Chapter two: Marlene and Denzel's Secret

Cloud finally emerged from his long hot shower, letting the steam roll out like fog from the bathroom. 'Damn, I needed that.' He thought as he stretched his once-tense muscles. Grabbing a towel, he dried up the excess water out of his hair then shook his head; letting his natural blond spikes shine though. 'Much better.' He thought. Putting on a fresh pair of clothes, he finally felt refreshed, renewed even. He took a look at himself in the full length mirror. 'I look decent enough.' He tried smiling, but it came out as more of grimace. 'That wont due.' He tried again: SCOWL : 'Aah! well, when have I been required to smile anyway?' He thought with a roll to his eyes.

Making his way towards the door, he took one look back at his long time companion; his sword. He could see the hard steel gleaming in the sunset. He shook his head, opened the door and set about finding the other occupants of this home, his friends; the ones he felt he had abandoned.

Making his way out the room, to his left he could hear Marlene and Denzel laughing. To his right he heard Tifa ransacking though the desk cabinets, putting away objects. He went to see what Marlene and Denzel where up to. As he opened the door, they both looked up to see who had interrupted their playtime. Their eyes widened in surprise and their faces broke out in wide smiles.

"Cloud!" They both yelled in unison. He offered them a small smile as they both ran towards him tackling him into a tight grip, showing how fiercely they've missed him.

"Hello, Marlene, Denzel. How have you both been doing?" He asked as he rubbed both their heads affectionately. He stopped and noticed Marlene's pink bow and short braid. 'Just like hers--just like Aerith's.' His chest tightened a bit at the thought of her.

Marlene notice his change of character and saw him staring at her hair.

"Oh, you like it Cloud?" She turned around demonstrating her pink bow and short braid. "I had asked Denzel to do it for me, but he can't tie a bow for anything." Upon looking at her friend, Denzel, that stood beside her, she saw him roll his eyes in exasperation--she stuck her tongue out at him and continued. "So I asked Tifa to do it; now it looks perfect! I know it's not as long as Aerith's, but I hope one day it will be." She looked expectantly at Cloud, waiting for an answer.

As if being pulled out of a daze, he blinked rapidly. "It looks good, Marlene. Tifa did a great job." He said in a monotone voice. He turned and looked out the window watching the stars light the sky as the sun made it's descent.

Just then Tifa entered the room. "Hey guys I need help with..." Her eyes immediately land on Cloud. "Cloud?" She stares at him as not believing it's really him--as if he's a ghost. Cloud closes his eyes and turns towards her. He opens his eyes and meets her disbelieving gaze.

"Hey, Tifa." He gives her a forced smile; it feels awkward on his lips.

"Oh..." Trying to compose herself, she coughs lightly. "Where have you been?" Her brows furrow slightly in question. "Everyone has been trying to get in contact with you." Her head tilts to the side, beckoning him to speak, but no words are forth coming. So she continues, agitated. "It's been fucking three goddamn months, Cloud!"

Marlene and Denzel, both gasped at the out burst. They look back and forth between Cloud and Tifa; wondering whose side to be on in the argument that's about to take place. Cloud takes pity on them. "Not now, Tifa" His voice low and rough. "We'll talk later." He assured her.

She nodded her head solemnly and turned to walk out, but before she went through the threshold she stopped and said. "I'm going to close the bar down and call everyone up, you know...have a gathering for your return?" She looked at him by the side of her eye, waiting for a reaction. None was forth coming. 'He's like a robot!' She thought before striding out the room, not waiting for a response.

He turned towards the kids and offers a small smile of apology. "I'm sorry you had to see that." he told them. He could see their small bodies tense with fear, but when they saw him smile, their fear evaporated, and they smiled back.

"It's okay Cloud, adults always argue." Denzel said with a shrug to his shoulders. 'Maybe that's this worlds problem...' Cloud's thoughts got cut off by Marlene's exclamation.

"Oh! I forgot. Look what we've found, Cloud!" cried Marlene as she ran to an old drawing table. Underneath the table were piles and piles of blankets and pillows, like a home made clubhouse exploded. She started digging through the piles of blankets and pillows and finally pulled out what looked like a gold trimmed, diamond crested teapot except much slender and longer.

"What is that?" Cloud asked perplexed.

"I thought you weren't going to say anything, Marlene!" Denzel whispered harshly.

Cloud Turned his blue, mako infused eyes towards him. "Why can't she tell me what it is?" Cloud asked.

