Nightmare

Chapter Seven

Written By: Sadako Kurosawa

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Notice: This is very different from the true movie now, as you all know. However, I feel like continuing it. I'm just going to do a total A/U from here on out for sure, I suppose. And since I haven't written anything much in a while, I've got to get back in my groove. So… Yeah.

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"Strife." Said Yazoo quietly, standing up from his chair. Neither made a move, apart from their eyes, both which narrowed simultaneously. Cloud's expression showed extreme anger, and his fists were clenched tightly.

"First Tifa may be infected with Geostigma," Cloud stated coldly, "Now Marlene. Once again, innocent people are suffering. I thought it had all ended two years ago… But this Geostigma… And it's your entirefault. You, and those two others. Don't you realize that there's no point behind it? Obeying 'Mother' or whatever only leads to more suffering. Yours too!" He reached behind his back, where his massive sword was, and pulled it in front of him. "I didn't want to fight again… I thought it was truly over. I thought I could find Aeris again…" He glanced down then, apparently remembering things of the past. Yazoo did nothing, and simply watched him. He'd let Strife attack first, just for the challenge factor of it. Cloud then began to speak again, his voice becoming higher and stronger in tone.

"This is going to end. Maybe not today, but it will at least be the beginning of the end." With these words, Cloud attacked, aiming the sword at Yazoo's neck. Yazoo simply ducked, and dodged it easily. He grabbed his own weapon, the Velvet Nightmare, and quickly fired two shots in Cloud's direction. They made contact with his left arm, and before Cloud could glance down to look at his injury, Yazoo slashed at him with the side of it.

"Stop, stop, please!" The doctor shouted, running in from outside. "You're going to ruin my office! I had to do a lot of stuff to rebuild it, you know! Oh, and remember your daughter, Sephiroth! Think about the child! Pretty please?"

The two simply ignored him, and continued to fight. The wound on Cloud's arm wasn't bothering him at all, and already a thin slice mark was on Yazoo's chest, with a small stream of blood leaking from it. Strangely enough, the battle was almost completely silent. It continued on for several minutes, with neither side giving up in any shape or form. They were perfectly matched. Unfortunately for the doctor, neither really cared for his supplies. Vials and tables were falling over everywhere, when one fell over one.

Then, suddenly, they all heard an ear-splitting scream come from the few chairs. Marlene had awakened, and while she still looked feverish, she knew what was happening. Yazoo, shocked at the noise, glanced back. In this moment of 'weakness', Cloud struck him across the stomach, causing him to fall on the floor. The Velvet Nightmare fell out of his hand, and slid across the floor. Cloud then aimed the sword sideways against his neck threateningly. Yazoo stared hatefully up at him, scowling, but didn't move. Marlene stopped screaming when she realized what was going on.

"Cloud…" She muttered quietly and weakly. She feebly raised a hand toward him, and tried to say something else, but failed miserably. So she instead pointed at Yazoo, and shook her head slowly. Cloud attempted to give her a small smile, and nodded.

"You don't have to worry about him anymore, Marlene. Once I take care of him, I'll take you back to Tifa, okay? Then everything will be back to normal once again, after I manage to get all the other children back to the orphanage. You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Marlene didn't respond in any matter, but Cloud saw something reflected in her eyes that he thought was some sort of pity. But whom was it directed towards?

Meanwhile, Yazoo was trying to grab the Velvet Nightmare while Cloud's attention was on Marlene. Unfortunately, while he had rather long arms, it had slid too far away to retrieve easily. Then, he accidentally let out a small, annoyed gasp, which Cloud's acute hearing picked up on. He looked down at him, and Yazoo became still again. He knew when he was beat… And having a gigantic sword over your neck is one of the ways one can easily defeat someone.

"If Marlene wasn't here," Cloud said with clenched teeth, in a voice Marlene couldn't hear, "I would kill you right now." Then, to prove his point, the brought the sword even closer to Yazoo's neck.

