Author's Note: Here's chapter eight! I hope that all of you guys will enjoy it... but we'll see :). Ummm... I'm feeling better! But I still have to have a teaspoon of cough syrup (with molasses in it) every two hours, which is very annoying, because it's disgusting.

Anyway, I was originally not going to start out this chapter with a dream... but when my "language arts teacher" decided to give a "lesson" on creative writing, I just came up with the beginning. So I hope you guys like!

I would thank my recent reviewers... but it's almost nine o' clock, and my mom will bust me, 'cause her latest rule is "I have to get off by nine o' clock." I really hate this rule.

On a brighter note, enjoy the chapter!

CHAPTER EIGHT: MEMORIES

Blue eyes… golden emerald swirls… ocean— the spray of salt in the air… she was giggling and jumping through the waves.

The sky got dark… the waves became choppy and dangerously high— they swallowed her whole…

"Mother! Mother! Wake up!

She was drowning— choking— the eyes that stared down at her changed color, and narrowed mercilessly.

See Kitty this is what you were born for— to die making something brilliant. You were only meant to be a pawn. My pawn.

"No!" Kitty shot up in bed with a scream, she bumped her head against something hard, and cried out. Throwing her arms about her head in excruciating pain, Kitty looked up at whatever it was she had collided heads with—

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Kadaj swore. He cradled his forehead in his hands.

Kitty's eyes widened, "Oh my god! I'm so sorry!"

Loz was laughing, looming above Kitty and her bed. Yazoo only smirked; it wasn't every day that their little brother was hit by a girl. In fact Kadaj had never been hit by a girl…

Kitty scrambled up from the bed and went to go fetch a damp rag from the bathroom, hurrying back she found the three brothers in the same position as she had left them.

"Here," Kitty padded up to Kadaj and handed him the rag.

"What's this?" Kadaj was confused; he knew what it was… he just didn't understand why she had gotten it for him.

"It's a rag," Kitty frowned, "for your head."

Kadaj looked up at her his hair concealing his face as always, "You got this for… me?"

Kitty looked over at Loz and Yazoo. She found that even they looked as surprised and curious as Kadaj.

"Ummm… yeah!" Kitty smiled uncertainly at him, "for you." There was awkward silence afterward… then Kitty spoke up. "What? What's wrong?"

Kadaj shook his head; Loz and Yazoo looked away.

"Did I do something wrong? Am I not supposed to help you?" Kitty was confused… she wondered if this planet considered it a crime to help others, whereas earth considered it something wonderful.

"It's not that you did something wrong…" Yazoo cocked his head, as if trying to interpret Kadaj's thoughts, "It's just that—" Yazoo stopped mid-sentence to snap his head in the direction of the apartment door. His eyes narrowed.

Kadaj whipped up and pushed Kitty to the bed. But all Kitty had eyes for was the rag she had handed to Kadaj; it fell motionless to the floor…

The door flew open— the sound of an inhuman scream echoed down the streets outside of the window. A man was revealed at the doorway. He was gaunt, like all of the villagers around, with blonde hair, a mustache, and a business suit on. He quivered with every word he spoke.

"Creatures— attacking— evacuation—"

Kadaj calmly walked over to the doorway, and with a blink of an eye had the door slammed shut in the man's face. "Stupid human… can't even speak right," he growled, "now brother's you know our plan."

Kitty, unable to understand the situation they were under, just stared wide-eyed at the closed door. Under an attack…? She looked over at the brothers, plan? What plan?

Outside in the hallways voices could be heard, people were screaming and panicking.

What type of creatures? Kitty got up hesitantly from the bed and walked slowly over to the window. She was just barely aware of Kadaj and his brothers gathering up a modicum of supplies around her. She saw through the periphery of her vision, Kadaj stuff a bit of materia in a small leather pouch at his hip.

Kitty got to the window. She opened the blinds—as if in slow motion— there came a vociferous and vibrant scream. The lights went off in the room.

"Mother!"

The next thing Kitty knew was she'd been hit by some massive force, and she was now tumbling underneath said thing. Somewhere nearby there was a massive crash, glass shattered, and something fell heavily into the room. The thing that pinned Kitty to the floor sheltered her from the oncoming shards of glass.

"Shhhh… shhhhh… Mother," it was Kadaj… Kadaj had pushed her to the floor. "Shhhh... shhhh…"

Kitty shivered, and tried to get up, but Kadaj only used his weight to push her back down.

There came a snarl from close by… animalistic… emitted from a beast with foul breath.

Kitty whimpered under Kadaj, and Kadaj hissed at her— but it was too late.

