Behind Black Curtains
An AU, Sephiroth and Tifa fanfiction
-by Amaranthos-
Chapter 6: My first friend.
"Attention!" a man in black uniform shouts.
Immediately the soldiers aligned themselves straightly with square chests out, chins and noses held high. Their hands to their sides.
"Today at 1400 hours, faction Delta A, you will be responsible for attacking the Western province of Red Hearts. We have been informed that this operation is in stealth mode. If you are caught, you are on your own."
"General Sephiroth has requested you return at 1600 hours. Anyone caught in the cross fire will expressively answer to General Sephiroth. IS THAT UNDERSTOOD?" Shouted Commander Tsung.
"Yes, sir"
"Dismissed"
A new day had come and with it the new ideas for war. Leading off the Delta factions were Commander Scarlett and General Sephiroth - who was not present for the morning briefings.
Scarlett moved out her faction: Delta B trying to make sense of the council's decision to attack Red Hearts. All she remembered was a letter came from Red Hearts very early and now they were taking almost immediate action. She tried her luck in becoming debriefed about the situation from high officials but Rufus and the others were tight lipped. Scarlett wondered how a game of capturing the enemy's daughter could suddenly reverse on them. It made no sense thought Scarlett.
"Commander Scarlett" a young soldier shouts out.
Scarlett shakes her head, knowing she shouldn't worry. "Yes?" she turns to the soldier.
"Lord Velrog has asked you move to out both factions, Delta A and B as General Sephiroth will not be able to make the journey" the soldier spoke.
"What do you mean move out the both factions? I'm responsible for Delta B. And where the hell is Sephiroth? Why is he excused?" Scarlett was uncertain about aiding 2 factions into Red Hearts by herself.
"General Sephiroth has been called for a council meeting and will not be able to fill his position this afternoon. You are required for both factions." The soldier retorted.
Scarlett sighed. "Dismissed" 'Shit, how did this happen?'
Realizing she couldn't fight the council or their orders for that matter, she frowned. Scarlett looked at Delta B. It was approximately 50 soldiers that were highly trained in the field of artillery. But Delta A, had been of 500 soldiers. A much bigger faction that was much more qualified than her soldiers. They were all trained by Sephiroth to be their best and the best. She knew Sephiroth's methods of teaching had been different from hers as it shows in the breed of men cultivated. Delta A had been infamous for winning several wars, all carried out by the right hand of Sephiroth, indeed Scarlett thought, Sephiroth was very impressive.
'He's not too shabby on the eyes either.' She smirks.
Tifa takes 4 days to recover in the infirmary, who is highly guarded by some 5 soldiers. She lies on a white bed sleeping, but recovering. Her health slowly returns, but it's been a journey thought everyone.
She had not been a favourite, but she had been an asset that they still needed information from. If she died, then all else was done for.
The doctor had ascertained Tifa's condition as stress, starvation and depression. She had three horrible things going for her, and though her condition had been bad, here she was recovering quite fine. Her skin had returned to its salmon colour, her lips pink and full and even her hair had returned to its pretty shiny colour.
It had been around 10:14 am that morning, her eyes of burgundy opened. She slowly blinks, the light from the room hurting her eyes. There isn't anyone around her except a young girl sitting in the corner on a chair.
Tifa tries to speak but her voice is gone. Her throat was so dry. Patting the bed to draw the girl's attention, the girl looks up quite happy to see Tifa awake.
"She's awake" she shouted, tapping the glass informing a soldier.
Tifa's seem to ring at the girl's shrill voice. She was so high-pitched. Tifa patted the bed some more until she faded out.
A couple hours had passed and Tifa had reopened her eyes once again. The doctor this time had been inspecting her condition.
"Hello Ms. Lockhart" the doctor smiled. "I'm doctor Takisun" he spoke, "seems like your condition seems to be fluctuating. You're a weak girl right now, so don't worry, I'll take good care of you"
Tifa tried to speak, asking him for water. But he couldn't understand.
