FAR FROM THE TREE CHAPTER 29

Authors' Notes:

(Shade the Hero) - To the guest that keeps asking about Shalua, First of all, thank you very much for your reviews and feedback. We always look forward to hearing that readers enjoy our story. That being said, this story is already done. What takes us a while during the week is editing it. By correcting typos and making sure each chapter flows properly. I am a visual reader. When I read, I see events played out in my mind as if watching a movie. And I try to convey that with my writing and hope it comes out clearly so that others might see it the same way. And I always strive to be better and improve.

I am sorry if a character you like seems to be excluded. We've managed to make some tweaks here and there to add in more Shelke. But even stated in the game's canon, Shalua is (if not completely dead) brain dead. This was canon, which I believe is the reason why Yuffie walked up and slapped Shelke? I, myself, didn't enjoy DOC as much. The story, to this day, is a bit... odd for me, personally. I don't find it as enjoyable as say the original, or Crisis Core. One scene, in particular, is the fight between Rosso and Cloud. We see them duke it out in the big battle cutscene, but then nothing after the explosion of blue energy from their collision. Next, we see of these two, Rosso goes on to fight Vincent while Cloud is supporting Tifa and Barret and talking to Vincent over the phone. What happened in that fight? We never know.

But I digress. I guess what I'm saying is, I'm trying to answer your questions all in one go, as you ask about these characters in almost every review. Such devotion deserves an answer, so I'll do the best I can. As I and Screwygirl were writing this out, it started as pure role play. A way to relax after work or to relieve stress from the events of the day. The idea took its own path, and we kept rolling with it. Shalua is dead in our story; I'm very sorry. As for Shelke, she is an adult. You can't adopt an adult. Though we have her working for Reeve.

We can't reveal everything yet, as the story isn't all here for you to see, and we don't do spoilers. Except to announce that yes, there will be a sequel story. And some review theories you wonderful people have guessed will definitely carry some weight when the time is right. I will say that we will try to add in more Shelke in various places because she is an interesting character. Just not a child whom someone can take in. She did stay with Tifa and Cloud after DOC for a time because she was learning to adjust to normal life, but in our story, Reeve offered her a position at the WRO, as she felt she had been imposing on the makeshift family of four. And she is very happy where she is now.

(Screwygirl) – To the guest who pointed out the thing with Aerith's DNA, thank you. We will alter that. Good catch!

-VENGEANCE-

Marlene exited from the store, carrying her bag which held the brownie mix she bought, hoping to have Angel try another sweet that the whole family loved. Marlene knew Cloud really liked it too, considering he normally took about a dozen for himself whenever Tifa made them. She also bought some pretty bows and hair ties for Angel as well to help her braid up and make it look pretty too.

She was about to turn the corner that would allow her to see the bar when a cry from a cat stopped her. It was slowly walking out of a side ally, limping heavily on its paw and meowing as if in pain. Marlene headed over to it. "Aww, you poor thing."

The cat meowed pitifully at her, its ears and big, green eyes drooping as it held up its paw. Marlene took the paw and the cat jerked back, only to jump over her and take the bag in its mouth and run off further down the alley it came from.

"Hey! That's for my family later! Give that back!" Marlene chased after it. It rounded a corner and dropped the bag before a collapsed figure and hid in the shadows...waiting.
Marlene came around the corner, panting from the mad dash, and reached for her bag, only to gasp at the wounded figure laying there about two feet behind the bag.

His face covered by a thin sheen of sweat, the man moaned in pain. A large splotch of blood stained the front of his shirt, and his chest heaved with labored breathing. He turned his head to look at the newcomer, wincing as another wave of pain overwhelmed him.

Marlene took in the sight before her; a man with a wing, injured and broken, bleeding before her, and his eyes...silently asking for help. It reminded her of a character she once read about long ago, but she ignored it as she pulled out the restore materia that Tifa had given her.

After the attack the other night, both Tifa and Cloud made sure that each of them had a healing materia and were shown how to use it. Marlene had yet to use hers, but now was a good time to put it to the test.

