Aerith wished desperately that she was a better healer. If she had been, then they could have said that they were playing too rough…they broke their practice swords…they knew they weren't supposed to spar and now they learned their lesson…and forget the whole thing ever happened. She knew who this boy had to be. The rest of his life he would be trying to prove his innocence to the intolerant and fearful of the world. This was not going to help things. Denzel was Azure's best friend. It had to have been an accident. They got so competitive and reckless when they were sparring… An accident was bound to happen sooner or later, and luckily this was one they could walk away from…

Yet as many times as Aerith told herself this…she couldn't change what she had seen.

That look on Azure's face…

His relentless attack…

His eyes…

She tried to tell herself it was nothing…but that was no longer possible. She had seen it once before already… It was more than that, unfortunately. When Azure had gone ballistic on Denzel…she had sensed something. There was a tremor in the spirit of the very garden around her… It was the same kind of tremor she had sensed long ago, when the Planet was in pain…or fear. She wished she could say that she only sensed something like this, and that this was the only time.

But she had been feeling it more recently lately…and more frequently.

At any rate, the worst was going to happen when they got home. The injury couldn't be hidden. Aerith was able to take down the swelling and stop the bleeding, but it was obvious that something had been done. Hopefully they could pass it off as an accident…and hopefully the police were gone. This only made things worse. They had got ridden of this just to have another problem…

At that, however, a horrifying thought entered Aerith's mind.

That person who was dead…Tifa said he looked broken…

It couldn't have been…

Aerith chased this thought away. They were coming up on the Seventh Heaven now. They were going in the front way, of course. As Aerith looked ahead and they began to move down the walkway, she was relieved to see that the officers were gone. They must have removed the body.

Denzel walked alongside Aerith, resting his head against her while she kept her arm around him. He was still in some pain, but he had stopped crying and struggling now. Marlene walked closely at her side. Azure lagged behind, keeping his head down and looking nervous. The Cetra felt bad for him. It might have just been an accident… If so, then she would try to do what she could. She'd give him the benefit of the doubt. Tifa would understand…she hoped. She was still a bit scared of Azure…

At last, they reached the new door. Aerith hesitated at it, but then opened it up and began to lead Denzel in. Marlene and Azure came in behind. They walked through the working areas and the bar-in-progress until they reached the door leading to the rest of the house. Once there, Aerith stopped. She turned her head behind to Azure and Marlene.

"…You two wait in here a moment. I'll take in Denzel first…explain what happened. Alright?"

Marlene nodded. Azure hesitated a moment, but then gave a nod as well. Aerith nodded back, and then drew in a deep breath. Knowing that the sooner they got through this the sooner it would be over, she turned back to the door, turned the knob, and began to walk inside.

No one was immediately evident in the entrance hall when they came in. Once both were inside, Aerith turned and began to push the door closed behind her again. However, as she did this, she began to hear footsteps coming from upstairs. She started to tense up at that. She turned back around after shutting the door, and was just in time to see Tifa appear at the top of the stairs. On seeing them both, she immediately began to come down.

"…You're back earlier than I thought." She said as she came. "Well, they're gone now anyway, so I guess it doesn't matter." She was about halfway down at this point…and here she noticed it. Aerith began to feel nervous again, as she saw Tifa look at her and what was happening.

"…What's wrong with Denzel?"

Aerith swallowed a bit, but knew she couldn't stall forever. Slowly, she let Denzel began to push away from her. When he did, he began to reveal the blood-encrusted wound on the side of his head. "…We had a little accident…" She said slowly.

On seeing the injury, Tifa's eyes immediately widened, and she stopped on the steps for a moment. "Oh my god…" She exclaimed. Immediately, she began to run down the stairs the rest of the way. On landing, she immediately bend down to be on the same level as Denzel and reached out to turn him to see the wound better. "Honey…what happened to you? How did you hurt yourself like this?"

Despite all the pain he was in, Denzel showed his own quality of friendship by not saying anything. If he had truly been vindictive, Aerith realized he could have blamed Azure vehemently right there and got him into hot water. But he stayed silent, letting Tifa examine him. For the briefest moment, Aerith thought that the question would pass…that Tifa would be so concerned with cleaning up his injury and bandaging it that she would forget about the cause.

Unfortuantely…Tifa wasn't alone in the house.

"What's going on?" A much stronger, inquisitive male voice came from the living room.

Tifa continued to look over the wound for a moment, and then turned behind her and called back to the room. "Denzel had a bad accident, Cloud." She turned back to the boy soon after. "Are you alright?"

Denzel managed a nod. "Uh-huh."

"Do you feel dizzy?"

"No."

"Are you tired?"

"No."

"How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Two."

"Open your eyes real big, sweetie. Let me see your pupils."

While Tifa went through these things, Aerith heard the telltale footsteps of Cloud rise from where he was in the living room and come into the hall. As he emerged from around the corner, Aerith felt a bit more afraid. The ex-mercenary turned his head down and rested his eyes on Denzel. The moment he saw him, his own eyes widened and he began to come forward. He muttered some sort of explicative as he came in. Once he reached him, he bent down next to the boy as Tifa was doing.

"Denzel…what the hell happened to you?"

"…I had an accident." The boy answered simply.

"I think he may need stitches, Cloud." Tifa said with a worried voice, turning to him momentarily. After that, she turned back to Denzel. "I'll carry you upstairs, honey. We'll get you cleaned up."

Tifa began to put her arms around Denzel to lift him up and carry him up the stairs. Although he was big, it was clear she didn't want him to walk. Aerith tried to fill in the gap of silence that followed to avoid Cloud repeating his question.

"I tried to heal it as best I could…but I could only do a little." She called as Tifa turned and lifted Denzel. She began to take him up the stairs. "I can try and heal it a bit more myself after he's cleaned up." Unfortunately, her stalling didn't work.

"Aerith, how did this happen?" Cloud instantly asked once Tifa was taking the boy away, turning his full attention to Aerith. "Did he fall on a rock or something? Did part of the ceiling fall on his head?"

