Author's Notes: I finally reached chapter 40 of BBC. Woah! I can not believe how long this story is..and it gets strangely a tad bit longer. I won't deny, this is a story that has me sometimes figuring out all the detail. It's sorta cool. Anyways, guys…hope you enjoy the 40th chapter and well, hope it was as fun as I thought it was. Epic name – That's a Kill!
Behind Black Curtains
An AU, Sephiroth and Tifa fanfiction
-by Amaranthos-
Chapter 40: That's a Kill!
"Well, well, well" came a voice, disturbing the moment.
Sephiroth stood straightly, directing his gaze to the eavesdropper.
"You know I didn't expect the rumors to be true…" she started in a particularly calm voice.
He blinked.
"But now I know for myself, the scandals are indeed true - "
There is for a second, a faint smirk on his lips, and she idly strewed her words.
"Can I help you, Commander Aerith?" Sephiroth addressed, anew.
She scoffed. Intrigued by his laziness at tongue and the calmness of presence…how could he wear such a preserved facade after being caught?
"So how long have you and the enemy been friendly?" she bitterly asked.
Sephiroth smirked, "would you like to know?"
"Ah!" she jaunted, "So, you don't deny it, do you?" she asked.
He paused to calculate her twitching eyes and the obvious stress in her face. Smooth, graceful Commander Aerith – combed to the ways of war, was easily becoming unhinged.
"I would say, don't believe everything you see and hear but I suppose…" he faded, "knowing you, that falls deft" he informed bluntly.
"How dare you!" she barked, "the Great General Sephiroth… cavorting with a prisoner? Pray you beg, that my lips are sealed if the council should hear such a thing!" she scoffed, "for I imagine the details of your taboo relationship to be vulgar and explicit"
He looked down, "your idle talk is very weary"
There was dismissiveness in his voice, an all-round, riveting boredom that insulted and frayed at her nerves.
"Don't play smart with me, Sephiroth" she shouted, "you've been damn well caught in the act. I saw you touching her and don't for one second think I didn't see your sympathetic nature towards the prisoner" she scowled bitterly.
Sephiroth said nothing.
"So tell me Sephiroth, what else have you done with the wretched woman?" she narrowed her eyes, malevolently…
Sephiroth maintains his silence.
Aerith laughed, "nothing?" she laughed it off, "I can't imagine you leaving at the detail of pitter-patter caresses. It doesn't seem like the kind of thing the Great General, could disregard" she informed.
She slowly advanced towards him - a strange look in her eye, "you know, the council will execute you if they ever found out about this here - little moment of yours" she teased.
Sephiroth eyed her dangerously.
She bit her lips, and cultivated a small giggle – audible enough so Sephiroth could surmise her pernicious thoughts or madness, at length.
"You know…" she hesitated, "I would crave you to touch me the way you did her, but damn you Sephiroth for taking that away" she paused, "damn you"
Sephiroth advanced towards the door leaving an irate Aerith in her sardonic moment.
Not a second later, she found herself jarring towards the hall.
"Walk away from me and I will ensure you're dead the moment you leave my sight" she shouted out. The cold deadliness in her voice, affirmed him, she was threatening him, and wouldn't leave a fissure of an opening for humour.
Sephiroth halted his steps.
She smirked drawing closer. She smoothened her hands over the broad planes of what seem to be the delicious sculpture of shoulder blades, and lean muscle. He was the absolute depiction of masculine fantasy and bravado.
"Follow me" she whispered against his back.
Sephiroth eyed the petite woman, something mischievous flashing in her eyes. She gingerly took him down the hall, to what would seem to be..her room. Sephiroth noticed she makes no mistake to beguile her intentions, clear. She sat on the bed, biting her lips playfully.
In the mix of her anger, probable madness and questioning playfulness she asserted herself, smartly.
"I have a proposition" she began.
He arched a brow, noticing the silver twinkles in her eye. There was no mistake now, what her intentions truly were.
"I won't tell them, if you promise to stay mine. And as a first call of duty" she giggled, "make love to me" she bit her lips.
There was a look of obvious desire in her eyes, as she idly swirled lazy circles on the sheet of her lofty bed. Wandering fingers, found themselves cuffed to the buttons of her shirt, undoing them one by one.
Sephiroth smirked, "will that resolve our contention?" he paused, "surely it makes me sound like I'm indebted to you" he explained.
"Well you are Sephy" she teased, "you're indebted to being mine" she giggled.
Sephiroth smirked.
She drew closer, "now… "She started, "are you ready to play with a real woman?"
There was but a breath of a space between them that finished to a close.
Sephiroth placed a hand on her cheek, gently touching it.
She fluttered her eyes and her cheeks were brushed in a delicate shade of pink..she would have been beautiful, he smirked… 'or not…'
"I am not a service, Aerith" and with a speed so fast, Sephiroth unsheathed his Masamune, sending it deep into her gut.
Her eyes widened as a gasp escaped from her lips. "Y-Y..ou.." she tried to speak but couldn't utter a word.
"That's a wound." Sephiroth said smugly, his cold-green eyes fixated deeply on her.