She hurried over to the man and nudged him to turn onto his back.

"Hang on, I'll help you, mister... what's your name?" she asked as she got the materia glowing and focused on the healing spell.

He shook his head slowly. "Name? I do not have a name..."

Marlene smiled at him then as she worked the spell, focusing on her breathing as Tifa had taught her and imagining the wound closing and reversing as Cloud had explained. "That's not right! Everyone deserves a name!"

She gave it some thought before deciding it wasn't a bad idea. "You look like a fallen angel...so I'm gonna call you Lucifer, that okay?"

The materia glowed brighter as the spell worked to heal his injuries.

"Lucifer," he repeated, trying it out. "Thank you."

Once the spell finished, he slowly sat up, staring at the little girl.

"What's your name?" he asked her.

She beamed a smile at him. "You're welcome, Lucifer. My name's Marlene."

The cat poked its head out of the shadows then, its eyes glowing in the dim lighting and it let out a sound that was between a hiss and a purr.

Standing up, he looked down at the girl before nodding at the cat.

"As you wish, Mother," he said.

Before Marlene could react, he grasped her under the arms, lifting her off the ground, and took to the sky.

*FFTT*

Cloud pulled into the garage, relieved to finally be home. After the Angel had rested at Cosmo Canyon, Cloud called Cid to pick them up. The pilot had complained the whole way back about using the Shera as an air taxi. Secretly, however, Cloud knew Cid loved any excuse to show off his machine.

He looked behind him after cutting off the engine and smirked at Angel. She looked better after receiving some decent rest at Cosmo Canyon and from whatever Genesis had done to try and heal her energy. "Fenrir didn't scare you, did he? I know he's got a lot of kick if you give him enough room to run."

It may have been weird to refer to his bike in such a way, but he couldn't help it. Sometimes it really did feel like his bike had a life of its own with how it reacted to the slightest movement when he needed to turn or stop. And he almost swore a few times the thing released the hidden wings for his swords on its own.

She smiled at him, tilting her head. "You named your vehicle?"

He ducked his head, feeling a bit sheepish. "Well, people name their boats and Cid named his airship. It's not really that weird when you think of it that way. Besides, Fenrir's been the best way to get around and has never once broken down on me, even after all the wear and tear I've put him through. He's earned his name."

She nodded, not dismounting the bike, possibly because she didn't know she was supposed to. She looked down at it as if it were alive and petted it. "Good Fenrir."

Cloud gave her a chuckle as he helped her dismount it. "I think he likes you."

With a positive almost cheerful attitude, he opened the door and led the way into the house, glad to be home and ready to see what the others had been doing while they were gone.

"We're back," he called out.

Out of the kitchen, Tifa ran towards Cloud. Her expression betrayed a woman on the edge of panic, and she had her PHS in her hand.

"I was just about to call you," she informed him, "Cloud, I can't find Marlene. She went to the corner store about a block away three hours ago, but she hasn't come back. I've been calling everyone, but I don't think she would wander after what happened."

"I should have gone with her," Denzel interjected, appearing from his room.

Cloud felt bad for Denzel. Ever since the other night, he had shied away from Marlene, assuming the kid felt ashamed for what he had done, even if it wasn't his fault and no one blamed him. It made sense that he wouldn't have gone with her. He glanced over at Angel and then turned to Tifa.

"Alright, I'll go out and look for her, you should-"

Tifa shot him a glare that would have withered Sephiroth and interrupted him, "I KNOW you were not about to suggest that I stay here... right? Because if you THINK I'm going to stay here, you're about to meet my foot!"

Angel stared at Tifa, wide-eyed before looking at Cloud, who shut his mouth and swallowed back his fear. There were few people Cloud was actually afraid of, but he knew Tifa could kick his ass and so he took what he was going to say and squashed it.

