Author's Note: Wow... this is probably my greatest masterpiece yet... but we'll see what you guys think. I was kind've crying at the end of the chapter... it was very emotional for me to write:). Hmmm... oh yeah! Sorry about the late update again... I kind've had writers block... and other things I had to do.

I want to thank Robo-Kyo for pointing out that Tifa actually wears shorts with a flowing piece of clothe behind, instead of a skirt. Yeah... sorry about that, sheepish smile, I really am trying though to get the characters right. So if you think anything's wrong with one of them, feel free to point it out to me.

Hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

CHAPTER TWELVE: DON'T LEAVE ME

She was in a field, standing immobile amongst a sea of jade-green grass and white and yellow flowers. She was wondering if she would be subjected to something nightmare-ish.

Her heart beat in her chest— she tried to move… an arm… a leg… but she couldn't. She wondered if she was once again encumbered by some invisible force. An invisible force that trapped her within a small enclosed box of air…

Suddenly she couldn't breathe! Gasping for breath, she fell to her knees— disappearing into the sea of flora—the ground swallowed her whole.

She barely had time to scream, before she was standing on her own two feet once more. She no longer stood in a flowery meadow; she now stood in a room. The room was capacious, with high arched floor-to-ceiling windows, a long mahogany table with many chairs running its length, and a fire blazing in a nearby hearth.

"Where am I?" she knew that she was dreaming— she tried to return back to consciousness— but could not, for the life of her, open her eyes. Panic began to rise up, like a series of relentless moth wings brushing up the insides of her stomach. She could tell something was just about to happen…

A door from across the room creaked open; a tall imposing figure came quietly into the room. All that she could see of him was that he had long silver hair… and he was wearing a long flowing black cloak.

"You there!"

Her heart skipped a beat; for a second she thought maybe he had seen her, but then she saw him.

"Kadaj…," she breathed. He stood motionless by a window— not in his trademark leather— but in a white hooded robe, rimmed in gold. He was younger, perhaps fourteen … she could tell from his younger features, and from how much smaller he now was.

"Didn't I tell you yesterday that this room was off limits?"

Kadaj didn't move, or even show any sign he had heard the man.

"Hello…?" the man shot an arm out and caught Kadaj by the shoulder, "I'm talking to you!"

Kadaj was forced to turn around, and when he did, she saw the blank impassive look on his face. It scared her; she was reminded of the visage of someone who has given up in life.

She closed her eyes and assured herself that this was only a dream.

"Who are you?" the man demanded of the boy, "Are you another lost spirit? Well heavens up there," the man pointed a finger up indicating the way. But noticing the boy's continual silence, the man peered closer into Kadaj's eyes, "Were your vocal chords cut our… or something? Speak you insolent boy!"

Something flashed in Kadaj's eyes— something she was able to depict as raw anger. Her own eyes widened in fear for what he might do.

"Do you have any idea who I am?" Kadaj's voice was low and dangerous. But somehow it was enough to make the tall man back away. "Do you have any idea who you're talking to?"

She greatly wished this was only a dream…

"N-no...," the man was stumbling back. Now that she could see him, she saw that he had similar features to all three— Yazoo, Loz, and Kadaj. "I had no idea, sir— p-please forgive me," the man made a feeble bow and backed quickly out of the room.

As she watched this, she became greatly aware of the sound of snickering. She glanced around.

"You can come out now, Kitty-Kat," Kadaj had turned back to looking out of the window, but there was something different about him now that the man was gone; something more relaxed and affectionate…

A small seven year old girl, clad in a gown of blue satin came running out from behind a couch, which had been set in the far right-hand corner. The girl ran over to Kadaj and grinned up at him innocently, "How come you won't do that for me?"

"Because," Kadaj raised a hand and let his fingers touch the window in front of him, "Kitty, if your grandmother figured out we were here she would have us kicked out. My brothers and I… well… we did something bad… something in the past."

She backed up, Kitty…?What type of a dream is this? She'd never in a million years have thought that she might dream of something like this… It felt familiar— the setting, the voices, and the way the sun shone down upon the younger version of herself— almost like déjà vu.

"What do you mean, Kadaj?" the younger Kitty tugged on Kadaj's sleeve, "you said that you were a good spirit… you didn't lie to me— did you?"

Spirit…?

"I told you, Kitty, that I wasn't exactly a spirit either… you must understand that," he turned his head a fraction to gaze down at her. "Spirits are able to go to heaven, I can't, and yet I'm not alive. I'm… something that wasn't meant to be… let's leave it at that…"

Younger Kitty shook her head, "But you are! You were meant to be," the small girl threw her small arms around Kadaj's waist and buried her head in his side. "Please don't leave me!"

