A/N: And here begins the new chapters for 'Vestige'. I'm sorry to any old readers who have been waiting since the original for this thing. I hope not to disappoint! I even made it a little longer, so enjoy!

Chapter Six

Jescie stood frozen at the large window in Yazoo's room, eyes saddened by the image of all of Edge's children gathered at the opposite end of the spring. Marlene was by her side, fingers looped tightly through the older girl's belt loops. "Jescie…" the child whimpered, both of their eyes haven landed on a familiar mop of brown hair. 'Denzel…' Jescie thought,

"I know, Marlene," was all she offered the small child, stroking back her bangs. "I know…"

They both turned as the bedroom door opened slowly, and Loz poked his head in. His eyes caught sight of Jescie's glare on him, and he had the sense to look away. He beckoned with his head out toward the hallway. "Kadaj says it's time for you two to join us now," he said, choosing instead to look to Marlene as he spoke.

The younger girl, in turn, cowered closer to her protector's side. "It's okay, Marlene," Jescie soothed, kneeling down to her level still stroking her hair. "I'm gonna make sure you get out of here safe in sound," she'd lowered her voice so that Loz wouldn't hear her.

Marlene nodded, though she was still hesitant as the older girl led her to the door. Loz led them out to where Kadaj and Yazoo were, examining the glowing contents of a steel box. "Is that..?" Jescie trailed off, looking down at Marlene questioningly.

"Uh-huh!" the little girl confirmed. "They took Cloud's and your Materia too!" She said, pointing accusingly at Loz and Kadaj.

Yazoo looked down at her amused, before his gaze shifted to Jescie. "May I?" he asked, holding up a glowing orb, still donning amusement.

She noticed Kadaj's angry snort and the unsure glance Loz had tossed him, but headed no mind to it. 'Hell, no way!' was running through her mind. "Of course," she nodded. A gasp came from behind her, and she turned to see Marlene staring disbelievingly at her. 'Cloud won't stand a chance, Jescie, you idiot!' "Cloud will be able to handle himself just fine, Marlene." She lied.

It hurt to lie to the little girl; it was making her feel numb – she couldn't even feel bothered to feel guilt anymore. But it had to be done, because she couldn't deny him without the chance of losing his trust. It was especially in front of his brothers, after the mishap with the youngest.

Her thoughts were brought to the present when Loz's large frame approached the two females. She narrowed her eyes, and noticed Yazoo staring at his brother with a calculating gaze. Loz seemed to ignore Jescie when he took hold of the little girl at her side, pulling the child by the arm. "Hey!" she exclaimed as Marlene squeaked "Help!"

She raised her arm, fist aimed when another hand took hold of her wrist, another wrapping itself easily around her waist. "He won't hurt her," Yazoo's smooth voice assured her as the other two stationed themselves at Kadaj's right. "Or any of the others," he added, lowering her arm.

She said nothing as he led her with his arm still at her waist to the youngest brother's left side. All five of them stared across the opposite end of the spring, watching the congregation of children there. Her eyes scanned them until she found Denzel in the back of the gathering, eyes wide and staring at the three strange men before them. He probably couldn't see Marlene from where she was, pressed tightly into Loz's side. Jescie would've thought it an embrace between guardian and charge, were it not for the frightened look on the girl's face.

When the boy's eyes landed on the familiar face he saw earlier that day, his eyes widened just a bit more. Jescie brought a finger to her lips, advising him away from acknowledging their relation. Yazoo looked at her, but said nothing about the exchange. Instead, he planted a hard kiss on her right temple, and tightened his hold on her waist almost possessively. She would've smiled, were it not for the current situation.

"Welcome all!" Kadaj's voice suddenly rung out through the clearing, and Jescie instinctively tensed. She didn't like the youngest remnant – at all. She heard Yazoo chuckle softly, and she resisted the urge to dig her elbow into his rib.

Kadaj went on, his voice catching her attention once again. "Mother has given me, a very special gift: the power to fight against a Planet that torments humanity." She heard Marlene gasp, as the reality of these men's plans came to the small girl. "She gave this gift to all her children." Both Jescie and Kadaj knew he had the children's attention now, and dread seeped into her gut as his manipulation was starting to take hold.