"Like I was saying," he replied sheepishly, "We'll go out and split the search. We can cover more ground that way. I'll call Aerith and have her and Zack swing by to watch Angel and Denzel."

Tifa nodded, making full eye-contact with him. "Good. You do that."

"But I can help look for her," Angel protested.

"No, Angel," Tifa told her, "You stay here with Denzel and keep him safe."

Cloud flipped open his phone and scrolled down to Aerith's number. He waited for her to pick up before he asked. "Hey, I know this is sudden, but you haven't seen Marlene have you?"

"No, I haven't seen Marlene... how long has she been missing?"

"About three hours, according to Tifa. I just got back with Angel when we found out. Teef and I are going to head out and look, could you and Zack swing by the bar and watch Denzel and Angel here in case Marlene comes back?"

"Of course... we'll be there in a couple minutes."

"Thanks, We'll head out as soon as you get here."

He flipped his phone closed and turned to Tifa who was still trying to convince a worried Angel to stay. "They're on their way."

"I'll wait until they get here," she told him, nodding, "You can start looking."

He could tell her worry was clearly devolving into fear because she was giving orders, now. He walked over to her, pulling her into an embrace, and in an effort to comfort her, kissed her on the forehead. "She'll be fine. Marlene's a tough kid. She managed to get away from the remnants on her own, don't forget. I'm sure she just got sidetracked somewhere."

He wanted to hold her for a bit longer, but he knew time was important. Reluctantly letting go, he headed for the garage and started up his faithful bike, before shooting off down the street.

For four agonizing hours, he searched the city for her. He went to all of her known hangouts, and then her friends and their friends, and no one had seen her. The shop owner said she had gotten what she wanted and left soon after. He decided to reach higher ground and try and see if there was a better chance to spot her from afar. Scaling a three-story building he glanced at the city streets below, his eyes constantly scanning.

"Looking for something?" a voice came from behind him. As he turned around, there stood the black-winged man about 25 feet from him, a terrified Marlene standing in front of him. His hand was resting on her shoulder, very close to her neck.

"Cloud..." Marlene whimpered.

Cold fear gripped his heart as he met her eyes, trying to hide it from her and appear strong. "It's gonna be alright, Marlene."

He focused his attention on the man. "Let her go."

Her abductor moved his hand closer to her neck and crouched down behind her.

"Such a sweet child," he cooed at her. "You truly care for her, don't you? Would you do anything for her?"

Cloud's panic betrayed his stoic mask. "If you hurt her..."

"If I hurt her... what will you do, I wonder." he taunted, "And what would you do to keep her from being harmed?"

He looked at the frightened girl. "Shall we find out?" he asked her.

"Please, just stop!" Marlene begged him.

"That is up to him," he said, indicating Cloud. He then directed his comments to the blond. "It wouldn't take much... just barely a flick of my wrist. Humans are so fragile... and the bones break so easily."

He tightened his grip just enough to make Marlene wince visibly, not taking his eyes off the blond.

"I want my sister..." he demanded quietly, "And Mother has demanded your life."

"No!" cried Marlene, but he turned his head to her.

"Shhhh... let him decide on his own... if he is willing. You mustn't sway his decision." he gently scolded, looking back at Cloud. "If you do not concede, this child will die. If you try anything... if you do anything... if you say anything other than an acquiescence, I will snap her neck. "

Tears spilled out of Marlene's eyes.

"Make your choice."

Cloud shut his eyes, trying to block out the very recent memory of the Cosmo cliff. Kane had forced him to make the same choice, and then he hurt Tifa anyway... it felt like the same thing all over, and once again he was helpless to act.

He opened his eyes then and looked at Marlene, his heart breaking at the sight of her fear. "I promise, you're going to be fine."

He offered her a ghost of a smile, trying to ease her fears before looking directly at the man.

"Kane forced me to make a similar choice not too long ago. He didn't honor his end of the bargain. I know you despise him... he took Tifa from me... so I know how it feels to have the one you love taken from you. We are both victims of that feeling, so I am hoping you will not do what he did, and you will honor your end of the deal."

