off down the street, yet his mind drifted back to the fury that had washed over him only moments before. He shook his head as his temper seemed to shorten as he processed the previous encounter. However, the more that he thought about the blonde woman, the more he felt to urge to track her down...for what, he was not so sure. Perhaps show the commoner proper etiquette when standing around a noble...a bastard noble, but a noble all the same. He had never been subjected to such anger in all of his days, and the fact that the blonde had not even blinked when she turned to regard him to commence yelling confused him considerably. He was known around every district of the city so it was impossible that the woman did not know who he was, but Elecia had treated him as if he were just another commoner. He was not sure if he wanted to be offended by her treatment just yet.
Sephiroth managed to sit through four whole days before finally tracking the blonde down. In that time, he had gone from irritated to bewildered to confused to happy. He really couldn't figure the woman's actions out, and the scientist in his blood urged him to make an attempt to find out the answers that he did not know. He admitted that he was interested in Elecia, if only to solve the puzzle of why she had treated him as she had. The commoners had always treated him as a noble, despite his birthright, but the blonde woman had either failed to notice who he was or did not care in the least. Which ever it was, he decided that he really wanted to know.
So, he found himself standing in the lower level of the Fourth District in front of a green door. He almost casually knocked, but it was evident from the stares that it was assumed that he was here purely on business; he was well aware that most of the people thought that he was here to punish the woman for her previous rudeness. Still, he waited patiently until the door flew open and the same blonde woman stood in the doorway, small knife in one hand and a potato in the other. Just seeing her in such a fashion made his mind blank out any thoughts that he had planned to say so he stood dumbfoundedly before her from the second time.
Elecia looked the silver-haired man up and down as if he had no purpose being in front of her. She looked out the door to see her neighbours much too interesting in her business and glared at each one of them. She quickly turned her attention to the silver-haired man. "What do you want?"
Sephiroth drew in a deep breath and forced his sluggish mind to cooperate with his commands. He had never lost track of his thoughts before, and it worried him that the blonde had such an effect on him. Luckily, he knew that his expression had not changed from neutral so he recovered quickly and nodded at the blonde. "I came to formally apologize for the other day. I'm afraid that I was consumed with other business at the point where you stepped into my path." He inwardly smirked at his smoothness.
Elecia quirked a blonde eyebrow and looked the silver-haired man up and down again as if to check his sanity. Eventually, she put her hands on her hips and drew in a deep breath. She was inwardly pleased that she had managed to even catch a noble's attention with her anger, and she was impressed that this man had tracked her down to apologize. Obviously, he was more of a gentleman than she had given him credit for. Slowly, she nodded and beckoned him inside, scowling when he merely stood watching her. "Are you planning on standing there all day? Is my house not good enough for you, noble?"
"I didn't say that." Sephiroth replied as he tucked to step inside the house, surprised by the instant homely feeling that surrounded him as the door shut behind him. He turned to regard the blonde as she stalked back to the small wooden table where several potatoes were sitting. He quirked an eyebrow when she went back to work, completely ignoring him. He eventually shifted his weight and cleared his throat. "Do you know who I am?" He was not sure why he asked, but he felt the need to start somewhere in his analysis of the blonde.
Elecia glanced up from her potato before shrugging her shoulders. "'course. You are only the most powerful noble amoung the commoners who walks with a complete stick up your behind." She didn't need to look up to know that her words had caught the silver-haired man off guard. She gestured to the seat across from her without looking up, intent on her business. It didn't matter to her if the silver-haired man stood all day; he was actually quite a looker so she had no problem with the view. She did eventually look up when he did not seat himself. "You just gonna stand there and look all pretty? It's hardly a way to impress me."
"Who said I'm trying to impress you?" Sephiroth retorted as he took a seat after removing his sword from his belt. He pushed the chair back from the table to stretch out his legs, watching the blonde closely.
Elecia couldn't help a grin spreading across her features, the first pleasant expression that she displayed for Sephiroth. "If ya didn't want to impress me, ya wouldn't have come in." She watched the man and tossed him the knife in her hand, nodding in appreciation when he picked it out of the air. She stood, wiped her hands on her apron and went to retrieve another knife, eventually seating herself again. She reached over and rolled a potato over to the silver-haired man. "While you're just sitting showing off your manly might, you mine as well be useful."
Sephiroth looked skeptically at the offending potato that was tottering in front of him. He had never been ordered to do anything, least of all peeling vegetables. "You want me to peel potatoes?"
"You can balance it on the top of your head for all I care." Elecia replied, brushing back some of her wild blonde locks with her arm, glancing up when Sephiroth appeared confused with the request, a small smile pulling at her lips. She admitted that she liked the shy manner which he picked the potato up and made attempts to peel it. She knew the inevitable would happen and chuckled when the silver-haired man finally managed to catch a finger on the knife. "Cut away from yourself. You'll lose a finger if you keep that up."
"You could have informed me before." Sephiroth said with more than a little annoyance. How the heck had he managed to get convinced into peeling a potato? He looked over at Elecia, felt his stomach flutter slightly and quickly returned his gaze to the vegetable. He became distinctly aware of how warm the room was and how it smelled of drying herds, a natural homely smell. He shook his head slightly and made another attempt at the potato. He was not sure if it was the blood from his finger or his subtle nervousness, but he blinked when the offensive vegetable leapt from his hand and bounced across the table. He found himself staring at it, trying to figure out how it had escaped his grasp. "I..."
Elecia looked from the potato to the silver-haired man then back again. "You dropped your potato, General." It was the first time that she acknowledged his rank, and she was greatly amused when he scowled at her. She shot back a dirty look of her own before going back to her choirs. "You make it look like you've never seen a raw vegetable before...let alone handled one. You had better hope that potatoes don't grow a mind of their own and attack the town because you would be helpless to stop them."
Sephiroth scowled, his arm shooting out with lighting speed, the knife in his hand slamming into the table so hard that the potato he was aiming for split in half and the knife was imbedded so deeply that the table cracked slightly. He was forced to sit back in shock when the blonde didn't even flinch or look up, rather she appeared to still be completely unimpressed with him. He looked away when she continued to peel as if he had not even moved, clenching a fist to settle his temper and his thoughts. All he could think was that Elecia was a piece of work, one that he admitted was more confusing and real than anyone he had ever confronted. He felt stripped of all of his securities in front of her, vulnerable and confused. He was not so sure that he liked this feeling, nor did he want to deny its existence by suddenly leaving her home.
Elecia finally put down the peeled potato and looked at the two halves that were still rolling on the table. She completely ignored the mostly bent knife imbedded in her table. "Well, I guess that settles what kind of potatoes I'm having tonight. Roasted potatoes it is, General."
"Sephiroth."
"Hmm?" Elecia finally raised her eyes to the silver-haired man, and she found herself unable to suppress a warm smile.
"Please, call me Sephiroth, not General." Sephiroth replied quietly, not sure why he would want her to call him by his actual name, but it seemed much more proper. He only enjoyed being called 'General' by his men.
Elecia slowly nodded her head. "Alright, Sephiroth." She began to cut the potatoes into halves. When she was finished, she gathered the halves together into a pile and glanced at the silver-haired man. "Well, you're a big boy so I take it you eat a good share. I'm glad I pulled more potatoes than I could eat." She stood and ignored Sephiroth's slightly confused look, instead moving to stoke the fire to an appropriate heat. "I hope you don't mind chicken. I realize you nobles eat much more extravagant food, but chicken is what I'm having so that means it is what you are having."
Sephiroth cocked his head to the side before quirking an eyebrow. "Are you inviting me to dinner?" He asked in slight bewilderment. This woman sure knew how to confuse him.
"Inviting? Of course not." Elecia turned back to regard the silver-haired man, wiping her hands on her apron again. "I'm telling you that you are staying." She smiled as she gathered up the potatoes into a bowl before casting a glance at Sephiroth. "Since you wandered all this way to apologize, I mine as well practice some manners by cooking a meal. If that offends you, I could just get mad again and yell at you."
"I don't believe I've given you a reason to yell at me." Sephiroth replied coolly.
