A/N: Ok, so last chapter got a good review, so I have regained my confidence in this story once more! Any ways, here is the next chapter! Enjoy!

25. Return to the Forgotten City

I raced down the roads of the Forgotten City, with only one thing going through my mind:

'Save the kids.' That was the only thought I could manage to focus on while I drove. Cloud had been calling me back for the past hour while I drove, but I didn't bother to stop and answer, and I could only pray to the gods that he knew what I meant when I had said the forgotten city.

Finally, I reached the water that had been tainted by Kadaj when he walked into it. It was Aerith's resting place when she died. I turned my bike off, hopping off in the process, being sure that I was armed too, incase I needed to do something drastic. Carefully, I walked forward, sword in hand, listening around and watching my surroundings. I'm a person that cant get sneaked up on easily, so the chances of someone coming up behind me without me knowing it were very slim.

I crept along, looking and listening for anyone, especially the kids, being as they were my top priority at the moment. Just as I was about to turn around the corner, I felt something hard and cold against my temple, and an arm reach around to pin my arms against my sides.

"So, you came after all?" I could hear the smirk in Yazoo's voice as he held the gun against my head. I couldn't believe he had snuck up behind me without me noticing!

I flailed around in his arms, but I only found his grip tighten around me as I tied. "Ah, ah, we wouldn't want you to end up dying before you rescued those children you seem to care so much about. Now, I am going to let you go, and when I do, drop your sword." He released me and I did as I was told. I watched as he picked it up and held it in his other hand, while holding the gun against my head in the other. "Good…now walk forward."

I walked forward and he followed behind, gun now poking me in the back. In all honesty, I was now in some deep shit, seeing as he was able to come up from behind me without me noticing it. After what seemed like forever, when it was only a few short minutes, we reached the our destination, and I was met with the sight of Marlene and Denzel, sitting in two chairs, and tied up.

Denzel looked over at us upon the entrance. His face seemed to brighten up. "Aunt Haley!"

Marlene looked up and smiled. "Auntie Haley!"

"Marlene! Denzel!" I began to run forward, but I was jerked back by Yazoo.

"So, you really seem to value the well being of these two children." Kadaj's voice said from somewhere, before he appeared in front of me.

"Why did you take them?" I growled at him. He smirked.

"Why, in order to use them to lure my entertainment here."

I squirmed out of Yazoo's grip and began to march towards Kadaj, only to stop when I heard the sound of a gun cock.

"Now, Yazoo, no need to shoot our guest here. Instead, let's give her the choices."

Yazoo lowered his gun, and Kadaj began to circle around me. "Being as you value the lives of those two children, I'll make you a deal: In exchange for their captivity, you take their place, and help us. Or, we could just kill them and you right here."

Yazoo held his gun to Denzel's head, and I couldn't help but feel like crying my eyes out at the sight. If I wanted the kids to be able to go home, I would have to give up my own freedom for theirs. I looked back at Kadaj to see him smirking, and back to the kids I have come to love so much. They felt like my own kids, and to just see them suffering through this made my heart wrench in pain and sadness. They were to young to have to go through something like this. So…I did the only thing I could that would allow them to go safely.

"If it's me that you want, then let them go. I'll take their place." Denzel and Marlene looked as if they were about to cry upon hearing those very words come from my own mouth. "On one condition: I get to talk to them and they get to leave without anyone escorting them."

Kadaj thought about this for a moment, and I couldn't help but smirk inside my mind. Little did the silver-haired bastard know that I already had plan figured out that would hopefully work. Finally, Kadaj nodded his head in approval, and I moved over to the kids.

"Aunt Haley, how could you?" Denzel asked me as I bent down to his level and began to untie the ropes around the two. "Now you'll never be able to get back…"

"And how are we supposed to get home?" Marlene added in. "Without you, we-"

"Shhh!" I put a finger to my lips, motioning for them to be quiet. "Listen, Denzel, I am going to give you a hug after I get you untied, alright?" I explained, whispering quietly to him. "When I do, I am going to slip my PHS into your back pocket. Once you get away from the three dorks over there, open it up and go to contacts. Scroll down to the V's and call the first one you see. Tell him who it is, and tell him that I'm in trouble, and where I am at. Tell him I said to make sure to hitch a ride. Got it?" I undid the last of the rope that was left, and threw it to the side.

