Behind Black Curtains
An AU, Sephiroth and Tifa fanfiction
-by Amaranthos-
Chapter 13: To furl
Yuffie happily skips down the halls elated she had heard the story of her brave father and her beautiful wonderful mother. She had never thought that Tifa, of all people would be the one fated to tell her all the stories of her parents. Excited, Yuffie mentally squealed. She could hardly wait to listen to another story of how her father had loved her mother, or how he fought for peace so righteously. To Yuffie it had been the happiest thing that happened at Black Crescents. Now she knew the untold things and finally she could sleep in peace knowing both her parents were on the side for justice.
Yuffie with her hands free, decided she would sneak in a bit earlier to ask Tifa some more things about her parents. She had quite a list of things to ask. Oh, all these thoughts seem to spin happily out of control in her head.
Approaching Sephiroth's room, Yuffie looked at both guards sparing them a small smile. Neither one said anything. They were about to open the door, when a figure leans himself against the large doors.
The white-headed man told his guards to leave, while he had Yuffie all to himself.
"It's Yuffie right?" Rufus Shinra asked
Yuffie who had never really spoken to Rufus, nodded dumbly. His striking features, were alarming amazing up close, but she remembered, this creep had been the son of Velrog, the man who killed her parents.
"Yes, Lord Shinra"
He smiled. She sounded like a cheery girl. Didn't look too stupid, could even be smart, he thought. But she already wasted her chances at being smart. Young girls were so riveting he thought. Those cute facades they wore, they thought they could fool him. He sighed happily.
'Cute smiles can not save you, child'
"A little birdie told me, you've been doing exceptionally well with Ms. Lockhart inside. Even Dr. Takisun says you're a model nurse, with professional reports about her health and condition. You even give yourself the post of seeing her health, almost proudly as your duty." He started.
Yuffie, who was thrown off by his strange…compliment. "Why thank you Lord Shinra" she chirped.
"But you could kiss every fairytale you know, good bye" his voice had dropped degrees low. From cheery Shinra, he became almost baritone. His eyes no longer held glee, but something dark and hateful.
She had never seen a gaze of death so pronouncedly at her. But what did she do?
"I-I-I don't' understand.." she stuttered.
"You dont aye?" he asked
Yuffie nodded.
"How about we take a little walk, my dear?"
Yuffie wasn't even given the chance to decide. Immediately, she feels a dreaded tension between them, and something says danger all over this conversation.
He stopped to look out the grand window.
"The matron maid informed me, that you were in Ms. Lockhart's room for 2 hours pass your time, is that true?" he asked, keeping his eyes looking straight ahead.
"Yes, milord"
"What were you two talking about?" he asked…
Yuffie felt a fear now. So, this is what the conversation was about, what they spoke about yesterday. They found out what she told Tifa and vice-versa. Oh goodness.
"W-We spoke about our families" Yuffie spoke.
"Really, what exactly about your family…" he lecherously pronounced the word family, "did you mention anything about us here at Black Crescents?" he asked.
"Nothing" Yuffie replied almost too quickly.
"Come now Yuffie, I hate liars" he turned to her, "and you're such a young child. You have all your life to live. Please, don't make me kill you…" he said blandly.
Yuffie knew she couldn't get out of this one. Immediately Yuffie told him what they spoke about, and Shinra who was briefed by the matron maid, matched what she said definitely.
"So what punishment do you think you deserve?" he asked, "starvation, beatings…maybe death?" he enjoyed mentally teasing the weak.
Yuffie could not respond. It didn't matter, she was insufferably screwed. Whatever he chose to do, was now in his hands.
Shinra could see the decision was left to him.
He began laughing lightly, and then mightily. "You know Yuffie, you're quite a lucky girl when considering I'm going to give you another option; one that doesn't require the pulling and shredding of your skin." He informs, "I'll offer you two options from which you can choose so decide or I'll give you the latter" he explains not bothered by her crying face.
"Because your little time with Ms. Lockhart is officially over, you'll now have to decide between betraying her trust or dying. Let me elaborate." He touches his brow,
"Your parents spoke and fought for peace and righteousness. The typical bull really! I don't care what they fought for. Thing is child, it'd be a shame for you to die especially when your parents were so young themselves. Living and having a future is achieving a dream…one they never truly had." He explains.
"If you do decide to choose that option, it will come at a price. One that involves biting the grind, so to speak. The flipside of this option would be for you to befriend Ms. Lockhart, influencing her into trying her luck for freedom – a freedom that I can grant. Explicitly putting it, tell her if she does sort her freedom, I will exonerate her if she sleeps with me. The keys will be rested in my room and it's a rare opportunity which she shouldn't pass by" he spoke…
"I want you Yuffie to betray your friendship as you've betrayed your people. My father would execute you in a heartbeat, regardless of the information told to you. No matter that, I'll look above this discrepancy and offer you death or the betrayal of your friendship." He finishes…
Yuffie shook and shivered. Tears falling down her face. Here she was explaining to Tifa they weren't all the same, and now, if she didn't live, she would betray her parents memory for life, and if she did live she would betray a friend who was already losing hope. She couldn't be that cruel to Tifa; life couldn't be this damned?
