Behind Black Curtains
Chapter 43: A Breach
Amaranthos
He silently marveled the soft twinkle of cold blue stars, the sting of stillness ringing in his ear. A smirk came to his lips and he doted on the mystery of peace.
For while the world was quiet and hushed to dark urges and doings, he knew … the world wasn't a good place.
His eyes fell to the woman on his bed, her long limbs tangled in the sheets. Even she believed in fallacies that somewhere beneath men resided a goodness, a strength, a humanity; that in a devil like him who bled like a man, operated like the living, would by all assumption own a heart – a beating heart.
He frowned. Society was ready to establish its control on matters of man's guile and warfare, yet never fought a day for what they truly preached. It was easy to talk political and all the peace propaganda, but they didn't know that behind their assured victories and power-trips, were men like him who sacrificed everything…
It was all so amusing the illusive games of war and peace.
Sephiroth eyed the soldiers beneath him. They were all little men with no hearts or minds of their own. Patient and pliable fools, all so ready for the beating and taming…
Why was that? That even after all they'd seen, all they'd done, they never questioned it. Never questioned their bubble, their beliefs, their leaders… even themselves? Could man be so quiet and comfortable to avoid the notice of their sins?
He convinced himself long ago it was for these very reasons men were indeed evil…
Tifa slipped a soft murmur between her lips and the silver-head General found his eyes fallen on her -
No doubt, she was ironically the single only woman to tell and rebuff his beliefs – beliefs he had intrinsically fabricated to his life, but with defiant red eyes and a face of true gut and nerve, this woman… this simple, frail and small woman had succeeded the generation before her in the outstanding claim that men like him… were still good.
Nonsense! It all seemed was so mundane and innocent of a thought to hold, yet why was it that when the night was cold and her hand pressed to his side, belief became so frighteningly real.
This tiresome living creature, of little exposure to the real world, to the greys and darks of men, characteristically determined no doubt, afforded him truths or tales of himself, that could … be true.
Now here she slept, so silent and coy under stars that radiated light and goodness all over her. The idea that someone like him could suddenly diminish her, at any point in time stirred him. He stared at her quiet face second after second…
It would be so simple… to ruin her…
A sweet morbid darkness came to his lips. "I could kill you …" his voice was a hushed whisper
"…destroy you in ways you could never fathom. It would be so simple, so simple to take your life..." his touch was soft and deft.
Instinctively she drew to the warmth of his fingers.
His eyes fell over her lips, down her arched neck…
What a woman … no semblance to anything pure or diplomatic. She looked the part of a Mrs. Shinra, no doubt she would probably make a very good trophy wife too…
The wind blew a cold breeze sending her shuddering. She twisted some more and Sephiroth softly planted a hand over her throat. What would it be like to watch the pacifist die, he thought. He had killed men of every type and kind, but never had he killed a pacifist.
He softly squeezed her throat, watching her lungs strain…
Ripping himself away he shakily breathed. Even now he still knew he couldn't kill a pacifist.
"What have you done to me pacifist?"
Tifa observed as Sephiroth slammed the door and pushed passed her.
She carefully followed him to the bedroom and had a feeling of déjà vu coming to her.
She watched as he deftly faced the wall, his sword dripping in blood. Tifa stepped back, fear in her throat.
"A-Are you okay?" she questioned.
His eyes flashed something cold and then he turned to her.
"A gift… " he paused, "from your father," he coldly whispered. His long fingers found the buttons of his jacket and with some simple ease he displayed an ugly gash over the mid-rift.
He was bleeding profusely…
"S-Sephiroth…" she suddenly found her voice.
He carefully touched the delicate flesh and winced. He grounded his teeth and suddenly started, "so maybe we aren't that different Lockhart. You and I, this thing you called being human." He paused to scoff, "wasn't I good enough? Didn't I defend my honour, didn't I protect you?" he whispered fiercely, dropping to his knees with a trail of blood down the sides of his mouth.
"Seph-
"Am I not good enough for your heaven, or am I only good for…. hell? Tell me, is this all I am - some man doomed to his fate for a sword meant to protect others?" he coughed and started to smirk, "but to them I was just a machine, a machine." he slowly pushed himself up, Tifa rushing to his side, clutching his wound.
Sephiroth grabbed her by the hair and looked her dead in the eyes, "I'm dying you foolish woman," a cruel smirk found his lips.
