Chapter 3
Cloud watched Yazoo sleep through the morning. He wasn't surprised. The silver haired boy had been moving in his sleep all night as if he were trapped in nightmare. Cloud had bandaged his shoulder and other wounds he had received in the fighting yesterday. He noticed that despite Yazoo's lack of rest he looked marginally better as well. The cut on his head was quickly becoming a faint scar and his color was much better. Cloud wasn't sure that was a good thing or a bad thing. Yazoo had been cooperative yesterday but he hadn't really been in much of a position to put up a fight.
Cloud walked down the stairs to the bar where Tifa was getting ready to open. She smiled at him as he came in. " How are you feeling?" she asked, her deep eyes taking in the bandages. Cloud shrugged. "Fine"
Tifa just smiled to herself and shook her head. "And Yazoo?" she poured Cloud a cup of coffee and pushed the sugar dish towards him. "He hasn't woken yet."
There was the sound of small feet pounding down the stairs and Denzel and Marlene appeared. "Cloud!" cried Denzel and ran up to the blonde smiling. Cloud took in Denzel's healthy glow and energetic face and smiled. It was just yesterday that he had been infected with Geostigma. Marlene tugged on Clouds sleeve. "Is Yazoo okay? Why hasn't he woken up?"
Cloud frowned. "Marlene, you have to promise to stay out of that room unless either Tifa, Barrett, Vincent or I is with you understand?" Marlene looked downcast for a minute then nodded.
"Don't worry Marlene, Yazoo is just resting. It takes a lot of energy to heal wounds like he has" Tifa said softly.
"I don't understand why you are helping him anyway! It was him and his brothers that caused Bahamut and who made us drink that nasty water! He himself shot Cloud! I-"
"Denzel!"
The angry boy was cut off by Tifa. The black haired woman came and knelt next to him. "Yazoo was hurt badly when he was found. Cloud could not have killed a helpless man. There may be a chance for Yazoo to change his ways. If we just turned our backs and refused to help then we would be just as bad they were."
Denzel looked at the ground. Tifa turned to Marlene. "Marlene, why don't you and Denzel go upstairs and play? I have to open the bar now."
Marlene nodded and took Denzels hand and dragged him up the stairs. They were headed to their room on the third floor but she paused in front of the door to Clouds office. It was half open and she could see a glimpse of silver hair. Denzel pulled on her arm. "Don't even think about it" he muttered.
"You don't have to be so mean about him! He wasn't the one who made you do those things after the water. It was Kadaj! And you drank the water on your own anyways!" she said when they had reached their room and closed the door.
Denzel rolled his eyes at her. "They were all brothers Marlene. All of them are evil. Maybe you're just too young to understand." with that he went to the corner of the room to pull out a drawing pad and crayons.
Marlene sat on the edge of her bed and looked out the window. It didn't matter what Denzel said. She knew that Yazoo wasn't evil. He wouldn't have helped her if he was evil, right? And last night with Vincent and Cloud hovering over him he looked like he was scared and trying hard to hide it. No, he's not evil.