"I'm sorry my dear, what are you saying?" he asked.
But no matter how many times she tried to show him, he couldn't understand. The young girl who had spotted Tifa's awakening, observed Tifa's mouth formations
It sounded like she was saying, "water" she speaks.
Tifa looks at the girl in hope.
"You want water?" the doctor asks.
Tifa nods.
"Of course, you must be so thirsty"
He lifts her up gently and asks the girl to place the water on her lips. Gently the young maid guides the cup to the sick woman. Tifa drinks and her throat is so parched it hurts to swallow. Tears fall down her cheek.
"Oh my, don't cry" the doctor pleads.
"Yuffie get me a tissue" the doctor orders.
Yuffie as she's called, did so. The doctor gently wiped Tifa's tears away. Tifa lied there feeling like even though this was suppose to be help: a doctor prodding himself to help her recover, it was all a matter of trying to recuperate her to extort her priceless information. Tifa saddens at that thought. She wished she wasn't here anymore.
Tifa stayed awake for hours, until her voice returned. Her voice was raspy but she could still speak just so much. She had lost some weight, but nothing to talk about.
"I'm going to leave you for a moment Tifa, but Yuffie here will keep you company" the doctor says sounding Tifa with his stethoscope. She nods.
The doctor leaves and Yuffie comes to her side, giving a small smile.
"Hi…" Yuffie spoke.
"Hi" Tifa whispers.
"I'm Yuffie" she smiles.
"Tifa"
"I know who you are. Everybody knows who you are. You're that princess from Red Hearts aren't you?" she asked in a hyper manner.
Tifa cocks her head to the side, "princess?"
"Well you are a princess aren't you?" Yuffie asked.
Tifa smiled, "no… I'm not"
"Hmm… wondered where I heard that from."
"Yuffie" Tifa speaks
"Yes?"
"How long have I been… urh, out for?" Tifa asked concerned.
"A couple days" her words seem to surprise Tifa, "probably four or five…"
"Hmm" Thinks Tifa, she wondered what the devils did while she was asleep.
"You were sick pretty bad Tifa" Yuffie said, with short cute hair Tifa would figure she was only 17.
"What was I sick with?"
Yuffie pulls a stool toward Tifa's bed and sits down, "exertion mainly. The doctor figured you might have stressed yourself out. But doctor Takisun is the best, he can heal anyone." Yuffie smiled.
"Who are you, you don't look like a normal maid, no offense" Tifa asked.
Yuffie chuckled. "None taken. I'm an assistant nurse and a maid for the fallen soldiers. I don't really have the regular duty as those stuck up maids upstairs, but I have more privileges, like sometimes I go in the kitchen and those threats Master Shinra and his officials eat for their meetings, I get a whole bunch. Sometimes" Yuffie whispers looking around, "I even steal them" she puts her hand over her mouth and laugh.
Tifa laughed to herself.
"Oh you should try some Tifa, they're delicious." Yuffie laughs.
Tifa could tell this girl here was a nice person. She didn't come off as someone being wired to say these things, nor did she come off as a snob like Scarlett or with devious intentions like Sephiroth. Speaking of Sephiroth, a series of flashbacks came back to her, she remembered why she was here.
Tifa sours.
"Tifa?" Yuffie asks concerned.
She doesn't respond, she just looks out the window.
Yuffie looks down trying to think about what could make Tifa stop smiling or even laughing and she finds it.
"You must think we're all the same way. Warlord to maid, we all hate Red Hearts" Yuffie speaks.
Tifa slowly turns and spares Yuffie a reverent expression.
"Your leaders leave me nothing to believe. They bound and hurt me. I don't know who to trust." Tifa whispers.
"I guess I wouldn't blame you." Yuffie added flatly.
Tifa was taken back by that, instead of Yuffie reverting it or even denying it, she agreed. Queer, thought Tifa.
"If it's any consolation Tifa, if it means an ounce of anything, war carries victims who don't always play the part, but pay the part" Yuffie speaks.