Kadaj looked astonished for a second, but then he wrapped his arms around the small girl that had become attached to him— literally. "Hey… I won't leave you..."

She could see the guilt in his eyes.

Kitty woke up with a start. It had been a week since she'd been dropped off at Seventh Heaven. Tifa had welcomed her in and had treated her like she was her own. She'd fed her, examined the stitches on her forehead, given her clean clothes, and a room to stay in. Kitty had been extremely grateful— was extremely grateful— yet everything that Tifa did for her, could not remedy the pain of the week before.

Even the chocolate bar she had been given a few nights ago hadn't been enough to cheer her up. It had only reminded her of the brothers.

"Where's Shin-Ra?" she had asked Tifa that night. Tifa had given her a confused look.

"You don't know?" she had asked.

When Kitty shook her head, Tifa had looked uneasily over at Cloud, and Cloud had, in-turn, explained to her that Shin-Ra was a company that had once ruled the world. That was all that he told her, and she didn't care to badger him about it.

The same night Kitty had asked about Shin-Ra, she'd awoken screaming; she'd had a nightmare of those creatures chasing her through pitch dark woods. The next night she woke up crying; she'd relived the night the brother's had died. Yesterday night she'd woken up on the floor in a tangle of sheets; she'd witnessed Zack lying in a pool of his own blood, staring up at the cloudy sky with a blank expression upon his face. Tonight she had woken up from a dream that made no sense what-so-ever.

"Kitty?"

It was Marlene, the young eight-year-old girl she now shared a room with. A little over a week ago Kitty had stepped into Seventh Heaven, she'd been taken by the shoulders and examined by Tifa, and then— when Tifa had let her go and stepped back— Marlene had come into view.

"Aerith?" Kitty had shaken her head at Marlene's questioning tone. Marlene had then run off, Kitty didn't see her until a few hours later. Over the course of the next few days, Marlene had taken it upon herself to adopt Kitty as her older sister. She told Kitty that since she didn't have a mommy like herself, then Kitty was welcome in her own family. Kitty hadn't known what to say… so she had just smiled and told Marlene that she'd love that. Ever since then, Marlene had been following Kitty everywhere. But Kitty didn't mind the company— strangely enough she enjoyed it. Especially since Marlene was a bit of a welcoming distraction; the girl knew how to make you laugh… and Kitty loved that about Marlene.

"Kitty…?"

"I'm here," Kitty answered.

The room was dark. Kitty could barely even see the hand she had raised to scratch above her stitches. It was absurdly dark… Kitty shifted on the bed.

"Can I turn on the light?" Marlene had a small timid voice when she addressed Kitty. It was almost as if Marlene were afraid Kitty might reject her if she said something wrong; Kitty knew the feeling. She had used the same tone of voice when addressing girls at the beginning of her high school year. It hurt to be rejected; it hurt even more to be alone.

"Sure, go ahead," Kitty choked back the tears that were threatening to fall. She still hadn't gotten used to the idea that she wasn't on earth anymore… she still hadn't gotten used to the idea that her aunt might be dead because of her. She should have called the police right away— perhaps then, she wouldn't have gotten into this predicament. Perhaps then Kadaj and his brothers wouldn't be dead… perhaps then she wouldn't be alone.

The light on the nightstand in between Marlene and her own bed, switched on. Sitting up was Marlene, her hair disheveled and her face expressing concern. That was another thing that Kitty had learned about Marlene, she was smart; smarter than most girls with her stature.

"Another dream?" Marlene gave Kitty her full attention.

Kitty nodded softly, "Yeah…"

"What was it about?"

The past couple of night's Marlene had asked the same question, and in turn Kitty would explain each dream in detail. She was happy to have someone to talk to… even if that someone was six years younger than herself. But before Kitty could describe her dream tonight, there came the sound of a motorcycle coming up the street.

Both Kitty and Marlene looked towards the window across the room.

The motorcycle was coming up the street. Kitty wondered who could be riding it at such an ungodly hour of the night. The sound of the motorcycle's engine— high and gruff— suddenly cut off in front of Seventh Heaven.

"Cloud! Cloud's back!" Marlene had gone from confused to gleeful in only a time of mere minutes. She jumped up off of her bed and headed for the window.

"The bar isn't open…" Kitty told herself out loud, Tifa's not awake… Her eyebrows furrowed, was it really Cloud? She remembered his departure earlier the other day; Tifa had hugged him, and he had stood there awkwardly out in the front yard, a sight for her and all of the other children to witness. He'd given Kitty and Marlene a small smile of goodbye and then had left… he'd departed upon the only vehicle Kitty had ever hated in her life— she didn't count a wheelbarrow as a vehicle, she counted it as a cart for the dead. So… how could Cloud just be returning— she'd heard from gathered information that he lived in Aerith's church. She hadn't told Cloud that she'd been there… she hadn't told him that she didn't belong to this world… what he didn't know couldn't hurt him.