"Yeah, I got it." The two stood up and I grabbed them both into a hug, slipping my PHS that was in my hand into the back pocket of Denzel's pants. No one noticed, and I couldn't help but smile out stupid these idiots were. I let go of the kids, and gave Denzel a quick wink.

"They can walk out by themselves. Leave them be." I told Kadaj as I saw he was about to ask Loz to walk the kids out.

"Fine." Kadaj agreed, moving over towards me as Denzel grabbed Marlene's hand and took off and away from here. Once they were out of sight, Kadaj grabbed my arm.

"Let me go!" I shouted, struggling in his iron type grip, which only tightened in the process of my escape attempts.

"No, I don't think I will." I saw him smile. "You see, that isn't my intention whatsoever." He looked at me with an unknown emotion burning in his eyes.

"W-what do you mean?" I stuttered as he continued to pull me along.

"You see, I plan on keeping you here with me."

"Sorry, but I already have a boyfriend!" I bit back, beginning to get what his intentions were.

"Oh, that red-head that tried to stop me the first time when I went after Rufus?" He smirked at me before continuing. "It would be an awful shame if something happened to him because you wouldn't cooperate with us now, wouldn't it?" I felt my breath hitch in my throat, and his smirk grew wider. He knew that he had me in a boxed in a corner.

"What are you going to do?" I felt, dare I say, terrified, something I haven't felt in a long time. Kadaj let my arm go, and turned around, grabbing my shoulders in the process, and pushed me into the wall.

"We're going to play a little game." He grabbed my chin and tilted it up so I could look at his hideous face. When he was about to lean in and kiss me, I definitely lost my cool.

I kneed him right in the nuts, and pushed him off of me, moving to stand a few feet behind him. I saw my sword over to the side and grabbed it, before smirking at Kadaj.

"Instead of playing your game, why don't we play mine?" He looked up at me, a flash of anger on his face, which was soon gone when he smirked at me.

"And what would that be?"

"The game where I fight you off of me, because I'm not going to be your little 'toy'. Thing is, neither of us can die, being as you really wanted me here. If I lose, then, well…I guess I have no choice but to give myself up to you." Yea, not in million years!

He seemed to brighten up as he heard the last part of the rules. "Hmm, this should be fun, being as you'll soon be lying on the ground and begging for my mercy." He unsheathed his Masamune like sword and got into a battle stance, while I flitted back several more feet with my current sword, the Cherish Sword. If I had to, I could easily undo both swords, and have two I could use.

I smiled at how he thought I would lose. "I forgot to mention one thing though."

He quirked an eyebrow. "And what would that be?"

I closed my eyes and smirked. "Most important thing about my game:" I jumped up into the air before he knew what had happened, and began to crash down towards him, my sword aimed at him.

"I never lose at my own games!"

"Denzel, can you call the person now?" Marlene asked as they had stopped to rest after what seemed like hours of running, when it had only been several minutes.

"Yea." Denzel reached for his pocket, and pulled out the PHS that Haley had slipped in there when she hugged him. He flipped it open and went into contacts, and scrolled down to the V's, and finding only one, he called it.

The dial tone came in, and it only rang about three times before a man with a bit of a gruff voice answered.

'Hello?' Denzel perked up when he recognized the voice on the other line. Before he could reply back, Marlene grabbed the phone from him and began to talk to the man, who's name she remembered right away when she saw it highlighted in the contacts.

"Uncle Vincent, Auntie Haley's in trouble!"

A/N: Yay! It's a cliffy, which is not what I am yaying about, but the fact this chapter turned out really good to my liking, so review! LATER TATERS!