Want To Play?

My brother always wondered why Marlene clung onto Loz so tightly when Kadaj was talking to the kids in Advent Children. Well, if I was Marlene, I would be clinging onto Loz too. He's the only normal looking one between the three….. (Gets clonked by bricks from Yazoo and Kadaj fans) Hey, don't get me wrong guys I-(gets knocked out)

Disclaimer: Own nothing.

The tall man approached her, his shadow easily engulfing her small figure in darkness. Her eyes shifted nervously from this approaching menace to the unconscious Tifa, lying in the flower patch. Part of Marlene worried for her friend; she had never before seen anyone knock out Tifa with such ease, the other part worried about herself. If this man could send Tifa flying, he could do the same to her with less trouble. The silver haired man now stood, towering above her and grinning like a hungry tiger.

Clutching the strip of cloth to her chest as if it could grant her a miracle, she slowly backed away from the man, madly hoping that maybe, just maybe Cloud would burst through the church door and save her, or maybe the man would just take what he wants—the box of glowing materias—and leave. But it was no use. The more she steps back the wider his grin became and the faster he advances.

Marlene steps backward, he steps forward. His arms stretched towards her, his grin couldn't possibly be wider, but it just stretches and stretches as Marlene kept backing away. He was enjoying this so much; to him it was all a game.

Marlene hit something, turning around she see the cracked and worn cement of the church. She was stuck in a corner, and the cat is still advancing. She threw the cloth at the man in a futile attempt to keep him away, but he just bats it away with a deep chuckle and kept coming, coming, coming. Finally loosing it, Marlene sank down against the wall and started sobbing.

"Want to play?" The man smirked and Marlene's world blanked out.

Loz slung the little girl over his shoulder, and walked over to the box of materias. He didn't know why he was bringing the girl, seeing that he could just leave her here with the women. Still pondering his actions he picked up the box with his other hand and began walking out of the church towards his motorcycle. Securing the box on the motorcycle he sat the girl down on the leather seat. She lay limp against his arms, not moving. It seems that he had really scared her.

Loz scratched his head; he didn't mean to scare her that bad, but then again Kadaj always say that his ugliness alone could knock out a grown man.

"I don't look that ugly….Do I?" Loz muttered and gently touched his face. Grumbling he mounted the bike, holding the little girl with one arm and steering his motorcycle with the other arm.

"Did you bring it, Loz?" Yazoo asked as soon as the man walked out of the forest.

"Yep, right here!" Loz smiled triumphantly and held the box out towards Yazoo with one hand. Yazoo took the heavy box with both hands and carried it over to their youngest brother—Kadaj.

Kadaj opened the box with excitement, wasting no time to rip the top off the box. His catlike eyes widened with glee at the sight of all that materia. Yazoo showed no excitement, the light reflected off his eyes, making them glow green, yellow, and red.

Loz still had the girl in his arms, waiting for one of his brothers to notice. Yazoo finally looked up from Kadaj and glanced at Loz.

"What's that?" he asked.

"A girl," Loz answered back matter-of-factly.

"I can see that it's a girl, I mean-"

"What's it doing here, I thought I asked you to bring this," Kadaj's attention had shifted from the box to his older brother. Disgust replaced glee at the sight at the girl and Loz. "Not that." He pointed at the girl he was holding.

"I don't know why I brought her…" Loz looked at his foot. Even though it's his youngest brother addressing him, he couldn't help but feel helpless and small every time those hateful eyes glared at him. "I'm sorry, Kadaj." Loz looked at the small girl, and felt those damned tears welling up again.

"Do what you want with her. Just keep quiet and keep her out of my sight. I can't stand those foolish humans." Kadaj crouched down once again to fondle over his treasures.

Yazoo watched Loz, whose head was still down. He could easily see the drops of salt water constantly dripping onto the girl. Sighing, he turned his gaze back to the box so he could he watched his younger brother, so he didn't need to look at Loz. How could someone so little carry so much venom inside of him? Yazoo looked at the teenager crouching near his foot, a wide grin splashed across his face, his catlike eyes squinting from the smile, playing with the materias in the box.