A strong temptation entered the Cetra to say that it had happened just as Cloud assumed. If this was a solitary incident, she might have done so. However…she kept getting those feelings…and she saw how Azure's temper had changed… Even though she wanted Cloud to be merciful, she knew she had to say something about how this had really happened. Lying wouldn't do any good in the end. It sure didn't help Cloud…

Aerith sighed and looked to his face imploringly. "Cloud…it really was an accident. No one meant for this to happen… The two boys, they were practicing with their swords…"

"Practicing?" Cloud returned. Immediately, his face began to grow dark. "Were they practicing or playing around? They shouldn't have been doing either, because I told them not to fool with those swords…"

The Cetra swallowed, and kept on. "…I shouldn't have let them, so this is really my fault. But they were supposed to be careful and not touch each other… They were trying to spar and Denzel didn't block one of Azure's hits…and…it hit him there."

Cloud's look stayed dark. He turned to the stairs, where he saw that Tifa and Denzel were almost at the top, and then he turned back to Aerith with a rather upset expression. "Exactly how hard was he swinging?" He asked in an almost angry voice. "I've seen people hit in the head with bats before who didn't look that bad."

"Cloud…it was just an accident. Boys roughhouse…"

The ex-mercenary, however, turned to a frown and began to rise. He rolled his eyes, and she heard an angry groan come out from him. "Damnit…I told those boys a hundred times… This is why I don't let them spar! They jack around and then they do this to each other! If he had aimed a little lower he might have done something really bad! I've seen people go blind from being hit in the head like that!" He turned his head back down to Aerith, his face rather upset now. "Where is he?"

The Cetra began to realize that the situation was going bad. "Cloud…please…he didn't mean to… It's my fault…"

"Where is he?"

Aerith frowned and bowed her head in resignation. After a moment…she gestured behind her. "He's waiting in the bar. Cloud, please…he feels terrible already."

"Not as bad as he's going to feel." Cloud retorted as he brushed right past Aerith and to the doorway. The Cetra spun around, fear filling her heart, as she saw Cloud open the door, yanking it so hard he nearly smashed it into the side wall. Outside…Marlene and Azure were still standing there. The boy was cringing. However…Cloud didn't have any mercy. He immediately reached out and seized the boy roughly by the arm.

"Get in here." He commanded him. "Come with me into the living room. You're going to learn that when I tell you not to do something, you don't think that as soon as I'm not looking you can go and do it."

Nearly dragging the boy, Cloud pulled Azure through the door and into the hall. The boy's face immediately turned to panic, and he began to tear up. But it was to no avail. Marlene began to follow afterward, her own eyes filling with fear and tears, but unable to say anything. Aerith watched as Cloud dragged Azure by her. She immediately followed after him.

"Cloud, no…please…"

Azure began to audibly cry, but it didn't stop Cloud. He finished dragging him totally into the room. Aerith was hot on his heels, telling him to stop the whole time. Marlene looked in soon after, but stopped farther away and stared in fear. Cloud kept dragging Azure until he was at the couch. Once there, he pushed the boy onto it so that his upper body lay on it and his lower body stuck out, in particular his rear end.

"Don't move." He told him, as he began to undo his belt.

"Cloud, no! It was an accident!" Aerith begged, realizing what he was going to do.

Azure continued to cry, but stayed where he was out of fear. Cloud finished pulling out his belt, and immediately wrapped it around to put three bands on an extension.

"Maybe this will give you some idea of how Denzel's feeling right now because you didn't do what I told you." Cloud sternly stated, and then reached down and grabbed the edge of Azure's pants and yanked down with such force that he exposed his rear end.

"No! Please!" Marlene cried covering her face as tears flowed more freely. "Cloud! Don't hit him!"

"Cloud, stop it!" Aerith yelled, nearly demanding now.

Yet the ex-mercenary wouldn't, just as Azure hadn't stopped earlier. He held up the belt for a moment, put a hand onto Azure's back to keep him down, and then brought the belt down on his rear end. The boy cried out in pain and tried to wriggle free, and soon he was sobbing harder than ever. But Cloud didn't let him go. He struck him two more times first. After that, he let his hand up. Reflexively, Azure pulled away and reached for his pants, quickly yanking them up to cover what was exposed. Aerith watched in fear as she saw bright red marks form with each strike…knowing they were going to be bruises rather shortly.

Marlene continued to cry, breaking into sobbing of her own. Aerith stared at Cloud with some anger. She didn't care what Azure had done…this wasn't helping. Azure himself kept his head down and his body curled around the couch. However, after pulling his pants up, his own sobs began to be choked. He sniffled and dried them up, and began to heave and breathe to try and get his crying back under control.

Cloud himself looked dark, and Aerith thought she saw a trace of regret on his face. But it was masked by his resolution. He began to replace his belt around his waist soon after. "…You get up, go to your room, and go to bed." He instructed Azure in a much calmer voice. "You think about how much this hurts, and how much more pain Denzel is in. You're not getting dinner tonight. I don't want to hear you coming out of that room for anything other than the bathroom. Is that understood?"

This was too much for Aerith. She knew what had happened to Azure. He had been beaten and starved when he was a captive. This was the equivalent. It was only going to make things worse. She turned to Cloud and opened her mouth to protest…

But she never got a word out. Abruptly, Azure snapped his head off of the couch. He sprang back into a squat, and wheeled his head around to glare at Cloud. It wasn't like before…but it was furious. His cheeks were streaked red from tears and sobbing. And his youthful eyes were filled with utter rage. His face was twisted into a horrible scowl. He stared with utter hatred at Cloud for a fraction of a second. Then, he screamed something so loud the whole house could hear it.

"I hate you!"

Immediately after saying this, he sprung up and ran out of the room. He went back to the hall and to the stairway. Stomping all the way, he ran up the stairs two at a time. He kept on running until he reached his room. When he got there, Aerith heard the door slam. A moment later, there was a creak in the ceiling corresponding to a boy throwing himself on a bed.

Aerith was struck dumb for a moment at that. Her insides filled with fear again. This was only getting worse. And the worst part of all, she soon realized, was that Marlene had been watching the whole thing. She turned back to Cloud, but he was still cold and hard as stone. He looked at the ground, and perhaps there was some melancholy in his eyes, but he didn't show much. Still anxious, Aerith turned around and looked back to Marlene.