He forced himself to take a deep breath and relax. "I don't have Angel with me, if you want her, you'll have to retrieve her yourself. As for me..."

He took his sword and tossed it to the side before holding out his arms. "I would gladly exchange my life for Marlene's."

He looked back at Marlene and allowed a true smile then before he focused back on Angel's brother once more, holding his arms out wide, revealing he was defenseless. "If you want my life, take it!"

The man studied Cloud carefully, narrowing his eyes at him. His expression betrayed the conflict within him, and he stood there for a very long time... so long, in fact, that Marlene became a little braver and spoke up.

"Lucifer... please." she begged, tears streaming down her face, "Please, don't take Cloud away from me... please!"

He seemed to wince at those words, attempting to maintain his glare but failing. He stood up, his eyes flaring momentarily. Giving Marlene a soft shove towards Cloud and releasing her, he turned his back on both of them. Marlene ran at Cloud full speed, slamming into him and wrapping her arms around him.

"She... she lied to me..." Lucifer mumbled, hanging his head.

Cloud instantly lowered to one knee and took her protectively in his arms, wrapping her in a hug and holding her close, letting her cry into his shoulder. He couldn't offer any words to her, there was nothing to say. She was in his arms and there was no safer place. He'd take on any attack for her, any death blow. Speaking of which...

As much as he didn't want to, there was something he needed to do. And so he stood up and pulled her out of the embrace. "Wait here."

Without his sword, he approached the man... Lucifer, Marlene had called him... and stopped a few feet away, giving him plenty of distance.

"...We don't have to be enemies..." The blond was trying, if the man could honor his word and let her go, and then not strike him down, there was a chance, and Cloud was trying to reach for it.

"You want to be with your sister again after she was pulled from you. Licer is dead. Genesis made sure of that."

He dreaded what he was going to say next, knowing it could open the man's eyes or blind him with rage. It was a gamble, but Cloud had to take it, while Lucifer was in a listening mood. He may not get another chance.

"Jenova... once tried to adopt me as her own son. I had lost my mother... and it was pleasant to be embraced by a mother figure again. Her words were gentle and wise... filled with promises of reunion and a loving family... but things changed when I was unable to fulfill her wishes. I was hurt and unable to follow her plan. She got impatient and less forgiving. Then finally when I was unable to move or speak, much less stand, she abandoned me completely, choosing another to finish what I started. I was just a means to her goal, and easily replaced."

He offered the man a look of sympathy. "She has been trying to call out to both me and Sephiroth, but Angel had blocked her out. I hear Angel cry at night when she sleeps. She keeps calling out to someone and she relives that nightmare in her dreams of the one who was taken from her years ago. She has been wishing and begging to find you, but we had no idea where to look."

He offered a small smirk then, "We thought you were still locked away somewhere and planned to free you, hoping we'd be able to find you easier once we took care of Licer. Him sending his Harkons made it hard to do anything really, even our vacation was ruined."

He prepared himself then, not knowing which way the man... boy would sway. "The choice is yours Lucifer, but... Angel misses you, and we can help you... if you let us."

"I miss her so much..." his voice broke, and he snuffled a little. "Not a night passes that I don't relive that day... thinking I could have done something differently..."

He turned to Cloud, tears visible on his face. "You would let me see her again? After all I have done to you? To your family? Why?"

He shook his head, his eyes burning with pain. "I don't understand... help me understand!"

Cloud offered him a kind smile then, "Why? Because I know what it's like to have your family torn from you. To stand there, fighting for all you're worth and have it not be enough. I owe your sister so much more than I could ever repay; she gave me my family back. My real mother... my dearest friend... my brother... and... my hero. They're all back, and if I can reunite her with her brother and help you both, I figure that's a good place to start repaying my debt."

The blond shook his head then. "Real family isn't about fear or obeying the parental figure. Family is warmth and comfort, endless support and they give you a reason to fight and protect. I would do anything for my family, and if it takes me sacrificing my life, then I accept that without a second thought. As long as they're safe, that's all that matters."