"That's funny," Marlene's voice averted Kitty's attention, "there's no one there…"

Kitty hoisted herself up out of bed, and walked over to Marlene. "What do you mean no one's there?" Kitty looked out of the window, yet Marlene was right, all that was there was a motorbike; not Cloud's but someone else's. "Hmmm… perhaps a neighbor's?"

Marlene shook her head slightly, "None of our neighbors own a motorbike."

Something in Kitty told her that something was terribly wrong… but she wouldn't listen to it. She was safe here… after all. Zack had told her so... hadn't he?

(Two hours ago)

Kadaj was standing upon a small hill. Both the hill and the flat-land all around it had grass, as black as coal that whispered like a rattlesnake's rattle. He was gazing down, his hair frolicking in the wind, at a bald man who looked panicked.

"Please! Please…," the bald man was on his knees, looking up to the blackened sky.

Kadaj didn't even blink, when the sky responded.

"You fool! I told you that it wasn't the aunt that I wanted, but the girl. Yet your fancies obviously got the best of you… Hmmm… perhaps I'll send my hounds after you…"

"Please—please, no!"

"No? Would you rather die and not go to the land I promised you?"

"Please, give me a second chance!" the man was crying.

Kadaj only stared apathetically at him; he didn't even move an inch. Only his hair moved… not even a sure sign that he was even alive.

"A second chance? You ask for a second chance when you've failed me more than once?"

"Please, I promise you— my god— that I will capture her this time."

"Oh you promise?"

"I promise— yes! Yes!" the man nodded in enthusiasm.

There was a pause from the sky.

Then, "I will grant you this request… but it will be your last chance. If you fail me again— then you won't live in the afterlife I promised you."

Kadaj was awoken in the dead of the night by the sound of a motorbike; he sat up from where he lay in the grass. "Yazoo! Loz! Wake up," he hissed. Not waiting for his brothers, Kadaj stood up quickly and ran behind a tree right beside the road.

The motorbike was coming quickly; its velocity couldn't have been less than one-hundred miles per an hour. As it came up the road, Kadaj could see enough of the vehicle, to recognize that it was the exact type of edition the creatures' motorbikes had been. The exact version of motorbike… the creatures were after Mother.

His excitement of having found a way to get to Mother soon was overrode by the dawning realization that the creature would get there first.

"Damnit all!" Kadaj shot back into the woods, and found his brothers still asleep upon the small glade of grass they had found. He kicked both of them in the sides, and when that didn't wake Loz he bent down and shook him savagely.

"What is it, now?" Yazoo watched Kadaj shake Loz awake with boredom.

Kadaj didn't look at Yazoo when he spoke, "I've found Mother— a creature is going after her right now," Kadaj growled in frustration when he let go of Loz, and Loz fell to the ground deeply asleep.

Yazoo's eyes lit up slightly at the mention of Mother. When Yazoo noticed that Loz wouldn't wake he simply said, "He drank booze," and then he stood and headed off to the motorbikes. Loz was a lost cause for the time-being.

Kadaj spat on the ground in disgust, "Come back here Yazoo! You're taking him with you… I'll go on ahead."

Yazoo gave Kadaj an irritated look when he passed, but Yazoo did not protest. He knew how important it was to get to Mother before the creature got her… that is if the creatures didn't already have her…

"Do you suppose that it's Cloud, then?" Kitty kept her eyes trained on the motorbike.

"No. That's not his bike," Marlene frowned slightly.

Suddenly there came the sound of glass shattering down in the kitchen. Marlene jumped and Kitty's eyes widened.

"Get Tifa," Kitty looked down upon Marlene in alarm, "hurry— I think—"

Something called out to Kitty… an impervious magnetic force that slammed her up against a wall. When the force let go of her, she fell to the floor shaken up badly.

Marlene cried out and rushed to her, but Kitty told her that Tifa was more important right now. Marlene tentatively backed out of the room, and that was when the magnetic pull came back. Kitty barely had time to yelp when she was yanked up from the floor, pulled to the door— her toes hardly touching the floor— and out into the hallway.

Tifa was just being pulled from her room, by Marlene. When her eyes caught sight of Kitty, she cried out in shock, and then began to run after her. Marlene just stood in Tifa's wake; eyes wide with fear and disbelief.

"Kitty, grab onto the stair rail!" Tifa commanded of her.

Kitty was just about to be tossed down the stairs, when she— in some last attempts to keep from falling— caught a hold of the stair railing. The railing halted her for a few seconds, but with a tug and a hitch of breath, Kitty was ripped from the railing.