The creature flew at them, threw Kadaj off of Kitty, and then it was on her. Kitty screamed— the creature only hissed and spluttered and pawed at her. Kitty struggled and rolled around, trying to get the creature off of her… but with no avail. The creature's knurly hand found part of Kitty's bare stomach as it ripped away part of her shirt, and splayed across her fair skin. Kitty screamed yet again… the creature's skin burned.

A hideous shriek— a flash of silver— a slash of honed claws…the creature sprang up and poised it's claw in one long sweep towards Kadaj's neck. Kitty screamed, she watched with wide eyes, as blood splattered everywhere, and Kadaj's sword went right through the creature's hand. The creature screamed, but did not stop it's onslaught, it flew at Kadaj; Kadaj met the creature full on. Another thin figure, with long silver hair, joined the fray.

"Mother…! Mother…! Over here, Mother!"

Kitty's attention wavered from Kadaj and the obscured creature to some figure crouching in the dark.

"L-Loz? Yazoo? I-I can't see…" Kitty reached out a hand towards the figure, and the figure took it.

"Hurry… they're after you Mother. We cannot allow them to take you," the voice was easily depicted. Kitty could tell that it was Loz. He pulled her up from her crouched position and pushed her in front of him, she ran blindly for the door; an erect rectangle of gloom in the darkness.

"L-Loz… what about Kadaj… and Yazoo? We can't just leave them!" Kitty halted in her steps, and turned back.

"They'll live," came Loz's answer.

"B-but—"

Another scream outside that belonged to another creature, alerted Loz that he needed to get the girl out of there, and fast. Loz yanked Kitty up by the waist, and began to run with her to the door. Kitty struggled in his arms, but like the first time, she fell limp.

Loz dropped Kitty in the hallway— dark from the power-outing— and ordered her to run in front of him. She'd asked where they were going; he told her he'd guide her. So Kitty ran, fear pumped in her veins and her heart missed a few beats every cry she heard from outside. Something was beginning to crawl under her shirt… something barely there, yet still present.

"Left— go left!" Loz called to her.

Kitty swerved to the left, and ran down another long hallway that stretched into eternal darkness. Kitty closed her eyes… a cry— a flash of silver— a slash of honed claws… blood everywhere…

Flash!

Yazoo gathered Kitty's hair up in both of his hands, and yanked hard, pulling her head back so as he could gaze into her eyes. "Mother… let us help you. Kadaj doesn't wish to hurt you, but he will if you do not cooperate. Understand?"

Flash!

A figure dropped down in front of Kitty from the roofs above. Kitty skidded to a haltKadaj walked towards her with a small sadistic smile on his face, his hood down, his hair falling into his face. "Mother," he called, "there's no need to be afraid of us… I won't hurt you." His voice was soft. He was almost like a child, calling out to a badly-treated puppy. Yet his face told Kitty otherwise…

Flash!

Kitty's head snapped up, and to the left, as soon as she detected Yazoo's approach. She quickly wiped away her tears, and stayed stalk still as she saw the cloaked figure a few feet away. The figure stopped, and just watched her. Kitty noticed that his or her head was cocked to the side in an imploring manner… or perhaps it was a bored gesture. Kitty stood up, "W-who are you?"

Flash! Flash! Flash!

Kitty fell to the ground… "Loz!" she screamed. Her skin burned, where the creature had touched her… "Loz! Please… it's burning! Get it off of me— get it off of me!"

Loz crumpled to the ground next to her, "Mother…? Where— I don't understand— what burns?"

Kitty didn't understand either. All she knew was that whatever it was, it was making her fall into unconsciousness; into memory lane.

Oh yes… Kitty-kat. Memory lane… we feed off of memory lane…

"Who's there?!" Kitty had heard a whisper in the dark… a hiss.

"Mother—there's no one here, but me," Loz was beginning to panic. He couldn't fathom losing Mother after just finding her… he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he lost Mother.

Kitty cried out when her skin reached a boiling temperature, she writhed on the floor… Out on the bridge, puddles were already forming upon the uneven cobblestones, and accidentally Kitty caught a glimpse of herself—Silver strands of hair…

Flash!

Kitty hissed in pain her eyes tightly closed, she had landed hard on her side having bashed the left side of her forehead against the road. She opened her eyes and gazed at her blurry surroundings, as soon as Kitty's vision cleared, she gasped. A few inches away lay her locket in the rubble of the street in between someone's shoes. A whole crowd had gathered around her and the accident scene, Kitty groaned. Swiftly Kitty swiped her hand over her locket, and just barely noticed that the chain had broken, before jumping up and bolting through the crowd. As soon as the carter had seen her get up, he had dropped the number of clothes he had been busy picking up, and called after her in a fury…

Flash!

In the moment of relief, Kitty had looked up at the window she had fallen from, and had seen Kadaj there staring at her with his wide blue-flecked-green eyes. He hadn't narrowed them, or smirked at her, he'd done nothing but watch her in… fear?

