Disclaimer:
Kadaj, Yazoo, Loz, Cloud, Vincent, Marlene, Rufus, Jenova, Final Fantasy weapon names and the original ShinRa concept are copyright SquareEnix.
Alphonse, Edward, Winry and the wrench are copyright Hiromu Arakawa.
Kitty is copyright herself.
Kurry and Neil are copyright Kurry, as well as the concept for the weapon 'Shadow' and the snippets of the song 'Midnight Sorrow', which I actually wrote especially for this fic. So no stealey, thanks much.
All other hidden references are copyright their respective owners, because I just like to throw random anime and/or game references into my fics.
Basically, anything you recognise, I don't own, unless you've been with us for awhile and you recognise our stuff. Use wise judgement. I'm obviously not making any money off of this, so there isn't much to sue for. Thanks.
A Word from the Authoress:
Hey people. Just so you know, this fic is rated 'Mature' for a reason. Not because it may contain especially explicit content, but because in order to read this fic the reader must keep an open mind and a mature outlook. You don't have to agree with the way the story is set up, but please don't flame me for it. You'll be ignored. I'm trying a bit of a new style and new ideas here, so just keep that in mind while you're reading. If you like it, feel free to review. That's about all I have to say, so thanks for choosing this fic and I hope you enjoy it.
Midnight Sorrow
By Kurry Kurishi and Kitty Tashimono
Chapter 1 - Brothers
'Kadaj! We're going to be late!'
Scribbling down a few more lines in a hurry, the young man paused a moment to read it over before the hollering of his older brother snapped him from his reverie. 'Coming, Yazoo!' Tearing himself away from his work, Kadaj Shinrova grabbed his long leather jacket and bolted for the stairs, nearly stumbling down them in his haste.
Throwing on his coat as he descended, Kadaj was met with a barrage of admonitions as he entered the hallway.
'Honestly, 'Daj, we're supposed to open in twenty minutes…'
'Relax, Yazoo,' Kadaj replied, digging his gloves out of his pocket. 'We'll be there in plenty of - …'
He was interrupted by a loud BANG as the kitchen door flew open and Loz came running out, still stuffing the last bite of a sandwich into his mouth. He mumbled something intangible around the food, flailing a little as he tried to get his arm into his sleeve. Yazoo let out a long suffering sigh. 'Chew first, apologise later. Let's go.'
The house secured, the brothers ran down the walk pulling on gloves and zipping up coats as they went. Kicking their motorbikes to life, they roared off together down the street.
The sun was reaching the horizon line as they rode, turning the azure summer sky brilliant shades of purple and gold. The weather was comfortably balmy; people were out and about enjoying the sweet, cooling air. Clusters of females out for an evening turned to stare and swoon as the siblings swept by, silver hair whipping back and forth in the wind.
With their similar looks and different personalities, the brothers made a handsome and interesting trio. Yazoo was the eldest, and as such bore most of the responsibility on his twenty-five year old shoulders. Quiet and reserved, Yazoo let his common sense and dry wit do most of the talking, rarely letting himself get too emotional. At 6'4" he was lean and muscular from martial arts training; this coupled with his long hair and gentle features made the girls flock to him in droves. He was kind and generous as well, but the person who dared mess with him or his brothers soon learned that Yazoo was not to be trifled with.
Loz was the complete opposite of Yazoo in many ways. He was a bit of a prankster and could be childish at times, but he often got even the eldest laughing uproariously with his infamous jokes. At twenty one, his carefree attitude served as a balance for Yazoo's seriousness and he always made sure that his brothers had some fun. Loz was the more built of the three; his silver hair was cropped short and swept back into spikes and his eyes were nearly always sparkling with mischief. Despite his penchant for humour, Loz was never cruel, and was quick to defend anyone from harm.
At twenty three, Kadaj was the middle brother and in possession of a spirit of fire. He was passionate about music; a budding songwriter, he was still trying to be signed, but he swore to his brothers that someday he was going to get a break. Kadaj could see the world in a different light; his feline eyes were always curious about everything and anything, gazing out from behind his silver bangs. He could switch from thinking quietly to bouncing off the walls with a transformation that often baffled his brothers. Cool, confidant in most things, with a stubborn streak to match his determination, Kadaj knew exactly what he wanted and wouldn't hesitate to try and achieve it.
The siblings currently lived in Midgar, though the city was by no means their home. Their mother had always wished them to see something of the world while they were young, and so the three of them had until recently been travelling the continent, never staying in any one place too long. It was a wish they had been desperate to fulfill, for their mother had died in wartime twelve years ago and they felt it their duty to carry out her last hope for them. However, the traveller's feet do eventually become weary, and when their half-brother had contacted them with a proposition, all three had leapt at the chance.
Cloud Strife was the owner, president and CEO of ShinRa Corporations, an internationally known recording company. He was part of the reason why Midgar was healing so well after the war; the music industry brought in a lot of revenue which helped the region's economy. ShinRa's profits went toward two things and two things only; paying the artists and rebuilding the community. Cloud and his long-time girlfriend, Tifa Lockheart, ran their own small bar downtown and lived off the income from that. Recently, Cloud had gotten in touch with his half-brothers and offered them a deal; take care of Seventh Heaven, a relatively popular place, for three months while he and Tifa were on a world tour, and he would cover their living expenses and housing. After careful debate, Yazoo, Kadaj and Loz had accepted and returned to Midgar for the first time in nearly three years. The bargain was working out so far, and the brothers enjoyed the labour whole-heartedly; still, all three were beginning to feel as though they needed a steady place to live. Finding it was turning out to be the only problem; fortunately, they knew they always had at least a temporary place with Cloud. That made things easier.
Arriving at the bar, the brothers parked on the street and went in through the back door. Yazoo tossed his jacket neatly onto the coat rack and began to roll up his sleeves. 'It's a Friday, so we're going to be busier than usual. Kadaj, can I get you to set up the glasses? That'll make it more efficient. Loz, get the chairs down; I've got to start plugging in the taps.'
Fifteen minutes later, the brothers all took a deep breath and Loz unlocked the front door. 'Good evening… may I see your ID please?' His deep voice and husky frame brooked no argument. Kadaj smiled; things would go smoothly tonight.