The girl was still sobbing into her hands. Aerith hesitated a moment, but then realized she might need her more. She turned fully to her, and walked over to bend down to her side. She put her arms out and around her, and instinctively Marlene grabbed back and placed her head against her chest. Her tears mixed with Denzel's blood for a moment, as Aerith held her and tried to calm her down. However, after a few moments, she raised her head. She turned and looked to Cloud. When she did, Aerith saw her turn to a mixture of sadness and fury.

"Why did you hit him!" She demanded through her sobs. "You never hit me or Denzel before! He said he was sorry!"

Cloud didn't reply or change.

Marlene sniffled once, but then suddenly turned and broke free from Aerith's arms. The woman tried to stop her, but it was too late. She got to her feet and ran back to the hallway herself. She didn't go upstairs, but instead ran to the door to the bar. She ran out through it and slammed it behind her. The long echo of it reverberated through the now silent room for a few moments. However, neither Aerith nor Cloud were worried about what Marlene was doing. They heard no other door slam. She was just sitting by herself while she cried.

Aerith turned back to Cloud. She glared at him a moment, for once her look totally disapproving. She pushed herself up and to a standing position. After that, as defiant and bold as she could be, she walked forward and stood right next to Cloud. The ex-mercenary neither looked up or changed.

"…You had no right to do that." She flatly stated.

"He's living under my roof like one of my kids. Fathers punish their children." Cloud answered plainly, still not looking up.

"Cloud, you know how traumatized he is!" Aerith exclaimed. "He used to get beaten and locked up all the time, not to mention starved! What do you think he thinks of you when you do that to him?"

Cloud finally turned and looked to Aerith. His expression was still dark.

"You think I enjoy beating little kids?" He shot back, nearly accusingly. "You think I enjoy making Marlene cry? That I can hear him say he hates me and feel nothing? I don't! But I don't like seeing the closest thing I have to a son come in looking like his skull was nearly fractured because they were doing something I've told them a hundred times not to do either! I wasn't kidding around with those things! They didn't even give me a wooden sword when I learned! If I had pulled this crap they would have given me five lashes! What if he had tried that with a kitchen knife? Or a shovel? And if Denzel wasn't hurt, I'd give him a whipping on the butt too! You know, I don't like standing here and being the bad guy! But I got lucky today! And I'm going to make damn sure that there isn't a next time!"

Aerith hesitated at this. What Cloud said made some sense. Pain could be a sharp reminder. But given the circumstances, it wasn't going to help. In the end, she sighed and spoke in a softer voice.

"I know that's important, Cloud. But I kept trying to tell you how terrible he felt, how scared he was for Denzel. He probably already punished himself enough on the way home. This kind of punishment is only going to make him resentful and scared."

Cloud turned his head away, closed his eyes, and let out a long sigh. He turned around and began to make for the chair in the room. Aerith stayed where she was, watching him. After a moment, Cloud made it to the chair, turned around, and sat down in it. He hunched over, put his elbows on his knees, and then ran his fingers through his hair.

"…I probably wouldn't have gone that far if it wasn't for what the policemen found."

When Aerith heard this comment, she realized immediately that Cloud wasn't talking about the body in the dumpster. This aroused her curiosity. With a puzzled look, she walked over to the couch and sat down on it. "What did they find?"

"A brand new bicycle." Cloud answered. "They figured we were hiding it from thieves because we didn't have a garage. I looked over it…and it was in Marlene's favorite color. It still had the price and information tags on it. Someone had written sloppily in magic marker on one of them, 'Happy Birthday from Azure'."

The silver-haired boy cried bitterly into his pillow. He was on his stomach, for he couldn't stand to roll onto his back. His rear hurt too much. He cupped his hands underneath his pillow to further press his face into it, and didn't care how hot and sticky his face became.

I didn't mean to! Azure thought. Why'd he do that to me? He's treating me like Hoeng used to treat me! He never hit Denzel or Marlene! He never stopped them from having dinner! Why didn't Aerith step in? Why didn't she try to stop him? She said she was going to help me! Why are they doing this to me?

…Because they hate you, Azure.

The boy sniffed and looked up from his pillow. However…this time, the world was the same. He heard noises from outside throughout the city. He could sense movement. He could hear the water running in the bathroom nearby. The world was still going on. However…he still heard the voice. Only this time it didn't come from the world around him. It felt like it was coming…from within him. From every cell in his body.

"…What?"

They're terrified of you, Azure. They've been scared of you ever since you arrived. Don't you remember how Tifa acted? Do you know why Marlene ran upstairs into your room that day before they monsters attacked? It was because her father told her that you were a monster. They're all scared to death of you, Azure. And they hate you for it.

"…No. That's not true."

It is, Azure. They've said they loved Marlene and Denzel many times…but they've never said it to you. They may have pretended to be your friends, but it was only because they were afraid of making you angry. In reality…they hate you and fear you as much as the people on the street do. They don't want you here. They never wanted you here. They wish you would leave. They wish you had never been born.

Azure felt his face tighten at this. More tears began to fill his eyes. Again, he couldn't prove this, but the possibility filled him with sadness. It made him feel like he used to feel…alone, dejected, and unloved…

They love Denzel, Azure. And you hurt him. They are out to hurt you now. They're filled with hate to you now. And they're thinking about who you are and where you came from. They think you're dangerous and wicked. They wish you would die. They never wanted you to come to their home, and have been looking for a way to get rid of you ever since. But they knew you'd react if they did. They knew you'd unleash your true power and anger, and they were more fearful of that. So they're keeping you here.

You feel sad…abandoned…betrayed… That is what they want you to feel. They want you to be miserable and unhappy. They want you to feel like a poor, pitiful creature. It will make you weak. It will turn you into a sniveling child. Then you'll do anything for them to get their version of "love". They'll control you through your sadness and your tears. They'll chain you up like a dog with them. All of them…even if they think they don't. Because, deep down, they all fear you…they all hate you. They want to see you become small and helpless…and to stay that way forever.

