A/N: Hello again, everyone! It's good to see you again! XD
BIG NEWS! Well, I hope it's big news. The art contest is now open! For details, visit either the deviantart group at a-brutal-teacher .deviantart .com/, or the livejournal group at community .livejournal .com/brutal_lessons/! (You will need to take away the spaces in those addresses... And yes, I made myself fan-pages...I'm such a narcissist!)
Of course, this is open because I won't be doing any writing in November. This is because I'm competing in National Novel Writing Month! For info on what that is, check out ! XD
Anyhow, aside from that, here is a story! We're back to plot this time around, so I hope you've all been missing Yazoo as much as I was! Many thanks to Annegwish, the best beta in the world!
Also, big thanks to all of you reviewers! Last chapter sent me up past 100 reviews on this story! KYAAAH! XD I'm super excited! !
Chapter 21
Yazoo ran quickly on the balls of his feet, his muscles burning. He was sprinting hard-a wild sort of run that, with one faulty step, would turn into an inelegant and painful tumble. Yazoo wouldn't miss a step. The possibility barely even occurred to him. The door ahead of them was different from the others. he could feel it. Through that door, it would finally be over. They would be out of this mansion, and safe, and he could get Loz away from the broken man he'd picked up, and they would be gone.
The door flew open before them, and the light of day washed over Yazoo's already damaged vision, blinding him. He recoiled a little, halting the momentum of his sprint, and stopping him a little too sharply for comfort. His booted feet skidded a little on the leaf-littered ground.
When he opened his eyes again, his gaze was immediately drawn to the top of the hill, where a dark splotch stood out against the backdrop of the forest. His eyes landed on the form, and he saw a glint of silver hair, and the faint light of eyes which should have faded into the background and instead seemed to glow. His eyes widened on the impossible presence, and then he clenched his them shut, and tried to will it away.
In that moment with his eyes closed, it seemed to Yazoo the entire world went still. There was no whisper of wind over the ground and through the trees, no birdsong in the forest around them-even his heartbeat seemed to halt for a moment in the silence. His companions were still as statues, Loz's leather not creaking once, despite his fondness of fidgeting. Even the mouldering white cloth shrouding him lay still, not so much as flickering. Yazoo himself didn't breath-couldn't breathe.
A sound as sharp as thunder broke the silence, making Yazoo jump violently and squeeze his eyes shut tighter still, wishing for that empty oblivion he'd had before so he wouldn't have to see. A second thunderclap of noise, as abrupt and sharp as the first, split the air around him, making him flinch once more. With the third, Yazoo forced his eyes open, staring at the ground with a fixed gaze. He forced his head to lift, looking over the leafy, dead ground. Even though he knew it wasn't possible, he was hoping he had only gone mad for a moment, and the ground would be uninterrupted all the way to the horizon.
Instead, his gaze fell up on a pair of supple, shining black leather boots. He knew those boots. He'd kissed those boots while a hand, tangled in his hair, had held him down. He could still remember the taste of the smooth surface, and the pain that followed as the foot he was attending to lashed out across his cheek.
A fourth sharp sound, and Yazoo lifted his gaze from the man's feet, over black clothes and silver buckles, to the gloved hands which slapped together again as he watched in a slow parody of applause. Yazoo felt his blood run cold in his veins. This couldn't be happening. They'd escaped-they were supposed to have escaped.
Sephiroth's calm, relaxed presence before them, in all his leather-coated glory, crushed that dream into dust. Yazoo flinched as Sephiroth clapped once more before letting his hands drop, shaking his head slowly, a condescending and amused look on his face.
"What a touching performance that was," he sneered, eyes narrowed in amusement.
"You," hissed Loz to Yazoo's right, moving forward aggressively one step before freezing again.
Yazoo glanced over for one moment to his little brother, watching him tremble, caught between paralyzing fear and helpless rage. Yazoo wanted to grab him-pull him close and just run. It wouldn't work. Sephiroth was faster, and unlike his smaller clones, he wasn't bruised, and dirty, and tired from navigating the mansion turned nightmare behind them.
