It was another busy day at the Seventh Heaven bar; customers had been flowing in since the Geostigma plague had vanished. Tifa, Marlene, and Denzel were currently cleaning up from the lunch rush, and Cloud was out making deliveries. The bar was their home ever since Shinra's reign of terror; their living quarters were upstairs, away from the activities at the counter. Denzel and Marlene stowed the brooms and dustpans in the utility closet under the stairs, and ran toward the door. Just as Denzel's hand touched the knob, Tifa's voice rang out,
"And where do you two think you're going?" She smiled sweetly at the two children. Marlene looked to the older woman, an air of innocence about her,
"Oh! Uh...Can we go play outside?" Behind her back, her fingers were crossed. Tifa raised a brow, studying the two kids for a moment,
"Alright, but don't go too far," She stated sternly as she began wiping down the counter top with a damp rag. Marlene and Denzel rushed out,
"Okay!" Marlene chirped over her shoulder, closing the door.
There they go again, Tifa sighed as she tossed the rag in the sink. The kids had been acting rather strange since the start of the week, whispering in hushed, urgent voices and scouring the fridge and cupboards for leftovers. At first, she and Cloud thought that they were just feeding the strays in the area. However, it quickly became something more. When they sneaked out at night, they had begun to realize that something was happening. Tiffa picked up the phone and dialed Cloud's number. One. Two. Three-
"Hey, Tifa," Cloud's voice came over the speaker in it's usual way; calm and quiet, "The kids go out again?" How did he guess? Tifa sighed,
"Yeah. They're gone. Not sure where they're headed, but..." She trailed off as a pang of worry plucked at her heart, "They've been talking about something at the church. Cloud, I'm starting to-"
"Tifa," Cloud had cut her off gently, "I know. I'm worried about 'em too. I'll go down to the church before I get home, and I'll see what it is that they're runnin' off to," He hung up.
/
"C'mon!" Marlene shouted, leading Denzel into the old church. Its roof was filled with holes, allowing sunlight to shine through to the moldy, wooden floorboards. The children slowed to a steady walk as they crossed the thresh hold,
"Hello, Mariah," Marlene greeted cheerily, "We brought you supper," In a corner of the room, just behind the chest of Materia, a mass of striped, ginger fur rose from the floor; it was supported by four, slender legs and large paws. Her eyes were an odd shade of green,
"Thank you, Marlene, Denzel," She nodded to the two of them, coming to rest in front of the lilly patch. Denzel rummaged through his backpack, a present from Barret, and pulled out a plastic container. Pulling of the lid, he placed it in front of Mariah. Before long, the meatloaf inside had been devoured. She now lay there, head in Marlene's tiny lap as they petted her. She loved moments like this; it had been quite some time since she felt a gentle touch. Mariah purred contently, happy that she had company
/
Fenrir rumbled as Cloud pulled up to the church. Cloud had quite the history here; he'd met Aerith here, and he tended her garden to this day. He dismounted his trusty motorcycle and began he trek inside, pausing as he heard a loud, low rumble,
That's not Fenrir... Cloud, feeling dread in the pit of his stomach, stepped into the dilapidated chapel. His bright eyes fell upon the sight of the kids. However, something else was there with him; a massive feline-like creature was laying its head in Marlene's lap,
"Marlene, Denzel," Cloud's voice broke the peaceful silence. It was loud and tense as he stomped toward them, "What're you guys doin' with that thing?" He paused, as it raised its head and begun to growl deep in its throat.
"Cloud," Marlene began cautiously, "We can explain-"
"I'm sure you can," He remarked pointedly, "Mar', what have we told you?" As Marlene started to reply, Mariah spoke up,
"Don't be angry with them. They were merely taking care of me. You see, I've grown very weak since I was freed, and they offered to feed me. I'm sorry," She struggled to her paws, "I believe you both should go home and tell your parents what's been going on,"
Cloud, who had been stunned for the moment, finally began to speak, "Well, you can't exactly stay here on your own..."
Marlene's and Denzel's faces lit up, "We can keep her?" Marlene squeaked, "Yes!" Denzel exclaimed.
Cloud huffed, "Just until she's better, okay? After that, she's gone," They agreed. Cloud strolled over and carefully lifted Mriah up, carrying her out of the church,
"You guys run ahead and tell Tifa, okay? We'll be there soon," The two nodded and bolted back toward the Seventh Heaven.
/
"So that's where all the leftovers went," Tifa responded with a heavy sigh, "So, where's Cloud?"
"He said he'd bring Mariah here," Denzel replied, anxiously glancing at the door. As if on cue, there was a loud knock. Tifa swiftly strode over and opened it, surprised to see Mariah in her friend's arms,
"So," she began, staring as they passed her, "That's Mariah, huh?"
Cloud carried her up into their room, and gently laid her onto a makeshift bed that the kids had put together; it was made of old blankets and pillows, "Yup. She told me she's been at the church for a couple months. Good thing Marlene and Denzel were there," He patted Mariah's head and stood, "She's already eaten. So, I guess she should be fine for a while," He headed back to his office.
The kids had stayed upstairs with her the entire evening, talking with her and helping her get comfortable. Before long, it was time for them to get in bed. The kids gave Mariah one more pat and headed to their room. As Cloud climbed into his bed, he began to speak,
"If you make any move toward us or the kids, I'll take ya out,"
The feline yawned, "There's no need to worry about that, Cloud. Once I can hunt by myself, I'll go. I won't hurt you, Tifa, or the kids. I swear it," Cloud, not quite calmed by Mariah's vows, closed his eyes and drifted off into a restless sleep. Mariah followed suit.