Wide eyes wildly searched his as she shook her head, "no…" she whispered fiercely.
"Wake up you fool! Men who are hoisted as champions only come crumbling down. I'm not a hero, I'm not a legend…" he fell, his eyes of green darkening, "I'm…" he coughed, "I'm just a man…" he whispered…
"No!" she shook her head
"Leave me be…" he pushed her off, his skin turning a sickening shade of white.
She shook her head, scrambling to her feet and clutching his side, "you can't die on me Sephiroth" she ripped the hem of her dress squeezing down on the wound.
Sephiroth winced, his teeth covered in blood as he clutched onto her.
"I won't let you die… I won't let you die!" she cried, pulling open the medical kit under the bed. He slowly slumped, his head falling, his long silver bangs fading over his eyes.
"No! Stay with me… stay with me" she lightly tapped him on the face.
She pulled open the medical kit, soaking the torn fabric with medicinal alcohol and unceremoniously shoving it to his side.
"Aghhh!" he shouted.
She turned to him, his lips all blue…
"Please don't go…" she begged.
"Where I go, you won't." he whispered, "you've seen me all along for a better man, for that Lockhart it was an honour meeting Arthur Lockhart's daughter…" his hands came over the Masamune.
"No! Stop this nonsense! You don't know what you're saying …" she shook her head.
"Why fight it?" his voice was low.
"Why aren't you?" she screamed.
With a speed so sound, so quick his blade penetrated his stomach. Tifa startled back, eyes in shock, her body trembling. He…he just stabbed himself!
"Nooooo!" she screamed.
But the smile she tried to miss from his lips, would not fade. The look of contentment on his face even more calm than before, his bloodied fingers rested to her cheek.
"Wh-why, why would you?" she shook with sobs, slowly laying him down.
He coughed, blood over his lips and chin.
She cried, "I-I loved you.."
He cuffed a hand in her hair and whispered slowly, "as I have you… for so long"
Her eyes enlarged and the smile on his face grew weak. His heart echoed a slower more sickening tune until alas, his head slumped.
He was dead, her mind noted in horror.
"Sephirothhhhh!" she screamed
"Noooo!" she screamed, thrashing around wildly.
Sephiroth gently shook her and held her face.
She looked around, heart beating fiercely and mind wildly stirred. Her mind registered the silver locks and green eyes. It was a dream…a dream.
Her arms found their way around his neck.
"Lockhart?" he slowly pulled her back and saw the tears in her eyes.
"You can't die!" she pushed him back, "you can't die! You can not die…"
Is that what this was about? He had died in her dream? Sephiroth watched as she sat on his torso, trembling and yet all at once defiant. Incredible, he thought.
"Did you have a bad dream?" he inquired quietly.
She swallowed.
"Y-Yes…" she whispered
"Well…" he slowly placed her off to the side and beaconed her to look into his eyes, "now that you are assured I am not dead, take solace and go to sleep…" he found himself saying.
"I.. I" she started to resist.
"Shh…" came his finger to her lips, "sleep softly now.."
Sleep came fast for her… but not for him.
Besides… they were not alone
He heard the footsteps and had seen the red eyes in the dark.
"Little vixen" he whispered.
"Very nice, General…" a sweet voice came, "who knew you had it in you. Tell me are you growing soft?" she asked. The dark night lulled nicely with her voice.
He smirked, "it's questionable…"
"Some wine?" he asked anew.
"I suppose, seeing it might be my last…" she nodded.
"Might? Come now Scarlett, you know I don't do might…" he informed flatly.
"You're too much of a yes and no sort-of man aren't you?" she inquired.
"Precisely" he handed her the dark wine.
She marveled him in his dark uniform as he neared the large window.
"You and the enemy." She smirked, "you know, I always knew you liked the girl" she sipped her red wine.
"Oh, and how does a woman who is so vainly intrigued with Rufus Shinra, find herself the time for that sort-of assumption?" Sephiroth inquired.
"Aerith's death was no accident, was it?" she asked anew.
Sephiroth circled the wine in the glass, rather focused on the dark, rich colour…
"Come now, one question at a time" he tiredly looked out the window.
"You look bored, General. Am I wasting your time?" she asked, a bit insulted.
He coldly caught her reflection, "you and the lot of Black Crescents! It's a tiring job"
"How does a man whose only pastime as a war monger becomes something of a boredom?