Elecia laughed softly and shook her head, patting the silver-haired man on the shoulder as she passed by. "Darling, women don't need a reason to start yelling. You're mere presence is cause enough." She smiled when the chair behind her shifted. "Obviously the General has not been associating with many women. Poor boy." Again, the chair shifted. "Come now, Sephiroth, no need to be nervous about your inexperience. If anything, it makes you seem more human. I promise not to tell your little secret to all the swooning women who are stupider than pigs and just as ugly."
Sephiroth quirked an eyebrow, not fully aware of the women that Elecia spoke of. In the court, most women gazed longingly from a distance but never approached him. It was common knowledge that he was not of proper birth, meaning that he could never hope for children of his own, not that he would want any. He had enough trouble dealing with the mentality of seventeen-year-old boys, let alone anything below that age. Perhaps Elecia was speaking of the women of the lower districts?
Despite himself and the obvious effects that this could prove if he managed to anger the blonde, he stood and almost casually pulled the knife out of the table. He glanced over to where Elecia was busily bent pulling the potatoes into the enclosed fire stove, blinking when he caught himself admiring the view. He walked almost cautiously over to where the blonde was working and leaned against the nearby wall. "I'm afraid that I'm not so sure that I'm aware of the women that you speak of."
Elecia glanced over to the silver-haired man and shook her head. "The nit-wits who can do nothing but gab about you all day. I swear, those women sigh at a mere glance in their general direction from you."
"Do you?" Sephiroth inquired almost innocently. He watched Elecia suddenly stop all movements and slowly stand to regard him. He could tell that she was not angry at the casual question since her eyes were still calm unlike the other time he had seen her.
Elecia leaned a little closer to the silver-haired man. "I don't believe we know each other well enough to be asking personal questions." She shot him an arrogant smirk and when back to cooking, glancing to the side when his boot shifted but he remained close to her. She thought her comment would have sent him away again, but as her eyes drifted upwards, she found his eyes on her still, as if expecting an answer more to his liking. She stood and looked him up and down. "Alright General, I'll admit that you are an attractive man, but I don't sigh for any man. Besides, you aren't my type."
Sephiroth watched Elecia and tried to figure out what exactly 'her type' meant. "I'm afraid that I don't understand what is 'your type'."
Elecia cocked her head to the side before smirking. "I'm too much woman for someone like you to handle. You wouldn't last a day with me."
"Is that a challenge?" Sephiroth questioned, folding his arms across his chest. He watched the blonde turn to regard him, her blue eyes flashing with a determined look that made him lift his chin slightly. He was not afraid of any thing, though he admitted confusion to this woman. However, he was not about to back down from any sort of challenge if she claimed it as one, but as he watched her, he found that she was probably not going to answer his question without some more help on his part. "I don't back down from challenges. If you think that you are good enough to beat me...highly unlikely...then so be it."
"Well then, I guess we have ourselves a challenge then, General. I'll have you whipped by the end of dinner." Elecia shot at the silver-haired man, turning her back to him as she went back to cooking, but her mind drifted to the occupied space next to her. She gritted her teeth as she found her attraction to this man increasing quickly. She had yet to meet a man that willing challenged her back. 'Damn it, he's...good.' She glanced over at his boots, feeling a slight tingle jump up her spine. She shuddered, knowing exactly what that meant, despite the fact that she had promised herself to never do it again. She sighed heavily and shook her head. 'I am not falling for this man. Not! Are you listening, Elecia? We are not going to fall for a noble!'
Sephiroth shifted his weight more comfortably and smirked. He was a determined man, meaning that he would not lose to just anyone. If the blonde wanted to defeat him, it would have to be some great feat. He was confident in his skills to outwit anyone, especially this woman. So, he watched her, cocking his head to the side as he watched her body move fluidly, admiring her features. He felt his smirk shift into a pleasant smile as she glanced over at him and tensed when her eyes felt like a bolt of lightning as the met with his.
He climbed from leaning on the wall and suddenly looked away from the blonde, swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat. His knees felt more shaky than he last remember and he nearly groaned loudly as he quickly came to realize that something bad was happening. He had never felt it before, but he simply knew. 'God...no! I am NOT falling for this woman!'
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Okay, I was in such a good mood that I managed to finish this chapter. It is a bit later than I usually do, but other stuff has come up. Oh well, I'm trying to do my best to get a chapter out a week.
Hopefully, I'll be speeding up the plot so that I can bring Sora back for another round against Cloud. Of course, then I have to fit in that next confrontation that I promised. Hmm, what kind of dream to put them in this time. There are so many possibilities!
Well, I hope you all enjoyed it, and I thank you all for reading.
By Chibi Nataku
Disclaimer: In no way do I hold claim over any of the characters of Kingdom Hearts, who are currently owned by Square. Despite my attempts to grab hold of even a cardboard cut-out of my favourite characters, my efforts have fallen short so they will probably always remain under rights of Square (the world is so unfair :P)
Chapter 7 - Shadows of Truth
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Sephiroth stood silently, contemplating how long it had been since he had last been to his home planet. As far as he could tell, it had been at least ten years since his death in this place, and it really had not changed much in appearance. He remained unimpressed with the fact that nothing seemed out of place, except for the fact that there were no actual people wandering the once populated palace. His gaze took in all the details of his home with a single glance.
He chuckled softly as he thought about how Hades had fallen for his little lie about going to destroy a planet, though his laughter was silenced as he recalled how long it actually took him to find Hollow Bastion's location amoung the stars. He had been forced to research in the endless scrolls that Hades kept, based on a lie that he wanted to find out what he would be going up against on a certain planet. He wasn't entirely sure that Hades fell for it completely, just enough to allow him freedom to do as he pleased. He had remained looking around for Hollow Bastion's location for the better part of a night, only moving from his studies when he heard laughter in regards to his property; obviously Cloud's little escapade to Traverse Town has landed the blonde into a little bit of trouble. Yet, he forced himself to remain at his post shifting through the endless wall of rolled up paper instead of going to check on his canary. He determined that once he found Hollow Bastion and the miserable report, he would have plenty of time to check on Cloud's health and much more.
So, he had found Hollow Bastion's location in an obscure scroll and now stood looking around in his old home, a place he never thought that he would get a chance to return to alone. However, now that he was here, he could accomplish many of the activities that had been swirling around in his mind, like finding out more about Cloud's history, how to absorb the planet's energy to be the sole protector of his property, and now to find the report by Ansem. The latter wouldn't be too much of a problem considering he knew every Ansem hid experimental items and especially books; his lord wasn't that smart, despite what people said about him. No, the harder parts of his little mission would be to find a way to draw in the life energy of the planet and to find out more secrets about Cloud Strife, a man with more secrets than hair on his spiky blonde head. Of course, digging up secrets to use against Cloud would be much more difficult now that there were no people living on Hollow Bastion, and he had never been able to dig up a diary or writings, aside from reports, that either Cloud had written or someone who actually knew him. He wondered if there were any people that had actually seen the blonde behind all the masks and walls.
Still, he began to wander towards the library, smiling as his boots clicked on the stone beneath his feet as he walked and the doors creaked under his touch. He stepped into the main hall, shaking his head to find that everything had been left the way it should be, almost too perfectly so. He remembered quite distinctly finger painting with blood in this room and killing indiscriminately anyone who entered his path. Really, the room had improved considerably since he had last been in it, as if someone had taken the time to clean up his little games, and he seriously doubted it was Cloud. This could only mean that there was something still here with more intelligence than a normal Heartless. He could use this to his advantage depending on who remained behind.
He silently took to the steps, stalking up as he had done many times in the past, only to stop when he heard a soft chuckling that seemed to echo around the room so that an occupant could no pin-point the owner's location. His glowing gaze shifted around the room and his hand settled on his sword hilt as Heartless began to climb from the floors, walls and even the roof. He sighed in annoyance and swept his long silver hair over his shoulder, rolling his eyes when all the small black creatures surrounded him. He noted that they did not attack him and listened for the laughter again, quickly locating it to be nearby. He crossed his arms as he turned to regard the top of the stairs, expression sourly as his gaze fell on the very man whose report he was looking for. "Ansem..."
