A/N- Haha… btw I did move into Linz's. It was a blast there while it lasted. But my family pissed me off so bad that I just wanted out of our town. Out of the town I lived in since the 3rd grade. I live out here now… in Marshallville… Cows and horses surround me. Its peaceful and NO one can find me. Not even my family.
Chapter edited, enjoy.
Chapter 24: Visitor
"Yuffie, everyone's got the marks…I don't think…Well yeah, but…
Yuf! They're all dying…you and I are the only one's that didn't get sick.
No…
Yes…
What! Are you trying to tell me everyone got sick from Kadaj's blood?
Oh yeah…we didn't…but Yuffie!
:sighs: fine. Bring her. I'm not sure how they'll take it, but its worth a shot…I'll meet you." Loz mumbled and snapped his cell phone shut.
He sighed heavily and looked over at Seph, Yaz, and Alexia. They were all slumbering sort-of peacefully on the only couch. Loz chuckled to himself when he noticed how funny they all looked.
Yazoo and Alexia were huddled in a corner, while Sephiroth was all sprawled out, combat boots resting on Yazoo's lap. His long, silver hair fell gracefully around his face, all the way to the floor. Loz shook his head, and rushed out the door, looking one last time back at the ill group.
Moments after Loz left, Kadaj emerged weakly from the bedroom.
Gasping for air slightly, the boy trudged into the kitchen for water. He tired his best to keep quiet, but failed. Just as Kadaj placed his empty cup in the sink, heavy footsteps made their way towards his small frame.
"Kadaj, you shouldn't be up on your own." Sephiroth's stern voice grumbled as he walked over to his youngest brother.
"Sorry…what's…I'm too weak to argue." Kadaj pouted, and began the journey back to the room.
"I'll take you."
"No, I don't want to be treated like a child. Leave me. :gasps:" Kadaj yelped as he stumbled forward weakly.
Had it not been for Sephiroth's stubborn manner, Kadaj would have totally smashed his head on the counter.
"Number one: What I say goes. Two: You are still a child. Three: I want you to use your strength to heal…not fight me." Seph stated, carrying his angry brother back to bed.
"I'll explain everything."
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"So you know about Alathia and I…" Kadaj grumbled.
"I'm not blaming you for anything if that'll put you in a better mood. But you must realize that she's only been here a couple days. The girl's got months worth of training…and we have only months to finish Jenova (oh no the evil Jehovah!) before…she finishes us." Seph tried explaining.
"You're all sick too?" Kadaj asked solemnly.
"Yes."
"Including Alathia?"
"…Yes."
"I'm going to bed…please leave me."
Seph blinked at Kadaj and looked at him in confusion. The boy had never cut Seph short in conversation…much less refuse to talk.
Kadaj rolled over and that was that.
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Alathia moaned as she awoke that morning. Her entire body ached because of the events from the night before. Everything seemed to be in suspended animation.
The sun hadn't made its way into the room, so it was still dark. Her clothes were the same way they had fallen on the bed the night before. Alathia's bloody clothes still lie in a heap behind the door.
She groaned as she felt dull pain throbbing in her wrists and upper arm.
"OH-MY-GOSH!" she screamed as she looked at the trouble area.
She'd never seen Geostigma before. Purple and black bruises surrounded her wrist and made a band around her arm.
Immediately, Alathia rushed down the steps, waking Yazoo and Alexia.
"What's wrong Alathia?" Alexia sighed as she made room for herself on the couch (which meant Yazoo had to move over).
"Geostigma…" Alathia whispered, showing them her arm and wrists.
Yazoo and Alexia looked at each other before checking themselves for it.
"My hands…your hands…was it from…"
"Kadaj's blood." Sephiroth said as he returned from the bedroom.
"Jenova's found us. Seems to me she was using Cloud as a tracking device, and waiting for the most opportune moment to attack." He grumbled, showing the three his infected chest.
"I thought Geostigma wasn't contagious." Alexia complained.
"That's just in the movie. This is real life." Yazoo sighed.
"Well, what do we do now?" Alathia asked.