"When its done like a job." he nonchalantly whispered.
"Such is the price little General." she teased.
"Indeed…" he drank the last of his wine, taking his glass to the bin and so too the wine bottle.
"I need to know Sephiroth…" she spoke defiantly, "did you kill her?"
Sephiroth lifted the small bag with the emptied contents and turned to her, "your fascination with her is?"
"We all loved her. She never thought the man she loved would kill her, or worst fall for that wretched woman!" Scarlett supplanted her wine glass, "now you risk your life and your honour for some Red Heart woman." She scoffed, "if Rufus hears about this -
Sephiroth snapped and turned to her, "whose that you say?" he pointed the Masamune at her neck.
Scarlett held a breath, "you won't get away with this.."
"Oh?" he smirked, "but you see…" he approached nearer.
"I already have," with a speed so resoundingly fast, he sent his katana straight through her gut and quieted a hand over her mouth.
She choked a scream and he watched as her life met the threads of death.
"She was a good woman, she had a heart much like yours. But I should confess …" he whispered darkly into her ear, "I am a scrupulous man, an expert at my game, funny… I never had a thing for tarts…"
He twisted the blade into her gut, the blood seeping through her shirt.
Horror painted her face, "I am the nightmare of your dreams foolish woman… now sleep" he pushed her back and stood tall over her dead body.
"Sleep in the darkness…" he whipped his sword through the air, the droplets of blood now flickered on her lifeless body.
Sephiroth stealthy returned to his room and disrobed himself of his soiled clothing. Falling back into the chair his mind wandered.
Scarlett, he thought. She had been wandering the halls like some aimless child after Rufus' recent blowout with his Generals. None of that mattered he thought. Things were happening too quickly and the time he needed was essentially rotting away.
Scarlett's death was inevitable he noted, but he had strategized it much differently. Annoying woman, he noted. Nonetheless he had risked himself because of an incident with Tifa. Again. Sephiroth thought about the slightest possibility of gagging her, and an amused smirk found his face.
Looking out the window, he mused on the war that was near, soon he would wage the last of his great battles, to both master and enemy.
The great machine was alas ready, towering ten times than his insignificant being. A smile of hope touched his lips and Rufus Shinra felt contented. This machine, he touched the cold dark metal and whispered aloud, "will change everything…"
"How does she look? Real beauty huh?" Reeves wiped his hand off the last of the dark grease, his eyes looking up at the device of both science and science fiction.
"Impressive work" Rufus stood back and marveled the metal arms and legs, no doubt it could crush stone, it would crush bone and flesh too. The machine was like none other, towering at a stupendous height of thirty feet, with a painted black chest and a four-pointed grey star at the center.
"Remember what I told you about the body ok" Reeves said aloud.
"Why do I feel like there's still bugs to be fixed?" Rufus stooped to inspect the feet.
"Because there are!" Reeves explained, "the Mach Knights scientists mentioned that the men responsible for the cockpit were killed in the battle and the most they could do was an overpass."
"I can't find myself bothered over those things Reeves. Tell me is the machine ready or not?" Rufus demanded an answer.
Reeves grew silent and nodded. "Yes, it is. But remember, you can't get the cockpit bay damaged too—
"I remembered!" Rufus snapped.
Reeves went quiet.
"This is a day of victory. I plan on spending it appreciating my latest muse. If that would be all, you are relieved.." Rufus flicked a hand.
"Yes, sir" Reeves acknowledged and left the blond-headed man to stand back in the awe of a machine that defined the explanation of death.
An empty stroke of the Masamune went flying through the evening's air, the katana lining up perfectly with the sun. Breathing a steady breath, the General whipped his blade twice in the air before neatly sheathing her away.
His black stallion momentarily nayed and green-eyes followed the tiresome creature.
"You are like the pacifist" he remarked touching the black maim covering it's eyes. "Annoying"
He mounted the creature and eyed the sunset dying slowly in the distance.
Whipping his reigns over the beast, with a speed so fast its long legs took them over wild creeks and discourse. The monstrous sight before him, had him pedaling the creature to a stop who obediently listened to it's master.
He eyed the mighty walls of the black sitting fortress before him. It had been the home he knew these many years, housing wild drugged men and all types of devices of war, this place he smirked, had been what a place to call home.