"That's right." He cooed, pointing across the group and catching the eyes of a few. "You and I are brethren. Brothers and sisters chosen when we inherited mother's mimetic legacy from the Lifestream!" He turned his back to the children momentarily, facing the tower and raising his arms to it in a worshiping manner before looking back. "But the Planet doesn't approve of that; at all. It's doing all it can to hold us back.

"That's why; it's wracking out bodies with pain! And filling out hearts, with doubt!" His voice was getting louder, and Jescie notice Denzel and a few others shrinking back from it. Kadaj noticed this too, so his voice lowered just a bit, before it rose once again. "Now I shall heal you; and we will go to Mother together.

"We will join as a family," as the excitement in the young remnant's voice grew, so did the dark cloud of power Jescie could see coming from his body. "and strike back at the Planet!" Suddenly the power around Kadaj seemed to burst, and Jescie gasped in wonderment. The children were shrinking back again, but most still had faces of awe, including Denzel. "Do, as I do." The remnant commanded.

Slowly, he stepped deeper into the spring. Jescie watched wide-eyed as the clear water became murky, and blackened at Kadaj's feet. She could sense the darkness it emitted, a chill going through the air. With deliberate slowness, Kadaj demonstrated what the children were meant to do; he scooped the dark liquid in his hands and brought it to his lips, throwing his head back as he downed in.

He chuckled darkly as the children slowly stepping into the water, going as far as it took to reach their waists before following Kadaj's example. "Denzel."

Jescie's eyes moved at the sound of Marlene's voice, and her heart froze when she saw the small figure standing right before Kadaj. "No," she moaned, moving to go toward him. Yazoo tightened his hold on her further and pulled her securely against his chest. "Denzel!" she and Marlene pleaded as the boy downed the water.

Only then did Yazoo release his hold, and the young woman ran to Denzel, clasping her hands on his shoulders. "Denzel!" she cried. He lifted his head to her, and she nearly choked at the sight of Mako green instead of the bright blue she usually associated with Denzel's eyes. "No…" she whined, pulling the frozen child to her body and tucking his head under her chin.

She couldn't stand to see those green cat-eyes that resembled her own blue ones. A new dislike for the youngest remnant rose within her. She truly hated Kadaj now, for exposing her friend and these other children to Jenova cells in through the spring water. She heard said remnant chuckling behind her, and she turned to glare at him as he spoke. "See, Mother?" he questioned, raising his gaze to the night sky. "All my new brothers and sisters; they can keep me company. Just until I find you."

She would've killed him right then, except Yazoo had hidden her sai and Hira from her again. Just then, a far off noise caught her attention. It was miles away it seemed, but her enhanced hearing, and that of the remnants picked it up easily. In was a motorbike, which could only mean one thing. Kadaj looked to his brothers, still atop the dry land. "Big Brother has come to play." He chuckled.

Jescie stood at the head of the group, crouched at Denzel's side and trying helplessly to coax him back into consciousness as she held his hands in hers. Marlene stood behind her, small hands gripping the older girl's jacket. The child gasped as a pair of headlights approached them and the other children, and Jescie acted quickly. As the tires of Cloud's Fenrir screeched to a sudden stop, Jescie took hold of both her small friends and jumped away.

She heard Cloud cry out as he fell from the bike and watched the other children doge out of the machine's way. Kadaj nimbly jumped over the contraption, when it was brought to a sudden stop by Loz's foot. From their place in a tree's lower branch, Jescie and Marlene watched Kadaj approach the fallen ex-SOLDIER. "I'm glad you could make it!"

"I only came for the kids!" Cloud warned, an icy glare focused on the remnant.

"See this man?" Kadaj called to the children, ignoring the words of his 'brother'. "He's our big brother!" his voice had a crazed tone in it, and it made Jescie shiver. "But alas! In our happy flock," Souba was aimed to Cloud's head at this point, "he's what you'd call a black sheep."

Marlene gasped as the double-bladed katana was raised. "Cloud!" Jescie cried, her heart clenching at the sight of her old friend in such a defenseless position.

Her cry, however, served to effectively distract Kadaj momentarily. Cloud took the opportunity to rise and he took hold of his Buster Sword, swinging at Kadaj. "Come on," Jescie whispered to Marlene.