Azure continued to sniffle…but his tears now began to dry up. As the voice continued to tell him these things, he started to look up more, and straighten his body out. His eyes were red and cracked…but the moisture began to dry. His face stayed tight…but now it began to twist.

How…dare they...

For months Azure had thought they were his friends…his family. But now, he looked back, and saw how much they were all afraid of him. He saw how much love they gave Marlene and Denzel and withheld from him. As he looked at Cloud today…he saw the truth. He saw just how much he truly hated him… Somewhere in his mind, he was looking at Azure…and was feeling more hateful and angry than he had ever been in his life. He looked at him…and he saw something he feared and despised more than anything.

The voice was right. He had thought these people were different…but they weren't. They were just like everyone else outside. They all feared him and hated him. Only these people…they tried to control him with it. They made him feel like he was accepted here, when the whole time he was never accepted into this family or into any circle of friends. They all thought that their lives would be so much better if he was gone…if he had never existed. Behind his back, all the time, they were talking about how much they hated him…about how they wanted a way to get rid of him…how they were constantly scared of him doing something to them…

Azure's sadness began to fade. As it did…he felt hot within. His anger once more began to swell up, and started to fill him.

Good. The voice reassured in a calming tone. They fear you and hate you…give them something to be afraid of. Fill yourself with anger and choke away your tears. Let your hatred of them push out the false love they instilled in you. See them for what they really are. Anger will make you strong, Azure. It will free you from your sadness and despair. It will give you power you didn't realize you had. It will enable you to survive and thrive all on your own. You need nothing so long as you have it. With hate as your weapon, there is not a force on this world that can stop you. There is no thug or thief or drug dealer who can touch you. Feel the power it can give you…how strong it can make you…

Azure began to breathe more stiffly. He felt his anger grow…his rage at this family of liars and betrayers. They made his hands turn to fists, and his eyes blaze with rage. And true to what the voice said…he felt himself grow better. His thoughts seemed to become more clear. His body felt taller…mightier. He felt strength coursing through him that he didn't know he had. His fears and sadness faded…and he began to feel stronger and more independent than he had ever been before.

I don't need them… He thought as his anger swelled. I don't want them. I hate them. Only Marlene ever felt pity for me…but the rest of them hate me. Even that Cetra…

Azure failed to realize, at this point, that the very name Cetra…seemed to double his anger.

The boy slowly raised off the bed, tight with anger and looking stronger and more powerful than ever. He turned to the door leading out of the room. He glared at it hatefully…and to those who filled the house below. He hated them all. They were traitors…and played on his feelings for too long. He wasn't going to be their prisoner any longer.

The boy turned to the window leading out of the room. Immediately, he stepped off of the bed and onto the ground. Without fear, and with the last of his tears drying up on his face of grim resolution, he walked to the window. On reaching it, he put his hands out and pulled himself into its frame. After doing so, without even thinking of the drain pipe, he leapt right out from it and to the ground below.

Tifa couldn't believe Cloud.

This was turning out to be a horrible day. First there was that body they found…and then there was Denzel coming in with his head bleeding. Tifa had cleaned it up as best as she could, but to her it looked like it needed stitches to keep from scarring. That meant she had to walk him to the hospital, because they didn't have a car and Tifa didn't trust him on Fenrir. While she was working, she heard yelling and crying and everything else coming from downstairs, before she heard one of the children run up and slam the door. She sighed as this happened, wondering what was going on now.

At last she emerged, and began to walk Denzel downstairs. As she had come down, she had heard Cloud saying something to Aerith, and she was retorting with something else. When she finally got to the bottom, she saw them sitting across from each other, talking about what had happened. Tifa immediately asked what all of the yelling and screaming was about. Cloud was hesitant, but Aerith told her what had happened. She was shocked.

"Why in the world did you do that?" She nearly shot at him.

Denzel, on hearing what had happened, began to turn for the stairs again. "…I want to go see if he's ok."

"No." Cloud immediately stated, turning to Denzel and shaking his head. "He's being punished. And he may be punished for more than this before the day gets out."

"Cloud, you know how strong you are!" Tifa kept on, still in disbelief. "You could have really hurt him! And you know what he's been through!"

Cloud sighed and leaned forward. "Look…it wasn't just about the hit. When you went on upstairs this morning, the police told me they found a bike hidden behind the dumpster. It was brand new, and it had a message on it saying that it was from Azure. It's Marlene's favorite color."

Tifa hesitated at this. Denzel likewise turned back to Cloud, looking confused.

"A bike?" He said aloud. "Azure said he wanted to get Marlene a bike for her birthday…but I told him there was no way we could get enough money to get one. Did you guys give him the money?"

"No, we didn't, Denzel." Cloud immediately answered. "Do you know how he got it?"

The boy shook his head.

Tifa, however, was getting the implications from this. She turned back to Cloud and crossed her arms. She lost some of her anger, but was still a bit upset. "Cloud, what are you saying? Are you saying that Azure-"

"There's no way he could have afforded to get that bike on his own if he bought it." Cloud continued. "So I'm thinking he either looked through one of our wallets, or he might have stolen it."

"Stolen?" Aerith immediately responded in disbelief.

"Azure wouldn't steal!" Denzel protested. After saying this, however, he hesitated a moment and drew back. He seemed to be remembering something. "Well…he really wanted to get Marlene the bike…but I don't think he would have done anything like that…" He said more quietly.

"Cloud, he had no time to steal anything." Tifa responded. "He couldn't have gone out. He's been here almost the whole time over the past two days."

"All I'm saying is that when everything was going crazy with the coming invasion, he might have had a chance to get it. He might not have thought it was stealing at the time, but he might have seen some abandoned truck or something with a new bike on it, and he decided to grab it."

Tifa sighed after a moment. She bowed her head again and frowned. While she did this…she didn't happen to notice Aerith nearby. She too had bowed her head…only she had formed a more thoughtful expression. She was considering something, it appeared. But it wasn't just that. It seemed like…she was noticing something. Like something was disturbing her senses that the others couldn't see or hear…and was making her uncomfortable…

"I'm going to bring Marlene in here." Tifa finally said. "Maybe she'll be able to clear this up before we bring Azure in."

