Chapter 5

I discreetly made my way back into the inn that night. Even after Vincent's encounter I still couldn't bring myself to sleep. I was tossing side to side, trying to get comfortable within the sheets. Loz always took up more space than he needed. But I wasn't about to complain, if he slept a decent night's sleep than this wasn't in vain.

Everything the black haired man told me kept coming back into my head. Mother? To some extent it sounded practical, but he wasn't on my side. He'd say anything to throw me off track in order for them to keep her.

I wasn't a puppet. I was doing this on my own, I love Mother and anyone in our position would do whatever necessary to save her. So we've killed people. But so undoubtedly, have they, my brother was never supposed to endure what happened at the forgotten city. He was the one who spoke to Mother, and somewhere in my mind I believe it should have been me dead by Cloud's sword. Without him we're just following his last claims, without him, we can't do this.

I'd never kneel down to the lifestream, it's the very thing that Loz, Kadaj and I were fighting. The lifestream interferes with Mother's plans to make this pathetic world into an unknown paradise. A paradise which Kadaj will be in...

A tear ran down my cheek as Kadaj came back into my mind, his smiling face surfacing through the guilt.

You can still save your brother. Repent for your sins and turn away from it...

A low growl escaped my lips as I tossed onto my other side. Just stop thinking about it will you? I was frustrated in myself, for even letting his words get to me so. What would Kadaj think?

I sat on soft green grass, absent mindedly ripping it out from the ground. The lake was dull and I briefly wondered why I was here, I swiftly turned around. Preparing to draw my weapon to foot steps coming up behind me, but I had nothing.

"Too slow dear brother." Kadaj's sword was against my neck once more.

"Kadaj, what are you doing here?" I asked, almost in panic.

"Beware of the masamune Yazoo..."

"What? What do you mean? Kadaj, I don't understand!"

"Yazoo? Yazoo? Yazoo?"

I gritted my teeth as I heard Loz's rumbling voice in my head.

"Shut up Loz!"

"Shut up!" I shot my eyes open to see sad ones staring down at me,

"Na, Yazoo... I'm sorry I just thought it wa-" I shook my head,

"Loz, I was just sleeping that's all." With that I gently pushed Loz away from me, so I could sit up. Cringing as I felt the actions of last night's event take its toll.

Loz quickly rushed back to my side, "Yazoo are you ok?"

"I'm fine Loz!" I snapped, causing him to move his hand back.

A heavy sigh left my lips as I swung my legs over the edge of the bed, "What time is it?"

"8:30... I know its late but you looked so peaceful, I knew you were having troubles getting to sleep so I-"

"What? 8:30? Loz you know we've always gotten up at 3:00!"

The room fell silent, I was taking my self-hatred out on Loz. It was a miracle he had even woken up this early. Kadaj was usually the one to awake first. Most of the time I'd just lay in bed with my eyes shut until I felt his fingers gently comb through my hair. I miss that...

With some difficulty I stood up off the bed and steadily walked over to my brother. I watched him as his concerned eyes scanned over my bruised body. I ignored it and pressed my body up against his, hugging him.

"I'm sorry Loz... I'm sorry"

I felt invincible in my brothers arms as they gently tightened around me.

Poor Loz... I'm a burden on his shoulders when I should be looking after him. Instead I'm broken, all because of the man that fucked me last night. The same man that was involved in my younger brothers death.

I looked up at Loz, determination strong in my voice as I spoke up, "I promise everything will be okay," I whispered, "don't worry about anything. We'll find Mother and live forever in a place too perfect for words."

Loz's face continued to look concerned, "...Where's all this coming from? Yazoo, I know everythings going to be okay." He paused for a moment to study my body once more "It's obvious I'm the one that failed you, what happened last night?"

"I was training while you slept" I replied, but it didn't satisfy him.

"You're horribly marked and the fiends here are nothing compared to your skills" He stated, looking at me as though he was scearching for something. Making me feel uncomfortable.

I turned back, changing the subject as I went to retrieve my clothes, "Have you prepared your materia for today? I have a feeling it's going to be long" I asked.

I heard the wooden floorboards creek under Loz's weight as he walked over to the door, "I'll be waiting outside" He said irritably before slamming it shut.

Today was going to be a long day indeed, I thought to myself as I carefully clothed myself and went downstairs and outside to where the bikes were. Loz was waiting for me and I wasted no time to hoist myself onto my own bike with care.

Loz's face was one of regret, his mako green eyes full of sadness, one more deep than his usual disappointed manner. The sight of it brought waves of fresh guilt surging through my body. And this time it was I, who reached out a hand as if to somehow aid my brother of his emotional stress.