She adjusted her grasp on the two small bodies of her friends, before jumping to the ground a ways away from the sounds of battle. She flinched for every gunshot that echoed through the air, but didn't pause until they found their way back to the Capital. "Listen to me, Marlene," She said, crouching to the little girl's eye level. "I'm getting you out of here, but we can't bring Denzel along."

"Why no-!" Marlene was stopped with a finger to her lips.

"Denzel isn't himself right now, Marlene." Jescie explained softly. "But I'm going to stay with him and keep him safe. If I have any chance of helping him it'll probably have to come from Yazoo and his brothers." The girl gave her a strange look when she realized Jescie had used the middle remnant's name specifically, but said nothing. "Now, let's get you out of here!"

They left Denzel with the other children, whom had gathered by the spring again, and took off before the brothers got back. Jescie picked up the sound of hushed conversation up ahead, and Marlene ran ahead when she mentioned one of the voices was Cloud. Jescie was right behind Marlene when the young girl collided with Cloud's body. The ex-SOLDIER looked up, surprised to see them. "Marlene? Jescie?"

"Cloud!" Marlene exclaimed, "Denzel, and Tifa…"

"Tifa is okay," Cloud reassured her, and Jescie sighed in relief at this new information.

"I wanna talk to her!" Marlene demanded. The blonde reached for his phone and paused, before realizing it was missing. She looked to the man at Jescie's right, Vincent, she believed. 'She's persistent, I'll give her that,' Jescie thought. "May I?" Marlene asked. Unfortunately, Vincent pulled his cloak back to reveal his lack of a cell phone as well. "You don't have a phone?"

"Vincent, could you bring Marlene to Tifa?" Cloud asked, "I'm gonna go see Shinra and get a few answers."

The cloaked man was shaking his head before Cloud had finished speaking. "I can't do that."

"But I-"

Cloud broke off at the glare Jescie was giving him, when Marlene suddenly pulled away from him. "Forget it Cloud!" She yelled. "Why do you think Jescie left you? You never pay any attention to us!" she made a dash for Vincent, who held his cloak for her to hide under.

"Marlene," Cloud said softly, "Please? Give me some time. There's a battle to be fought," he tried to explain, "But it's not as easy as just fighting. Do you understand?"

"No I don't!" She said from beneath Vincent's arm.

"Cloud," came the ex-Turk's deep voice. "Are you sure this is about fighting?"

Cloud looked confused, until he looked to Jescie and she spoke. "She's right," she indicated to the child still hidden at the gunslinger's side. "I was tired of being put second, to a memory…"

He looked away from her, and she settled herself comfortably against a tree. She watched as his eyes closed in thought. She still couldn't believe how much he had grown from that sick boy she remembered lugging around with Zack so long ago. She'd seen him mature during the time after their friend's death, until he left with AVALANCHE and left her behind in Midgar. Then, when they reunited after Meteorfall, he'd told her of the loss of the flower girl from the slums.

That was when he began pushing her, as well as the others, away. She stayed with him as long as she could, even after they found Denzel together outside Aerith's church. It was once he began immersing himself in the task of finding a cure to Denzel's geostigma that she could no longer stand the emotional barrier's, and took off.

She was brought out of her thoughts when Cloud quietly asked, "Are sins ever forgiven?"

"I've never tried," Vincent admitted.

"You mean…" he looked down, mumbling to himself, "…never tried…" Then he looked up, resolve etched into his face. "Marlene, let's go!" The girl poked her head out from under Vincent, a bright smile now on her face. As she caught up to the blonde and took his hand, Cloud declared, "Well, I'm gonna try."

Jescie smiled brightly at him, proud of Cloud. "Good luck, Spikey!" she called, getting a thumbs up as a response.

"Jescie," Vincent deadpanned her name, and she turned to give him a curious look. "I've recently had a talk with the Turk-Director Tseng." She stepped forward, suddenly very interested. Vincent paused, as if in thought about what he was about to say. "He gave me some information that I think you might be interested in."

She tilted her head in a confused manner. "Why would-?"

"It has to do with your origins."

A/N: Well, i do hope this came out alright. I did my best.

Some of Cloud and Jescie's past together has been revealed! Not sure if I like how that went about or not, but I'll let you guys decide. I don't think that I'm going to say what Vincent told her in the next chapter, but that all depends on how I'm feeling when i write it.