Not sure what to do, to live in betrayal or die in dishonour of her parents, Yuffie wavered before swallowing.
"I'll do it..." she whispered. Yuffie felt like she deserved death for this. Her parents fought for peace, and here she was betraying Tifa into fake truths. This couldn't be happening, thought Yuffie. Swallowing the thick lump, Yuffie shivered before she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Good decision" he smirks.
Now, more than ever looking into Shinra's eyes, she hated him; she hated the whole pack of them for the evil and unkind things they did not just to the enemies but to their own people. They've taken the bounty and love out of everything, and made the place a sterile stagnant hell. The perfect place for one's suicide.
"Now I expect you to be a team player and make Lockhart believe you." He paused to look at his watch on his wrist. "I'll hear everything you do Yuffie so don't try to do anything too stupid" he smirked.
Yuffie swallowed.
"Understood?"
She nodded. Blinking back a stray tear…
Dust had buried the dead providing a turf fit for aggressors to fight. General Sephiroth who was informed from his intelligence headquarters, radioed in the coordinated teams about the reconnaissance information gathered against Mack Knights. So far, the operation was slow, yet nonetheless they had managed to inform the nuclear submarines in the Black Crescents bay of the armadas heading their way. What once look grim and dull, was now the opposite thanks to the smart and strategy of General Sephiroth.
Sephiroth decided the only way to make equilibrium established on the playing field was to use their technology against them, which he found most interesting and amusing to watch, as they took his bait foolishly, unaware of his piloting in the background.
Sephiroth looked down at the map in front of him, his teams highlighted with small red dots. Each camp, was a resistance in that location but they needed support from the main headquarters here. Sephiroth's responsibility as General, was to disseminate orders of war play and to distribute artillery and manpower accordingly.
Even though fires blazed and bombs crashed, the place was still cold, as rain drizzled almost continuously without any mercy. With his long trench-coat over his tidy sharp black outfit, Sephiroth x'd off another destroyed camp site. Right now, he focused his time on destroying the smaller campsites before aggressively becoming active in the main fight against Mack Knights.
So far, 5 camp sites were down, with a large number of reconnaissance information gathered – it had been this information that geared them into success.
Sephiroth could hear what seems to be one of his black hawke planes returning from one of the campsites. Sephiroth left his post and made his way outside. Outside things were no better. Everyone was running around with guns and weapons. Some huddled together making small chatter, others checked the land and aircrafts for any failure. Sephiroth returned his attention to the Black Hawk that landed in the distance.
Jumping out the plane with dust muffling their site, was Commander Jin. Sephiroth could see other soldiers, but just so faintly. The dust was too much. Sephiroth turned around and took for the recon camps.
"General Sephiroth" called Jin
"Hai" Sephiroth skimmed through a folder interrupted by his old friend. Sephiroth sighed.
"I've returned from 2 of the camp sites. I've gathered some interesting technologies." He spoke…
Sephiroth did not pay any attention to the man, as he seemed enrapt in his reading.
"I also brought back something special" the man smiled.
Sephiroth, who did not see the man, could not possibly understand what was so special about the war in front of them. Technology could be exciting to discover, thought Sephiroth, but it certainly was not special.
"I'm quite busy Jin…" Sephiroth's voice was deep, his eyes of green not friendly at the moment.
Jin sighed. He understood.
"Alright then…" he seem to go away, was what Sephiroth thought.
It only took a few minutes later, for someone to tap him on the shoulder.
Sephiroth sighed. He would never finish reading this report.
Turning around, he was surprised to see her.
"Aerith?" suddenly, his eyes were no longer angry and filled of frustration.
"Missed me?" she asked, flashing her perfect white teeth.
Sephiroth could say nothing but just watch her.
"Third star General…" she smiled coming closer, "personally, I think the black outfit suits you… if you know what I mean" she winks cutely.
It had been a strange morning, all morning thought Tifa. The strangest event being Yuffie's new change of attitude. Yesterday the girl had been skipping and screaming in happiness, but now she was an eclipse of herself. Tifa didn't know what to make of Yuffie's behaviour; but she supposed what was most startling was the information she provided Tifa, both helpful, and not so helpful.
Their conversation had been about Rufus Shinra. According to Yuffie, it was a secret that Tifa should never tell – 'but imagine me telling someone this' thought Tifa. Yuffie had mentioned that Rufus had all the keys with him to every door, to every part of the fortress in his room. She continued by adding, there are ways to get the keys and one them was to … entangle intimately with Rufus, where during the night she could slip out his room and make an exit.