"Loz, I don't mean to worry you like this. Seriously I'm ok. You have more important things to worry about." I said placing my hand on his arm. The blank look on my brother's face did nothing to help my feelings of guilt. I hopped off of my bike and walked over to the other side of his. I grabbed his hand and pulled him away.

"Loz, don't worry about me." I was facing him, looking at him. I took his big hands in mine and I placed them around my body as I pressed up against him.

"I'll never leave you..." His arms tightened around me but ever so gently. I pulled away to see his face shining with fresh tears. He gave me a weak smile and we set off.

The day was a normal day for us... The first part of it I guess but nothing would ever be the same without Kadaj. As we encountered fiends, an everyday occurance, I sensed a tension welling up in Loz.

When Kadaj was with us and we encountered the stronger than usual types, we were fine. Today though, was a different story. The dragon-like fiend swooped at us from the sky. Loz was quick to react and I followed suit. I could see the tightening of his muscles through his tight leather attire as he psyched himself up for the battle.

"Come on Yazoo!" He called out to me as he swung his bike around, using his weapon dug deep into the ground as a pivot point. He was laughing but when he saw me the look of excitement vanished from his handsome features. I had went to manouvre my way off of the bike but I cringed in pain from sore muscles and it put me off. I was thrown violently and I tumbled across the hard ground like a ragdoll. I let out a muffled cry of pain and Loz's face contorted in a violent concern.

I was down and out of the fight and Loz was running up to me. The fiend came chasing after my brother and it was gaining on him, the distance between them closing fast. It opened it's ugly mouth and I spat the dirt out of my mouth, ignoring the blood mixed in with it and yelled out to Loz.

"Behind You!" He turned just in time and the teeth blew past him, missing him by inches. His reaction was swift and he stabbed the creature in the neck with his pointed weapon. The fiend fell on it's side, its talons in the air as it slid away, the dust cloud creating a sort of visual barrier. Loz counteracted to this disability by rearing back and yelling out in effort as he stabbed the ground with as much force as his strong body could muster, sending up a tidal wave of earth.

The fiend collapsed, still bleeding from it's neck and was unable to get up. It all sounded too quiet when Loz came back to me. I had picked myself up by that time and was standing up against my bike which I had also propped up. The sweat that had beaded on Loz's hairline had made some of his silver hair stick to his forehead. I smiled at him and opened my mouth to compliment his good job on killing the fiend. The look on his face silenced me though. It was something I had not seen before and I didn't recognise it.

He walked past me as if I wasn't there. He reached into the back of his bike and pulled out a flask. He tossed it to me, perhaps a little harder than neccesary. I recoiled slightly because I wasn't expecting such force in his throw.

"Wash your mouth out with that." He said to me with his back to my face. He got on his bike and drove off without warning. I just felt more guilty after that. He was in his place to do that, I realised after putting myself in his shoes.

The water was like a healing elixir. Cool and refreshing and most of all it took away most of the pain I experienced in my mouth. I rinsed and spat out. The water was red and I was still bleeding, but it passed. I caught up to him and we proceeded to Healin Lodge in silence. We didnt speak at all until we were hiding in the trees just outside the building.

"Loz, this is gonna be hard without Kadaj. The Turks are stronger than they look and we need to get the truth out of Rufus." I said to him in a hushed voice.

"Well you could've made it easier for us by not getting the shit beaten out of you. I'm going to ask you again. How did it happen?" He replied angrily. I was taken aback by his uncharacteristic swearing. My stance was only down for a fleeting moment as I put up my defensive wall.

"I TOLD you what happened already. I was training by myself and I got hurt a little. I'm fine! I don't even need you to protect me!" I retorted, my voice getting a little louder. The whole hushed tone and secrecy rule seemed to have gone out the window.

Loz turned to face me and gasped. "You little bitch..." He said with pure evil in his voice.

I walked up to him as he stood there defiantly, never breaking eye contact. I raised my hand and slapped him in the face. His cheek turned with the force and he turned back to me almost instantly. He raised a fist to me and then took ahold of himself and turned away in frustration.

"How dare you insult me like that. Don't you think I can't take your hits?" I challenged him. "Are you that pathetic?"

He turned around again to face me. "This conversation is over." He said with as much calm forced into his voice as possible. He turned again to walk away and I interjected.

"Like hell it is!" I yelled but I let out a gasp a second later. Loz turned when he heard this and saw what had been driven into the ground between us. It was a long bladed sword about the length of Loz's tall body. A masamune.

Then I heard the voice from above. A voice riddled with command and care and evil. A voice more sexier than one can imagine.

"That is quite enough..."