The woman turned and walked out of the living room and into the entrance hall. She went to the door to the bar, and proceeded to open it. When she looked outside, there, as expected, was Marlene sitting on the steps. She always went here whenever she was upset. When the door opened, however, she turned and looked back up to Tifa. She appeared to have calmed down a lot. Her face was still stained with tears, but she had stopped crying. She also didn't look angry anymore.

"Honey, could you come in here for a moment? We need to ask you something."

Marlene sniffed and rubbed her eyes, but then nodded. She began to get up. Once she was on her feet, she went to Tifa's side and held onto her. Tifa put her own hand down beside her, and then began to lead her back into the house. Within a few moments, they were coming back into the living room, and Marlene and Tifa rejoined the circle of people who were already there.

Cloud hesitated a moment. Marlene wasn't looking at him. Tifa could see why. She had watched him beat Azure. She probably didn't like him very much right now. He folded his hands, bowed his head, and sighed for a moment. But then, he raised his eyes again and looked to her.

"Marlene…I need you to tell us something. I found a bicycle hidden behind the dumpster in the alley."

On hearing this…Tifa felt Marlene stiffen. She swallowed and grew nervous. The woman looked down to her, and realized what the answer was before Cloud even asked the question.

"The tag on it said that Azure got it for your birthday. Did you know he got this for you?"

Marlene kept her head bowed, and shrank back a bit closer to Tifa.

"…Marlene?"

The girl swallowed again, but finally spoke in a quiet voice. "…Yes."

Denzel turned to her in surprise. "You knew he got you a bike? He didn't tell me that he did that. When did he tell you?"

Marlene swallowed and cringed a bit more. "…He showed it to me last night." She admitted reluctantly. "He didn't want me to tell you that he got it… He said he thought that you'd be mad that he spent so much money on getting it when we don't have a lot of money…"

Tifa frowned. That sounded like a blatant lie. It was more likely that he didn't want them knowing how he had gotten it in the first place. Cloud likewise sighed and bowed his head a moment. Yet at this…Aerith stiffened a bit once again. She raised a hand to her mouth…and her eyes filled with what looked like the beginnings of anxiety…or even a bit of fear.

Marlene herself twisted her arms and legs and looked rather small. After they had all be silent for a while, Cloud looked back up and stared at her, but also turned and gave a glance to Denzel as well.

"Alright you two. I want you to tell me the truth. Do you know of any time that Azure was able to go out and get the bike?"

Marlene swallowed and kept her head down. Denzel himself began to look a bit nervous. He folded his hands behind him and began to look at his shoes. Tifa saw them both do this, and immediately let out a sigh. So they did know something about this.

"…No." Denzel finally said.

Marlene kept quiet with her head bowed.

Cloud sighed himself and turned to the girl. "…Marlene?"

The girl swallowed again, and dug her foot against the ground.

"…I don't want to tell."

Tifa looked down at Marlene at that. "…Why not, sweetie?" She asked, in a much calmer and more reassuring voice.

"…I don't want Cloud to get mad and hit him again." Marlene quietly answered.

Tifa looked back up to Cloud at this, and for a moment flashed a frown at him. It was in a way to say to him, "You see what happens?" He looked and saw her, and got her hidden message when she did this. She looked back down to the girl soon after, and rubbed her hand along her, trying to reassure her to speak. As for Cloud, he closed his eyes and sighed, but then opened them again and looked to the little girl.

"…Marlene, I won't get mad. I won't punish him anymore. I won't even let him know I know. But I have to know if you know how he might have gotten this bike. There's a chance that Azure may have stolen it or the money to buy it."

The girl looked up at this in a snap, and gazed at Cloud earnestly. "Azure wouldn't steal! He-"

Cloud held up a hand to stop her as he closed his eyes. "I know…I know Azure wouldn't steal. But he may have taken something that he didn't realize costed money. He might have thought that this was free to give out when it wasn't. Or he might have done something that he didn't know was bad to get it. I need you to tell me, Marlene. Because if he did do something wrong, then the police might find out he did it and then he'll get in real trouble. So please…tell me what you know."

Tifa looked down to Marlene. Her look wasn't as hard, but it implored her to tell the truth as well. The girl looked up to her, and then looked out to Aerith and Denzel. Of them all, Tifa saw that only Denzel looked anxious, as if for her to not say anything. Marlene looked back down to the ground. She appeared torn for a moment, trying to decide what to say or what to do. She had two loyalties to choose from. Yet in the end, she broke down and spoke in a very quiet, hesitant voice.

"…He…he…told us…to cover for him…for a while yesterday…right before we had my party." She slowly admitted. Denzel sighed from where he was and turned more downcast than before. Marlene slowly went on. "He…said he had to do something. He wanted us to make sure you didn't know he was gone. He went out through the window on the drain pipe." Marlene hesitated for a moment after this, and then looked imploringly up to the adults. "But he didn't steal anything from you, Cloud! Or from Tifa or Aerith or anyone else! He never went into your room or anything!"

Yet despite how Marlene pleaded, Tifa knew the damage had been done. Denzel continued to look down and uneasy from where he was. It was obvious that he had wanted to keep quiet about it all, and had known the whole time. So he had been out getting this. It seemed a bit unusual to Tifa. Obviously, he didn't want them knowing that he was going to get it. That meant he was ashamed of one of the ways in which he would get it. But which one? The stores should have been locked up or open by then, so he couldn't have stolen it like that… But if he was going to buy it, then why did he hide in the first place unless he had gotten the money in some sort of dishonest way?

Cloud must have realized the same things. He stayed silent briefly, but in the end looked back up to Tifa. "…We better bring him back down." He finally said.

Immediately, Tifa took her hands off of Marlene, causing the girl to look to her. "I'll get him." She immediately said. She didn't want Cloud going up there. He'd just make him more upset. Maybe if she went he'd feel more at ease. Cloud seemed to reach that same conclusion. And so, after a momentary pause, he nodded to her. Tifa immediately turned and began to walk back the way she had come, back toward the stairwell.