He held a hand out to Lucifer then..."Angel is waiting."

Lucifer stared at his hand for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, without a warning, he threw his arms around the blond and fully embraced him, earning him a slight giggle from Marlene.

Cloud froze when Lucifer flung himself at him, and wasn't prepared for the hug in the slightest, if his wide eyes were anything to go by. His shoulders tensed up as well, not sure what the hell was happening, and then his mind was allowed to process what was going on. It was very awkward, to say the least, but then he remembered, Angel was twelve and this was her twin, making him twelve as well. He was a boy trapped in a man's body, and when Cloud pictured him as Denzel's age it became less uncomfortable.

Taking his hand, he gently patted the boy's back. "It's okay."

*FFTT*

The garage door opened as Fenrir pulled in with its load of three passengers. Cloud was surprised when Lucifer poked the bike, seemingly fascinated by it before they left for the bar. He assumed the man... boy (he had to keep reminding himself)... would want to take flight, but instead, and with Marlene's friendly coaxing, he asked for a ride. So, Cloud ended up in the middle, with Marlene in the front and Lucifer behind him as they made their way home.

Cloud dismounted first and then helped Marlene off. She turned to the new ally and smiled.

"Just lift your leg over it, like you how you did to get on," she instructed.

Cloud turned to Lucifer before he opened the door that connected to the kitchen. "Now, you might not get a warm welcome at first, but don't feel threatened or try to attack, okay? I'll handle it. They won't attack if we can both convince them."

Lucifer nodded to the blond, easing himself off the bike. He kept himself behind Cloud as he prepared for the hostile reactions, his expression reflecting his anxiety, and he retracted his wing. Steeling his nerves for what he hoped would be a quick transition from harsh reaction to relief and calm from his friends, he opened the door and let Marlene run in first.

"Tifa! Tifa, I'm back! Denzel! Angel!" the girl shouted with excitement.

Zack was first to appear and the relief in his eyes spoke volumes. "Where the heck did you run off to kid?!"

He looked towards the door, next seeing his best bud, and shook his head with a smirk. Of course Cloud would be the one to find her. And then he saw something behind him, and his hands clenched into fists as he reached for his sword. "Spike, behind you!"

He came muscling over to offer support when Cloud held out a defensive arm. "Wait, Zack. He's not here to fight!"

Zack however didn't stand down. "I talked to 'Geal on the phone Spiky, I know what he did to him and to you. I'm not letting that slide."

Cloud stood his ground. "He's just a kid Zack. He only wanted to find his sister, and he was misguided and didn't know any better. Would you attack Denzel if he had done the same things?"

"That's different," Zack replied.

"How," the blond countered. "Is it because he looks older? It wasn't a problem with Angel. They're twins Zack. I made a deal and I'm going to honor it. I told him he'd reunite with his sister, and I'll knock you out if I need to make it happen."

Zack just stood there for a moment before letting out a sigh and let go of the hilt. "Sometimes...I think your honor rivals Angeal's... stubborn chocobo."

Cloud returned the compliment with a slight, winning smirk. "And you've still got a lot to learn... puppy."

From the other room, a voice sounded. "Marlene!"

After that, Marlene's strained voice could be heard, "Oof! Tifa, I can't breathe!"

"Sorry," came Tifa's response.

Lucifer kept his eyes on Zack, as a wary prey would look at a predator.

"Cloud?" Tifa called, making her way towards them. Once she got sight of Lucifer, she stopped, shifting her attention between the three of them.

Cloud offered her a weak smile while not moving between the other two, it felt odd defending someone from Zack who was normally one of the most forgiving guys around, but considering the circumstances he understood; he just had to get him to set it aside for now while the guy was still willing to go along with everything. Cloud had his trust at the moment, for which he was thankful; he just had to make sure he kept it.

"Tifa, where's Angel? These two need to reunite."