The figure in white swayed in front of them, just once, as though he would fall. Yazoo tried not to look at him, fixated on the threat and edging backwards towards the still-open door. His back hit a wall, and he turned his gaze for one moment to the solid bricks against which he was pressed, where there had only moments before been an open hallway.
"However," the applauding Sephiroth said, drawing Yazoo's wide, panicked eyes back to him, "I do wonder what you hoped to accomplish."
He started approaching, slowly and smoothly, the faint smile still painted on his perfect face. He was the picture of strength and confidence, his hands empty of Masamune, but more than enough of a threat without the blade.
Loz stiffened and straightened out of the defensive crouch he'd fallen into. Yazoo felt the sudden urge to dart forward and grab him before he could make their situation worse but he was paralyzed in place against the wall. He could still feel Sephiroth's leather-clad fingers on his skin, invading his mouth, as a twisted appetizer. The bruises from their last encounter still ached under his clothes. His sight flickered as he sagged against the wall, his hair catching in the bricks behind him, overwhelmed and breathless with memory.
"W-we're not going to g-give into you again," Loz called out, his shoulders back and his eyes fierce, fighting the stutter that gave away his fear. "You can't hurt us if we don't let you."
"Oh?" Sephiroth chuckled indulgently, eyes widening a little, their too-pale irises catching the light, "and what gives you that idea?"
"I-I..." Loz stuttered, floundering for a moment before stiffening up again, thrusting his shoulders back once more and puffing his little chest out, "I just know!"
"Ah," Sephiroth said, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous murmur, "I'm sorry to shatter your illusions then."
Sephiroth moved forward in an aggressive rush of silver and black. Yazoo flinched away from the movement, shutting his eyes tightly, and steeled himself for the pain. It wasn't until he heard his brother cry out in an abrupt, cut-off scream that he even considered the man might not have been after him.
With a rush of terror deeper than any fear of pain, he whipped around to stare. Loz was dangling off the ground, suspended only by the grip Sephiroth had around his neck. The man wasn't even bothering to use two hands. He smiled up at Loz in amusement as the boy's feet kicked helplessly against the hold, waving through thin air, and his own, smaller hands scrambled for purchase on the leather glove strangling him.
"No!" Yazoo cried instantly, his fear for himself forgotten, kicking off against the wall to catapult himself towards Sephiroth, the urge to kill him overpowering his common sense.
Sephiroth's eyes slid over to him with a smile in their depths, and Loz made a pathetic gagging sound as his strangle hold tightened before Yazoo struck. He hit hard, fist colliding with Sephiroth's unguarded solar plexus and met unforgiving muscle. Despite his strength, Sephiroth gave a grunt at the contact, and Yazoo pressed his advantage, kicking high and fast, aiming for the man's head.
His foot whiffed through the air where Sephiroth had been a moment before, and he had to jerk the kick back quickly to regain his balance after the miss. Loz collapsed on the ground beside him, coughing and retching. Once, Yazoo would have been able to look down and gauge the damage, but he didn't have enough eyes to keep track of Sephiroth and his little brother at the same time.
Sephiroth was laughing, richly, even as he settled slowly to the ground, seeming to take too long for gravity to be acting properly on him. If anything, he looked even more pleased than he had before Yazoo had hit him. His hair finally settled around him, the strands of silver flickering like steel as he gazed evenly at the brothers. Then his gaze shifted, abruptly, to look over Yazoo's shoulder, into his blind spot, and Yazoo couldn't help risking a quick glance back.
To his surprise, he wasn't killed the moment his eye left the murderous, chuckling apparition before him. Instead, his gaze landed on the wretched figure, clothed in the white cloth, his face eerily familiar, but screwed up in entirely the wrong expression. When Yazoo's gaze caught him, a beat after Sephiroth, the man had just taken a step forward only to freeze. Yazoo had only a moment to see what must have been a determined expression melt off the other's face, replaced by a twisted, fearful expression that looked strikingly weak and foreign on his mangled face.
