AN – I've wanted to do this for a while now. Just so everyone knows, I intend to try and update this on a schedule. I'm thinking... once a month, though I started in late this time. Just expect the next chapter sometime early September. On a different note, I didn't know how old Denzel was when I started this, so I made him two years older than Marlene. But just today, as of this posting, I watched his OVA from On the Way to a Smile, so I know his age now (four years older... I think). However, this (along with his story in general) doesn't work very well with my fic, so we're ignoring his OVA and going with what I already set his age at.

This starts off two years after AC (ignoring DoC), although there will be a time skip within three or four chapters… Anyway, I hope you enjoy it.

Disappointing Days; Nightmarish Nights

Today, he was ten. Finally, he'd grown past those first few years of childishness. He'd reached the double digits.

Denzel figured that this was significant.

That is to say, logically, he knew that he was really no older than he had been the day before, despite what the new number implied. But by starting the counter over, from zero to nine, and with another digit going in front, he felt that he was that much closer to becoming a man.

But just because he was becoming a man didn't mean he couldn't celebrate like a child.

There was Tifa, sitting across the table smiling lovingly at him, a cake with ten flickering candles dividing them – it was, he considered, a present all on its own. Tifa had spent hours baking it just for him.

And there was Yuffie sitting next to her, bouncing her knees in childish anticipation, anxiously waiting for him to blow out the candles – the sooner he did that, the sooner the cake was served, after all.

On Tifa's other side was Vincent, frowning over at Yuffie's barely repressed energy.

And scattered throughout the room were Barrett, Reeve (his robot, on AI today, was also hanging around somewhere), Cid and his fiancée Shera, and Nanaki – all wearing various yet happy expressions.

On his right, Cloud sat quietly; stoically taking in the scene – though a small smile was on his face.

And most importantly, on his left was Marlene. Marlene, who was clinging to his arm and bouncing on the balls of her feet, urging him to blow out the candles.

Denzel had thought he'd never be so happy ever again – losing your family and living on the streets, even if only for about two weeks, can do that to you.

He loved these people.

So, tugging his arm free from Marlene, he leaned forward, closed his eyes, and blew. I wish that we could always be so happy and peaceful.

When he ran out of breath and stopped, Yuffie's voice rang out, "Aw, Denzel, you need to work on your aim! You missed one!"

Frowning, he cracked an eye open and saw that the teen – no, woman, she's twenty now – was right: Somehow, the very center candle had remained burning, despite the fact that he'd clearly gone over it, as the candles around it indicated.

He shrugged. "Whatever. It's just another opportunity to make a wish!"

This time, he focused solely on that one candle and let out a quick, strong puff of air. I wish… I wish I could become strong and protect those I care about.

And the last burning candle went out.

He sat on the couch will a small frown on his face, watching Tifa and Marlene clean up.

"Are you sure you don't want me to help out?"

Marlene stopped wrestling a piece of wrapping paper into an already overflowing bag to send him a chiding glance. "What kind of people make the birthday boy clean up after his own party?"

Tifa straightened from where she'd been leaning to put the one remaining slice of cake away - there probably wouldn't even be that one left if she hadn't insisted from the moment the cake was cut that there was one piece for him to have at a later time. Before allowing them to see her face, she put on a carefully neutral expression, despite the fact that she was worried about how the fridge had become worryingly empty in the span of a single day. "That's right. This is your day, Denzel. Don't worry; we'll be done soon. Then, the three of us will watch a movie together."

The boy stewed over this tidbit for a moment before letting out a tiny grin. "…My choice?"

Marlene rolled her eyes as she dragged the bag – it was as big as she was – towards the door, knowing full well that the dumpster would be the only place large enough to fit said bag. "Of course. Who else, silly?"

That said, the young girl walked out, letting the door swing shut behind herself.

Denzel nibbled on his lower lip and ventured, "It's just too bad that Cloud couldn't stick around…"

The small smile playing across Tifa's lips dimmed a fraction. "…Yes. Yes it is. But… these things happen."

Outside of Tifa and Marlene, the person Denzel had been looking forward to seeing the most had easily been Cloud - and even then, he saw the other two on a daily basis, considering that he lived with them, so their appearance at his party was a given. So when the blonde had announced he needed to leave once the boy had finished opening his presents, suffice to say, Denzel had been more than a little hurt.

Everyone else was willing to stick around. They'd all secured a place to stay for the night – except for Yuffie, who had weaseled her way into getting Cloud's room for the night. Clearly he wouldn't be needing it – and had only vacated the premises for the time being in the belief that they should let the makeshift family celebrate on their own for a little while longer.

This of course meant that Cid and Shera retreated to his airship to do… questionable things, Nanaki and Reeve went back to the latter's workplace to catch up (and possibly for Nanaki to secretly check up on the Turks and make sure they weren't up to anything), Barrett stalled going to his hotel with multiple goodbyes to his daughter, and Vincent went off to do whatever it was he did when he was alone (think and enjoy his solitude, probably), only with Yuffie tagging along.

Poor him.

For the two minutes Marlene was taking out the trash, Tifa and Denzel remained silent, both varying degrees of upset.

It took less than three seconds after the little girl walked in to deduce the problem and huff, crossing her arms. "If Cloud doesn't want to spend time with us, it's his loss!"

This actually brought out a small smile from Denzel, but Tifa simply said, "It's not that he didn't want to spend time with us, he just had something he had to do, is all. There's nothing we can do about it."

Marlene accepted this happily enough, going over and climbing up next to the boy, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

But Denzel just scowled down at his knees. "And what was it that he had to do, exactly?"

A tense, uncomfortable moment of silence passed over the three.

