"Cloud is here." Yazoo said.
Kadaj paused, thinking, eyeing the little girl and noticing how her big round eyes lit up with jubilation at the mere mention of his name.
"Well, can't you and Loz handle him by yourself?" Kadaj replied hastily, annoyed.
"Kadaj…"Yazoo started to speak but Kadaj rolled his eyes and cut him off.
"Forget it. I'll do this favor. Watch the girl." He said, his eyes returning to Marlene. "Don't let her get away."
Marlene simply crossed her arms and shot a frown at them, before returning to her spot on the small bed.
Kadaj 's shoulder brushed past Yazoo's as he exited the room, of which Yazoo immediately grabbed his arm in an attempt to slow his pace a little.
"Be careful, brother." Yazoo said softly. There was a hint of fear hidden in his eyes. Kadaj smiled back.
"Don't be foolish. He's weak. If I'm not careful, I may even kill him and spoil the fun for the rest of you."
Yazoo simply nodded gravely at Kadaj's comment as he watched his brother walked down the hallway, and towards the front lobby, where Cloud is waiting solitarily.
"Brother!" The smaller-framed, silver-haired man called out loudly, as he stood the second-floor of the building.
The blond-haired man raised his head to meet his opponent for the day. Deep, nonchalant mako eyes stared back at his enemy, as he gestured for Kadaj to meet him on the first-floor, where they will dual to the dawn.
"Patience, Cloud, patience!" Kadaj shouted back down at him. He started to circle around the second-floor, eyeing Cloud while the latter turning his body around to meet Kadaj's eyes.
"I will get Marlene back. That is a promise." Cloud said, his voice void of emotions. There was something depressing about his expressions that Kadaj had to chuckle cruelly.
"Look at the state of yourself, brother! Can you even fight me?" As he said so, Kadaj unsheathed his double-blade and pointed it directly down at Cloud. "You're weak." He said, full of disgust. "I find it hard to imagine you're the man that destroyed the Great One."
"Shut up!" Cloud yelled back finally and Kadaj was pleased to see that he was getting a reaction from the otherwise, emotionless man. "What do you want Marlene for? She's innocent! I'll gladly exchange my place for her."
At that, Kadaj let out another laugh, this time, tossing his head back as he did so. His green eyes glimmered again in the darkness of the hall.
"You're such a fool, Cloud. Did you think we want you? Did you really believe you're that important to us?"
Cloud did not reply but a deep frown hung on his stoic face as he glared up at Kadaj.
Kadaj smiled, pleased and continued. "You're nothing but a puppet of Mother and the Great One." Leaning himself over the railing, Kadaj peered down at Cloud. "You should really start to wake up from your dream, Cloud. Not everything in the world has to be about you."
"I'm not a puppet." Cloud muttered, and there was a dangerous glimmer of violence in his deep blue eyes. "You are."
"What?" Kadaj shouted back, both hands gripping the railing tightly as he snarled down at Cloud, daring him to repeat that last statement again.
Cloud, slowly, unsheathed his sword and held it up with both his hands as he readied himself in a defensive stance. "I said, you are the puppet and I pity you."
"DIE , FOOL!" Kadaj yelled as he suddenly leaped down from the second-storey, his double-blade aimed down towards Cloud.
The sound of metal clashing against metal could be heard echoing throughout the hallway. The fight had begun.
Kadaj proved to be a spectacular swordsman as he wielded his blade with speed and agility around Cloud, while the latter did his best to defend himself, with only minimal attempt at counter-attacking.
"You're too slow, brother!" Kadaj laughed, spitefully as he dodged another sword swing by Cloud.
Please don't fight here…
"What the hell!" Kadaj cursed as he heard a voice speaking to his mind. That same voice. Cloud frowned but did not slow down.
You'll ruin the flowerbed.
"What flowerbed?" Kadaj asked out loud. His attention to Cloud's moves might have falter slightly during that short span of time, because he failed to see Cloud's next swing.
What happens next was Kadaj being thrown to the other side of the room, while Cloud leaned a little on his sword, as they both breathed heavily. Both injured, but both unwilling to reveal the degree of their injuries.
"You're hurt." Cloud finally spoke, breaking the silence. "Give me back Marlene and I'll disappear for now."
Kadaj frowned angrily, seeing red rage only. How he hated to be humiliated by his very nemesis!
"Damn you, Cloud." He muttered but stopped short when another sudden rise of pain erupted near his rib.
However, he gave an unfazed grin back at Cloud, in hopes of fooling him into thinking that he was still mobile, when he clearly was not. "We've been taking good care of Marlene so don't worry. We gave her all the attention she needs."
If Kadaj was hoping for Cloud to walk back out the front door and never appearing again, it was a false hope. Cloud started to strut towards Kadaj, deadly intent in his eyes.