"You don't dare," laughed the Sephiroth who Yazoo had looked away from.
At the sound of his words, Yazoo whipped around to look at him. He was relieved to find that for the moment he was being utterly ignored by the man.
Sephiroth was still smiling, but it was a sharp smile, less condescending and more derisive. His eyes were narrowed in vindictive amusement as he gazed past Yazoo to the figure in white, and a strange urge ran through Yazoo to move in front of that gaze. He didn't let himself. Anything that held Sephiroth's attention off himself and his brother was a welcome respite. He used the distraction to sink to one knee, hands landing lightly on his little brother's shoulders, feeling them trembling under his grasp as Loz gasped in shuddering, desperate breaths.
Yazoo didn't give himself time to think about the crawling feeling in his hands, or the taint that had only been increased in the mansion. Loz was in danger from far more than an invisible stain. Yazoo carefully ran one hand over the back of Loz's neck, and flinched just a little when his brother whimpered. Despite his fear for his little brother, he forced himself to return his focus to Sephiroth as the pale man's thin lips curved sinfully upwards in a wider, self-confident smile.
"I know you," he laughed openly, not bothering to hiss the words, still addressing the other man in the clearing, "and you know I would happily rip you apart again. You are mine."
Yazoo flickered his gaze briefly over to the figure in white, and didn't permit himself to stare, even though he wanted to. Despite sharing the same face as his attacker, the other man was backing down, his shoulders hunched just a little. Though he didn't lower his eye to the ground, the rage left his gaze to be replaced by a grim defeat. Yazoo swallowed hard, flicking his gaze back to the black-leather clad monster and shook his brother.
"Get up, Loz," he whispered, voice shaking, a very bad feeling settling in his chest.
Loz gave another little whimper, coughing and shaking under his hands, buckling a little instead of rising.
"And I know-" the man continued, those eyes narrowing just a little more.
"Loz," Yazoo urged desperately, giving his brother another sharp shake, rewarded only by a shallow gasp of pain.
"-that you'll just watch while I tear them to shreds." Sephiroth continued smoothly, as though he had never been interrupted.
Yazoo barely had time to comprehend the words. The moment they reached his brain, hot blood was hitting his face, and Loz's scream tore through the air.
"Oh shit," Zack whispered to himself, his striking gaze fixed on the impending massacre.
"Zack," Aerith murmured at his side, putting a hand on his arm, "there's nothing we can do."
"He's going to destroy them," Zack whispered softly in argument.
"We gave them a chance," the flower-girl whispered, but her voice was sad and full of regret.
"There has to be something we can do," Zack argued, his voice sharp with an anger that wasn't directed at Aerith but hurt her anyway.
"We already did all we can," she chided, gently, knowing that every heroic instinct in Zack was screaming in pain as he watched this, "the planet won't let us do anything more."
Zack clenched his fists and his jaw, staring down at the elder boy, shaking his crumpled brother. Before whenever Zack had seen the elder remnant he had looked at least competent, but now his calm eyes were wide with terror, his one visible pupil little more than a dark slit lost in acid green.
If he was bad, poor Loz was worse. Sephiroth hadn't just taunted the brothers with his grip on the child's throat. Zack felt sick to his stomach, watching the brave little thing cough blood at his brother's desperate shake. He'd seen Sephiroth tighten his hold on the kid's throat until something was crushed, and it broke his heart. It wouldn't kill the boy-this was the lifestream after all-but it had to hurt so bad.
Zack had only known the kid for a little while, and only spent time with him the once, but he already loved him. He knew, logically, that he had hurt Cloud, but it was impossible for him to blame the child for that. He was just a lost little kid.
"Aerith?" called a voice behind them, childish and soft, but demanding of attention.