For so many years, this place – these walls, these steps… they had changed him and made him something only war with her violent nature could do – he'd look back and wonder momentarily the fine piece of ruin and foolish thing he'd become, fighting and fighting all for the pity of a penny.
Yet, he had promised himself a long time ago that this war would decide the fate of future as one empire would fall crumble to another by his blade. Slowly he entered the grand courtyard, nodding at a few familiar faces. Nobody knew what was coming and he closed his eyes. For how could they?
Entering the grand hall, the man of the hour stood tall and yet cocky eyeing him expectantly. Sephiroth knew where this was going…
"Went for a little afternoon stroll did we?" Rufus started.
"Our outer parameters are struck. You have quite the report" he handed a detail report and started away.
Rufus fumed, eyeing the dossier shocked. "What? What's happened to our walls?" he questioned.
"A breach" Sephiroth informed, "this has been the third time I've had someone mend that wall. You might want to employ some protective forces in the area." He stopped and then turned, "and let's not forget there are tracks on the compound, so you see it only gets better when you read on" he smirked.
"Sir…" a soldier's voice ripped through the air.
"What is it?" Rufus snapped, somewhere between annoyed at hearing Sephiroth's report and the voice of the foot soldier.
"Sir, both you and General Sephiroth are required immediately. Master Velrog has called an urgent meeting"
Sephiroth eyed the boy thoughtfully and then at Rufus.
Neither man wasted any time. Behind closed doors Velrog prepared himself for a speech that quite frankly felt cold and ghostly to utter.
The other senior generals were all present and collectively their eyes found both men expectantly.
Uneasiness travelled the room for a moment and Rufus found his tongue.
"What's happened?" he avoided the formalities as quite frankly it appeared that something had happened.
Velrog sighed, "I don't exactly know how to say this.." he blinked, "but …" he paused and found his eyes out the window.
"But what? Did something happen to my machine –
" – Scarlett's dead, Rufus" Velrog addressed.
The room went silent… dreadfully silent.
"What?" Rufus suddenly found himself saying.
"She was found dead in the gathering hall. Again, it's the same handy-work as with Aerith – a twisted wound which means there's not much we know about the fellow who did this"
It had taken him a few minutes to digest the gravity of his father's words – that his long time cheap fling was… was dead, and oddly not by his hands though he couldn't deny it wasn't a thought he hadn't conjured – no… she was dead because… well because he didn't know. There were days he wanted to shake her solid for her stupidity as a senior commander, and yet now the discovery of her death like a hard slap, displeased him greatly.
His eyes remained transfixed to the windowsill and he blew a breath, "do we know what time her body was struck?" Rufus asked.
"We've affirmed her death at one fifteen am, sir" a medic present spoke up.
"What an odd hour to be up" Sephiroth lent a word to the discussion.
Rufus shook his head, "it doesn't make sense"
"Indeed" Sephiroth agreed.
"I'm sorry – I'm not following" Velrog interjected.
"Why kill her and not someone … of more reputable position" Rufus' eyes found Sephiroth's.
"Well… surely we must ask the enemy when we find them" Sephiroth voiced calmly, "the assumption produced that the attacker indeed had planned to kill Scarlett is purely assumption. I believe it's in the council's best interest if they don't consider these events as purely one-off" he paused, "I've been monitoring the outer parameters for the last few days, noticing there was a minor breach in the stone wall. Previous wars had made that defense long vulnerable but never comprised – at first I thought it was animal that created the incision in the rock, but then with each trip to and fro, I noticed it grew in size"
"—Are you saying whoever killed Scarlett compromised our parameters?" Velrog looked on expectantly.
"I couldn't say," Sephiroth addressed, "I had the wall reinforced and mended but was most surprised to discover the very incision had returned a day later… after Scarlett's death"
A dreaded tension flooded the room.
"—perhaps she was indeed in the wrong place at the wrong time" Velrog strewed.
"What does it bloody even matter!?" Rufus barked.
All eyes followed his outburst.
"What I don't understand – no …what I don't get is why would some random enemy who breaches the borders of Black Crescents kill some common commander? What's the point?"
