Hello everyone.

I know I haven't been writing any new (story-driven) chapters x_x I'm currently writing chapter twelve (haha, my favorite number!) which will be a bit of romance between Angeal and Tristis.

Now about this chapter, I actually have no idea why, but I felt the urge to write a memory chapter more into Denzel's point of view about Tristis and how frustrated he might have seemed during the time he had gotten geostigma. He might seem OOC, but I think children who feel scared will usually lash out their anger (of how unfair a situation is) at an adult or someone they care for because they think they won't get effected or they don't understand. (I think of this because when I was younger, I've done it before and I have a young friend who does it to me too). Does Denzel think of Tristis as a crush, sister or best friend? That's for you to decide.

I hope you enjoy reading this chapter!

I do not own anything to do with Final Fantasy VII (That right goes to Square Enix), I only own the original character, Tristis Memoria/Nix Somnium and the twists added to the plot.

Memory Chapter 5 – Guardian Angel

Denzel had lost things and he had gained things.

That was life.

He had parents- two pairs in fact. One was his biological parents with the shared genes and everything. He had his mother's pair of eyes and his father's brunette hair... He had lost them, but he had gained the other pair... Cloud and Tifa.

Tifa fitted the mother role as perfectly as his own mother did. She was kind and she had this aura that immediately told him that he'd be fine in her presence.

Cloud was different from the father figure every child had in mind. He was always going off somewhere, his to-do list (if he ever had one) would be filled with deliveries or beating up bad people. He wasn't the typical father to stay at home and teach him things, or even have the 'father-son' talk. Maybe it was because Cloud was still considered young compared to other fathers so therefore he was inexperienced. But Denzel didn't care because Cloud was still his dad. He was estastic to have a dad like him! He was so strong and everyone respected him.

Denzel had a little sister named Marlene too. She was adopted by a man named Barret but lived with Tifa, Cloud and him for safety because Barret was "never the one to sit still." as Tifa pointed out. She was sweet and innocent. Her childish, fragile appearance made everyone want to protect her. Yet Marlene was very insightful when it came to things like someone's mood. She knew when to leave Denzel alone or when to come close and comfort him. She must have learnt it from Tifa, because that's what Tifa did with Cloud all the time.

The other person that lived with them in Seventh Heaven was Tristis Memoria. She was a bit like the aunt since she was Cloud's best friend, almost like an older sister. When Tifa was too busy with the bar, Tristis would look after Marlene and him upstairs and if things were really busy, she'd go downstairs and help Tifa. Most of the time Marlene would sleep, so it was usually just him and her.

They would lie down on his bed, sometimes reading a book in silence and sometimes talking. He was proud to say he had made her laugh a couple of times and to see her smile all because of him. But her smiles always had a hint of saddness, her eyes never twinkled as brightly as Tifa's when she laughed and her laugh was far too short all the time. But she was a good friend nonetheless. She stayed with him when no one else could. It was embarrassing to say (especially since he had reached puberty and no longer thought like a child) but he considered her as a guardian angel because she was always there for everyone in their worst times.

When Cloud broke down or had nightmares of the past (that he never explained to Denzel), Tristis was the first one to snap him out of it and comfort him. When Tifa get upset over Cloud leaving for long periods of time, Tristis would be there with a cup of hot tea and a listening ear. When Marlene came back crying with a dirty dress and grazes on her knees from falling over, Tristis would be there with a first aid kit and a clean dress.

When Denzel had gotten geostigma, Tristis was there. She stayed with him and even helped him style his hair so that it covered his geostigma. At first, he was irritated to have her following him around, treating him like a kid when he definitely was not one (in his mind atleast). He really hated it when someone pitied him, especially from Tristis. She seemed to pity everyone. It was the look in her emerald eyes, always darkening with saddness and sympathy.

"Stop looking at me like that!" He shouted all of a sudden when they were sitting on his bed and she was giving him that look.

She looked at him strangely, but with a hint of concern as she patted her white dress flat and placed her thick, old book on her lap. "Like what?"

"Like that!" He pointed at her directly in her eyes and she pulled back to make sure she wouldn't get hurt.

"Denzel, I don't understand." She said gently, slowly pushing his arm down.

"I'm not weak." His tone still slightly hostile and angered.

She seemed shocked at his statement, which made him bristle. "I know you aren't."

"Then why do you keep acting like I'm a baby? I don't need to be followed all the time!"

"I just get worried." She tried reaching out to grasp his shoulder, but he shrugged it off and scrowled at her.