Tifa's jaw dropped open. "Is that?... What?... How...?"

Her gaze darted from Lucifer to Cloud, confusion settling over the barmaid.

"Cloud! You're ba-"

Angel appeared in the doorway, ready to welcome Cloud home, but she stopped, seeing her brother.

"Hello... Angel," he greeted warmly.

She continued to stare at him, her expression brightening with each moment.

"I can hear you, now!" she exclaimed joyfully and immediately ran into his arms. He returned the embrace, squeezing his eyes shut.

Cloud stepped aside as Angel flew past him and into her brother's arms, backing up until he stood next to Zack.

"I'm so sorry..." Lucifer told her, cupping the back of her head in his hand and resting his chin on the top of her hair, "I'm sorry, sister..."

"It's all right," she replied, "You're here, now! We're together again. That is all that matters!"

Tifa walked up to Cloud, still in shock. "What on Gaia is going on?"

The hero let his shoulders sag with a sigh to relieve the stress. "I made one of the biggest gambles of my life... and it paid off."

He stopped then, not wanting to tell her he threw himself in front of a figurative freight train in order to protect Marlene. "He wasn't really evil, Tifa. He was just confused. He was doing what he thought he needed to in order to get his sister back. I don't know if it was me who convinced him... but I think most of the credit goes to Marlene."

Subtly, she took hold of Cloud's hand and leaned into him as she watched the brother and sister reunion. Her expression, however, was one of concern. She turned her head and whispered into his ear.

"Do you think Zack and Aerith would mind staying here tonight? Zack could take your bed, and Aerith could stay on the new cot in the kids' room." she asked, "I'm sorry if I seem suspicious... but..."

She trailed off as if the statement explained itself.

"I don't blame you in the slightest," Cloud agreed. He had wanted to suggest the same thing, but he wanted to make sure he didn't need to muzzle Zack first. The ex-SOLDIER still looked like he wanted to punch the kid but was only holding back for Angel's sake.

"And you can stay... well, in my room..." she blushed furiously.

He couldn't hide the blush even if he wanted to and leaned his head against hers. "If... if you think that'll be best..."

He secretly hoped she couldn't feel his heart flutter, even though she was leaning into him.

Tifa nodded. "Mmhmm."

She closed her eyes, savoring the moment. Finally, she opened her eyes and looked at him. "You look worried."

Cloud let his wall down, showing her just how worried he was, but in a way, only she would be able to tell. "Jenova's not going to let this go, not this easily. Even if Lucifer can block her out, her threat can come from anywhere."

From the outside windowsill, a cat just sat and watched the display, letting out a contemplating growl of disapproval, and annoyance. Her eyes squinted into a focused glare, the pupils nothing but tiny slivers. The warrior was right about one thing... she was far from done.

*FFTT*

Zack and Aerith didn't need to be asked twice to stay and offer support. They wouldn't have felt right leaving their friends like that anyway. So, like on the first night after coming back from the dead, Zack crashed on his friend's bed while Aerith slept soundly in the kids' room. Angel and Lucifer were both asleep on the couch, glad to be together once again. Denzel had been nervous, but Angel and Marlene had convinced him to give the guy a chance.

The only two who were semi-awake were the two in Tifa's room. Cloud really thought about asking her something that he had been holding back for weeks now, but he struggled to find the right moment in between crazy life-threatening events to get enough of a chance to gather any courage. In the end, he decided to wait, at least a little while longer.

With proper night pants on this time, he slept comfortably in her bed, next to her, with her arms wrapped around him. He had blushed at the contact at first, but then he eased into her comfort. Knowing this was one step closer to his goal anyway. Why shy away now?

Within an hour he was sleeping soundly, at least until his eyes opened. He looked over to Tifa and regarded her with curiosity before moving in closer. He watched her sleep lightly, noting how calm her breathing was. She seemed perfectly at peace with him so close. He brushed a strand of hair from her eyes as he kissed her forehead.