"Kitty!" Tifa had been almost to Kitty's aide, yet she'd been too late.

Kitty flew through the air, with nothing other than some force of physics. Her eyes were closed tight, so as she wouldn't have to see the wall she was about to hit.

The impact never came… Instead Kitty found herself being yanked to the left, and then she fell upon something soft. When she opened her eyes, she saw that it was a couch, she had landed upon. Panic gripped Kitty— she was afraid that the magnetic force might come back— she jumped up off the couch.

"Ti—" she tried to call out to Tifa but something forced Kitty's mouth to a close, almost instantly her hands went up to try and pry it open.

"Ah… isn't magic wonderful?"

Kitty whipped around in indignation, and found the golden-eyed, bald man sitting there— comfortably— upon the couch. Her attention went back and forth, between him and the sound of someone coming down the staircase.

Tifa came into sight down the steps, calling out Kitty's name. But as soon as she saw the man sitting upon her couch, her eyes widened and she halted in her descent. Slowly she began to back up, hoping that the man hadn't seen or heard her… but she was unfortunate. With a flick of his wrist, the man had stilled her like a statue.

Kitty cried out in anguish, "What did you do to her!" she flew forward in an attempt to attack the man, but was only rendered paralyzed like Tifa had been.

"I didn't do anything, I merely flicked my wrist," the golden-eyed man smirked. "Now, where were we?"

Kitty couldn't talk, she could merely blink and breath through her nose.

"Oh yes…," the man settled back into the couch, and spread his arms over it's back. "I was going to mention that killing your aunt was pure entertainment in itself… you should of seen the amount of blood that exuded from her, after I disembodied her— ha! It was gorgeous!"

Kitty made a choking sound in the back of her throat, but that was all the sound she could make.

The golden-eyed man stood up and made his way over to Kitty, as soon as he reached her, he trailed a finger down the length of her cheek.

"What a beauty you are…," he breathed into her ear, "My god didn't say anything about not harming you… I think that a bit of harm won't kill you," he snuggled up against her, and breathed in her scent.

Kitty closed her eyes tight, as soon as she felt his lips against her cheek— he hadn't shaved in a while. Her eyes opened wide in protest, when she felt one of his hands snake up beneath her shirt. She wanted to move away— she wanted to shout and kick him in his most prized place. But she was paralyzed— the man was some wizard… or something. He wouldn't let her go… a dawning of realization on what situation she was in made something feral in Kitty awaken. Her skin began to warm up.

"Hmmmm…, you're getting a little hot baby," the golden-eyed man murmured, "Hmmmm, feels good."

Something was thawing…

The man pushed Kitty down upon the couch; she thumped down upon it like the mannequin she now was. He followed suit, lying down upon her.

Something was screaming… something was erupting inside of her.

The man gave a cry of excruciating pain, and jumped off of Kitty. She burned like the flames of an inferno.

Kitty found that she could move— and move she did. Swiftly she jumped off of the couch, and ran towards the door, finding her voice she began to sob violently. The man followed in hot pursuit, screaming obscenities at her. She yanked the door open, and flew down the steps out onto the front path, and into the street. She didn't notice when the man stopped screaming at her... she didn't notice when he went quiet behind her.

It had begun to rain, something that the clouds let sporadically fall all week long. Kitty half ran half walked through the street, her arms hugging herself for comfort, a dark shape running after her…

"Help! Help!" she screamed, choking on her tears. "Please! Someone!"

A few lights in upstairs rooms all along the street switched on, curtains were swiped aside, and heavy-lidded men and women gazed out upon a small hapless girl. None of them saw the man following her amongst the shadows.

The sound of another motorbike was becoming audible to Kitty's ears. She ran towards the sound, she didn't even think of the possibilities of danger, she just ran towards it. She'd just about been raped… she was scared and didn't care. She wanted to get away.

The rain obscured her vision, yet she could see the motorbike's approaching headlights.

She tried to scream out for help again, but her legs gave out from under her, and she fell to the puddles of water in the street.

The motorbike screeched to a halt a few feet in front of her.

"Mother?"

Kitty's eyes widened, but she was too weak to lift her head.

Black leather boots came into Kitty's vision.

"Shit! Your stitches, Mother."

Kitty's head was swimming in an ocean of consciousness and unconsciousness. She could feel two arms wrapping around her, pulling her into warmth— she squirmed in fear— not again!

"Shhh… it's me, Mother… don't worry I've got you."

Kitty's head was propped up, and she looked up into starry blue eyes, "Don't leave me… Please... don't let him get me, sir."

And she was out cold.

Please big puppy eyes, review! It's not so hard, there's the button right down there, see?