Sephiroth shifted his weight and let an arm settled over Masamune's hilt as he regarded the former ruler of Hollow Bastion. He quirked an eyebrow to find that Ansem was wrapped in a bland black cloak, only the zipper and the strings hanging from the hood defining features. The large hood of the cloak was pulled back, revealing a face four years older than his own. Ansem's exposed features had not aged, the same tanned skin and manipulative golden eyes staring back at him, though he noted that the older man did not appear quite right. Ansem's exposed features held an odd light to them, as if it were only the cloak that was really there in front of him and the older man was only filling the space where a body should be. He could sense nothing from Ansem as one could with a fully functioning human being, meaning that the older man had learned some new tricks or Ansem was a mere spirit wandering about.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't my bastard brother descending from the world of living...and here I thought you were dead. Obviously, you must have a good mouth on you to get yourself out of that one." Ansem crossed his own arms and regarded his younger sibling with some amusement. He never dreamed that Sephiroth would return without his other General hooked over one shoulder after all the events leading up to the fall of his planet. He shook his head in amusement and hopped up to sit in midair. "I take it that you are here to either give up your body to me or to finish up a bizarre plot to grab General Strife again." He scrutinized his sibling and smirked. "You can just give up your body now and save me the effort."
Sephiroth snorted, lifted a hand in the air and summoned forth pillars of fire around him. He enjoyed the kiss of the heat against his skin before allowing the flames to fade away, not very surprised that Ansem remained pleasantly seated watching him, though all the Heartless around him were destroyed. "Out of my way, Ansem. I have better things to do with my time than visit with you."
Ansem chuckled softly. "So, you are after General Strife then. I thought as much." He watched Sephiroth walk past him and floated beside his younger sibling, smirking when Sephiroth attempted to hit him. He watched as his brother's hand passed through his form. "Sorry, can't hit what doesn't have a body, my dear brother." He smirked when Sephiroth stopped to regard him, leaning his chin on one of his hands as if waiting for some obvious question to be asked of him. When his brother just stared at him, he decided to encourage Sephiroth into action, if only to amuse himself. "So, while you were dead, did you see father? How about my mother? Yours...considering, you are second best to me...pushed off to the side because you're an illegitimate bastard son."
"Pretty large words for a dead man." Sephiroth shot back, smirking when Ansem scowled. Having a family reunion with his older arrogant brother was not part of his plan at all. Since Ansem's little experiment on some of the guards, their teetering relationship had fallen from balance, and they usually did not manage to keep themselves from harsh words and low blows from childhood. Their relationship had soured and turned more into vulgar competition that seemed much too childish for two fully grown men who were well respected. Still, he had little liking of Ansem bringing up the fact that he had come about by an accidental roll in the hay on his father's part. The fact that he had been forced to grow up with Ansem was bad enough, and their four year age difference only seemed to get larger the older they both were.
Ansem quirked an eyebrow at Sephiroth. He did not get the response that he had been looking for, obviously indicating that the stimulus used was not the right type to receive an experimental reaction to his liking. The organism at hand required more of a harsh stimulus to awaken a much more rash human desire, one that would reveal true emotions that rounded out without the need for thought. Striking on nerves was usually the most productive manner to get such responses.
He forced his expression to remain neutral as he regarded his younger brother. "So, how is my favourite General?" He watched Sephiroth glared at him and shrugged his shoulders innocently. When his brother opened his mouth to reply, he held up at hand. "Not you, General Strife." He couldn't hold in a smirk at Sephiroth's death-glare and angered swat in his direction, which passed through his body. "Come on, tell me how he's been holding up? I bet that man is still silent, generally good-natured, with all his marbles in place...."
"He's given himself over to the darkness again." Sephiroth noted the fact that Ansem's expression faltered considerably, but knew that his older brother would not comment just yet. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and stared at his brother. "He now bears a demonic wing and hand, but he still remains...mentally stable." He glared when Ansem smirked at his comment to Cloud's mental strengths. "However, he is working for Hades now."
Ansem chuckled. "Meaning he's still working for me. Well, as least the boy has some sense of where he belongs." He shifted in his position to stand on the floor again, rubbing his chin with the back of one of his hands. "And you say that he remains normal aside from his new physical characteristics?" He smirked when Sephiroth nodded and walked up so that he was looking eye-to-eye with his younger sibling. "You do realize what this means, don't you?" He noted that Sephiroth's expression remained neutral. "It means Cloud Strife, youngest member of my Royal Guards and best fighter in the ranks, is better than even my own brother. It means that I have found Hollow Bastion's light, the one strong heart that keeps this planet alive." He leaned even closer to his brother. "I always knew that boy was special the moment I lay eyes on him." He pulled away quite suddenly, walking a few steps away from Sephiroth. "He does look a lot like you, you know."
Sephiroth lifted his chin away from Ansem before turning his back fully to his brother. "That's enough out of you. I have better things to do than stand around and talk with my dead brother." He started towards the library again, noting that he could not actually hear Ansem following but knew that his older brother was trailing behind.
Ansem smirked as he watched Sephiroth's tense back moving away from him. "You still have no idea if he's yours, do you?" He continued to float forward even when his younger brother stopped dead and glanced back at him. He shifted until he was in front of Sephiroth, almost a pitying expression set across his features. "I will take your silence as a no, meaning that you didn't manage to find anything out for Elecia, meaning that you didn't actually see her. Ah, love can be quite a nasty virus, especially when a possible product of your...labours eludes you continually."
"He will be mine, I assure you." Sephiroth snarled.
"In one form or another, I have no doubt. Whether by blood or lover or even a mere object, I'm certain that Strife can only resist you until the end of time, especially considering he cannot die of old age." Ansem chuckled when his sibling sighed heavily. "You know, I could tell you who his father is because I do know." He smirked when Sephiroth glanced at him before huffing in stubborn pride. He found amusement in his brother's discomfort. "I'm amazed that you never found out about the little bundle of joy earlier. I'm amazed that it was hidden from all of us. A child like that...I wonder why Walian never spoke of the boy."
Sephiroth snorted. "Probably because he died, and I doubt that the child was old enough to have ability to attend a funeral." He glanced back at Ansem. "Besides, I did see Cloud once when he was young, at the summer festival during the parade. I remember distinctly looking at the child before he disappeared into the crowd." He shook his head slowly. "I should have grabbed the runt right then and there. It would have made things easier for me. I would already own the boy."
Ansem laughed at his brother's obsessive manners. "Well, then the boy would not have been a challenge for you. No, it was good that Elecia kept him hidden for all those years. Much more exciting." He smirked and pretended to pat his brother on the cheek. "That woman went to her grave with her secrets right after she blew the Royal court's mind by placing her only fatherless offspring in its protection. I must admit, she was very cunning, especially since she managed to hide Strife's existence for fifteen years." He grinned at Sephiroth. "Why, if she hadn't died so tragically, I would have loved to perform a few experimentations on her to find out just went on in that female mind of hers."
Sephiroth remained silent, not sure what he could say to shut Ansem up. If he did not give his brother a reaction, then Ansem's little emotional 'experiment' would fail and his brother would most likely give up. However, it took all of his self-control not to find a way to pound the arrogant bastard into the floor for dragging Elecia into this mess. He clenched his jaw tightly as an annoyed female huff echoed in the back of his mind before it turned into a soft giggle of female beauty. He looked up sharply at Ansem who seemed all too pleased to see him think. "Leave before I fully test whether or not you're dead."
"I'm not dead." Ansem replied coolly, but refused to answer anything more on that topic. "Just a little advise my brother...you can't walk the paths that have already been treaded and have long faded over time. Now, the doors of the future are open and opportunities arise." Ansem looked at his gloved fingers, sighing softly. He really did wish a new body, and being able to get hold of Sephiroth's body, as nice as it would be, was not what he wanted. He glanced at his younger brother. "Don't go chasing the past. You'll only wrap yourself in a web of lies."