Aerith trailed her trembling fingers towards the stab wound, her eyes still fixed on Sephiroth. Her gasps for air, thinning with every breath and yet she felt no pain. Sephiroth made sure of this. In all the years of Sephiroth's service and elsewhere, he became a paragon of death. A God of artful killing. He knew the methods to make someone die slowly, or in the blink of an eye. He knew he had her life hanging at a thread and he deliberately, kept it that way.
"Since you're about to die, you should know two things." he tightened the grip of the blade firmly," I did in fact sleep with the prisoner."
Aerith's eyes, now glassy with the coming tears, widened.
"The darkness…its beautiful isn't it?" he touched her cheek.
Her eyes trembled precariously with tears…
"The tiny voices call like wicked Satans in your head. Playing, taunting…you are so tiny and insignificant now. Close your eyes...and fall into the great beyond." he whispered.
The sickening wane of her heart, trumpeted slower and weaker, and in the crumble of her moment and finality, she weakly smiled… tears alas falling.
"Please understand…" he started, "you were never my type" he faded, "Black Crescent!" and with that he twisted the blade deep within Aerith's torso.
"Now, that's a kill."
Could it be, they all would die like her? Unnamed and unknown to the hour, to lie there on the floor, sprawled in one's own blood, to be left as an ornament with no use anymore?
These were the words of her bereaved father on the discovery of his daughter's death. He was still shaken from discovering her like that. No father should see his child like that, but more importantly, no father should outlive his child. Cursed was the moment when one had to absorb the reality of her death.
Aerith, as she's known was the sweet Black Crescent girl who was loved by everyone. Her general ambience was friendly and kind, amidst the fact she wore the degree of a Commander on the field, and was trained into taking lives. Never mind, her profession being dirty she was loved by everyone. Even Scarlett had warmed a place in her heart for the younger girl - by general consensus, she was adored and loved.
Her 'cute' antics indeed made her a much celebrated icon amongst the young soldiers. But it was too short everyone noted, if it was anyone who had to die the way she did, she deserved it least.
Dr. Takisun sat down with the close friends and officials of Black Crescents to explain his findings.
"It would seem she died by a katana. To state exactly what kind of sword, that I cannot say. What I can say, was the person who inflicted the wound intended for a quick death. But what remains interesting is the type of stab wound, Aerith suffered. A lot of times when our men come back from war, their wounds are associated with a stab and twist technique. Quite the notorious blow! When someone is stabbed it doesn't automatically guarantee a death, so what soldiers usually do to ensure their work becomes fruitful and their intentions are true, they twist the wound open creating a continuous flow of blood, as such there's limited any doctor can do to save the victim." he paused. "When a wound is twisted open, the job becomes difficult to ascertain the weapon used. By nature anything could be used, but I remain confident her murderer used a sword." he explained
"And why do you commit so confidently?" Rufus asked.
"Because believe it or not, I can tell from the wound. You see, any object other than a sharp sword would have torn the flesh, but the sword used on Aerith, perfectly cut her skin. It was a very sharp sword" he explained.
There was a wave of tension riddled in the air.
"Who would do such a thing?" her father's hoarse voice murmured.
They all stared at the man, sympathizing silently at his loss.
"I have my suspicions that it might be an outsider" came the voice of Sephiroth.
Rufus listened, "why do you say that?"
"Consider it this way. Lockhart was recently re-captured. A very spontaneous yet hurtful blow for her father. Angered and probably aggrieved, he hires the services of an assassin to follow her here and kill the primary people in her capture. I don't' think for one second we should be doubting the judiciousness of Lockhart, after all war has taught us to look at every angle of the story and Lockhart is in no way excusable from this scenario. There aren't many people who can kill a seasoned commander of the Black Crescent army." He paused to stare at Rufus, "to point fingers and say with a definitiveness it was an inside job, would be careless when considering the nature of a such crime would be to the dissolution and contention amongst our people."
"And what if it is an inside job, Sephiroth?" Rufus narrowed his eyes.
"The only people who could kill her, Rufus, were all called into duty that morning" Sephiroth informed.
"Unless of course, it was a set up" Rufus expelled
Everyone pondered the thought.
Sephiroth drew a hand to his chin - he too, deep in thought.
"Perhaps" he started. "But then that would mean we would be dealing with a very powerful killer" he replied.
"A killer in our midst?" Velrog exclaims shocked.
"I don't doubt it" Rufus agreed, "after all, there are all types of criminals walking amongst us" his eyes caught Sephiroth's, briefly.
Sephiroth shied his smirk away, "I think it of paramount nature, that the council be informed. As of now, our staple priority is to increase our security. Granted Lockhart did hire an assassin to kill the pivotal persons of this play, remains yet to be proven, but until then, precautionary measures should be taken." he explained.
"And what about the girl?" Velrog asked…
Rufus looked up, "she is to be protected. Besides, our little Tifa still has much to tell us" he smirked.
"So who do we leave, entrusted with her?" Velrog asked.
All eyes turned to Sephiroth, simultaneously. He drew a long breath and said coldly, "as you wish.."
To be continued…
YOU DECIDE: Do you think Behind Black Curtains should have another LEMON? As in grand finale lemon?