On reaching it, the woman quickly ascended the steps. Once she was at the top, she turned and walked toward Azure's room. Before doing anything else, she put her head against the door and listened. She was trying to hear if there was crying or anything else. She could hear nothing, however. She hesitated, but then reached out and knocked.

"…Azure? It's Tifa."

No response.

"Are you alright in there? Can I come in?"

Still no answer.

The woman drew back and hesitated. He was giving the silent treatment. Maybe he was too upset right now to want to talk to her. Maybe he figured that they had found out the truth. After all, you could easily hear what was going on downstairs by cracking the door. Seeing as he wasn't saying she could enter, she tried the complimentary question.

"I'm going to come in. If you don't want me to, just say so."

Again, no answer.

Tifa took that as him being neutral. She slowly turned the doorknob and pushed the door open. She turned into the frame and looked inside.

A light breeze at the window blew the covers and a few loose papers and drawings in the room. But other than that, she saw nothing. Denzel's bed was indented, indicating that he had thrown himself on that when he entered. His cot wouldn't take him throwing himself around, after all. However, he wasn't there. She didn't see him in her immediate line of vision.

Tifa wasn't worried, however. Azure had used to hide on the opposite side of the bed. She walked in at that, and moved toward the opposing side of Denzel's bed. But when she looked on that side…she saw nothing. Her brow furrowed at this.

"Azure?" She called out. As she did so, she dropped down to her knees. She lifted up the covers first on Denzel's bed, and then on Marlene's, looking underneath them. She saw nothing, just things they had shoved under there. After seeing this…Tifa's face began to crease. She turned and looked to the only other place one could hide…the closet. She felt herself moving a bit faster when she reached it and opened the door…but once again turned up nothing.

Tifa began to feel worry now, and a bit of fear started to well up inside her. Moving quickly now, she stepped out of the room and looked to the bathroom. But she didn't need to go any closer. It was still wide open from when she had been there, and there was no one there. Running out of options, Tifa turned and walked to her own room. She opened the door there, and soon began to move through it, looking through closets, under the bed, and anywhere else a boy could hide. But she still saw nothing. He wasn't there.

Now, the woman was growing very worried, and her face showed it. He wasn't here. He couldn't have come downstairs. It didn't matter if one was as silent as she could be when she trained. The steps creaked too much. But he wasn't anywhere up here… Where could he have gone?

Then, as Tifa thought of that, she remembered to what Marlene had told her.

The drain pipe.

Tifa immediately turned and nearly ran back into the kids' room. The window was open there, just as she had left it. It had been open when she came in, she remembered. Quickly, she ran to it and stuck her head outside. But below, the alleyway was clear. There was no sign of anyone there. And there shouldn't have been. They had been talking for a while now. He had more than enough time to get away…

Tifa now was scared. She used to be afraid of this boy…but she had been tending to him, feeding him, clothing him, and treating him like a member of the family for weeks. Her own maternal instincts began to feel fear and anxiety for him. She realized what he had to have done…and it filled her with terror.

Immediately, the woman ran out of the room again. She practically leapt down the stairs, taking two at a time as she rushed back down. By the time she reached the bottom and made for the living room, the others gathered there heard her come, and they turned to look at her. When she did rush in, her face was stretched with fear.

"Azure's gone." She stated. "He's run away."

Denzel and Marlene immediately formed looks of surprise, which quickly gave way to anxiety and fear. They stared at each other nervously. Cloud, on his part, sighed and bowed his head again. This time…his dark mood was more focused on himself. Tifa could tell immediately what he was thinking…and, to be honest, she couldn't help but feel that he was right to think this. What he had done had been across the line, and now it had affected him. That was more than likely the thing that had caused him to run away, just as what Hoeng did to him caused him to run away. And now, the guilt of what he had done began to weigh on him again.

Marlene finally turned back to Tifa, face stricken with fear again. "We have to go find him!"

"He said people used to hurt him when he was on his own!" Denzel added. "What if they do it again?"

On hearing this, Cloud exhaled and closed his eyes. He held for only a fraction of a second, but then began to put his hands at his sides to push himself up. "…Azure is not going to get hurt. We're going to find him. I-"

"Denzel? Marlene? Why don't you go out and start calling out for Azure in case he's still nearby? Cloud and Tifa and me will get ready to go out and try to find him."

Both Tifa and Cloud turned their heads to this unexpected pronouncement. They found themselves looking at Aerith. She seemed normal and calm enough, but her attention was focused on the two children. Neither of them debated her, although they wondered why she had just said this. As for Marlene and Denzel, they didn't need to be told twice. Eager to find their friend, both turned and ran for the door to the bar area. They soon opened it and ran out, leaving the three adults in silence. They did hear the second door open outside a moment later, and then began to hear the faint cries of the two children began to call out Azure's name. They began to move apart as they moved around the building, but they continued to cry.

As they did, Tifa and Cloud focused on Aerith. The Cetra herself kept her eyes on the children even after they had gone out. It wasn't until they began to cry that her face lost some of its control and firmness. She slowly leaned back into her chair. And as she did, worry began to cover her expression. They saw some sort of fear or anxiety start to grow in her eyes, and kept them focused on an invisible object as she leaned back. She slowly exhaled…seeming to try to steady herself in her moment of fear.

Both Cloud and Tifa became a bit uncomfortable on seeing her like this, and knew something was wrong.

"Aerith?" Cloud finally asked. "What's the matter?"

The Cetra inhaled deeply and exhaled again at this, and then turned to the two of them.

"…I need to tell you what I've been feeling…and I hope that my worst fears aren't true."

"Azure! Azure!"

Marlene continued to call out as she ran around to the back of the Seventh Heaven. While Denzel hung around the front and cried, she would move to the rear. She ran all the way into the rear alley and into it. She called out his name back there, hoping that he would pop out from the dumpster or some other hiding place back there. Unfortunately, he did not. The girl was forced to turn back to the outside of the alley and continued to call his name.

"Azure! Come back! Please!"