Zack turned at once, along with Aerith, looking away from the shallow pool of rainwater that they were watching the boys through. He forced himself not to protest as his sweetheart left his side instantly, her white dress pure against the backdrop of flowers. Behind him, he knew, the image would have faded away without her attention, but he still snuck a worried glance back at the now clear pool, and felt the sickness twist in his stomach, feeling that they should, at least, watch what Sephiroth did to them. They owed them that much.
"Kadaj," Aerith called sweetly with honest happiness hiding the stress in her voice as she walked over to him briskly.
As ever, the boy gravitated to her, like a small, pale moon drawn to her radiance. She wrapped him, instantly, in a hug, and let him rest his head on her shoulder, his silver hair flickering. Zack bit back jealousy as she stroked her slim, delicate hand over his head.
"What are you doing here? I thought you were training," she crooned softly, the only one on Gaia, Zack was sure, who could get away with talking to the little tyrant like that.
"I felt like something was wrong," he murmured wearily against her chest.
Zack exchanged a glance with Aerith over the kid's head, reading the worry in her gaze. Kadaj had been less and less energetic lately, and both of them were worried that the task Gaia had given him was getting the best of the fiery teen. He wasn't the only one in the lifestream fighting against Jenova, but he was the only one close enough to do any damage to her actual essence. Unfortunately, that meant she could hurt him back, and she'd had a lot longer to get used to using her powers in the lifestream. Neither of them had dared to speak of it, but Zack knew quite well that Aerith was scared for the boy, and despite himself, he was too. Obnoxious though the kid could be, he was still just a kid.
"We're okay, Kadaj," Aerith reassured, running her fingers through his silken fall of hair, content to let herself be as motherly and affectionate as possible to the boy, though really, she hadn't been that much older than he looked when she died.
Zack forced a smile when the kid lifted his intense eyes to him, letting Kadaj study his face before turning back to Aerith. He wondered if Kadaj could see through the smile to the deep, sickening worry beneath it. While they bonded, Kadaj's brothers were alone with Sephiroth. And the shadow-man. Zack frowned at the reminder of that little mystery.
It was weird, because the lifestream had never failed Aerith while spying on the two boys-it was part of the agreement with Gaia that whatever happened, they could watch. But despite the agreement, when Loz found a tank in the Shinra Mansion, the pool they watched from had showed them only a shadowed blur within. When the kid broke the tank and released whatever it was, the image had not cleared in the slightest. They had, eventually, figured out that it was a person of some sort. It moved around, and walked, but though both boys talked to it, it said not a word.
The brothers had seemed plenty disturbed as well, at first at least. Zack had briefly wondered if it really was just a person-shaped shadow that they were with. He had finally decided that couldn't be it, and the lifestream was hiding something from them when Loz had started calling it by name. The lifestream had blurred out his voice when he did so, like censorship on a television brought to life. Zack suddenly wished he'd been good at lip reading, but even if he had been, he doubted the planet would let him.
It was worrisome, but at the moment it was the least of the problems the two boys had, and Zack was itching to help. He knew that he'd been foolish to dream of being a hero as a teenager-he now knew that the only way to be a hero was to ruin your own life-but it was still his dream. And truth be told it was still who he wanted to be, and every part of him that was a hero said he should be helping. Unfortunately, working for the planet, he had found, was a lot like working for Shinra. You got amazing powers out of the deal, but you could never use them when you really wanted to-when someone really needed you.
"Something is wrong," Kadaj insisted fiercely. "I can tell."
Aerith lifted her gaze to Zack again, looking faintly helpless. She hated lying to the boy, and made no secret of that to either her boyfriend or the planet. Zack sighed, rubbing a hand through his hair and stepping forward, deciding he could at least help with the problem child before him, even if he couldn't save his brothers.
Then, all of a sudden, a thought struck him, and his sky-blue eyes brightened. If Angeal had been there, Zack knew, he'd have gotten a suspicious look as his puppy's metaphorical tail started wagging for the first time in years.