Finally, Tifa muttered, "…I don't know." The young boy heard her whisper to herself, "…but I wish I did."

Frankly, she sounded bitter – and more than a little hurt.

The kids shot worried looks over their shoulders at their caretaker, but her face was turned away.

Marlene squeezed his shoulder in concern, while Denzel just sat with clenched fists, chewing furiously at his lip.

A few minutes later, Tifa finally joined them, a small smile – clearly forced, though the kids wouldn't tell her that – plastered on her face. "So. How about that movie, Denzel?"

He chose a comedy, in the hopes that it might lift the mood a bit.

All three of them laughed a few times, but it didn't seem to help much until Yuffie returned halfway through the flick. Generally, the ninja girl wasn't one to pick up on subtleties, so they must have been more obviously unhappy than they thought.

So, she overreacted to everything, enjoying the movie for the three of them. She laughed hysterically at things only somewhat funny, and complained loudly at things meant to be funny that weren't.

By the end, everyone was laughing and mostly cheered from their previous state, going to bed in a much better mood than they would have without the young woman's presence.

But still he had a nightmare.

"They've got a cure for Geostigma."

That was all he needed to know. He really didn't know who this girl was, but she seemed like she was on his side – and how dangerous could a young girl with a plushy Moogle be, anyway? Maybe the dying stick together, until the end.

He let her lead the way.

(PAGE BREAK)

They had Marlene.

They had Marlene, and she looked terrified, both for him, and for herself.

So why couldn't he bring himself to care? What was wrong with him? She was important to him. He couldn't just stand by and watch while these guys tormented her… could he?

His head was buzzing unpleasantly. In the back of his mind, a voice whispered to ignore her. Marlene didn't matter. If he tried to do anything, he'd never be cured. He'd die.

But maybe she's worth it, he argued with himself.

No. No one is worth dying for, except yourself.

Denzel knew what would happen next; he'd seen it before, lived it before.

But what was supposed to happen didn't.

Instead, the three silver-haired men turned on him with maniacal expressions.

The leader smirked. "Trying to resist, eh? Well, we can't have that…"

The one with the longest hair shot him a condescending leer. "Shall we punish him, then, Brother?"

"Not directly. He is one of those blessed with Geostigma, after all. It wouldn't do to tarnish Mother's gift to us."

The big burly one grinned. "He likes the little girl."

Kadaj smiled maliciously. "Of course. Take that which he cares for most away from him. Loz, you know what to do."

In response, Loz let out a bark of laughter before grabbing Marlene roughly by the wrist and beginning to drag her away – her protests were weak and futile.

And Denzel was rooted to the ground, the voice in his head suggesting, no, demanding, that he let them go. Telling him to watch, to soak in every last image of her, as he'd never see her again.

You're wrong! He shouted inwardly. I won't let them do this! If listening to you means losing her, then I'd rather keep my Geostigma! I'd rather die!

"Marlene!"

He began to run. And the voice was gone, long gone; banished.

His pounding footsteps mixed with the sound of his equally pounding heart, as he chased after all that mattered.

But he was pushed back roughly, suddenly. He didn't even know what had hit him until he'd regained his senses and felt the cool metal at his forehead.

Yazoo sneered at him, gun poised and ready to do away with him. "You're a tough one, to resist the influence. But just because we won't kill you doesn't mean we can't have a little fun with you if you get on our bad side… Mother wouldn't mind if we played with you, gave you a few scratches... we just can't break you, is all."

Denzel didn't care what the man was saying. He wanted, needed to get to Marlene. Needed to save her, and bring her back to Tifa, and the three of them would live happily… until he died, anyway.

The voice was back, whispering traitorous thoughts into his head. She'll cry if you die. Maybe you can save her, but for what? She'll be heartbroken once you're gone…

These words were harder to ignore than the others, because they were more likely to be true. He shook his head, futilely trying to banish the voice once more.

Maybe… maybe she will be sad. But at least she'll be alive. That's what matters to me!

Up ahead, Loz was disappearing, still dragging the despairing girl along, who was now screaming for Denzel-Tifa-Cloud-Daddy, someone, anyone! Her free hand clawing at his vice-like grip did nothing.

Gathering his strength, the boy shoved roughly past the silver-haired man and began running once more, desperate to catch up, to save her.

He could do it. He could save her, and he would.

But a sudden, searing pain in his right calf sent him tumbling down. Distantly, he wondered what had happened, as his mind was slow in focusing on something other than the figures retreating from his view.

It took a moment to register that the sound he'd heard but dismissed seconds ago had been a gunshot, and that there was a bullet lodged deeply in his leg.

Looking up woozily, two pairs of green eyes were closing in fast. And in those eyes he saw the voice, and it reached out to him, stronger than ever.

You will obey me, you will!

I… won't, he protested weakly.

Then you shall suffer.

And the pain in his leg was instantly forgotten, as now his head was pounding and hurting; it felt like it was about to explode.

Eyes wide and hands clutching his head in agony, anything he might've been about to say came out as a garbled choke.

He heard laughter from the two above him, but it sounded distant.

He blacked out.

Denzel shot up in bed, panting heavily, sweating profusely, and with tears pricking at his eyes.

He resolved once more to get stronger; he'd never let something like that happen in real life.

He'd protect those he loved, or die trying.

AN – So yeah, this is, for all intents and purposes, the prologue, although the next chapter takes place the next day (it's also when the action starts!), and then a time skip (although there will be at least two or three chapters before that)… I'm very iffy about this fic, personally. Not sure if I've got what it takes to write something of epic proportions, plus make something good enough to keep people interested the whole way through. Reviews (especially constructive criticism) would immensely help.