Author's Note: Might as well finish up the thought, right?

Summary: Both equally determined by different things, Loz and Marlene part

Rating: K, I'd say

Gone

Chapter Two: Parting

By: Mazzie May

Marlene sucked in her breath hard, nearly hissing as Cloud was sent flying from his motorcycle. Loz's grip on her shoulder tightened with her tensing, and she moved closer to his leg. They were behind the lake, where Denzel and the others were.

When Kadaj had changed the water, the children drank. Marlene had been drawing to the water, too, but Loz held her back, sort of hugging her to him. Whatever the black water did, Loz didn't want her to be apart of it. Look at them all now, she was very glad he stopped her.

Kadaj started talking. Ranting, really. Marlene slid father behind Loz. Kadaj scared her more than any of them. Not that she found Loz scary—not anymore, anyway. But Kadaj had something wrong with him. She really didn't know what, but what bothered her most was how when he spoke, he was looking past the person he was talking to. Like, he was seeing something that no one else could. It made her feel weird.

She didn't understand what they were talking. He wanted a "Reunion", and Cloud was in the way of that was pretty much the gist of what she got. And then, the fighting started.

Loz moved away from her, but she pulled on his belt. She wasn't sure if it was to keep him from hurting Cloud, or Cloud from hurting him. He moved her hands. She grabbed him again and tugged harder.

Yazoo had joined the battle.

Loz turned, picked her up, walked to the bushes and put her down. "Wait right here…" he said quietly before running into the fray.

She couldn't keep up with them, they were so fast. She dropped down to her knees, scared and angry. Someone was going to get hurt, she knew. Looking down, determined not to cry, she saw it. A little yellow and white flower. It seemed just as small and fragile as she did.

No one's going to die here.

Was what it seemed to be saying. Marlene reached out and touched it. "Flower Lady…"

A sudden silence had her look up, but she quickly ducked back down as the familiar sound of gunshots filled the air. Papa had always taught her to drop when guns were being fired. Flat on the ground, she saw little, except for the red thing that flew off into the sky.

As Kadaj howled in anger, she felt someone picking her up. Loz pushed her deeper into the brush. "You've got to leave. Kadaj knows you know Older Brother."

She gasped wide-eyed. He wanted her to wander around this place on her own? When she didn't move, he began pushing her gently again, stepping into the foliage with her. He hurried them along quietly. "He took Older Brother that way," he whispered pointing west. "Go that way."

"But—"

"Loz!" Kadaj's voice carried over the brush. "Loz, bring me that girl!"

"Go!" he whispered again, harsher. He stood, heading back the way they came, yelling, "She ran off!"

"Don't cry, Loz!" Yazoo giggled.

"I am not!"

"Find her!"

He looked back at her, with a saddened expression. She began to move away, bit her lip, and turned around. She gave him a small smile and a little wave. He did the same.

"G'bye…" she whispered sadly.

They were too far away, he couldn't hear her, but he knew. "…Bye bye" he returned.

She began jogging away down the little path. Every time she looked back, he was there, watching her go, still waving a little. When she reached a large rock, she stopped to catch her breath and looked back again.

He was gone.

Marlene suddenly felt like crying. She almost did, too, until she heard voices. She began to bolt away until she realized one of the voices was Cloud. Loz had been right. They did go that way. He was probably getting yelled at for letting her "get away", but he helped her anyway.

Determined to not let that gesture go to waste, she broke into the fastest run her little legs would allow, making lots of noise as she crashed through the unique flora—

--right into Cloud.

Author's Note: And there you go. I figured since I wrote something on how they came together, I might as well follow it up with how they separated. I like the Marlene/Loz friendship I idea. I mean, I'd never let the guy baby-sit or anything, but he seems to get along well with the children. I bet he was the one who was in Midgar luring the Geostygma infecties into the trucks.

R&R Please