Yazoo stared in horror at the slim, silver length of Masamune, contrasting sharply with the black leather it penetrated. The blood splattered on his face was hot, and the smell of iron was thick in the air. The pools of the liquid that dripped down from the wound onto the leaves made horrible, wet noises, that filled the empty space left in the wake of a scream.
Yazoo stared up from where he kneeled at his little brother, skewered by the blade and dangling above him, and screaming at his frozen body to move. Sephiroth laughed as the slow struggles of the boy on his blade stopped, the little body falling limp. Yazoo watched in silent, sick horror as Loz's hands slid off the blade that was sunken into his stomach and his head lolled forward limply.
"Pathetic," laughed Sephiroth softly.
With a flick of his blade, Loz was tossed like a rag-doll across the clearing. He landed in a heap on the forest floor with a horrible thud, and didn't move. Yazoo finally managed a breath, and burst forward, his body finally responding to his mental screams for movement. He launched himself towards his little brother's body, too breathless and afraid to even call his name.
He barely managed two steps before a horribly familiar hand tangled itself in his hair and jerked him back hard. He lashed out fiercely and blindly, his knuckles connecting with flesh, but not stopping the drag on his hair that threw him to the ground. The moment he hit the leaves, he turned, scrambling to regain his feet, his mind fixed on the motionless form not twenty feet from him. Leaves coated in blood stuck in his hair as he moved, and he lurched, the impact making him dizzy and unstable.
The kick that followed was like being struck with a metal rod. It slammed into his ribs and sent him reeling back to the ground. Before he could fight his way back to his feet, his scrambling movements were halted by Sephiroth straddling his hips and pinning one shoulder down with his hand. Yazoo dimly registered Masamune pressing against his throat, and then decided he didn't care.
He ducked his chin, turning so the blade rested over muscle instead of his trachea, and kicked before he could think it through. He connected with his thigh rather than his knee, like he wanted, but still struck home, hitting the same crotch he'd been forced to pleasure before. Sephiroth jerked with a hollow gasp, and Masamune slipped against Yazoo's throat, cutting deep through muscle. Blood all but burst from his skin, cascading down Yazoo's flesh in a flood, but not killing him just yet.
Yazoo shoved against the man hard, pushing him away. He was satisfied that he'd hit hard enough when Sephiroth gave under his hands, not falling, but giving Yazoo room to fling himself to his feet. He ran hard, his vision blurring for purely physical reasons as his body struggled to heal. His legs threatened to give out, weakened by fear and pure exhaustion.
He made it to Loz, and feel to his knees at his side, turning his little brother over, calling his name as he did. Then he froze in utter, complete horror.
Loz stared up at him blankly, his wide green eyes empty and dead. His throat had barely had time to purple before he'd died, but Yazoo could clearly see the damage to it was what had killed him. Masamune's strike had just been for fun.
Tears fogged his vision as his hands started shaking on his brother's shoulders, trembling uncontrollably. Loz's blood burned where it was splattered on Yazoo's face, and his lifeless eyes stared up at him in silent accusation. This was his fault. It was all his fault.
"Satisfied?" a deep, angry voice said behind him.
Yazoo didn't bother looking at Sephiroth. He couldn't tear his gaze from Loz. The horrible unfairness of it-that someone so pure would be so easily destroyed. He reached a shaking hand up to wipe away the splatter of his own blood that struck his dead brother's forehead. It wasn't fair. It had never been fair. Not for either of them.
Sorrow suddenly vanished from Yazoo, and he carefully set his brother back down, lifting a trembling hand to carefully close his eyelids. He lifted his gaze to the trees beyond them, and waited.
"Now you see what comes from opposing me," Sephiroth snarled, his footsteps approaching Yazoo in a deadly stalk.
Yazoo waited, wordless, the sick feeling in his chest and stomach fading as it was covered by an all-consuming rage. Sephiroth had stolen them both from him-both his brothers. He'd taken them away without Yazoo ever standing a chance. And at that moment, Yazoo didn't find it sad. He found it enraging.