One step closer to mother.

Yazoo turned away, walking off into the forest by himself.

Loz sat in one of the glowing white trees of the forest, knees hugged to his chest, quietly sobbing. If not for his size he could easily be mistaken for a sulking child.

Marlene slowly came into conscious, everything swam around in her vision and for a few second she thought that she had fallen asleep while watching over Denzel. Looking around she realized that she was not home, Denzel was not in bed, Tifa was not downstairs tending to the bar. She was sitting under a tree, in an eerily glowing forest. Looking around in horror she remember what had happened. Jumping up, she panicked, her head moving around, looking for that terrifying man.

Hearing sniffing she looked up slowly, scared of what she would find. The man sat there, looking like an oversized child. She should be terrified of this man; she should be running for her life, running back home. But to where?

She doesn't know where she is, she doesn't know where home is.

The man looked down at her, kind of surprised at the sight of her there. The man had been drifting off into his thoughts and had completely forgotten about Marlene whom he had placed at the foot of the tree. Wiping at his eyes, he stood up on the branch.

Marlene turned and got ready to run. The man jumped from the tree and snatched her up from the back of her dress, all in one swift move.

"Where do you think you are going?" he asked, his voice cracking a little from all that crying. Marlene watched him, dumbfound. "You can't get very far with those little legs of yours, so why don't you just stay here." Dropping her on the floor unceremoniously, he stalked back to the tree and sat underneath it, where the tears started again, this time not a full out sob though. Marlene turned around and stared at him, he just looked back at her, unmoving, his face full of emotions.

Watching this man cry shocked her, she had never seen a grown up cry, and was unsure of what to do. He was supposed to be the "enemy" but here he is, crying like a little kid. Approaching the "bad guy" she crouched down in front of him. He watched her, then feeling shame, hid his face in his knees.

He's just like a little kid… Filled with aw, Marlene hesitantly but gently patted him on the head. He slowly lifted his head up, surprised at her actions.

"I-it's ok, don't cry." Loz was even more surprised with her words. He had never been comforted before, and certainly not by a little girl. He wiped at his eyes, his face red from embarrassment.

Marlene sat down next to the big man, wondering why she wasn't running away from this crazy psycho instead.

"Why were you crying?" Loz hesitated to answer.

"Because of my brother, Kadaj."

"Was it because of a fight between you two?"

"No, it was because I was there." Marlene looked at him, confused. Loz looked back at the little girl, pausing, wondering why he was spilling his troubles to this little thing.

"Wanna play?" Loz stood up and put out his hand, suddenly smiling. Marlene stared at his gloved hand and smiling back took it.

Yazoo walked through the woods, drowned in his thoughts. Ever since they started searching for mother the three brothers had began falling apart. Kadaj gets more emotional, more psychotic, and more hurtful with each passing minute, Loz cries more, and Yazoo? Yazoo just pushes his troubles and worries even deeper inside him, hiding it from his emotionally unstable brothers. With his other two brothers losing it, he was the only one they could lean on. They have no time to bother with his feelings, which could only cause more problems, and problems are what they needed the least right now.

Suddenly stopping Yazoo frowned slightly at the sound he was hearing. Laughter. It couldn't be….

"Loz?" Peeking out from behind a tree he saw Loz and the girl he brought with him today, laughing away like best friends. Yazoo turned and leaned against the tree, listening. Loz's laughter soothed him; it was something he had not heard in a long time, making his worries disappear momentarily, which was what Yazoo needed, even if it is momentarily. Walking away, Yazoo imprinted that sound into him mind. This might be the last time he'll hear it ever again—Loz's laughter.

"Where were you Yazoo? I've gather the children, we can start soon." Kadaj sat near the lake, watching the frightened children who were gathered on the other side.