At first Tifa wasn't so sure why Yuffie would say such a thing. Yuffie mentioned that it was perhaps the only way to get out. To take the keys and be free. Tifa swallowed. Of course Tifa thought about it. About how she could not sleep with Shinra, much less stand to be in the same room with him.
But it was still strange, thought Tifa.
She hadn't a clue why Yuffie would have started on such a contrasted note to the cheery things the day before. Realizing she shouldn't ponder any more about it, Tifa did do one thing that if Sephiroth ever got back he would seriously get pissed – she gave Yuffie her father's journal, saying he would have wanted her to have it. And Tifa could think of no better candidate but Yuffie to have it. Besides, Sephiroth wouldn't need it anymore, would he?
Then there was Sephiroth. He was all together a different topic. A different headache. It had been a couple days he was gone now, and even though she should have gotten the deserved peace she wanted it still felt different. Every so often, she found herself recalling their unfriendly encounters, and foul conversations. She couldn't bring herself to say she enjoyed them, but the last day she spent with Sephiroth was different. Though he had teased her with his sexual charms, she couldn't bring herself to delete their contact. The slow licking of his blood or the heated look in his eyes. She could not roll up, delete or burn these memories. And every day when she woke up she would intentionally allow her eyes to stray to his room, to perhaps hopefully wish him back.
Yet… she would stand in the archway and see no one. Just a neatly made up bed and his small belongings all neatly kept. His room, would smell so much of him and sometimes she found herself gravitating towards his room with no explanation. She had tried to reprimand herself, by recalling the evil General he was. Sephiroth was an A class SOLDIER, and a brute General. He was a legend not because he caught butterflies and made people's lives happy, but because he caused death and waged wars full of suffering, death and strife. And though, it should have been that picture: of the dead people in the pasture she drove by that reminded her of the great strength in assassins like Sephiroth - who squander their power killing the innocents. She still couldn't delete his memory from her mind.
She wanted to forget him. His aggressive attitude, his bland and devoid demeanor, his brusque coldness, even his venomous sarcastic behaviour. The very things that for the last couple months seem to drive her sky high into the creases of the walls, didn't seem to irritate her anymore. Tifa pleaded with her innerself into not being so cruel by keeping his memory alive. And the more she thought about why she hated him, is the more she would remember his devilish smirk, or his arched brow… or even, his tongue between his fingers imitating the movement of…
Tifa felt her cheeks grow flush.
'I shouldn't be thinking about this.' Tifa sat up suddenly aware she was sweating. She had grown so flush over her thoughts, she was sweating. Tifa sighed, covering her face in her hands.
'I can't believe that bastard is in my thoughts' He could be alive anywhere thought Tifa, but his presence was so predominant in her. Why? She didn't know. All Tifa felt, was to pull her hair. She really didn't want to think about Sephiroth, not for anything at least. He was a bad man, who did bad things, who had bad beliefs and very much practiced them.
'I shouldn't trash myself to think about that fool. He's a murderer who's filled of horrible thoughts and deeds. He kills the very people I try to protect and teach peace to. He's a monster,' thought Tifa. Tifa for a moment tried to be still, trying to remind herself he was bad.
But over and over and bigger and bigger his face zoomed in. Silently, in her mind he walked to her until she shook her head and realize she was doing it again. She was not supposed to generate images, thoughts or anything with Sephiroth.
He didn't deserve the right to be in her mind, he didn't deserve anything good. All he deserved was the hell that he trapped people in. He had made her live on the bitter edge, the pain sometimes making her get ill, and wanting to ruin herself to suicide. She had wanted so many times to run away from Sephiroth, but as it was she was in a prison with the man who trapped her in. And instead of destroying the thoughts about him, or being happy somewhere inside that he was gone to kill himself. It sorrowed her gravely, that maybe, tomorrow she'd find out he was dead.
He was after all only human. He could die… he could hurt, maybe even…
"Nooo! I will not think that!" Tifa would not bring herself to say those words. 'Why would I want to say that, why would I want to say those words?' Out of the million things dirty or foul she could muster upon Sephiroth, this was too extreme. 'Sephiroth to be liked?'
And then an image of a dead Sephiroth suddenly came to her mind. 'It shouldn't hurt me, if you die…'
Tifa wriggles uncomfortably. She didn't like how her body seem to work almost in sync with the pollution call Sephiroth in her veins. She should not care if he lived or die, or even returned tomorrow. She shouldn't care, she wouldn't care.
But the image of Sephiroth with open wounds and fading green eyes does something. Somehow, Tifa dropped on the chair, her whole chest heavy with this feeling. The thought was like a stab to her, and she couldn't remove it.
'I should not bring myself to this…'
But as much as the heavy feeling bent and churned in her, Tifa was like an open target for the kill. Tifa sat there allowing her thoughts to marinate into something darker. 'Not that it hadn't'
Fearing, this strange new feeling Tifa squinted as hard as she could repeating, go away.
To be continued…