He waited until he heard Sephiroth pause, knowing that hand would be reaching out to grab his hair-that Sephiroth would want to torment him and violate him once more before destroying him as well. Then he struck.
Yazoo hadn't been the strongest of his brothers, or the wickedest, but then, he had never been angry at Cloud or the Turks. He was angry now. He couldn't hear anything but the buzzing in his ears and the memory of Loz's scream, and those were enough to launch him up on legs that had forgotten they were exhausted.
Sephiroth was too taken aback to raise Masamune in time to skewer Yazoo on it like he had his brother. Yazoo saw the surprise on his face and bared his teeth in a fierce roar. He wanted that face twisted in pain.
His hands closed around that pale column of a throat, and he squeezed with all his might, fighting to wring the life out of him, locking his legs around his waist. Sephiroth stumbled backwards under the assault, but his throat didn't give. Yazoo screamed in rage at the stubborn windpipe.
Sephiroth recovered quickly, his free hand grabbing Yazoo's wrists and flinging him away by them, nearly pulling himself off balance when the legs locked around his middle clung a little longer than he thought they'd manage to. For his part, Yazoo had known what to expect, and twisted in the air. He landed heavily, but on his feet, ignoring the stinging spikes of pain that went up his feet all the way to his knees and charged again.
Masamune struck this time before he had a chance to touch his target. Yazoo just blinked as he felt the sword bite into his shoulder and carve deep into the flesh there, tearing him open with seemingly little effort, and continuing its neat swing all the way across his torso. Yazoo watched it lay him open as though it were in slow motion, with only a vague sense of pain.
The spurt of arterial blood that escaped his shoulder was in no way a surprise for Yazoo, but he felt a flash of disappointment. He'd hoped he could at least draw blood on the man who had killed both his brothers.
His legs gave out, and he went down, his blood soaking the ground beneath him in moments, leaping free of him with every one of his frantic heartbeats. It was hot against his face, and his ragged breaths stirred the pool of it by his lips like thick, miniature waves. The pain hit him in a rush, heavily delayed, but Yazoo didn't let it deter him.
He shoved his hands underneath himself, pushing upwards, which only made the bleeding worse. His hands slipped in the blood and sent him slumping back to the ground, but he'd managed to turn his head so his seeing eye was looking at the world rather than his own blood. He lifted his gaze to Sephiroth, with a defiant, angry look on his face.
The man was looking down at him with fury in his green gaze, his silver hair in something like disarray. Even as his vision blurred and doubled, Yazoo could see the blood on his blade. Though he wasn't sure if it was a shadow or not, he thought he saw a bruise on his neck, and allowed himself a trembling, feral smile of satisfaction, even as he felt blood leak from between his lips and felt the leaves and ground underneath him digging into the gaping cut on his chest, poking the raw flesh within.
Sephiroth snarled at the look and stormed over. Yazoo didn't let himself flinch when a hand tangled in his hair and jerked his head up, twisting his neck back and making the pain of the cuts in his neck and shoulder spike. He just kept that feral smile on his face. Now that Sephiroth was trying to intimidate him with that horrible glare, Yazoo could see it was a bruise after all. He'd made an impact, at least.
"You," Sephiroth growled at him, the superior smile wiped off his face to be replaced by a snarl of rage, "are going to pay."
Yazoo wanted to laugh at him. He was dying. What did Sephiroth think he could do? Unfortunately, when the laugh reached his body, it just came out as a retch, sending yet more of his blood sliding down his chin to splatter on the ground. Sephiroth didn't even twitch when it splashed onto his leathers. His furious green gaze filled Yazoo's failing vision.
For a moment, Yazoo blacked out, darkness taking him mercifully as death approached. But Sephiroth wasn't done yet, and the blackness was replaced with a blinding flash of light as he hauled on Yazoo's hair, dragging him across the ground, the open wound on his chest grinding into the ground underneath it.
