Kalm Town

[Amnesty Lazuli]

"D**n it!" Cloud rubbed the sore spot on his head. "What the h**l?" He spotted the headline of the chapter the book had fallen open to. "Don't tell me you're taking her side now. I'm doing everything I can with this woman. She's the one not listening to me. We grew up together. I thought I knew her! I thought if anyone wasn't going to turn on me, it would be her." He kicked the wall, denting it.

"I'm not going to turn on you."

Cloud turned. Ami had reappeared, Vincent right behind her, his remaining hand on her shoulder.

He spoke. "We are your friends, Cloud. We understand. We are behind you."

Cloud sighed. "I know you understand, Vincent. You might understand better than anyone. But... you're not the one who needs to."

****

Denzel tore away from Kidd. "No!" He ran, clinging to Marlene's wrist. "I HATE THEIR EYES!!!"

Marlene kept trying to pull away, but she was no match. "Denzel, no! You don't understand!"

They vanished through a door marked DANGER... the engine room.

[Kidd Strife]

Fu...dge... Kidd dashed off after them in a flurry. The head start they had gotten from surprising them was great, though gradually increasing. He entered the room nly inches behind. Kidd pulled his radio to his mouth. "The kids are in the enginge room!"

[Sin]

Sinwalked into the room fully.

"Cloud I am not taking anyone's side, but to be honest I fear Tifa more than you at the moment."

He pointed towards the open room, at the clearly visible fist marks in the walls.

[Amnesty Lazuli]

A radio squelched in the c0ckpit. "The kids are in the engine room!"

Yazoo was the first to hear. He picked up the mouthpiece. "I'll be with you in a moment."

He replaced the mouthpiece before Kidd could object.

****

They climed between tangles of pipes, ducked under water relays, and searched desperately for a place to hide. They doubled back to lose Kidd...

A few minutes later, hidden between two boilers, Denzel huddled around Marlene, keeping her safe from the hissing steam around them. He'd kicked a valve on the way in, and it was too hot to turn back. The sprays came more and more frequently, hotter and hotter.

Marlene cowered away from the building heat.

"Denzel, please! Something's different with them."

"You're right, Marlene. This time there's nowhere to run."

****

Yazoo brushed past the others without a word. Cloud trailed behind. "What's going on?"

"Engine room," he answered succinctly.

They burst through the door heedlessly. "Kidd?"

Cloud spotted the blonde mop. "Kidd, what's going on?"

[Kidd Strife]

He was running through the room, scanning every nook and cranny with his focused eyes. "The kids are scared and confused. They're hiding here. DENZEL!" He heard steam rush out and followed the noise to its location. Through it he could make out the figure of the kids. "Are you in there?"

[Amnesty Lazuli]

Cloud barely caught the boy by his shoulders. "Don't! It's too hot." He tried to press forward through the hissing steam, sheilding himself with his Buster, but was driven back. "Kidd, help me look for the pressure valve!"

Yazoo stared into the hot mist. He could easily make out the forms of the huddling kids.

He spotted a pressure meter. It was rising dangerously high. No time...

"Stay there," he commanded coolly.

Denzel, oppressed by the heat, felt his ears prick up. That voice was so familiar, but it was beyond him to place it...

Yazoo took a deep breath. It wouldn't be long before the heat killed anyone who dared press through, and the children with it.

He ducked down the the floor. It was cooler there... he crawled ahead blindly. "Tell me where you are."

"Back here!" Marlene called, her voice shrill and frightened. "Help us!"

He peeled off his gloves. "Can you see my hand?"

Denzel squinted, half hunched to protect his face. "Yes!"

"Take it. I'll guide you out."

Denzel turned back to Marlene. "Take my ankles. Stay low."

The boy followed the strange, pale hand through the billows to safety.

Cloud finally found the valve. He turned it back, and the steam settled.

"Get that coat off," Yazoo instructed. "It's melting. Kidd, help him."

Denzel, busily doing so, did not notice Marlene staring contemplatively up at her rescuer with not a trace of fear. "Hello."

[Sin]

Sion headed carefully into the room to try and talk with Tifa.

"Hello? Tifa?"

[Kidd Strife]

Kidd sliced the coat in two, allowing it to melt off his arms. He got back down on his knees, this time not making eye contact. "Are you okay now Denzel?" His voice was sincere yet worried.

[Amnesty Lazuli]

A barrage of objects came flying at Sin's head as Tifa's tantrum continued unabated.

****

Denzel nodded. "I think I might have got burned a little, but I'll be OK."

Yazoo looked down at the young girl at his feet. "Hello."

She smiled up at him. "You've changed."

He tilted his head slightly, uncertain of what she was referring to. "As have you."

She brightened. "You didn't forget me?"

Yazoo's expression remained placid. "No matter how hard I tried."

Denzel's eyes, blurred by sweat, started to clear. They widened at the sight of the creature talking to Marlene. "No!" He rushed Yazoo, failing to make any significant impact on the older, wiser warrior. "Get back, you son of a--!"

"Stop, Denzel!" Marlene cried. She tried pulling him away.

Yazoo eyeed the boy calmly. "He can't hurt me."

[Sin]

Sin drew his word and used it as a shiled as he made his way slowly towards Tifa.

"Tifa, It isn't Cloud, it is Sin. Please stop trying to kill me, I want to help you."

[Kidd Strife]

Kidd shook his head and stood up, slowly makign his way to Denzel. He pulled him back and held him in place, putting down any effort to run. "Yazoo, explain please."

[Amnesty Lazuli]

"I'd like to know what there is to explain," Yazoo replied.

Marlene put herself between the raging orphan and the silent Remnant. "Denzel, no! He won't hurt us!"

"I would have by now had I intended to," Yazoo confirmed in a monotone.

Denzel wriggled again. He was beyond listening. "How do you know, Marlene?!"

She opened her mouth to explain, but she couldn't. "I don't know how I know. I just... know." Her gifts to understand people, to sense those who could not be seen, had always been a mystery to her. "Please, believe me."

****

Tifa dropped the book she'd been rearing back to throw. "Help me? How? I harely even know you. I can't remember if I've ever even seen you before."

She kicked the book angrily. "It doesn't matter. There's only one way you can help me. Get those monsters off this ship. If you won't, I will. If I have to shove them out of the hatch myself!"

[Kidd Strife]

"Well what you both just said is basically what I was talking about. Ahhhh! THE STEAKS!" Kidd ran to the kitchen.

[Amnesty Lazuli]

Denzel tried to barrel forward again, but this time Cloud interrupted his mad charge. "Denzel, enough," he said quietly. "He just saved your life."

A faint glow of blue traced away from Cloud's feet, across the floor, enveloping the Remnant. Black film rose in the pool of light, but soon dissipated, vanishing as if it had never been. Suddenly, the light winked out as if nothing had happened.

Denzel gaped. "Cloud... what did you just do to him, Cloud?"

Marlene knew. She gave Denzel a look. "You don't know?"

Cloud made eye contact with Yazoo. He could tell by what he saw that Yazoo understood. "Come on, kids. Let's get you out of here." He ushered them out.

Yazoo said not a word. He simply returned to the c0ckpit.

[Sin]

[rofl]

Sin sheathed the sword and sighed.

"Okay, just um... calm down.. and for the love of god don't hurt me. My name is Sin. I am... Vincent's son, in the same fashion as Kidd. I was a project of Shinra. Now.. um... try and tell me what is making you feel like this."

He flinched slightly as Tifa kicked the book.