"Where's Loz by the way. Go fetch him." Kadaj waved his older brother away, smirking at the children.

"Loz's laughing." Yazoo informed Kadaj before leaving. Kadaj watched as Yazoo walked away, his face etched with confusion and surprise.

The three of them stood in front of the lake. Marlene clung onto the big man, watching the other two who bore resemblance to him. The one on the right had long silver hair and was quiet and stoic. The one in the middle really scares her. He had a crazy gleam in his eyes, one hidden behind a curtain of straight silver hair, the other glaring at her with hatred.

Loz looked down at the girl when he felt her grip on him increase every time Kadaj or Yazoo looked her way. Patting her on the head to reassure her he tried not to show too much attachment to the girl. Especially not in front of Kadaj.

Marlene looked across at the children they had gathered; silently pondering what these three would want to do with a group of children. Her eyes met a familiar face in the crown—Denzel.

"Denzel! Denzel! It's me Marlene! What are you doing here?!" The brunet boy looked up at the sound of her voice, but then looked away, faking indifference. Marlene was shocked by the boy's reaction.

"Denz-" Her words were cut off by a gloved hand. She looked up at the man, saw him shook his head and looked towards Kadaj, who was again glaring at them. Marlene stared back at Denzel, and up at Loz. What are they planning?

Kadaj began speaking; all eyes were on him as he spoke to the children about their true mother. Yazoo watched his younger brother, heard the unmistakable edge of insanity and desperation in his voice. Closing his eyes, he tried to down out that scream of terror in his heart that warned him of their doom.

We will find mother, we will find mother. Yazoo tried to reassure himself.

Loz could feel her grip on him tightened as the one she called Denzel entered the black water, and held her closer. "Denzel…." She whimpered and turning away when she saw a definite change come over him.

Kadaj stalked out of the water, confident and triumphant. "Soon we will be reunited with mother." Yazoo nodded, while Loz grinned in excitement.

"But first we have to deal with big brother. The traitor." Kadaj's face contorted with hate as he spat out these words.

"Come, children! There is someone you must meet!" Kadaj turned to face the children, waving them on. They followed his command, the light reflecting off their pupils. Marlene broke off from Loz and ran towards Denzel, pulling on his hand and shaking him. The three brothers followed behind, not speaking a word.

In the distance, a light shined. A light from a motorcycle, headed straight for Marlene and Denzel.

"He got away! I can't believe we let Strife get away! We could have finished him off!!" Kadaj yelled at Yazoo, stalking back and forth with frustration. Loz was no where to be seen.

"Calm down, Kadaj," Yazoo answered back.

"Where's Loz?" Kadaj finally realized that one of his brothers was missing when he had calmed down enough.

"Loosing his laughter."

"I'm not watching. You can go." Loz leaned against a tree, facing away from the girl. Marlene watched this big crybaby leaning against the tree, the first grown up ever she had seen crying, the first grown up she had ever comforted. She felt sadness welling up in her chest.

"Don't cry anymore ok, Mister?" She asked him, gently touching his elbow. Loz glanced at her, and immediately turned away, tears already pooling up in his eyes.

"I'll try, and it's Loz." Loz got up to leave, his voice quivering. He couldn't stand it anymore.

"My name's Marlene!" Marlene called before running into the woods in search for Cloud.

Walking back to sit on the tree again, Loz was suddenly interrupted by Yazoo.

"Crying again?"

"N-no." Loz sniffed, wiping at his eyes.

"Where's the girl?"

"She slipped away when I wasn't watching."

"Sure."

Loz looked up at Yazoo with a pleading look. Yazoo nodded and placed a hand on Loz's shoulder before leaving him in peace.

Yeah, I understand. I won't tell.

Thank you.

Just, laugh more. Cry less.

I'll try, because I promised.

Neeeeddd sleeeppp…….tooo longggg…… zombieeee….braaaiinnnss…..reeeevieewwwwss pleaaaaasssseee…. (Falls asleep)