"Your cryptic crap may work on children and simple minds, but it will not work on me, Ansem." Sephiroth spat at his brother and turned away from Ansem again, stalking towards the library. He shoved open the door and glanced around, finding his older sibling standing beside him with a slightly annoyed expression. "Where did you leave that book you were always carrying around...your diary, I think it was?"
Ansem grinned and shrugged his shoulders. "Hidden with the mysteries that now reside in this place." He walked over to a shelf and ran his ethereal fingers over some of the books, disappointed that he could not feel their leathery texture. "I will have a body soon, you know. Even if I can't get yours, I have another...a boy who believes too much in competition. A foolish boy who will lead me directly to the source of the Heartless and then...darkness will be forever in this place. It will be wonderful..."
"You're still on the darkness kick, are you? I think you're more insane than father was." Sephiroth walked over and pulled out a book.
"Hmm, insanity must run in the family then." Ansem walked over to Sephiroth and leaned close to whisper in his brother's ear. "One...big...happy...family." He ran his fingers over Sephiroth's shoulder pads, letting his ethereal fingers brush over his younger sibling's hair until Sephiroth pulled away and glared at him. He smiled almost pleasantly. "You won't find it in there."
Sephiroth shot another glare at Ansem. "Where did you hide it then?"
Ansem's smile turned more crooked. "Give me your body and I'll show you." He followed when Sephiroth stormed through the library knocking books around. He noted that Sephiroth's rage issues had not gotten any better over time as a book flew through his ethereal form. He sighed and continued to trail his younger sibling up the stairs of the library, eventually stopping when Sephiroth seemed intent of rustling through some more books. "I believe that darkness sleeps in every heart, no matter how pure..." He watched his brother turn to regard him slowly. "...given the chance, the smallest drop can spread and swallow the heart. I have witnessed it many times..."
Sephiroth turned to regard Ansem fully, letting the book in his hands drop to the ground as he walked a few slow steps towards his older sibling. "You wrote that? Some brilliant man you are...nothing remotely complex about that little speech. I bet you had someone else write it for you while you...did whatever it was that you did."
"I'm a man of science. I am a sage of this planet. I dedicated my life to learning the answers that I didn't know." Ansem again sat in the air as he regarded Sephiroth. "I learned many things that a simpleton like you could not possibly understand. I know just how weak the heart is and the darkness will someday consume it all. I watched it happen to this place." He flicked pretend dust from his black cloak. "Only Strife and the strong hearts have the ability to resist the pull of the darkness, but...once they have given over, nothing can stop it. The darkness will consume every last drop of light that their hearts hold."
"So, you are saying that Cloud will be consumed by darkness?" Sephiroth asked calmly, crossing his arms in front of his chest.
"I guarantee it." Ansem raised an eyebrow at Sephiroth's almost miffed look and sighed heavily before drifting closer to his brother. "If what you are saying is true, then yes, he will fall into darkness, probably slow at first but it will eventually happen." He stood again and walked passed Sephiroth, noting that it was his brother that followed him now as he walked. "But, our General Strife is a strong boy, and he'll resist the change for a long time, meaning..." He rounded on Sephiroth. "He may have some fight in him left to try and find his light, but... everything returns to darkness...even your precious Cloud. Nothing can resist the darkness, not you, not I, not even the wielder of the keyblade. It is a fact based on the simple calculations of probability that I have created."
Sephiroth snorted. "I wouldn't call your calculations simple."
"Well, that's why father gave you a sword and not a book. Your ignorance to true science means that no matter how hard you try, you will understand nothing." Ansem smirked at his younger sibling's scowl. "That's why father like me more, dear brother. I had some sense bred into me while you..." He noted Sephiroth's warning look and smirked cruelly. "You were produced on the wrong side of the sheets. No fault of your own. It just gives you a small bit of justification as to why you are stupid."
Sephiroth forced himself to grab hold of his quickly flaring temper. He would not give his brother a rise if only to get the report out of Ansem for his own personal gain. He doubted that Ansem even held any of the other answers that he was seeking, though his older sibling was not usually one to bluff with him. He rounded on Ansem, growling at the almost pleasant expression on his brother's face. "So tell me then, since you are so smart, how did you lose your body and not be dead?"
Ansem sighed melodramatically. "A tragic accident on my part. Who would have thought that a simple mathematical calculation could have gone so wrong at such an inopportune moment...just when the destruction of my planet was getting good too." He cast a glance back at Sephiroth who really didn't seem too impressed with him at the moment. Obviously, the double strike had hit a rather large nerve on his younger sibling. "I suppose that you wish me to tell you in lay-man terms?"
"You have no idea what happened to your body, do you?" Sephiroth asked as he raised an eyebrow of skepticism.
"Absolutely none." Ansem replied, shrugging his shoulders. "Even a scientific mind can only go so far, and though I know that I wasn't consumed by darkness or killed by Heartless, it seems to me that it just disappeared."
"Some scientist." Sephiroth muttered softly, rustling through more books. He glanced back at Ansem to find his older sibling watching him silently, all the calculation draining away from the both of them. The room suddenly felt much less tense, as if the ice between them had been melted away with a simple bit of insane humour on both of their parts. Their obvious malice for each other slipped back into slumber, giving way to more logical thoughts and cognitive questions between them. There was an obvious shift in the feeling of the room and of each other's body language, despite the fact that Ansem was only an iridescent spirit wrapped in a black cloak.
Ansem sighed heavily and drifted a bit closer to Sephiroth, watching intently as his younger sibling continued to rustle through books, probably not even looking for his notes now. He noted that Sephiroth bearly glanced at the title of each book and despite his accusations to his brother's stupidity, he knew for a fact that Sephiroth was an extremely intelligent man. But, his brother's intelligence only went as far as loyalty would allow and as he reached out an ethereal hand to touch the wing that he had forced on his younger sibling's form, he was a bit surprised when he could ghostly feel the softness of the black feathers. "I am surprised that you have yet to be taken over by the darkness fully. I would have thought that you would be a Heartless by now."
Sephiroth glanced over at Ansem. "My insanity keeps me healthy and driven to resist the lull of power. I want only one thing, meaning that I am not greedy for more power. I already know that Cloud will be mine." He shifted to lean against the bookshelf, watching Ansem closely. "I've come to the conclusion that it is really greed that draws the darkness, that and using its power too often. A heart becomes weak when one becomes greedy." He smirked at Ansem's slow nod of approval.
Ansem drifted back and started to descend the stairs of the library again. "I have many pawns that cannot see what you do about the darkness. Each one of them is a fool for power, and truly cannot understand just how exponentially the darkness can grow if it is not resisted." He stopped and looked back at Sephiroth, their gazes meeting equally. "My only desire is to understand what others cannot. I must open the doors myself...using whatever means possible. Limiting oneself to one single purpose slows the process, but everything returns to darkness eventually. It is a simple fact that cannot be denied." He shifted his gaze away from Sephiroth and beckoned his brother. "Come, I wish to show you something that you may find interesting."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Cloud stalked down the hallway, very much aware that he was being followed, his every movement noted and probably recorded for Hades to look over at a later time. He growled and continued on his way, making for his room if only to attempt to bandage his still bleeding wounds.
He was still annoyed over the insulting tongue-lashing that he had reached from Hades for wandering off without permission. He had done what Hades had asked of him, so he believed that he had a right to move off to accomplish other tasks that the god had no business in. No, he had been stuck standing in the middle of Hades' throne room, bleeding on the floors and being called various colourful names. He had said little in the exchange, not in the mood to play Hades' game of insults and guessing for answers that he was aware that Hades would dangle in front of him. So, Hades had grounded him like a child to the Underworld. He was not allowed to leave until Hades told him to, and he had been subjected to having a spirit tracking to make sure that he 'behaved' himself as Hades had put it. He felt like he was ten years old again with the treatment that he had received, which only made his mood more gloomy.
He completely ignored anything that drifted by him, set on his destination, pulling his cloak up higher on his face so that only his eyes peeked out from beneath his golden bangs. However, he was forced to slow his pace as his stomach churned uncomfortably, wrapping an arm around his midsection in an attempt to calm the rebellion. He grunted in stubbornness to force his legs to continue forward even though he was certain that he left his ailing stomach behind. He was well aware of the sweat that was building on his brow, his aching muscles, throbbing wounds, and now grumbling stomach. He doubted that his day could get any worse.