Denzel bowed his head in embarrassment; his shaggy hair hiding his face. "No reason. She told me she wasn't going to say anything to anybody, is all." Denzel said in a timid voice.

Cloud's eyebrow raised in curiosity. "What so special about it?" His arms crossed waiting for an answer.

"Well, what it is Cloud, it's a...genie lamp." Marlene answered, giving the lamp a name as an after thought. Cloud looked at her incredulously and eyed the 'genie lamp'. He shook his head in disbelief. " No really Cloud, it's a magicalgenie lamp." Marlene offered the lamp to Cloud for further investigation. When Cloud received the lamp, Denzel told him of it's supposed powers.

"You know Cloud, the lamp supposed to grant you three wishes" Denzel said as matter of fact. Cloud's eyes raised to Denzel's. "Three...wishes?" Cloud asked in wonder. Denzel nodded and continued on. "Yup, It supposed to grant three wishes; whatever your heart desires." Cloud's eyes moved to the lamp. The sparkle of the diamonds seeming to enchant him.

"How do you know it grants you three wishes?" Cloud asked

"Because the book said it did." Answered Denzel. Cloud looked at him. "The book?"

"We have this book, you see, we found it with the lamp. I guess you could say it's the lamp's instruction manual." Marlene said. Then she turned abruptly around and ran out the door.

"Marlene?" Cloud called after her. He looked expectantly towards Denzel.

Denzel shrugged his shoulders. "She had to go to the restroom?" Denzel said not having a clue. Then she came running into the room, short of breath and had a wide, thick book underneath her arms.

"Look..(huff) Cloud, this(puff) is the book." She wheezed out as she handed Cloud the book. He wasn't surprised at the heaviness of the book; it being so wide and thick.

"Sorry. I had showed it to Tifa, so I had go and get it from her room." She said after she caught her breath.

Denzel looked at her. "You showed it to Tifa?" She nodded her head. Denzel continued "Why? I thought we weren't going to tell anybody?"

She rolled her eyes. "It's a little to late for that don't you think, besides I needed help figuring out some of the words..." Marlene paused and looked to Cloud, then continued on. "We still don't even know how to get the...genie to come out." Marlene finished saying.

Denzel continued. "Ya Cloud, we tried all the usual stuff; like rubbing the side of it or even shaking it--like you see in the movies. Nothing works. Even the book dosen't say anything."

Cloud looked over the book that was in his right hand; it was plain. No words on the cover, just plain and really white--it looked almost pure. He then looked at the lamp in all it's gold, diamond glory. The book and lamp were total opposites. 'I've never seen objects like these.' Cloud thought.

"Hmm..." Cloud put the lamp and book down on top of the table. "That is interesting." Cloud said, grabbing his chin in thought. "Where did you two find the items?" He turned his attention to Marlene and noticed how nervous she looked. It was Denzel that answered his question.

"Well, we found them by the...old d-deserted Shinra building." He said stumbling over his words.

Cloud's eyes widened. "The Shinra building!" He looked at both of them. His piercing mako blue eyes making them turn there heads in every direction except towards him.

He shook his head. " Let me guess, by the way you both look; guilty, you went by yourselves!" They nodded, eyes downcast in shame. "You guys know that place is dangerous; it's filled with monsters, and the surrounding buildings and even the building itself is about ready to collapse." He looked at them and shook his head in deep disappointment.

"We're sorry." They said in unison.

He shook his head again. "What made you two go--" He was cut off as they heard the front door of the bar open. And in came the loud voices and the loud stomp of boots on the wooden floors.

"Where that son' bitch Cloud at? I gotta show him the new model, Shera; that mother' flies faster than any bird in the sky. Woohoo!" Cloud could hear Cid's voice over everybody else's loud talking. He shook his head in amusement.

"Marlene, Denzel, I'm going to take the lamp and the book, read and see what it is, okay?" He said as he took hold of the objects.

Without waiting for an answer, he strode out towards his room with the lamp and book in hand. He felt like these items where special, important and valuable, and to not be trusted with anyone. He entered his dark room, switched on the light and looked around for a safe hiding spot for the objects in his hands. He opened the closet door and stuck them under his dirty clothes. 'This'll have to do for the time being.' Cloud thought as he stared down at the mysterious objects at the bottom of his dirty clothes hamper. He shook his head, stood and got ready to face his friends.