"Tifa..." He carefully, and gently eased himself around her until he hovered over her... waiting for her eyes to open and look at him. "There's something you need to know... something I've wanted to say for a while... but I didn't want to admit... for your sake."

As soon as her eyes opened his hand flew into action, grabbing her throat and cutting off her air, but not crushing her windpipe... yet.

Her eyes widened with horror as she clawed at his hands. Panic took hold as she started to flail against the massive strength holding her in place. She couldn't get enough momentum to kick him, but she tried bringing her knee up to his stomach. It was like a mosquito struggling against an elephant. She twisted to break his grasp, but it was ironclad, like a vice grip.

Her struggles started to diminish as her consciousness ebbed, tears streaming from her eyes.

He leaned in close, whispering, his breath tickling her face. "I'm getting tired of waiting, Teef. I've bled for you, put my life on the line for you, hoping you would notice how much I care... but you never approached and told me you loved me. I thought a strong woman is supposed to claim her champion and let him know... instead of making him guess and wait and wonder. I left before because you made me feel guilty for not being there. I'm starting to feel that way again, but this time I'm not the one leaving... it's your turn."

His grip on her throat tightened as his eyes glowed an eerie green, though one lone tear fell from his eyes.

The door suddenly burst open, slamming against the wall so hard that it left a hole where the doorknob had struck. Lucifer stormed into the room, latching his arm around Cloud's neck and locking it with his other hand, placing him in a chokehold. He dragged the blond backwards, exerting just enough pressure to force the warrior to release his grip on Tifa.

Shortly after, Angel walked through the door, her eyes glowing brightly enough to illuminate the entire room.

"Be gone, Jenova! You will be a plague on this planet no longer!" she spoke with such ferocity in her voice that it shook the furniture.

Cloud's expression had become feral as he snarled against Lucifer's grip, clawing at his arm. He then glared at Angel and his voice carried two separate tones. "Ungrateful brats! You will suffer for this!"

And then Angel's power struck Jenova full force, severing her hold over the blond and he let out a series of panicked gasps as if he had just emerged from the bottom of a thirty-foot pool; sweat covered his features, and his breath was ragged as his strength faded. His eyes dimmed back to normal blue, and the rage morphed into fear and regret.

"Ti-fa," he rasped, terrified. He had seen everything but had been completely powerless, and in the confusion, he had no idea if he had... if she was...

He struggled against Lucifer again, trying to get back to her. "Tifa!"

Zack appeared in the doorway then, He saw Lucifer with his arm around Cloud's neck and threw a powerful fist at the guy. "I knew it! Let him go!"

Lucifer let Cloud go just as Zack's fist began to travel towards the man, but Angel threw herself between them, screaming "No! Stop!"

She took the full force of the punch in the face, being shoved into Lucifer, who was unphased by the impact and managed to stay standing.

After crashing into Lucifer, Angel slid downward, not unconscious but definitely a bit dazed.

Zack's eyes widened with regret and he instantly dropped to his knees next to her. "Oh, Gaia! Angel, I'm so sorry! But why?!"

Cloud struggled to get to Tifa but stopped short, terrified that she'd be afraid of him, and he didn't blame her. Jenova almost made him take her life… with his bare hands. He just shut his eyes tightly and fell to his knees, shuddering from his emotional pain.

"I... I almost killed Tifa... he... stopped me..."

Zack blinked and looked over to the blond before looking back up at Lucifer. "I'm... I'm sorry."

Lucifer also dropped to his knees next to Angel, checking the place where Zack's fist had landed.

"Apology accepted," he said.

Angel brought a hand up to her head. "My ears are ringing..."

"Cl... oud..." Tifa gasped, her voice nothing but a whisper. She struggled to sit up before crawling off the bed and over to where he was kneeling. She cupped his face with her trembling hands. "If you... even thi-nk about lea... ving... I will... kick your ass!"

Cloud shook his head, too ashamed to meet her eyes. "I couldn't stop her... the things she made me say... Tifa... I swear... I'd never..."