Her words reminded her of the innocent people dead. They didn't actively involve themselves in the war, but they paid the ultimate price in blood notes. Tifa never thought about it from the perspective of workers who were brought into the system. Some of them were trying to make a living, others had no choice, but was it truly their fault? Yes, and no. For now, looking at Yuffie, she imagined her not having much of a choice. She still seems so bright and free spirited, and she was glad her spirit was not crushed to evil of Black Crescents.
"I guess you're right Yuffie" Tifa smiles.
"See… even if you didn't expect it Tifa… you can still have friends, amidst the odds" Yuffie said very blatantly, her words even out of line. A sure sentence to death if they ever heard her. But her veracity and child-like behaviour made it something to expect in her, to not expect it would be a bigger shame.
Tifa didn't know if she could hold on to a friend. After all, everyone here seems to wear two-faces. She couldn't expect that the only female who spoke to her was a good person, just because they said so.
Yuffie pats Tifa hand, "its okay Tifa, you don't need to believe me just yet. But I'm glad though, that I made a new friend" she smiles.
Tifa gave a small smile. Tifa had to admit, maybe she was naïve, maybe she was being fooled, whatever way it came, Tifa allowed herself to relax. Yuffie didn't appear to her as an enemy, even though she could be one, but her behaviour, and the air and free spiritedness, just doesn't suit the portfolio of someone controlled.
"Thanks" Tifa appreciated Yuffie giving her time to examine the game-play. It was only fair.
"Oh, do you know General Sephiroth?" Yuffie asks.
His name seem to make Tifa pale and her face felt like cracking. She hated him with a passion and vengeance. The bloody cur had to die in hell
"I don't wish to speak about that demon" Tifa pleads.
"Oh… I see" Yuffie nods her head, "it's just he left something for you"
Tifa at first doesn't care. There was nothing he could give her that would make her feel better. Besides, was the great high ass General saying sorry through gifts? Sad, thought Tifa.
"He came to visit you twice and seem urgent to give you this" Yuffie holds a small box in her hand. Tifa slowly turns and examines a small white box. Yuffie places it in Tifa's hand. Tifa slowly opens the box and is amazed to see…
"Wow…" are the only words Tifa could mutter.
Taking out what seems to be tear-dropped pearl earrings, Tifa smiles.
"Wow" Yuffie repeats. "They're beautiful"
"He bought you those?" she asked.
"Ha, he wishes" Tifa speaks. "These my dear" Tifa seems so very happy at her earrings. "Are my mother's earrings. I'm surprised they salvaged them. They burnt my carriages to dust. It's amazing they recovered it"
"I'll say. Usually salvaging jewelry or anything precious, goes through months of scrutiny before it returns to prisoners. Trust me, the magic he pulled off to get those earrings was either fierce with the council or he didn't show them at all. If he didn't show them, Sephiroth could be reprimanded for a criminal offense" Yuffie sputtered.
Tifa listened to Yuffie, amazed at the bureaucracy it took for simple trinkets like jewelry to be returned to their owners. Black Crescents never cease to amaze her. Still, it was amazing thought Tifa. Why would Sephiroth return her earrings? Did he feel bad for what he did, did he just find them and figured they were hers, or did he purposely keep them with him all this time for a moment like this?
Tifa didn't know.
"How do you know so much about your own laws? It's fascinating, I think you're the only person in my assistants (to mean maids) who knows so much about their own laws." Tifa said.
"Oh" Yuffie smiles, "it's my father, he was a great soldier in Black Crescents. One of the best, he really believed in making good politics for Black Crescents, so I guess he had to know about all the different laws. I kind of took that from my father" she spoke.
"I see…" Tifa yawns, feeling a tiredness come over her.
"I'm sorry, I must have bored you with all our crappy laws" Yuffie chimed.
"Not at all Yuffie, you don't bore me. Surprisingly you're one of the few people I feel 'not' bored listening to" Tifa giggled.
"That's great" Yuffie smiled.
To be continued…