When he reached his door, he practically shoved it clean off of its hinges as he entered, cringing as the wood crashed loudly into the nearby wall. He quietly shut it behind him and rubbed his forehead as he stumbled over to his bed. He flopped down unceremoniously and struggled to kick off his boots, eventually succeeding in sending the offending objects across the room. He shook his head and flopped onto his back, folding his hands behind his head as all his aches and pains seemed to scream in the back of his mind.
After a few minutes lying, he forced himself to his feet and removed his armour, belts and ruined sweater. He pulled out a knife from beneath his pillow and began to cut the material into long strips, clenching his teeth as his stomach gurgled its disapproval. Ignoring his discomfort, he began to wrap the strips of material around his waist, covering over the weeping wound that he had received in his battle against Leon. Though the wound was healing quickly, he still felt comfort in bandaging his injuries, an activity that he had done numerous times in his youth.
He stood to find some water to wash the blood from his cheek, but he had barely managed three steps away from the bed when his stomach finally demanded attention. He froze as pain raced up his back, and he was forced roughly to his knees as liquid raced up his throat, choking and sputtering at the foul taste that came with it. He shook his head as he began to heave, his body thrusting forward with effort as inky black liquid mixed with ruby blood hit the floor and rolled down his chin. The vile substance burned his mouth and throat, and it sent shudders down his body as he attempted to force himself to remain on his hands and knees. He wiped his mouth quickly with the back of his hand as he forced himself to sit back against the bed, breathing heavily as his stomach threatened to react again. He desperately tried to catch his breath again, wrapping his arms around his shoulders as coldness spread from his back all around his body, seeming to turn his internal organs to ice.
He pushed himself further against the bed as his glowing gaze settling on his black vomit, which now swirled on the floor. The liquid seethed and chittered noisily, rising up slowly from the floor, the inky blackness shifting into a form that took up more liquid than he had actually expelled from his body. He nearly clawed back further into the bed when he found himself staring up at a shadowed reflection of himself as a small child. He shook his head as the shadow turned to regard him, its features chiseled as if carved from stone, the eyes hollow and haunting of days long since dead. He involuntarily flinched when the shadow boy reached a hand towards him, its cold fingers smearing inky black over his cheek, causing him to suck in a sudden breath.
"What...?!" Cloud squirmed away from the touch, leaping across the bed despite his ailments. He gasped when the boy was no longer there, as if he had imagined it all. He stood rigidly, breathing heavily until a small cold hand touch his back. He whirled, finding the same boy watching him with an inhuman wolfish grin. "Don't touch me!" He yelled as he tripped and scrambled to the other side of the bed, gaze fixed on the little figure. He couldn't remember the last time that he had felt this panicked. Of course, he couldn't remember seeing something this bizarre either.
Yet, he didn't have time to react as strong freezing arms slipped under his own and pinned his shoulders, gaze arching to regard another shadowed version of himself. He attempted to struggle out of the impossibly strong hold, suddenly pushing back against the shadow holding him as he found the first one crawling towards him, its grin now taking on more sadistic qualities. He tried to scramble away, but the hold on his arms held tightly, and he found himself face-to-face with the little boy that now sat comfortably in his lap. He turned his face away when the little shadow almost tenderly ran a cold finger down his nose and over his lips. He tensed when the shadow leaned forward and nuzzled his cheek. He felt more freezing black liquid smear on his cheek and shuddered involuntarily.
"Darkness rising." The shadow whispered, its voice much too old for the form it inhabited. It let a finger trace the blonde's ear lobe. "You are losing your touch..." It pulled back to grin cruelly, placing both of its small cold hands on the blonde's chest, enjoying the immediate tension in the muscles beneath its touch. "Hidden we were...punished for a crime we never knew. They hide us for all those years...shamed by us."
Cloud felt his breath catch in his throat as the arms holding his shoulders gripped tighter. He forced his reeling brain to focus and to think logically, to find out the answers to these creatures' meanings and purpose. "You're not real. I'm dreaming again. What do you want?"
The little shadow leaned forward, its hollow black sockets staring into glowing blue ones. "He never like us. He wished us dead...hid us instead." It cocked its head the side as it lifted a hand to trace the blonde's strong chin. "She never knew. She never loved us either."
"Don't talk about her!" Cloud shouted back, surprised by his own angered voice. He was not so sure whom he was angrier at.
"We can't even call her by what she is...mother. She bore us screaming into this world yet she wanted to take back our existence the moment she lay eyes on us..." The shadow leaned closer still, almost touching the blonde. "How does it feel to still be all alone? He abandoned us. She abandoned us. They left us to face the questions of the court alone...always alone." It followed the blonde's eyes, keeping their gazes locked until it received a stony glare, causing its grin to return to its previously sadistic form. "We fight alone, weep alone, desire alone...mourn alone. No one cares to understand us...they use us, want us, hold us, hurt us..."
Cloud again tried to struggle out of the hold on his shoulders, grimacing as sharp claws began to dig into his flesh, the cold spreading down and numbing his muscles. When he could no longer feel his shoulders enough to struggle, he hardened his gaze at the child that now sat almost playfully on his knees, watching him. "Leave and say nothing more. I don't want to hear what you have to say, whatever you are. You know nothing about what has happened. You only assume that you know what I have felt. I won't let you manipulate my feelings."
The little shadow chuckled softly and clapped its hands together as if it were playing a game. It slid itself forward on the blonde, settling itself on Cloud's hips. "The clock is ticking...our time is slipping away as the darkness rises." It ran a cold finger up the blonde's muscled chest, smirking cruelly. "We only wish to help, to save us...*he* wants us badly." It leaned forward. "*He* draws closer to us, desires us, makes moves to capture us...he knows where to find us. We are but a puppet with no strings that can be seen, but a puppet all the same. We are no more in control than the day she hid us and he stop speaking of us....How long until her secrets stop biting at us, tearing us...hindering us?"
Cloud snarled and attempted to dislodge the boy, gasping when the arms holding him suddenly lost all of their strength and released him. He scrambled to catch himself, but fell from the bed anyway, landing hard on the floor. Yet, he rolled into a crouch, his gaze slipping around to find the shadowed boy watching him from a few feet away. He set his shoulders, pulling his wing from a relaxed position on his back. "Leave." He ordered firmly, clenching his demonic hand as he readied a strike against the creature if it persisted.
The shadow chuckled again and gestured at the wing that stood from the blonde's back. "Remember to breathe when we slip below to surface. Only nightmares await us where we are going." He smirked knowingly as it began to dissolve away, slipping back into a black puddle before even the puddle crawled between the cracks in the floor.
Cloud breathed in a tight breath and closed his eyes, feeling the cold that had taken hold of his body slowly begin to slip away. He reluctantly sat down on the floor as all his efforts had only succeeded in making him completely exhausted. He shook his head as he had trouble opening his eyes again, looking around at the floor around him for any sign that he would be attacked again. Without really thinking about it, he slammed his clenched demonic hand into the hard stone floor, gritting his teeth as pain laced up his arm.
"Damn you..." He shook his head more violently as he felt a shadowed bit of laughter echo in his mind that was cut short suddenly. He remembered why she had stopped laughing; he had entered the room rubbing sleepy eyes, too young to understand what her silence really meant. "You always knew exactly how to hide me away so that no one knew about me. What did I do to shame you...and him?" His gaze stared blankly at the stone beneath him. "Then you left me to struggle up the ranks on my own...just like you always left me to struggle through everything on my own...." He clenched his teeth until the emotions settled again. "Damn you mother..."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Sephiroth tucked the book he was holding beneath his arm and casually strode after Ansem. He followed his brother down to the lower ranks of Hollow Bastion's palace, weaving down blackened corridors that seemed to shift with their presence. He stopped when Ansem did, at an open door that he had never seen before. By the manner in which it appeared, it was obviously a secret door that had never been revealed to him, a fact that he was slightly annoyed about. The walls around him shifted with an inky black substance that seemed to stop at the door. For a moment, he wondered if this was even their destination, despite the fact that he had been in every other door in this hallway and had found nothing of interest in them.