As he glared down at Kadaj, who was still slumped on the floor, he raised his sword again and pointed it down at him. "Payback time." He muttered.
"Wait!" A voice suddenly shouted from the second-floor. Kadaj bit his lips from the pain and looked up, to see Yazoo, holding the little girl by her hand.
"Marlene!" Cloud shouted, stepping back from Kadaj and lowering his sword.
"Cloud!" the little girl called out and tried to squirm out of Yazoo's grasp but he only gripped her tighter.
"Let her go!" Cloud warned, raising his sword again.
Yazoo was calm and collected. "Let him go, and I'll give you the girl."
"Gladly." Cloud said as he tried to pull Kadaj up.
However, with every tug Cloud carelessly gave him, Kadaj's face paled every second. He was certain now that Cloud had injured his internal organs, possibly his lungs, during that last fight. He was finding it hard to breathe.
Yazoo was watching Kadaj intently from the second-floor. He could see that Kadaj was not well by the rapid discoloration of his skin.
"There!" Yazoo gave Marlene a little push and released her as the little girl ran down the flight of stairs and into the strong arms of Cloud.
"Let's go." Cloud muttered as he carried Marlene by one hand and turned around to face Yazoo and Kadaj. "Next time you messed with my friends again, I'll do more than this."
Both man were quiet as Cloud left the building. Yazoo finally turned around and looked at Kadaj worriedly.
"You're badly hurt."
Kadaj bit his lips again, fighting back the anguish scream he wanted to let out for his ruptured rips, as well as the shame of being defeated by Cloud.
"You need rest, Kadaj. I'll carry you back into the room." Yazoo said. Kadaj watched his brother, already feeling faint. He could see Yazoo's lips moving silently, as if he was speaking but no words came out of it.
Finally, the world dimmed and became black.
He was walking down the aisle, but this time, his left hand was clasped against his chest and he walked with a limp. There was no pain, however. Just the constant thought of meeting the flower girl.
"So we meet again." He said.
The flower girl appeared in front of him as soon as he said these words. He noticed how thick and luscious her dark brown hair was, and they flow down freely to her waist.
"You're hurt." She replied, her green eyes narrowed with concern.
He was pleased that she was worried about him. "Am I dead?" he asked, not sure if he wanted to hear the answer.
"Are you?" she questioned back, tilting her head slightly to the left as her green eyes continue to enchant him to no ends.
"I hate to answer my own question. It's pointless and stupid." He said truthfully and liking the way she frowned at his crude comments.
Rolling her eyes, she started to walk towards him and Kadaj felt his chest tightened. The pain returned. It was previously not there but now, he could feel the souring ache of his ruptured rips and without warning, his legs gave way and he collapsed onto the floor of the church.
She didn't immediately rush to his aid, as he would have like. Instead, she stood there, gazing down at him, her hands behind her back.
"Hmm I wonder if you're going to pull through."
"What did you say?" Kadaj frowned, looking up towards her. There was a strange greenish-white glow coming from behind her that Kadaj had to squint his eyes.
"I said, I think you're going to make it." She said, smiling down warmly at him.
"Why would you help me?" he asked her curiously.
"I didn't. You helped yourself."
"It was all your fault to begin with." Kadaj muttered, rolling his green eyes as he said so.
"What?" she frowned a little, folding her arms.
"You distracted me back there."
"Back when?"
"Back when…" Kadaj started to reply but the girl suddenly jerked her head up and glanced around the church.
"Did you hear that?" she asked, her green eyes full of concern.
"No, I didn't hear anything." Kadaj muttered. "And I don't appreciate being cut off like…"
"Wait! Hear that again?"
"What?" Kadaj asked, getting irritated at her lack of attention.
She suddenly sat down beside him, a little too closely, because Kadaj could even hear her breathing softly.
"I could hear…" her words trailed off and Kadaj could see her lips moving but he couldn't hear anything.
Not this crap again, he thought as he strained his ears to hear her.
"…so be careful out there, okay?" the girl finished, with a worried smile.
"Sure." He said. He was about to ask her more though, seeing as he was already here, but the girl suddenly skipped back up to her feet.
"I'll see you some other time. Not too soon, I hope." She said with a light giggle.
"Wait!" Kadaj called up, struggling to get to his feet but the girl was already walking back towards the flowerbed.
There was something he needed to say. Something he needed to know for sure before this dream fades away and he ended back up into that cruel reality.
"Aerith? That's your name, isn't it?" he asked, softly, as if afraid of the answer she would give him.
She didn't turn around to face him. Instead, she sat down quietly at the flowerbed, her back towards him.
"Yes. That is my name."
Finally, the sixth chapter is up. Expect each chapters to be updated reeaal slowly due to my schoolwork, but don't worry, I won't abandon the fiction. I'll only just update it once every week or two. Thanks for the reviews and suggestions, guys. Much appreciated!