Flash!

With a cursory glance down, Kitty checked to make sure her clothes were still in check. They were… but something was wrong. Kitty's eyes widened as soon as she saw the locket exposed so assailable against the thin clothe of her jacket. It has been forgotten… Kitty thought. Kitty swiftly brought her hands up to push the locket back under her jacket, but as soon as she saw her wrists she stopped. Bringing her hands up closer to her face, Kitty was able to examine them more closely. Her wrists were no longer hindered by rope. Bandages had been taped, meticulously, to parts of her wrist that had chafed during the time the brother's had held her captive. Now curious, Kitty threw the covers off of her whole body, and pulled her legs up to her chest. She then examined her ankles; they had received the same medical treatment as her wrists…

Flash!

Kadaj walked forward and fell to his knees in front of the girl, he put a hand on Kitty's back, "Shhhh… don't fight her…," he whispered. Kitty began to sob "Just let her through," Kadaj soothed. His voice wasn't deadly sweet, or smug, it wasn't sarcastic or apathetic… it was actually… reassuring. "Just let yourself go. It will all be over in a second. Trust me."Another spasm of excruciating pain and Kitty was out cold…

Flash!

Kitty backed away from Zack. She hated when people yelled at her. She bumped against something hard. "What the—?" Kitty jumped out of the way of whatever she had bumped into, and turned around. "Who are you? Zac—!"Kitty barely had any time to gaze upon the deviant man's visage before he lunged at her, and smothered her mouth with his cold hand. Cold… cold like metal.He purred gently in her ear, "Be quiet. You don't want to die, do you?"

Flash! Flash! Flash!

Kitty's eyes shot open. She noticed that Loz was rocking her soothingly, and crying silently.

"Don't leave us, Mother…" he whispered, "we just found you."

Kitty began to cough atrociously, "I'm n-not—" cough "—leaving you…" she whispered hoarsely, with a weak smile. Then she began to cough even harder. The burning sensation on Kitty's skin came back ten-fold.

I'm coming to feast on you little kitty-kat…

A figure emerged from the dark, and let out an enraged scream.

Loz turned with narrowed eyes, and gazed upon the obscured form of the creature. "You'll pay for trying to hurt Mother!" Loz then set upon the creature, with his Dual Hound charged to kill.

Kitty was left to fend for herself on the ground… by a window overlooking the full moon.

Flash! Flash! Flash!

Zack began to laugh; his laugh was deep and throaty, but warm and welcoming. "You know, kid," he said, "I like you. Here," he turned to a small knap-sack laying next to him, and rummaged through it. After a few seconds, he pulled out a water canteen, "Drink this, it'll give you back your strength."

"Ah, you're awake! I was wondering when you'd wake up," a handsome young man sat scrambling something in a pan above a fire near where Kitty had been resting. "I'm making some scrambled eggs, if you want some," he told Kitty jovially…

A feather light touch to Kitty's shoulder startled her from her desolate state. Kitty looked up to find a gorgeous young woman standing before her, clad in a flattering pink dress that flowed about her calves. The woman was smiling a gentle but sad smile."Are you my angel?" Kitty asked the woman in apprehension.The woman only shook her head lightly, a thick auburn plait swinging behind her along with the motion. "No," she laughed. Her voice was as sweet as honey."Then who are you? And- and where am I?"The woman kneeled down in front of Kitty, "My name is Aerith, I am the guardian of this church…" she said, "and you are in Midgar."

Splish-splosh… splish-splosh…. Kitty groaned in exasperation, and rolled over. The covers on her bed felt damp… and oddly hard. Splish-splosh… splish-splosh… Kitty reached for her pillow— her hand met something rubbery. Kitty opened her eyes in astonishment, and found herself gazing upon a beautiful white flower. She scrambled up from her spot amongst blades of grass and white and yellow budsKitty looked around; she was standing in a small plot of grass that had, a long time ago, broken up the wooden floor of the church, and grown to be a yard of blooming greenery. The church must have been a very beautiful place once upon a time, only a few windows were still in place, and of what Kitty could see, the glass was stained to depict of different holy scenes in each window…

Flash! Flash! Flash!

Kitty sat up in a bolt, beads of sweat ran down her forehead. She looked over at where there should have been a window portraying the full moon… instead there was a wall. Someone had dragged her away from where she had originally been.

"Hey, kid, drink this. Hurry, you don't have much time until it takes over you."

Kitty squinted her eyes at a blurry figure in front of her, "Zack?" her voice was only a hoarse whisper.

"Yeah… I came back… just for you, kid."

We no longer have control over her. The creature has touched her… now it's up to Kitty to fight what's inside of her… if she doesn't…

I know… all is lost and the world is theirs.

Thanks for reading! R&R, please :).