The city was quiet, resting under the shroud of the night. Even the ever- constant traffic and incessant shuffle of pedestrians was absent. The wind moaned, a cold dagger that plunged its way through the alleys and the decrepit buildings. It stirred the dust lying on the streets and made the metal girders overhead creak in a mildly alarming manner. It chased the clouds away from the moon, bathing the city square in unearthly blue light.

The sudden brilliance woke the lone figure curled under the once- grand remains of the Meteor monument. Brushing grimy silver hair away from his face, Yazoo sat up and tucked his knees to his chin. He wrapped his arms around his calves and stared out at the deserted city from under the pile of rocks he called home. Far across the square, a piece of paper rattled briefly, then succumbed to the call of the wind and sailed off into the sky. Yazoo sighed and ducked back into the protection of his rubble heap; he was certain that anyone who happened to spot him would not be overly excited to discover a Sephiroth clone. His eyes began to smart, but he gritted his teeth. If I cry, I'll be just like Loz…

A shaky smile appeared on his pale face and quickly disappeared. My brothers. The wind gusted suddenly; a single white flower spun in the breeze before settling into Yazoo's lap. He picked it up and played idly with the stem, twirling it around and around in his fingers. Oh, Loz, Kadaj, why were you taken from me?

He leaned back against a rounded scrap of concrete and closed his eyes in an attempt to recapture his lost slumber. It was to no avail; the moon shone mercilessly upon Yazoo, huddled in his little corner. Never had he felt so lonely. Finally, he pushed himself to his feet and wandered aimlessly out onto the street. His jaw tingled, a sure sign that the tears wanted to fall. Yazoo clamped his teeth together, but one drop squeezed past his resolve and trembled on his long black lashes.

He trudged along the street, raising clouds of dust with every shuffling step. Yazoo didn't care if anyone saw him now. His face was hidden by his matted hair and the clouds were rolling back over the moon, gradually dimming the city until it was dark once again. Yazoo kept going, a thousand thoughts running through his head. The crumbling buildings with their skeletal frames pressed in on either side as he turned down another street in a drifting attempt to find a bar or somewhere to eat. The flickering, half- burnt- out streetlights cast feeble light onto the road.

Yazoo looked down, watching his feet carry him along the faded white lines. His hair swung into his eyes and he looked up momentarily to clear it. He gasped and slid to a stop, his hand still grasping his bangs. Standing in front of him was…Cloud? holding Kadaj in his arms. Yazoo rubbed his face with a dusty black-gloved hand and looked again. Thin green strands of essence were absorbing Kadaj's arm and finally his entire body. Cloud stood in the glowing rain with his head tilted back and his arms out. Yazoo cringed and ducked his head. He knew what was coming next.

With all the awful clarity of slow motion, the thunder of a Velvet Nightmare split the silence and Cloud toppled forward.

"Nooooo!" It took Yazoo a moment to realize that the cry had come from his own lips. The image of his dead brother wavered and vanished like mist into the dark. He crumpled to his knees in anguish, dropping the white flower as hot tears spilled down his face.

Why? Why did I kill Brother? Why did I slay him, when all he did was follow his heart? Yazoo scrabbled at the pavement in despair. Why can't I follow my own heart? He crawled into the shadows. I just want to die.

The white flower, soiled and crushed, lay unnoticed on the ground.

x-x-x

Marlene trotted down the street, enjoying the sun's warmth on her bare arms. The pink ribbon on her braid flopped back and forth, keeping time with her exuberance. She sang a little ditty as she went along.

Lily petals, perfumed sweet

White for purity…

Marlene didn't know the rest of the words, so she subsided to a happy hum and scampered down the street. She was looking for Denzel when her toe sent something skidding in the dust. The little girl glanced down; it was a white flower. She bent down and picked it up; she dropped it again when she noticed the figure sprawled nearby. Marlene took a tentative step towards it and stopped. Tifa's warning words rang in her mind, "I'll let you go out by yourself, but be careful. Don't approach a stranger, especially a man." The older girl had given her a warm smile and a hug before Marlene left to roam the streets.

The child looked at the prone figure and then at the flower in her hand. The ditty she'd been singing ran through her head – white for purity. Marlene firmed her chin and stepped decisively over to the person. Her resolve wavered a bit when she saw that it was, in fact, a man. His silver hair spilled in tangled waves over a deathly pale, tear-streaked, and somewhat familiar face. The lips moved silently, though he appeared to be asleep. Marlene stretched a small hand towards the immobile figure and gently brushed the stray hairs away from the long-lashed eyes.

x-x-x

Yazoo, sleeping lightly, felt something brush his face and jerked himself upright, grasping for his Velvet Nightmare. He had the gunblade out and cocked before he'd blinked the haze from his eyes. A scream reached his ears, followed by the sight of a small girl tumbling to the pavement. He shook all over, dropping his weapon like it was burning hot.