He followed more cautiously when Ansem drifted forward again, hand on the hilt of his sword in case this was an elaborate trap set by his older brother. Yet, he was surprised to find that the inky shadows did not enter this large room, rather there was glowing aqua crystals that jutted from the walls and illuminated to room in a sickly green light that kept the shadows at bay. The heat was intense and hit like running into a wall might. The heat only seemed to increase the further he entered into the room.
The room was huge, yet it was mostly filled with a gapping hole directly in the middle. Within the extremely deep pit, his eyes locked on the source of the warmth of the room, a bubbling mass of aqua liquid that seethed and churned almost angrily. The greenish crystals seemed to hum softly as he stepped away from the pit.
"What is this place?" He asked quietly, noting Ansem's gaze remained on the churning liquid. "I don't believe that you ever told me about this place, and do I dare ask why you've now brought me here?"
Ansem smirked mockingly as he glanced over to Sephiroth. "A bastard had no place knowing such information. Father instructed me to keep anyone but myself away from this place for the simple fact that he had little understanding of it." He drifted over to his brother and reached out as if to touch one of the crystals. The hissing angered sound increased the closer his fingers drew, and he eventually pulled his hand back. "It appears that they are angry today. I don't think they like you very much, brother."
"Who is 'they'?" Sephiroth asked coldly.
"The voices of the planet, of course. I doubt you understand so I will tell you." Ansem sat in mid-air, far enough away from the crystals so that the pool only emitted a low grumbling of disapproval. "Every planet has a life force that nurtures and cures, blah blah, happy day. Now, when someone dies, their spirit enters this life-force to stand around and wait to be reborn, but the planet has its own voice that controls all of these spirits. Once the life force is consumed, say by the Heartless, the planet dies and a star goes out in the sky." He smirked and waved a hand when Sephiroth quirked an eyebrow at him. "The true goal of the Heartless seeking to consume a world is..." He gestured towards the pit. "...to consume that, thereby, killing the planet and consuming all the populous along with it. Until a planet's life force is consumed, the Heartless can only wait and increase the power and number by having more Heartless flood in through the keyhole that connects the planets."
Sephiroth crossed his arms and walked back over to the pit, taking a step back when a blast of heat hit him. He glanced over at Ansem. "So, these cute little voices don't like us because we have some darkness in us."
Ansem chuckled as he drifted over to where Sephiroth was standing. "No, no, our planet is particularly talkative. It has a strong will of its own and quite frankly, it is almost as obsessed about getting its strong heart back as you are to claim the strong heart for yourself." He smirked at his brother's angered glance at the equally angry crystals. "Because of Cloud's strength, it wishes him to return to be the planet's protector, and because of what you have told me about our General, the planet knows it only has a limited amount of time to do it." He leaned over the pit almost casually. "I find it quite fascinating that it knows about Strife's condition, probably because it feels his fading life-force."
"And what will happen if Cloud returns here in a triumphant blaze of glory?" Sephiroth inquired.
"Oh, he'll probably spend most of his remaining days fighting the Heartless here. Our General does not bear the keyblade, meaning that he cannot actually stop all the Heartless that will come after him." Ansem smirked and gestured for his younger sibling to follow. "The planet knows this too, but because it is slowly losing, it will do whatever it can to bring back its strong heart." He looked at Sephiroth and gestured to the crystals. "You are hindering the planets attempts to draw Strife home; therefore, the planet doesn't like you very much."
Sephiroth quirked an eyebrow and lifted his chin arrogantly. "The planet can't have what is mine. I won't share with a stupid dying rock. Cloud is mine and not even some glowing cesspool of death is going to stand in my way." He stalked from the room when the rumbling increased, stepping back into the darkened hallway. He glanced back to Ansem who seemed intent of drifting slowly after him. "Tell me where your notes are and I will leave you to whatever mad plan you've got running in that head of yours."
Ansem smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "I can't." He stopped beside his younger sibling, noting the displeased look he received and chuckled. "The report on the Heartless is gone. I ripped the pages out and dropped one here and there so that no one could really know as much about the Heartless as I did. Rather, they would not have enough knowledge to think that all my studies have led me to controlling the Heartless to further my own plans. By the time all the notes have been brought together, it will be too late to stop me." He leaned closer to his brother and grinned. "Everything is going according to plan."
"You still don't have a body." Sephiroth pointed out as he started to walk down the hallway again.
"Such matters are merely an inconvenience. My body is on its way, I guarantee that." Ansem smirked and gave Sephiroth a purposeful glance, causing a scowl to be shot back at him. He stopped drifting after his younger sibling and glanced back at the room they had been in previously. He smiled almost pleasantly and moved in front of Sephiroth's path. "I've decided."
Sephiroth stopped walked despite the fact that he could probably just walk right through Ansem. He quirked an eyebrow in mock disinterest. "You've decided on what? This had better be good."
"I don't want your body." Ansem declared. "I'll use that little brat that Maleficent has for me." He gave Sephiroth a purposeful look. "You are more useful to me alive and wandering about."
"That's a good thing, I suppose. I wasn't planning on giving it to you anyway." Sephiroth snubbed his brother's mock hurt expression as he stepped around Ansem and continued walking. "I never give up what is mine, to you least of all." He ignored Ansem's snort of apprehension and started stepped from the hallway, glancing back to make sure that his older brother was not about to try something on him. He smirked when Ansem drifted passed him. "If you tried to take my body, I'd never get my hands on Cloud, now would I?"
Ansem snorted in annoyance and crossed his arms across his chest, sending a glare at Sephiroth. "That won't matter, anyway. Even if you do manage to get your hands on Strife, he'll slip between your fingers before you can indulge in your victory." He cast a knowing glance back at his younger sibling and smirked evilly, beckoning Sephiroth closer as if he had a secret to tell. He bet to whisper in the other man's ear when Sephiroth reluctantly stopped in front of him. "The darkness will not just stop at a wing or a hand...no, Strife will be completely absorbed and become a Heartless. And if that happens..." He drifted away, smirk still etched in his features. He gestured around him at the walls. "Hollow Bastion goes with him...everything will die on this planet and its light will fade from the sky."
Sephiroth blinked and took a small step back. "What?"
"A strong heart consumed by darkness is a truly marvelous thing to watch...I myself have only seen it once. General Strife is doomed if he cannot fight back to hold off the darkness, meaning that you will probably be seeing him only in the afterlife where his soul will be cleaned of its impurities and he walks straight to hell. You can save a cozy stalagmite for him if you really want." Ansem snickered at his younger sibling's dumbfounded look and waited for the information to sink in.
Sephiroth stood silent for a long while, eyes on the stone at his feet. This was not what he had expected to hear, nor did he like it very much. Having Cloud walking such a dangerous line without the power to stop his property from falling from the sky made him quite angry. Cloud was his, meaning that he should have the ability to choose the path that the blonde should walk, but he was hindered because of Hades. This was not according to plan at all! He would not allow Cloud to die, and he would not let the blonde slip through his fingers either. He would stop anyone from taking Cloud from his grasp, not matter the obstacle it took to pull the blonde closer into his hold. Obviously, the blonde required his aid, but he could not help Cloud if he was not able to touch or speak with the blonde. He would have to wait for the opportune moment to delicately extract his property from the danger.
He felt his anger slip forward into his mind along with frustration, and he clenched his fist tightly against his side. He looked up at Ansem who stood almost patiently waiting his reaction. He settled his expression into complete neutrality as he began to walk past his older brother, climbing the stairs from the basement level. He glanced back when Ansem chuckled and followed him. "I'm leaving. I have worlds to destroy."
"Ah, venting frustration again? Does this news mean that things are not going according to your plans?" Ansem drifted beside Sephiroth and hummed softly, watching his younger sibling out of the corner of his eye. When Sephiroth stopped and began to pull together a teleportation spell, he smirked and ran a hand through his white locks. "Before you go, dearest brother, do your best to keep General Strife from the area. It would be best for all of us."