"Why do you care? There's no cure for this, Triss! I'm going to die anyways!"

She leapt up, grasping him and shaking his body with a slight desperation. "Don't say that, Denzel! There will be a cure and you're not going to die! I know how it feels like, but-"

He cut her off, "No you don't! You don't know what it feels like to lose people in your life! You get all the good things and you just look down on the others!"

Denzel was expecting her to retaliate with harsh words, like how Tifa did to Cloud when they had their little arguments. But instead, Tristis looked as if she was deflating and her eyes became hollow. He felt a pang of regret for saying such mean things. She suddenly looked weak, much more weaker than Cloud or Tifa when they were sad. He saw someone else... This is not Tristis... He thought in shock.

His only excuse for being so angry was that he was scared. He didn't want to die and he certainly wanted to wake up to another day to pester Cloud into letting him ride his motorcycle atleast once and get rejected again. Yet he was horrified with himself for letting out all his frustrations on someone caring like Tristis and making her become this. He couldn't even let words form as he tried to apologise.

"I'm sorry." She whispered before briskly walking out of the room.

The first thing that happened the next morning, after a fitful sleep, Denzel had woken up and went down to eat breakfast with the others. To his shock, Tristis was not there and Marlene was giving him a disapproving glare. "That was mean of you!" She huffed as he sat across from her.

"What?"

Marlene pouted, "I heard everything last night. That was mean of you to talk to Triss like that!"

He felt another dagger of guilt slash at his heart and he winced. "I didn't mean it."

"I know you didn't, Denzel." A woman's voice said.

The two children turned to see Tifa entering the room with a sad smile. Her long brown hair was slightly wet, probably from a morning shower and she was wearing her usual black attire. "I could hear you from across the hallway." She explained before Denzel could give Marlene a glare (because he had thought she was the one who spilled the beans). Tifa sat down at the table, looking carefully at him. "Tristis cares a lot about you, Denzel. She's very scared you know."

Denzel nodded solemnly, feeling rather pathetic at himself for letting his anger get the best of him last night. "She has lost a lot of friends when she was younger." Tifa explained softly. "The only one left from her childhood is Cloud."

"What happened to the rest?" He whispered, as if the subject was taboo (little did he know, it rather was).

"Her parents went back to the life stream years ago with her friends too."

Again, Denzel winced at the thought. He was mentally beating himself up for saying that she had all the good things. Now he knew that her past was much worse than his. He had only lost his parents, but she had lost a lot of people from her life. If he lost Marlene and his school friends, he'd probably have gone depressed. "She wants to make sure she doesn't lose anyone else, that's why she's always around."

The first thing Denzel did to Tristis was apologise. He was stuttering like a fool (and even cried) but Tristis understood and gave him a tight hug. "I'll protect you until it's my time to go." She whispered to him.

She was there for the whole time. Far past the cure of geostigma and the time when the AVALANCHE team had to pick up their weapons once again to save the world yet again (although this time Vincent did most of the work), she was still there. When her birthday came along, they held a huge party and Denzel was proud to know that he was the one who made Triss smile the most at that time. Her laugh was merry and unfortunely short. But everyone had fun, Cid even tried to sneak a bit of alcohol for him, but Tifa's 'mother sense' found out and swiped the drink away.

He had fallen asleep peacefull that night. It had been a good day and all was right. Strangely, Denzel dreamed of Tristis. She had a pair of white feathered wings, her long brown hair trailing down her back in a stream-like fashion. They were in a field of flowers, all colored differently. The air smelled minty and fresh and the sky was baby blue like a crisp autumn morning. She had turned herself slightly, just enough to see the side of her face. She was smiling. It didn't make any sense, but Denzel felt it was the saddest yet happiest smile he'd ever seen her make. Then, she slowly turned away and began walking, her wings flapping slightly. The feahers floated like snow and mixed with the petals as the breeze picked us. The last thing he saw was her waving and the breeze of feathers, flower petals and the life stream enveloping her.

"It's my time to go..." Her voice mingled with the voice of many others, yet it was strong and determined.

"You are strong, Denzel. Never forget that."

He felt something soft brush against his forehead, before the warmth disappeared and his guardian angel flew free.

I think by the end of the chapter, Denzel would have been a teenager, atleast fifteen I think. I'm just guessing.

Anyways, I'm still feeling sick and I have a speech coming up soon... Sigh... I still haven't worked on my friend's birthday present (the Cloud X Tristis one-shot) and her birthday has already past. Blaaah, how horrible of me...

I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter and have a good day!

-Lolimochi.