Chapter Two: The dead rise up
Dawn was breaking as they reached the outskirts of Midgar, the barren land and dusty jagged rock jetting from the ground seemed like a warning to outsiders. Loz whimpered from Behind Yoru as he pulled his bike to a stop just behind her. Yazoo and Kadaj were going to scan the rout they where going to take to make sure none of Shinra's remaining men were in the area. "Big sister isn't it dangerous for your health to be here?" he murmured out dismounting his bike to sit closer to her. "Loz, don't baby me." She harshly muttered back watching the tiny dust cloud circle quickly and begin to head back. He whimpered again moving back to his bike, also having noticed the dust clouds heading towards them.
When Kadaj and Yazoo arrived back they made a protective barrier around Yoru, Kadaj in front, and Loz to her left and Yazoo to her right. They kicked up dust as they barreled down the hill, turning sharply to head straight towards the city gates that lied open, as if awaiting the chaos that was coming. "Sister, once we reach those gates we'll be taking a sharp left turn, then a smoother right turn. After that it's straight till we reach a huge statue, the place we need to stop is to the left of it." Yoru glanced through her helmet at Yazoo and nodded showing she understood.
Midgar was a dark place, strangled sunlight broke through the cold metal that the houses and wall that loomed over the city where made from. In some places there was enough light for flowers or grass to grow. The roar of the motorcycle's engines bounced of the walls getting shot in every direction, as if attempting to warn everyone of there approach. Something made Yoru stop though, Yazoo Loz and Kadaj stopping several feet in front of her, turning to ask her what was wrong only to find her gone.
"Little one, you shouldn't be in this area. Bad men are about." The girl looked up with bright brown eyes towards the person who had grabbed her. Her long black hair whipping around her "I'm not afraid! Cloud would save me!" she shouted over the engine. Yoru frowned, slowing the bike in front of a few shops near a large statue of a meteor. "How do you know Cloud little one?" her voice wasn't harsh or demanding, but motherly. "He takes care of me with Tiffa!" she replied, sensing no danger from her. "Can you show me?" the girl nodded hopping down from the bike and leading Yoru into a bar named "Seventh Heaven".
The "Seventh Heaven" was a typical bar scene, a mirror behind the bar, tables strewn around with chairs on top of them. Stairs beside the bar led upwards, Yoru could only guess that they went to the living quarters of the establishment. "Tifa, I'm back!" the girl called hopping up on a bar stool in front of where a woman stood drying a glass. Tifa was a tall woman, long black hair, brown eyes, and looked much like the girl. They could pass as sisters easily. "Welcome back Marlene, who is that you brought with you?" she asked kindly setting the glass down. Marline shrugged looking back at Yoru. "She picked me up in sector six slums and brought me back." Tifa smiled to Yoru leaving the bar area. "Thank you so much, I'm Tiffa Lockheart, and that little girl is Marlene."
Yoru nodded smiling to the woman. "I am Yoru. I had come up to Midgar visiting and I just couldn't leave such a young girl wandering around. I'd hope if any of my brothers got lost, some one would do the same." Tifa nodded understandingly, though wondering why some one would come to Midgar of all places for a visit. "Who are you visiting?" Tifa wondered aloud as she led Yoru to the bar. "I'm visiting the place where my memories started nine years ago." Yoru murmured starring down at her hands in her lap as she sat on the bar stool. "Oh, I'm so sorry; I didn't know you had amnesia." Tifa whispered gently placing a glass of water in front of her and milk in front of Marlene.
Yoru shook her head dismissing it and smiled "Please do not worry for me Tifa, you can't," Yoru stopped for a moment watching the ice bob up and down in her glass "you can't raise the dead." Tifa sighed letting the room grow silent, till it was broken by the door creaking open, and the click of a sword being unsheathed.