The scream that ripped out of his throat was one of pure agony, and Yazoo couldn't fight it back. Sephiroth didn't care in the slightest, simply dragging him further on as spots danced before Yazoo's vision and he found himself hoping he'd bleed out more quickly, though he didn't see how it was possible, with the rate at which his artery was spewing his blood.
Sephiroth threw him down, and Yazoo lost his breath for a moment before the stuttering, ragged rhythm forced itself to pick up. He forced himself to blink his eyes open, and instantly wished he hadn't. He was face to face with Loz's body, and the loss hit him like a fresh would, looking at his young face, the lines of terror and pain not erased by the simple closing of his eyes.
"You'll die watching me defile his body," Sephiroth hissed.
Masamune entered Yazoo's range of vision, and sick dread surged through him as it hovered over his little brother's chest. He didn't want to see this-didn't want to watch what little remained of his Loz torn to pieces before his eyes. It was too much. And yet, the sword didn't move. Instead, it wavered. The tip of it almost touching his little brother's leather coat, but not quite.
Yazoo fought back a gag, and choked out another cough that came out wet and bloody. He forced himself to look up at Sephiroth, even as the ground seemed to dip and wobble under him as his body finally gave in.
He had just enough time to see what looked like fear and rage mingle on Sephiroth's face before the blade suddenly vanished, and the man staggered backwards and away, both hands raising to his head.
Yazoo forced himself to move. He threw his uninjured arm over his little brother's body and dragged him close before collapsing again, beside him. He forced his hand to keep holding onto the strap of leather it had gripped, focusing whatever power he had left into maintaining that hold. The world flickered around him again, as he heard Sephiroth, dimly, screaming.
"No! Little wretch! I made you!" the man was howling, both hands gripping his own hair tightly.
Yazoo closed his eyes to the sight of him, uncaring of what was making him scream, and pressed a trembling kiss to Loz's brow. His brother smelled like blood and sweat, and any number of unpleasant things, but Yazoo didn't care in the least. He held him as close as he could, knowing he wouldn't be able to much longer.
"I'm sorry, Loz," He whispered, dropping his head back to the ground next to his brother's and nuzzling very briefly against him.
Even now he hated himself for the touch, but he was still strangely comforted by the closeness, even as it hurt him. His brother, who should have turned into the touch, or wriggled against it, was unnaturally still and silent. Yazoo, dimly, longed for his brother to go on yet another one of his useless, unending tirades. He could almost hear his voice, in his mind, complaining about the blood Yazoo was getting on his leather.
But the real Loz lay pale as death at Yazoo's side, crushed by the very man he'd been created from. Yazoo's hand, of no will of his, loosed the hold on his leather strap, and Yazoo knew it was over. He slanted his eyes open, one last time, gazing at his brother's silver hair, stained red by his blood.
He didn't close them again.
Kadaj slumped against Aerith, and Zack instantly gravitated to them. Aerith turned the boy, carefully, until they could see his face. There were tears on his cheeks, and he was flushed faintly, but he was still in one piece. Zack let out a long breath and kneeled by him, stroking his hair.
"You get him, kid?" he asked softly.
"Y-yeah," Kadaj answered softly, his voice weak and tired. "He was fighting someone. Distracted."
"Good job, Kadaj," Zack praised, reaching out to run a hand over the kid's hair, since Aerith was busy holding him close.
The boy didn't respond, and Zack knew he wouldn't wake up for quite some time. He never did after facing Jenova or Sephiroth, and he hated himself a little for forcing the kid into it without telling him why.
"You know he's not supposed to help them," Aerith whispered from where she held Kadaj close, as though she really were his mother.
Zack looked up at her with a rueful smile, knowing she'd be mad for him using Kadaj like that, even if it was to save his brothers. Her green eyes were, indeed, angry, but they looked more worried than anything. Kadaj's continued existence depended heavily on how well the planet thought he was behaving.
"Aer," Zack whispered, "give me some credit. I wouldn't do that to him."