She gently stroked his cheek.

"I know that. Shh..." she hushed him. She pulled him into a hug, running a hand through his pale spikes. "I know that, Cloud."

Angel looked over at the two and then back to Zack and Lucifer. "It was my fault. I could not block her well, enough."

"No, Angel," Lucifer reassured her, "It is the witch's fault. Do not place blame on anyone but her."

Cloud opened his eyes, only to wince at the sight of her neck which was starting to sport red marks where his hand had grabbed it and it was slowing turning purple and he looked away.

Zack looked at everyone before he stood up and balled his fist. "Coward, why doesn't she try her luck with me! I'm getting sick and tired of her targeting my friends."

Angel looked up at Zack, her features displaying fear at the challenge he just issued to Jenova.

"You shouldn't say such things, Zack," Angel warned.

Almost as if to illustrate her point, a startled yelp sounded down the hallway followed by a series of thuds and crashes.

"Aerith!" shouted a frightened Marlene. "Denzel! Stop!"

Terror flashed across Cloud's face as he struggled to get to his feet, but Zack rushed to the doorway. "Take it easy, Spike, I got this one."

He looked over to Tifa. "Take care of him, I'll be fine."

With that he rushed into the hall and saw Denzel with his eyes glowing, pinning Marlene against the wall, reaching a hand forward to strangle her, but she was trying to fend him off. Zack swooped in and grabbed the kid, picking him up by his waist, his arms pinned to his sides. "Don't worry Denzel, I won't let her make you hurt anyone."

He got right in the boy's face, talking directly to Jenova. "Trying to play musical chairs until you get bored? Can't fight your own battles, or are you scared? I wonder why you haven't tried attacking me yet. You're not scared to face me, are you?"

Denzel's glowing eyes met Zack's, a sneer appearing on his face.

"I wondered why I couldn't reach you... aside from your inferiority." Denzel, who did not sound very much like Denzel, told Zack, "And then I saw her... your little Cetra shield. Now that she's gone, I'll let myself in... Zack."

Zack's eyes widened at that. Gone?

He looked down the stairs and he panicked when he saw Aerith laying sprawled out at the base of the steps. "AERITH!"

The boy started laughing, and Zack glared at the bitch. "I'm sorry, Denzel."

He grabbed the muscle on the boy's shoulder and squeezed it, causing him momentary pain before it knocked him out cold. He then rushed to Aerith's side and then stopped when he felt a pressure in his head. He quickly backed away from Aerith and turned to Marlene, feeling the pressure getting worse.

"Marlene, go help Aerith. I can't get near her right now. Tell Spiky I've got Jenova cornered. She won't escape from me. I'm going to take her far away from you guys."

He didn't wait for an answer before he rushed down the stairs, flying over Aerith, not stopping to look and give Jenova the satisfaction of admiring her dirty work as he rushed out the door, his sword and materia tossed back inside the bar. If Jenova was going to try and take him over, he wasn't going to let her have his weapons to use against his friends.

His vision was getting blurry, but he kept running as fast as his First Class SOLDIER legs would carry him.

Instead of running down to see Aerith, Marlene burst into Tifa's room.

"Cloud!" Marlene cried, "Zack ran away... and Aerith is hurt!... and Denzel is... passed out in the hall!"

Tifa looked at Cloud. "I'll take care of Denzel... and Angel can take care of Aerith. You go after Zack... take Lucifer with you for back up."

Angel tried to stand up, wavering on her feet a little, and Lucifer helped to steady her.

"I'm all right," Angel told him, "Go with Cloud."

The shock was finally wearing off as Cloud rose to his feet and nodded to Tifa. He then turned to Lucifer. "You search by air; I'll search on my bike. He can't have gotten far..."

He stopped then and rethought that. It was Zack. He could be anywhere in town by now. "Send a signal if you spot him."

He sent Tifa the most sincere, apologetic look he could offer and turned to follow after Zack. Cloud jumped on Fenrir and tore out of the garage.