"Cloud what are you doing?" Tifa gasped surprised seeing the tall blond haired man glare at Yoru with bristling blue eyes. "She's one of them." He growled not lowering his sword even an inch. "She can't be! She brought me back here!" Marlene cried getting up from her stool and throwing her arms around Yoru's waste. "Marlene let go." Yoru whispered, Marlene was hesitant but did so, allowing Yoru to spin around in the chair slowly, looking back at Cloud. "The dead can only rise up, if they're only dead in your memories." Cloud's buster sword clattered loudly to the floor as his hands flew to hold his head together as if it where going to tear apart if he let go.
The world was a bright white around Cloud as he stood in a misty field of green leaves and yellow flowers. "She never was dead Cloud." A soft voice spoke from behind him. "You have to let go and live your life in the present." Her voice came again. "It's too hard to forget." Cloud murmured holding tightly onto the person's hand. "Cloud," she whispered squeezing his hand back "you've defeated Sephiroth twice now and you say it's too hard to forget a few things, and remember a few others? Dilley dally shilly shally." Cloud smiled hearing this as the world began to fade and he woke up.
"Cloud!" Tifa smiled as she threw her arms around him. "Are you alright? You really scared us!" Cloud sat up nodding "I'm okay." He murmured swinging his legs out of the bed. "Yoru is still downstairs, she's with Marlene and Denzel." She said as she walked to the door. "She looked worried when you collapsed, she must be a friend from the past, right?" Tifa murmured as she rested her hand on the door knob.
"A friend from a time long since passed." Cloud agreed following her out the door. It was far too quite in the hallway, they could have herd Denzel Marlene and Yoru outside of the room but they didn't. This worried Cloud so he moved a little quicker then normal down the stairs, hoping he'd see something soothing instead of finding something that would cause his heart and mind to tear into more pieces than he had left.
The bar was empty. The door tapped lightly against the wall that held it, a broken glass lay shattered on the floor in a small puddle of milk. Outside Yoru's bike was gone, chatter from passerby's slowly seeped into the bar, only feeding the fear that was growing in Cloud and Tifa. "Cloud?" She stammered out as his fist clenched and began to shake. "I was right." He murmured "She was a friend from the past. It seems like I can't trust anyone from my past anymore." He stormed out of the bar, swinging his leg over the black pleather seat of Fenrir, his motorcycle, revving it to life and speeding off into the crowed.
The sounds of birds chirped overhead as sun trickled through the gaping hole in the roof of the church where Kadaj, Yazoo, Loz, and Yoru sat. Marlene and Denzel lay asleep on a large red cloth, Yoru had insisted on their comfort and safe keeping, leaving the three silver haired boys shocked, confused, and disgruntled.
It didn't take long for Denzel to wake up, he smiled at first seeing Yoru but it died when he laid eyes on the three men beside her. He ran over to her throwing his arms out as if to protect her. "Don't worry Yoru! I'll protect you and Marlene till Cloud gets here!" he said with childish confidence.
Loz frowned heavily at this, almost letting out a low growl to show how upsetting this was. "She's my big sister!" he roared pushing him back over to the sleeping Marlene then kneeling and throwing his arms around Yoru protectively.
"Loz, you are so possessive." Yoru smiled sliding her hands up his back to embrace him. Denzel seethed in pain as he sat up pinching his right eye tightly shut before directing his glare at the four. "Yoru, what's he talking about?" He murmured. Anger was coursing through his voice; there would be no forgiving what she was doing.
"Denzel," she started pulling away from Loz and crawling to him pulling him into a hug now. He only struggled for a moment before pressing his face into her shoulder, trying to find some sort of sanctuary "please be my precious hostage with Marlene." Denzel's eyes grew wide as he looked up at Yoru; his childish eyes saw that she regretted her actions that this was the only option she could think of.
"Yoru," he murmured wrapping his arms around her to hug back now "Promise me my friends won't get hurt 'kay?" Yoru gave a weak smile and nodded "Watch over Marlene for a moment, I'm going to go see if Cloud is coming." Denzel nodded sitting next to Marlene with a wary smile which Yoru returned affectionately, like a mother would.