"Then what do you call what you just did?" Aerith hissed angrily, her brows drawn down in disapproval.
Zack reached out to her, smoothing her hair back, and part of him distantly wished it could be just them again. Together, watching over their friends, and taking comfort in one another's arms. She pulled away from the touch with a scowl, her hold on the boy who needed them both so badly tightening just a little. Zack sighed, lowering his head a bit, and let his hand rest on Kadaj's chest instead.
"He wasn't helping them," Zack insisted softly. "He didn't even know they were there."
He lifted his gaze to Aerith's green eyes and gave her a small smile, the mischief in his expression dimmed by sorrow that Kadaj had been hurt by it. Under his hand, the kid's chest rose and fell evenly, easing his guilt just a little.
"He was just doing his job and fighting back Sephiroth," Zack finished softly. "After all, that's what the planet wants him to do, right? Fight him and Jenova when they get too violent?"
The grove descended into silence for a little while, and Zack met Aerith's rather stunned gaze evenly, still holding the faint smile on his lips, hoping silently that he had been right.
"Zack," she said softly, and he tensed, for just a moment, "You are an idiot."
At the affectionate tone of her voice, Zack couldn't help but grin widely at her over their charge's sleeping form. It wasn't much, but it was something. And maybe, just maybe, crazy though he was, he'd bought the kids a little time.
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Nat-Nat: Lol! Oh my god, Loz with Barrett as a daddy... I'm honestly frightened by that thought! XD I adore every word of your review, darling. I'm so glad you found them in character! I had some difficulties, so I'm glad to know it turned out well! You know, to someone who isn't inside my head...XD As for Kadaj, well, I never got why Aerith saved him in the movie. The best I can figure is that he's actually, honestly crazy, and it's not his fault. Like, he pleaded insanity to the lifestream or something... that'd be great! A-and Yazoo's gaze is only like a zolom if Zoloms were super hawt! Did I forget to specify the sexy-sexy part of that zolom comparison? XD And...You and Frank talk about my story...? T-T THANK YOU!
A Shade of Grey91: XD Yay! I'm glad you enjoyed it even though it was far away from the usual thing. And man, would chibi-Loz and Marlene be adorable! Hope you enjoyed the return to plot in this chapter, and can't wait to hear from you again!
Psycho Steph: Yeah... Real life kinda sucks...T-T... But I'm still here! XD! Thank you! I tell you what, you never realize how much that movie skips over until you try and fill in a gap... I spent a full two hours trying to figure out how long Marlene was away! AHH! XD But I loved it, and I feel like I came out stronger at the other end of that interlude. We'll see, right? XD And yeah, I think poor Marlene would be very upset if she were to find out what was going on on the other side to her buddy... I'm so happy you're still with me, Steph!
Annegwish: Oh my god, I'm channeling remnants! - I'm going to have to keep an eye on my murderous impulses... I'm glad this chapter turned out so well, and thank you so much for helping me with it! I really really appreciate your patience and help. I...I made you cry? O-o I've never done that before! YAAAAAY! And sorry... I feel strangely powerful all of a sudden! I hope this chapter didn't disappoint. At least it wasn't enormous like last time! XD
We Who Read: Thank you so very much! I really really appreciate your kind words. A gem? *bluuuush* I'm so happy you've been enjoying it! I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well! 3
BMIK: Conditions are in the link, darling! I would love to see some art from you! XD Once you're back home. And yes. Kadaj is a COMPLETE nutjob. That's why I love him. And yeah, I wish that I was like our pretty pale boys and didn't turn red and purple when I cried. XD Marlene was so much fun. I'm almost sad she isn't dead. (Wait, that came out wrong...) And yeah, I'm sorry for breaking your heart! I was really sad to write the ending like that, but that was how it needed to happen. Maybe I'll write an AU some day where it turns out differently!
That's all for this time, folks! I'll see you all on the other side of November, and hopefully I'll be awarding some prizes for the art contest when we get there! I hope you'll all submit some art! XD