The girl was filled with fear for him. What Denzel said was right. What if someone tried to hurt him again? What if they shot him or stabbed him? What if one of the thugs out here tried to do something to him? Even if that didn't happen, what if he never came back? He was one of Marlene's friends. She couldn't stand to see him run away. She had to get to him. She was mad at Cloud now, knowing that because he hit him he had run off. She had to find him so that she could tell him Cloud was sorry, and that he could come back. She and Denzel would stand in front of him if he tried to hit him again. But she had to find him first. She had to meet him and persuade him to come back. But where was he?

Marlene knew she was supposed to stay close to the Seventh Heaven unless she was with someone else, but she didn't care. She couldn't just stand here. What if Azure was farther off? And so, she ran back out of the alley. Instead, she began to run down the darker, more abandoned streets behind their house, and called out all the more earnestly.

"Azure! Answer me please! Azure!"

As Marlene continued to run down the back street, putting more and more distance between herself and her home, she called out unceasingly. Her face stayed tight with fear, and her eyes welled up with tears. She had to find him…she had to get his attention before he went too far. She didn't care that as she ran, Denzel's own cries were becoming more faint in the distance. She didn't care that the buildings around her seemed to rise and become more dark and shadowy. She just wanted to find him. Without fear, she turned into each alley and called down them, trying to get her friend to show himself, and then ran on. She didn't look back once to see how far she was going. Her sole concern was finding her friend alive and well…

The girl was growing worried, wondering if she was moving farther away from him, and thinking he had went the other way. This made her more nervous. She slowly came to a halt on the sidewalk. She looked around her at the abandoned buildings and streets, but saw nothing. Swallowing, she turned her head up once more, and opened her mouth to call out one more time…

But then, she saw a flash of silver in one of the rays of sunlight that shone between buildings. Immediately, Marlene looked down to the source. There he was. He was just ahead, looking out from the edge of a building, staring at her with his pale green eyes.

Marlene broke into a smile. "Az-"

She cut herself off a moment later, as Azure frantically raised a finger to his lips in a hushing gesture. The girl didn't know why he wanted her to be quiet…but she wasn't about to say anything to get him to run off again. She went silent as he indicated. After that, he beckoned to her to come after him into the alley, and then ducked out of sight. The girl hesitated a moment. She turned and looked behind her. Denzel's own voice was very faint now…and she realized just how far she had gone from the Seventh Heaven. Even running it would take a while to get back. But in the end, she turned and looked back to Azure. Then she ran to the alley after him.

The girl soon reached the edge, and ducked inside. Azure was standing just within it, seeming to be hiding against the wall. On seeing him, Marlene immediately ran up and hugged him, grateful that he was safe. Azure returned it. They hugged for a few moments of silence. But then, Marlene began to back up from him again. He let her, and soon they were looking into each other's eyes.

"Azure…you're alright!" Marlene exclaimed in relief. The boy smiled slightly in response to this. However, Marlene's face soon turned anxious after saying this. "Why did you run away from home?"

On hearing this, Azure's smile faded. His brows creased, and he suddenly looked much more troubled and dark. He bowed his head and slowly sighed.

"…I can't stay there anymore, Marlene." He finally said.

The girl's eyes widened, and she immediately stepped in closer to him. "Why?"

"…Everyone there is afraid of me." He slowly admitted. "Everyone but you. They're as scared of me as everyone else is out here. They…" The boy paused, but then sighed. "…They hate me. They wish I would go away…so I'm leaving."

"No, Azure! That's not true!" The girl immediately answered, coming in closer and taking the boy by the arms. She turned him to face her. His face was still low and dark, but he managed to look up to her. "I don't hate you! Denzel doesn't hate you! Aerith doesn't hate you! No one wants you to go away! Cloud's really sorry for what he did! And Tifa's worried about you! We all want you to come home!"

The boy sadly gazed back at her for a moment. In the end, he shook his head. "They may say that…but they're afraid of me. They're scared of how strong I am. I can't stay, Marlene. I was holding out here waiting to see if you would come out, because I wanted to see you again. But I can't stay around here. They all think I hit Denzel on purpose. When they find out about the bike, they'll think I stole it. It's better if I just run away…"

"Please, Azure!" Marlene pleaded. "Please don't go! I'll miss you too much!"

The silver-haired boy paused once again at this, looking at Marlene's own sad eyes. He stayed sad-looking himself during that time. But in the end…he began to look a bit hopeful, and a slight smile came on his face.

"…You could come with me."

Marlene abruptly paused. Her face went back, and turned to confusion. "…Come with you?"

Azure, growing more hopeful, nodded. "Yeah. Come with me, Marlene. Then I won't be alone anymore, and you won't have to miss me."

Marlene still hesitated, looking puzzled at this request. "You mean…you want me to run away with you? Leave home and everyone else?"

Azure quickly nodded. "Yes! We'll be out together, just the two of us! We won't need Cloud or Tifa or anyone else!"

The girl still paused at this. She didn't like this idea…and had no desire to leave Cloud, Tifa, Denzel, Aerith, Ragnar, her father, or anyone else. She would miss Azure…but she didn't think she'd want to stay with him so that she could be away from all of her other friends and family. And yet Azure continued to look eagerly at her, seeming to hope that she would agree.

"But…where will we sleep?" Marlene finally asked. "How will we eat? We can't live on the street. So many people are out there who want to hurt you…"

But to this, Azure's smile only grew. He actually chuckled a bit, as if Marlene was making a bit of a joke. This only puzzled the girl even more. Not only that…but something about it unnerved her. Azure suddenly didn't seem like himself.

"We don't have to live on the street, Marlene." Azure reassured. "Over the past few days, I've discovered something about myself. I'm strong and powerful…stronger than anyone else, even Cloud or Tifa. I can do anything. I can beat up anyone who tries to hurt you or me. I'm not scared of the streets anymore, Marlene. I'm not scared of anyone, because I know I'm stronger than them…better than them.