Sephiroth sent a glare over his shoulder at Ansem. "Why should I bother to help you? You've done nothing to help me so I owe you nothing." He shifted his hands as dark energy gathered around himself.
Ansem chuckled softly. "If you keep him away, I'll keep the Heartless away from consuming the planet's energy, meaning you have longer with your 'precious' toy." He smirked and shifted himself in front of Sephiroth, catching his younger sibling's attention. "Oh, do drop by and visit again. I may even tell you if you actually managed to sire a certain General of mine."
"You could just tell me now." Sephiroth shot back in irritation.
"True, but then I wouldn't have any more fun with you. Sometimes, you make my life exciting." Ansem grinned and pulled the cloak hood up so that only his face remained exposed to Sephiroth. "Next time we meet, I will have a body. Until then, my brother."
Sephiroth remained silent as the teleportation spell enveloped him, only giving Ansem one last stony glare for good measure. He closed his eyes as darkness filled his vision, and he was surprised by sudden soft laughter echoing around him, much too familiar than he would have liked. Perhaps Ansem had pulled a trick on him?
"Elecia...?"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"How dare you!" The lithe blonde woman yelled, glaring at the obviously apologetic silver-haired man across from her. She stomped her foot angrily on the ground as she pulled her basket of fruit closer to her chest. "What kind of man runs into a woman and stands completely dumbfounded while she has to clean up the mess that he made! Some gentleman you are." She swiveled quickly, her wild long blonde locks shifting back over her shoulder with her rough movements. Next to her, her sister desperately tried to calm her down. "Stop it, Aeryn! I've never met anyone so rude!"
Sephiroth glanced back at the shocked guards at his right, a bit stunned himself by this show of female intolerance. He was so shocked that he forgot to be offended and merely stood looking between the angered blonde woman and the men who he was showing about the fourth district of the city. He had never been treated in such a manner, and if he were not so astonished by the blonde's rage, he might have tried to put the woman back in her place. Yet, he did not. He stood and eventually held out a hand in an attempt to calm the woman. "I...I'm sorry. I did not see you there, miss..."
"Elecia, please! Let's just go home!" The younger woman asked, taking hold of her sister's arm.
Elecia swiveled back to face the silver-haired man, blue eyes flashing dangerously. She pointed a finger at the man, watching as his glowing aqua eyes crossed to watch the offending finger. "Of course you didn't see me! I may be a commoner compared to you, but I will not tolerate such rudeness! You should know better than to run over a woman carrying her groceries!" She pulled her finger back and glared at the silver-haired man. When he merely stared down at her, she growled. "Staring is almost as rude!"
"I'm sorry. It's just..." Sephiroth knew that they were quickly drawing a crowd and his men were standing in shocked silence as he was yelled at. No one had enough balls to yell at him, but he quickly realized that the fact that Elecia was a woman put him into confusion. He was the most important member of the Royal Guards, and he was being reduced to standing silent under the fury of a woman. He wondered if this woman even knew who he was. Yet, he didn't have time to ponder if it was wise to question the blonde as the furious woman turned on her heel and stormed off down the dusty street. "I apologize...?" He called after her, more than a little confused as she completely ignored him.
As soon as she was out of sight, Sephiroth closed his eyes as the silence descended into a chaos of whispers. He sighed heavily and glanced around, finding the other shorter blonde bowing in apologetic meekness. He held up his hand, allowing the woman silent permission to leave and watched her hurry after the heated Elecia. He immediately turned and gave his men a hard look, silencing all of them. "Enough. Fall in line and we'll finish your rounds."
He stalked off down the street, yet his mind drifted back to the fury that had washed over him only moments before. He shook his head as his temper seemed to shorten as he processed the previous encounter. However, the more that he thought about the blonde woman, the more he felt to urge to track her down...for what, he was not so sure. Perhaps show the commoner proper etiquette when standing around a noble...a bastard noble, but a noble all the same. He had never been subjected to such anger in all of his days, and the fact that the blonde had not even blinked when she turned to regard him to commence yelling confused him considerably. He was known around every district of the city so it was impossible that the woman did not know who he was, but Elecia had treated him as if he were just another commoner. He was not sure if he wanted to be offended by her treatment just yet.
Sephiroth managed to sit through four whole days before finally tracking the blonde down. In that time, he had gone from irritated to bewildered to confused to happy. He really couldn't figure the woman's actions out, and the scientist in his blood urged him to make an attempt to find out the answers that he did not know. He admitted that he was interested in Elecia, if only to solve the puzzle of why she had treated him as she had. The commoners had always treated him as a noble, despite his birthright, but the blonde woman had either failed to notice who he was or did not care in the least. Which ever it was, he decided that he really wanted to know.
So, he found himself standing in the lower level of the Fourth District in front of a green door. He almost casually knocked, but it was evident from the stares that it was assumed that he was here purely on business; he was well aware that most of the people thought that he was here to punish the woman for her previous rudeness. Still, he waited patiently until the door flew open and the same blonde woman stood in the doorway, small knife in one hand and a potato in the other. Just seeing her in such a fashion made his mind blank out any thoughts that he had planned to say so he stood dumbfoundedly before her from the second time.
Elecia looked the silver-haired man up and down as if he had no purpose being in front of her. She looked out the door to see her neighbours much too interesting in her business and glared at each one of them. She quickly turned her attention to the silver-haired man. "What do you want?"
Sephiroth drew in a deep breath and forced his sluggish mind to cooperate with his commands. He had never lost track of his thoughts before, and it worried him that the blonde had such an effect on him. Luckily, he knew that his expression had not changed from neutral so he recovered quickly and nodded at the blonde. "I came to formally apologize for the other day. I'm afraid that I was consumed with other business at the point where you stepped into my path." He inwardly smirked at his smoothness.
Elecia quirked a blonde eyebrow and looked the silver-haired man up and down again as if to check his sanity. Eventually, she put her hands on her hips and drew in a deep breath. She was inwardly pleased that she had managed to even catch a noble's attention with her anger, and she was impressed that this man had tracked her down to apologize. Obviously, he was more of a gentleman than she had given him credit for. Slowly, she nodded and beckoned him inside, scowling when he merely stood watching her. "Are you planning on standing there all day? Is my house not good enough for you, noble?"
"I didn't say that." Sephiroth replied as he tucked to step inside the house, surprised by the instant homely feeling that surrounded him as the door shut behind him. He turned to regard the blonde as she stalked back to the small wooden table where several potatoes were sitting. He quirked an eyebrow when she went back to work, completely ignoring him. He eventually shifted his weight and cleared his throat. "Do you know who I am?" He was not sure why he asked, but he felt the need to start somewhere in his analysis of the blonde.
Elecia glanced up from her potato before shrugging her shoulders. "'course. You are only the most powerful noble amoung the commoners who walks with a complete stick up your behind." She didn't need to look up to know that her words had caught the silver-haired man off guard. She gestured to the seat across from her without looking up, intent on her business. It didn't matter to her if the silver-haired man stood all day; he was actually quite a looker so she had no problem with the view. She did eventually look up when he did not seat himself. "You just gonna stand there and look all pretty? It's hardly a way to impress me."
"Who said I'm trying to impress you?" Sephiroth retorted as he took a seat after removing his sword from his belt. He pushed the chair back from the table to stretch out his legs, watching the blonde closely.
Elecia couldn't help a grin spreading across her features, the first pleasant expression that she displayed for Sephiroth. "If ya didn't want to impress me, ya wouldn't have come in." She watched the man and tossed him the knife in her hand, nodding in appreciation when he picked it out of the air. She stood, wiped her hands on her apron and went to retrieve another knife, eventually seating herself again. She reached over and rolled a potato over to the silver-haired man. "While you're just sitting showing off your manly might, you mine as well be useful."
Sephiroth looked skeptically at the offending potato that was tottering in front of him. He had never been ordered to do anything, least of all peeling vegetables. "You want me to peel potatoes?"