Did I…did I…shoot…her? Yazoo buried his face in his hands, tugging at his hair. Tears spilled through his fingers and fell into the dust at his feet. A low moaning sound escaped his lips. What have I done?

x-x-x

Marlene propped herself on her hands and pushed herself to her feet. Dusting off her clothes, she peered at the mysterious man, who was now shuddering unmanageably. She was a bit wary about going near him again after his surprising reaction. However, her sympathy overrode her apprehension and she knelt at his side.

x-x-x

Yazoo felt physically sick, beyond tears; he clutched at his hair in an effort to keep himself from simply passing out. He nearly fell over when a voice spoke at his elbow.

"Brother? Are you all right?"

He glanced out from under his curtain of hair and saw the girl again. She's alive? Yazoo thought he had killed her. But there she was, with her wide brown eyes and pink ribbon, looking up at him with a concerned expression. That look…he'd seen it somewhere before. And then it hit him…

"Denzel, no!" The anguished cry echoed in the Forgotten City. Black water. The blue glow of materia. The innocent faces of children, of one child in particular. That plaintive voice calling for Cloud…

He studied the child. Then the significance of what she'd said dawned on him.

"Brother? Why did you call me that?" His voice came out strangely, roughened by grief.

The girl looked at him with a calm expression, unchanged even by the sight of the slitted pupils in his green eyes. "Tifa says that everyone is a brother or a sister because of the Lifestream."

The Lifestream…the force that stopped Meteor and took Kadaj from me. He shook his head at her naiveté. "I can't be anyone's brother."

She smiled. "Yes, you can. Besides, you already have brothers."

Yazoo convulsed, as if he'd been punched in the stomach. The girl grasped his shoulders and looked straight at him. She addressed him with all the wisdom and authoritative tone of someone much older.

"You can't sit in the street all day and cry for what you've lost. I know there's something out there that you need to live for."

He looked out through his curtain of hair at her earnest face, wishing he could be rid of his past and live with the simple joy that she radiated.

"You can."

Startled, Yazoo jerked his head in the direction of the voice. He could make out the form of a slight, silver-haired figure, radiating an ethereal glow. Pedestrians streamed by as if they couldn't see it. Yazoo could only stare with his mouth open as recognition dawned on him. Kadaj?

"It is." A smile appeared on the familiar face.

"I…I thought you were gone." Yazoo could barely get the words out.

"I am gone from the physical world."

"I need you," cried Yazoo.

"I'm here."

"I used to be so certain of who I was and what I was doing. Now…I look back and all I see is how cold and merciless I was."

"A friend once told me that you'll never be free until you accept that what's done cannot be changed."

The girl smiled. "Sister told you that, didn't she?"

"Yes, Marlene. She did." Kadaj addressed Yazoo again, his ghostly form shimmering in the flow of pedestrians on the sidewalk. "Brother, you need to know that forgiveness does not have a limit. I have committed evils, as you have, and yet here I am. I stand forgiven, not just by others, but by myself as well."

"How?" Yazoo lurched forward in desperation. The little girl - Marlene? - knelt beside him with concern in her eyes. Kadaj smiled with genuine warmth.

"You must believe that you can change. And then you have to let go of the past; don't let what's behind you determine your future."

Yazoo squared his shoulders. "I want to be forgiven. More than anything."

"Someone else said that exact same thing. Guess what? It worked for him, too. Now, breathe. Do you feel free?"

Yazoo closed his eyes. The memories still hurt deeply, shards of remorse that would always remain, but their control over him was gone. He opened his eyes again.

"Yes." The sun seemed to shine brighter with that one word. Kadaj smiled again. As his image slowly faded away, the words remained, blown on the wind.

"Remember, Brother. Don't let what's behind you determine your future."

Yazoo took a deep breath, then looked down at Marlene, who was still sitting on the ground. She had a little smile on her face.

"Cloud wanted to be forgiven, too," she said. "He told me after he healed Denzel in the church. That was after he almost died."

Yazoo felt like the wind had been knocked out of him. "Almost died…Cloud is alive?"

She looked up at him. "Yeah, he is."

He extended his hand down to her. "Come on. There's someone I want to talk to."

She grasped his hand. "Cloud, right? I'll take you to him. He's probably playing video games with Tifa again!" She giggled. Yazoo pulled Marlene to her feet and together they walked down the sidewalk, Marlene's infectious laughter permeating the air with a sense of unspeakable joy.

The wind gusted. High above their heads, the single white flower disappeared against the brightness of the sky.