"Marlene…" Azure continued, taking the girl by the hands, leaning in, and growing more enthusiastic. "There's hundreds…thousands of criminals in this city. People who lie, cheat, steal, murder, sell drugs…do everything bad. They all have a lot of money from stealing and selling drugs. None of them can stop me from taking it from them. And who would they go to? The police? No one would believe them because they're criminals. If they tried to stop me, I can hurt them…even kill them…with my bare hands. All that money will be ours. I can buy you anything. All your favorite things to eat. Your own puppy or kitty. All the pretty clothes in the mall. A house with a big flower garden. I can give you anything!"

Azure was growing more eager as he said this. And he didn't flinch in the least when he talked about hurting…or killing…people. Marlene's eyes widened more when he said that…and her uncertain, confused face began to take on a bit of unease…and even fear. Azure…when he spoke about killing people…almost seemed to be…happy that he could. His words, and how he was acting, were making her uncomfortable.

"Then one day…" Azure went on, talking louder and smiling wider. "We'll both be grown up. When we are, I'll be by far the strongest person alive. I'll be able to destroy the whole New Shinra Army and the Planet Protector Army by myself. I'll be able to take over the whole world, Marlene! And when I do, I'll give it to you. We'll be the king and queen of Gaia! We'll have a great life together! We'll never be cold or hungry again, and we'll always get whatever we want! And once we rule the world, we can get rid of all the fighting and killing and all the people who want to hurt us! We'll remake the world how we want it!"

Marlene stared blankly back at this. She didn't share any of Azure's sudden joy...and she couldn't believe what she was hearing. Never before had Azure talked like this. He had never wanted to rule the world or said anything about it. He had never talked about killing people and taking their money. But he seemed happy and joyful now about all of this…and he was scaring Marlene more than he had ever scared her before. That he would want to conquer this world…be its ruler…make the rules himself… It sounded just like the bad people she heard about who tried to take over the world when she was younger. As Marlene heard this, she began to think back to what her daddy had said to her two months ago…what she thought was a lie and wouldn't hear. The Azure she knew then was kind and meek.

But this Azure…seemed like a different person.

The girl paused a bit longer in the face of this proclamation. She felt very uncomfortable now...and found herself no longer happy to have found Azure. She didn't want to be alone with him in this alley. But then…she managed to say something. "But…what about Denzel? What about-"

At the mention of that name…Azure's joy suddenly vanished. To Marlene's surprise, his face suddenly turned cross.

"What about Denzel?" He nearly snorted back, cutting Marlene off. "Why should he have any say in this? He'll never be as strong as me, Marlene! He'll never be as smart or fast! That's why he hates me more than the others! That's why he tried to make me lose today in front of you! But I can give you everything Denzel can't. I can give you the world. What can he give you? Which one of us got you your favorite present for your birthday? He just wanted to give you those stupid cards! I'm the one who went out and got the money and the gift!"

Marlene recoiled as how angry Azure had suddenly become. It was like the mere mention of Denzel's name set him off, like he hated to hear it. But why? Denzel was his best friend… He was the one who brought him in… How could he think these things about him? What was going on with him? Why was Azure acting like this? Why was he getting so angry?

But then…something suddenly clicked with Marlene. She realized what Azure was saying…and she related it back to what he had said before. She made a connection…and suddenly found herself stricken with more fear. She took another step away from Azure, now fully showing her fear at her sudden realization. As he saw her looking at him like that…his own anger began to grow in his eyes.

"That…that's how you got my bike…" She said aloud. "You…you hurt someone… You stole their money…"

Azure glared on at her.

"…Why are you backing away from me, Marlene?" He asked angrily, as if challenging her.

The girl began to raise a hand to her mouth to cover her growing horror, as tears started to well up in her eyes.

"…You didn't hit him by accident. You hit him on purpose…didn't you?"

"What are you doing?" He nearly snapped. "Are you trying to get away from me? Huh!"

"Azure…you're scaring me…" Marlene answered, her face filling with fear and sadness. "Everything you're saying…it's scaring me…"

On hearing this, however, Azure's eyes enlarged.

"…You're afraid of me too, aren't you?" He lashed back, accusingly. "You're afraid just like the rest of them! You're scared of me because of what I can do! Because of who I am!"

The girl swallowed. She began to withdraw on herself, cringing. Azure's face was blazing with anger. She was afraid he would strike her at any moment, and she took another step back.

"Azure…please…" She begged in a small voice. "Let's just go home…"

"Why!" Azure yelled back. His hands balled into fists, and he began to walk forward to her. Marlene gasped, but she couldn't move away. His pale eyes burned fiercely, and seemed to freeze her. "So that the rest of you can make me feel horrible! So that you can hurt me again and again! So you can make me weak by thinking that I need your love! I don't need your love! I don't need anyone's love! You all want to control me! You all want me to act like a sick puppy in front of you!"

Marlene couldn't answer. She was frozen in fear as the boy began to tower over her. She didn't know what to say. Azure was growing so mean… He was a different person now. She didn't even see a trace of the boy he had once been in him. He was doing so many wicked things…saying so many horrible things… She couldn't give any answer.

In the end, Azure grit his teeth and sneered at her. Only then did he turn and begin to walk away from her. His body was tight with rage, and each step he took seemed to shake the ground. Once he was far enough away from her, Azure snapped his head back around and glared at her hatefully.

"…I hate you more than anyone now, Marlene…because you made me love you when you hated me the whole time." He sneered. "I hate you…your family…this city…and everyone else on the face of this world."

With that, the boy snapped away from her. Then, to Marlene's further surprise…he suddenly crouched and leapt into the air. Revealing superhuman movements, the boy lunged into the sky a full two stories before arching and hitting a brick side of a building. He immediately rushed up the rest of the way, scurring along the flat surface as if it was a ladder, and went over the top. After that, he ran along the side of the roof…and was gone, moving away from the Seventh Heaven.

Marlene quivered as tears fell from her eyes, looking after the boy. She was still shaking and cringing. But as she stood there…she began to think back to what he said. There was only one other person she had known of that had possessed so much hate…who had hated everyone on the face of the Planet…

Breaking out into full sobs, the girl turned and began to run out of the alley and back toward the Seventh Heaven.

To be continued...