"Um… Sirs…" Interrupted the doctor, who had gone outside so he wouldn't have to witness the further destruction of his beloved office. "Or rather, Mr. Strife, sir. There are two people coming that look a lot like this Sephiroth here. They're coming pretty fast, too, just so you know." He then ran to the very back of the office, and hid behind a counter. Cloud watched him for a short moment, before leaning down beside Yazoo, grabbing a Materia from a pocket somewhere. He made sure to keep a safe distance away, with the sword in the exact same place. He then raised the Materia up to his mouth, and whispered a spell. Yazoo automatically began to feel extremely drowsy, only briefly acknowledging in his mind what it was—a sleeping spell. He should have guessed… And right before he dozed off, he saw his brothers, Kadaj and Loz, burst into the room, with Cloud standing there, expecting them with his weapon ready…

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Yazoo woke up to Marlene's face, who was peering at him curiously. She no longer appeared sick, so he guessed that at least some time had passed. She threw herself backwards when she finally acknowledged that he was awake. He then sat up, looking around the room. He didn't recognize it whatsoever. Did Kadaj and Loz bring him here? Did Strife locate their 'hidden' area? What had happened?

However, being as he didn't voice them, he didn't get any answers. Marlene watched him for only a moment longer, before running out of the room and going down the staircase just outside the door. From the open doorway, he heard her yell out a few names, which he couldn't quite comprehend. The sleep spell was still rearing its ugly head over him. He decided to lay back down and see what fate had in store for him.

A few moments later, he heard several pairs of footsteps coming up the staircase. Yazoo only looked in that general direction, without sitting up. Marlene was in the lead, followed by a woman clad in black (whom he assumed was Tifa Lockheart), a man with blonde hair and goggles, wearing a blue shirt, and carrying a spear, and a rather large person with a metal arm. (Wallace, maybe?) The last was another young woman, who, going by her clothing, appeared to come from Wutai.

Yazoo sat up on the bed then, not saying a word—he held himself up with his arms, and waited for one of them to say something. He tilted his head slightly, making himself appear rather bored.

The one with the spear came up to him first, repeating the action Cloud had earlier, with his neck. Yazoo kept up his pose, however, and stared at the spear-bearing man with icy eyes, blinking lazily every so often.

Marlene was now in the back of the group, trying to appear as small as possible. For some reason, she seemed embarrassed now, though no one was really paying any attention to her.

The metal-armed man was the first to speak. His voice was gruff, laced with great distrust.

"What the hell are all of ya doin' to the children!" He questioned, his face contorting into a strange mask of fury. "It don't make any sense! It's just like that 'Reunion' thing with Cloud two years ago. 'Cept ya'll are using kids! Jus' think… If we hadn't got Marlene in time… What you all could have done to her." He paused for a moment, beginning to shake with anger. "No!" He said, lunging at Yazoo with his massive arms.

"Don't Barret, don't!" Said Tifa, grabbing his shoulder and trying to pull him back. The girl from Wutai aided her. They were successful, though just barely. "Barret, if you hurt him now… You know what we have to do, right? Remember what Cloud told us to do?"

Yazoo suddenly grew interested in what they were saying, and hoped that the large fellow wouldn't remember. However, he simply slumped his shoulders, and nodded deeply.

"Yeah, yeah, I 'member…" Barret stated miserably. He then felt Yazoo's gaze, and looked right back at him. "But I ain't ever gonna forgive you for anythin'." He said, and abruptly left the room, his footsteps echoing loudly down the stairs. The remaining three adults just stood there in silence for a moment, with the spear-bearing one keeping it exactly in place.

Everyone unexpectedly turned to Tifa, who had her fist in a ball under her chin. Her eyes were closed, and she looked like she was thinking deeply.

"What are you going to tell him?" Said the young Wutaian girl curiously, acting as if Yazoo wasn't even in the room. "I mean, if you don't want to tell him, I can. You wouldn't mind, would you?" She then gave a mischievous grin, which Tifa didn't see.

Tifa opened her eyes, nodded confidently, and smiled. "Well, I guess you are better at speaking than I am, Yuffie," She admitted, and gestured towards Yazoo.

Yuffie walked over and sat on the bed, sitting right beside him, confident that he wouldn't hurt her, since he didn't have a weapon, and she was being guarded because of the spear. "Well, you see," She said, while crossing her arms. "Cloud killed your brothers, and left you alive because of me. Mainly 'cause I asked for him to keep one of you alive so I could get your Materia. So, where is it? I mean, you might as well give it to me, because you'd be dead otherwise anyway."

"Yuffie!" Tifa shouted disbelievingly. "Be serious! You have way too much Materia to begin with…" Yazoo, however, was staring at her blankly. He had figured the Materia part was a joke, but the other thing she mentioned, dealing with his brothers…

"Is it true?" He asked, much to his own surprise and the others. "Kadaj and Loz are… Dead?"

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End Chapter Seven