"Reconnaissance" Sephiroth retorted, "this person obviously wasn't sent to a pick a fight and why should they if the assumption is, there's only one. No… this person wasn't sent to fight; though it's clear by their handiwork they were well trained"
"… I'd like to assume…" Sephiroth strewed, "that Scarlett might have…discovered the enemy but was too late"
Rufus' jaw locked at the thought. She was insufferable, she was frustrating truly, and yet she had become the woman who could somehow tolerate his tyrades and outbursts, all in the name for affinity; now standing in the wake of her death which stood on the eve of his latest victory – a looted Mach Knight war mech, he felt oddly… strangely, upset. There were people he genuinely could not stand, but Scarlett for the purely physical reasons made his agenda of serving just a smidge more tolerable.
Still… she was dead because of a vulnerability in the outer wall…
'A vulnerability he knew about!'
"You knew about this vulnerability and yet you said nothing" he scoffed, "well aren't you proud of yourself general, that you are single-handedly responsible for her death" Rufus unapologetically belted.
The silver-head General narrowed his eyes, "excuse me?"
"You heard me, dang it!" he shouted
Sephiroth slammed his hand to the table, "enough of your petty squabbling" Sephiroth had finally snapped, "the outer walls are not my jurisdiction, Shinra. Consider it a blessing the fault at my thoroughness was even discovered…" he started, "but to tell me…" he shook his head, "to disrepute and misconstrue the diligence of your soldiers, of your lead general because of your poor attentiveness to all matters of war, indeed says to all you are fundamentally inept to lead a war when you act like a child!" he grated his chair back and stormed the room unceremoniously.
"—How dare you!"
"—No, how dare you!" Sephiroth barked back. "When you ready to put aside your childish demeanour and deal with matters of grave importance, you know where you can find me" he ended.
Arthur Lockhart could hardly wait for the hour when the great war would arrive – the very one which had cost him seemingly more than he expected. It was his hope that his daughter of all people would have had a safer and in someway too a simpler life – one that didn't surround the ills produced by war.
Each day he felt the pain of losing his child to a war that admittedly he fueled and refueled. There was always the talk to have a peaceful tomorrow but what no one knew was that behind his good name and good alliances, Arthur had done things, had ignited fires, had struck deals…
It cost him, it bled him and left him as hollowed as the corpses in the fields. The belief he stood for anything good was all naïve and fictional.
It was funny what war could teach a man, and institutionalize in his heart. He was carrying the weight of a war that quite frankly, he had nothing to do with and yet… it all started because of a need for power between his father - Lucius Lockhart and Velrog Shinra. Once upon a time, contrary to the imagination Velrog was a good man and he worked with Lucius in creating a great empire known as Liberta, but childhood friends who loved each other had diametrically different ideals about the centralization of power. For Lucius it was about giving all fair men the chance to rule the greatest empire, for Velrog it was all about keeping the power exclusive to the founders. Determined to be heard, Velrog threatened to disband himself and his most loyal subjects to lands afar if the council at the time could not reckon the merit of his proposition. Story goes, Lucius cared so much for Velrog as a brother he reasoned on many occasions with him to reconsider his ploy. It was at this time Velrog's father – his mentor for right thinking had passed away; it left a strange aftertaste for many, and certainly his son who by men was praised as steady and sound in judgment. Some say the death of his old man had fractured a piece of him and something cold and dark crept it's way into Velrog's heart – hatred. When Liberta deliberated in her response, Velrog took it as a sign to rid himself of her politics and so to ensure his capital victory, he waged war on his people. Lucius died that day… just another casualty of war, just another fool who believed in peace, only at the price of his life.
"Sir.." a voice interjected his thought.
Arthur blinked, "yes.." he found his eyes on the young man.
"You wanted to see me" Cloud inquired.
"Yes, I have something for you" the elder man started and opened his draw for a small rectangular box.
Blue eyes found him questioningly. It wasn't everyday soldiers received tokens from their leader.
"This is for you." Arthur nodded.
Cloud slowly opened the box… and held his gaze for sometime on the shining object.
"Sir?"
"—It was mine." He paused, "I've been in many great wars and every single one of them I've kept that blade as a reminder of my humility and humanity" he explained, "I kept it to remind me, that to serve in life is one half of it, but to serve to the death is quite literally an honour" he explained…
To Be Continued...
Author's Notes: Wow, I know I haven't updated in a year I think or maybe it's long, I'm so sorry for the long wait, but as i mentioned earlier this year on my profile I was very inspired by the kind words left on this story so I'm gonna see how much I can continue to write, hopefully with some luck I'll get this baby finished up. Thanks for the continued support and love!