"You can balance it on the top of your head for all I care." Elecia replied, brushing back some of her wild blonde locks with her arm, glancing up when Sephiroth appeared confused with the request, a small smile pulling at her lips. She admitted that she liked the shy manner which he picked the potato up and made attempts to peel it. She knew the inevitable would happen and chuckled when the silver-haired man finally managed to catch a finger on the knife. "Cut away from yourself. You'll lose a finger if you keep that up."
"You could have informed me before." Sephiroth said with more than a little annoyance. How the heck had he managed to get convinced into peeling a potato? He looked over at Elecia, felt his stomach flutter slightly and quickly returned his gaze to the vegetable. He became distinctly aware of how warm the room was and how it smelled of drying herds, a natural homely smell. He shook his head slightly and made another attempt at the potato. He was not sure if it was the blood from his finger or his subtle nervousness, but he blinked when the offensive vegetable leapt from his hand and bounced across the table. He found himself staring at it, trying to figure out how it had escaped his grasp. "I..."
Elecia looked from the potato to the silver-haired man then back again. "You dropped your potato, General." It was the first time that she acknowledged his rank, and she was greatly amused when he scowled at her. She shot back a dirty look of her own before going back to her choirs. "You make it look like you've never seen a raw vegetable before...let alone handled one. You had better hope that potatoes don't grow a mind of their own and attack the town because you would be helpless to stop them."
Sephiroth scowled, his arm shooting out with lighting speed, the knife in his hand slamming into the table so hard that the potato he was aiming for split in half and the knife was imbedded so deeply that the table cracked slightly. He was forced to sit back in shock when the blonde didn't even flinch or look up, rather she appeared to still be completely unimpressed with him. He looked away when she continued to peel as if he had not even moved, clenching a fist to settle his temper and his thoughts. All he could think was that Elecia was a piece of work, one that he admitted was more confusing and real than anyone he had ever confronted. He felt stripped of all of his securities in front of her, vulnerable and confused. He was not so sure that he liked this feeling, nor did he want to deny its existence by suddenly leaving her home.
Elecia finally put down the peeled potato and looked at the two halves that were still rolling on the table. She completely ignored the mostly bent knife imbedded in her table. "Well, I guess that settles what kind of potatoes I'm having tonight. Roasted potatoes it is, General."
"Sephiroth."
"Hmm?" Elecia finally raised her eyes to the silver-haired man, and she found herself unable to suppress a warm smile.
"Please, call me Sephiroth, not General." Sephiroth replied quietly, not sure why he would want her to call him by his actual name, but it seemed much more proper. He only enjoyed being called 'General' by his men.
Elecia slowly nodded her head. "Alright, Sephiroth." She began to cut the potatoes into halves. When she was finished, she gathered the halves together into a pile and glanced at the silver-haired man. "Well, you're a big boy so I take it you eat a good share. I'm glad I pulled more potatoes than I could eat." She stood and ignored Sephiroth's slightly confused look, instead moving to stoke the fire to an appropriate heat. "I hope you don't mind chicken. I realize you nobles eat much more extravagant food, but chicken is what I'm having so that means it is what you are having."
Sephiroth cocked his head to the side before quirking an eyebrow. "Are you inviting me to dinner?" He asked in slight bewilderment. This woman sure knew how to confuse him.
"Inviting? Of course not." Elecia turned back to regard the silver-haired man, wiping her hands on her apron again. "I'm telling you that you are staying." She smiled as she gathered up the potatoes into a bowl before casting a glance at Sephiroth. "Since you wandered all this way to apologize, I mine as well practice some manners by cooking a meal. If that offends you, I could just get mad again and yell at you."
"I don't believe I've given you a reason to yell at me." Sephiroth replied coolly.
Elecia laughed softly and shook her head, patting the silver-haired man on the shoulder as she passed by. "Darling, women don't need a reason to start yelling. You're mere presence is cause enough." She smiled when the chair behind her shifted. "Obviously the General has not been associating with many women. Poor boy." Again, the chair shifted. "Come now, Sephiroth, no need to be nervous about your inexperience. If anything, it makes you seem more human. I promise not to tell your little secret to all the swooning women who are stupider than pigs and just as ugly."
Sephiroth quirked an eyebrow, not fully aware of the women that Elecia spoke of. In the court, most women gazed longingly from a distance but never approached him. It was common knowledge that he was not of proper birth, meaning that he could never hope for children of his own, not that he would want any. He had enough trouble dealing with the mentality of seventeen-year-old boys, let alone anything below that age. Perhaps Elecia was speaking of the women of the lower districts?
Despite himself and the obvious effects that this could prove if he managed to anger the blonde, he stood and almost casually pulled the knife out of the table. He glanced over to where Elecia was busily bent pulling the potatoes into the enclosed fire stove, blinking when he caught himself admiring the view. He walked almost cautiously over to where the blonde was working and leaned against the nearby wall. "I'm afraid that I'm not so sure that I'm aware of the women that you speak of."
Elecia glanced over to the silver-haired man and shook her head. "The nit-wits who can do nothing but gab about you all day. I swear, those women sigh at a mere glance in their general direction from you."
"Do you?" Sephiroth inquired almost innocently. He watched Elecia suddenly stop all movements and slowly stand to regard him. He could tell that she was not angry at the casual question since her eyes were still calm unlike the other time he had seen her.
Elecia leaned a little closer to the silver-haired man. "I don't believe we know each other well enough to be asking personal questions." She shot him an arrogant smirk and when back to cooking, glancing to the side when his boot shifted but he remained close to her. She thought her comment would have sent him away again, but as her eyes drifted upwards, she found his eyes on her still, as if expecting an answer more to his liking. She stood and looked him up and down. "Alright General, I'll admit that you are an attractive man, but I don't sigh for any man. Besides, you aren't my type."
Sephiroth watched Elecia and tried to figure out what exactly 'her type' meant. "I'm afraid that I don't understand what is 'your type'."
Elecia cocked her head to the side before smirking. "I'm too much woman for someone like you to handle. You wouldn't last a day with me."
"Is that a challenge?" Sephiroth questioned, folding his arms across his chest. He watched the blonde turn to regard him, her blue eyes flashing with a determined look that made him lift his chin slightly. He was not afraid of any thing, though he admitted confusion to this woman. However, he was not about to back down from any sort of challenge if she claimed it as one, but as he watched her, he found that she was probably not going to answer his question without some more help on his part. "I don't back down from challenges. If you think that you are good enough to beat me...highly unlikely...then so be it."
"Well then, I guess we have ourselves a challenge then, General. I'll have you whipped by the end of dinner." Elecia shot at the silver-haired man, turning her back to him as she went back to cooking, but her mind drifted to the occupied space next to her. She gritted her teeth as she found her attraction to this man increasing quickly. She had yet to meet a man that willing challenged her back. 'Damn it, he's...good.' She glanced over at his boots, feeling a slight tingle jump up her spine. She shuddered, knowing exactly what that meant, despite the fact that she had promised herself to never do it again. She sighed heavily and shook her head. 'I am not falling for this man. Not! Are you listening, Elecia? We are not going to fall for a noble!'
Sephiroth shifted his weight more comfortably and smirked. He was a determined man, meaning that he would not lose to just anyone. If the blonde wanted to defeat him, it would have to be some great feat. He was confident in his skills to outwit anyone, especially this woman. So, he watched her, cocking his head to the side as he watched her body move fluidly, admiring her features. He felt his smirk shift into a pleasant smile as she glanced over at him and tensed when her eyes felt like a bolt of lightning as the met with his.
He climbed from leaning on the wall and suddenly looked away from the blonde, swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat. His knees felt more shaky than he last remember and he nearly groaned loudly as he quickly came to realize that something bad was happening. He had never felt it before, but he simply knew. 'God...no! I am NOT falling for this woman!'
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Okay, I was in such a good mood that I managed to finish this chapter. It is a bit later than I usually do, but other stuff has come up. Oh well, I'm trying to do my best to get a chapter out a week.
Hopefully, I'll be speeding up the plot so that I can bring Sora back for another round against Cloud. Of course, then I have to fit in that next confrontation that I promised. Hmm, what kind of dream to put them in this time. There are so many possibilities!
Well, I hope you all enjoyed it, and I thank you all for reading.