"Today is your resting day. Training will resume tomorrow. Yazoo looks like you've got yourself a new student." Seph chuckled as Yazoo rolled his eyes.
"Hey…Where's Loz? He was here, like, a half hour ago. He usually says something before he goes off with Yuffie." Yazoo questioned, looking around for his older brother.
"He was arguing with her on the cell phone this morning…and rushed out to meet her." Alexia sighed as she stretched out…hitting Yazoo playfully in the head.
He automatically went into combat mode and started wrestling with her.
"Knock it off you two." Seph grumbled, just before they both jumped on him and attacked.
As soon as she noticed the three were distracted enough to escape, Alathia sluffed off to Kadaj's side. She entered the room quietly, and sat in her chair next to the bed.
Alathia watched as Kadaj twitched in his sleep. He was so peaceful.
"LOZ! Ti-Tifa! What did you bring her here for!" Alathia heard Yazoo shout.
"Loz don't let him attack her!" Yuffie screeched.
"Watch it you're gonna break…
:crash:
… the only freaking vase in the house… great! Now will you knock it off retard!?"
"I think I have glass in my foot… it kinda hurts."
"Suck it up! Walk it off Alexia."
"…I hate all of you…"
"Even me?"
"Especially you Tifa."
What was going on?
Alathia squeaked and huddled close to Kadaj.
"Please don't let them come in here." She thought as she squeezed his arm tightly.
"Mmm…Alathia, what's going on? Why are they all fighting?" Kadaj whispered as he came out of his short-lived nap.
Silence.
"Something's wrong." Kadaj whispered and squeezed Alathia.
The door creaked open, and the two shivered with uncertainty.
Footsteps neared them…a lot of footsteps.
"This is Kadaj?" they heard a woman's voice ask curiously.
Alathia peeked up and gasped. Tifa was watching them.
"Yuffie brought you." Alathia said, stroking Kadaj's hair to calm him down.
Tifa nodded and let her curious eyes fall back on the boy in the sheets.
"Oh my…" she whispered as Kadaj rolled over to meet the stranger.
"What'd he do…what have we done…" she whispered gently tugging away the sheets to better see the gashes.
"Get away. I don't need your help. My brothers and I are fine." Kadaj hissed, yanking the covers above his head.
Tifa smiled playfully and reached into her pocket.
"Yuffie said you might say that, so I brought a peace offering."
Kadaj peaked out from under his covers and eyes her gift.
"CANDY!" he shouted, snapping up (ignoring how painful it was to do so) and snatching the candy away from her fingers.
"See told you! They love food!" Yuffie beamed at her.
Alathia smiled as she watched Sephiroth eating away at a whole chicken, and Yazoo munching away at a few hamburgers.
"Would someone get the glass out of my foot?" Alexia pouted, sticking her tongue out at Tifa.
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"So you think by bringing them here and seeing us it'll change their minds." Seph questioned.
They'd moved to the living room, and Kadaj was asleep on the couch. His upper body was bandaged and resting on Yazoo's lap. Tifa watched his chest rise and fall as the young boy slumbered peacefully.
"Yeah! It'll work…at least better than you beating us all up to show us you're on our side." Yuffie chuckled.
"We can help train the girls." Tifa added.
"They can learn skills from all of us. It'll give them a better chance to defeat Jenova."
"How will you hide it from your precious Cloud?" Seph smirked evilly.
"He…doesn't talk to us anymore. Just stops by occasionally to pick up the deliveries. It won't be too hard." Tifa said softly.
"THAT MEANS WE CAN GET OUTTA THE HOUSE!" Alexia screeched, causing Kadaj to wake.
Damnit… He'll never get to sleep normally as long as these girls were around.
"And that means I don't have to train both of them." Yazoo beamed, sticking his tongue out at Kadaj.
"Maybe you can earn money while your out...bring home food and cook for us." Seph smiled persuasively.
They weren't going out and having fun without some type of responsibility.
"Damnit…" Alathia hissed.
"Oh c'mon! We've been here less than a week! How ya gonna make us get a job already!" she complained loudly.
"I just did."