Marlene wondered how long she had been in the little room. It had to be at least a week. But it was hard to tell because there were no windows in her room, so she couldn't see the sun. All she had to go by were the meals she received.

She sighed and rubbed her foot. During the last hour, she banged it harder then she had wanted, and now her toe still hurt.

Looking out of her cell, she saw that the guards were playing cards. She had asked them to play once, but they just scoffed and laughed at her.

It wasn't funny. She just needed something to do to help keep her boredom at bay.

She wished that something would happen soon. She needed some form of distraction. But what came next, would haunt her for the rest of her life . . .

A large group suddenly pushed into the room and gathered at her door cell. They looked as if they were struggling with another prisoner . . . a prisoner with blonde spike hair!

"Cloud!" Marlene cried, when she realized who it was.

She moved to the bars and tried to reach out to him, but he was held too far back. So instead she settled at looking into his familiar face.

She gasped. Cloud's face was covered in slashes and bruises. And the lost expression on his face was enough to make the strongest person whimper in sympathy.

He raised his head and looked with sorrowful eyes at the girl in front of him. "Marlene . . . You're alright . . ."

Marlene was shocked at how tired the voice sounded. "What's wrong?" she cried. "Enough of this pitiful blubbering," one of the cloaked men said. There was anger in his voice and he appeared very frustrated.

He grabbed Cloud by the hair and yanked his head around. "You've seen her. Now tell us what we want to know. Where did you leave Sephiroth's body?"

This was very alarming. These men had not only kidnapped her, but had somehow managed to capture Cloud. And they wanted to find Sephiroth's body. Marlene didn't know that they wanted with it, but the knew that it would be for some something vile thing.

Cloud remained silent. "Answer the question!" the man yelled, hitting Cloud's already battered face. But not a single sound escaped Clouds lips. Marlene even prayed that he wouldn't say anything.

"Fine. You leave me with no choice," the man said in a bitter and resentful voice.

He motioned to the guards that had been playing cards just a few moments ago. They nodded in acknowledgement and entered Marlene's cell.

"Marlene!" Cloud cried, but it was of no use.

Although the young warrior managed to knockout the first two men, the other three overwhelmed her. And she was restrained. Bitterly she thought that if she wasn't boxed in, she could have beaten the others.

As she grunted in strain, the guards held her tighter. Circulation was being cut off from her arm. But she still struggled, although it was in vain.

"Leave the girl alone!" Cloud cried out, new energy in his voice.

"All you have to do is say the magic words," the main said with a cynical smile.

"Don't do it, Cloud!" Marlene yelled. "You can't tell them anything."

"Ah, but he does need to tell us," the man said. "If he doesn't . . .” The guards holding Marlene held a sword up under her chin. "Well, Let's just say that I'm not going to be responsible if anything happens to that girl's lovely head."

"You wouldn't," Cloud stammered.

The man shrugged. "You're probably right. But they ~would~." Cloud bowed his head. "Of course," he continued, "we could just scar her a bit to prove that we will, to the other's in your group. They might be easier to convince, or kill."

Marlene stood upright with shock. Not only did these people have Cloud, but the others. And that was something Marlene didn't want to think about. But it was reality and she needed to face it.

So she drew a deep breath and gathered her strength. Suddenly she yanked her arms out of the men's grasps. Taking advantage of their momentary shock, she struck out with both fists, hitting both square in the face.

Stepping back, she jabbed her foot out. It caught the third man in the stomach, making him double over in pain. And that was it for the men in her cell. She made a mad dash out to the room.

The cloaked men that had gathered attempted to block Marlene, but she was too pumped to be easily stopped. She punched and kicked her way through a few men before finding herself at Cloud's side. Knocking his retainers out cold, and the 'leader' over, she enveloped Cloud in a hug.

"I thought you were done for," he said.

Marlene smiled. "I thought you knew me better than that. I won't be done in by these morons."

There was so much Marlene wanted to say to Cloud. She missed her surrogate uncle, and hoped that when this was all over, he would still be there to talk some more.

Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted. He felt pain blossoming in the back of her head, and was roughly grabbed by four of the men. Cloud was also restrained again.

"Now then,” the same man said. "You are starting to try my patience. So I will make this brief. Where is Sephiroth's body?"

Marlene was about to yell out to Cloud, but she was immediately gagged, and her words were muffled. She could do little but protest.

"I'm waiting," the man said when Cloud remained silent. The pause lasted a few more seconds before the man smiled. "Have it your way then."

Marlene gasped as one of the men in the room quickly drew a dagger and whipped it across her face. Her cheek stung and she felt something wet drip down her face. She gritted her teeth in an attempt to keep from yelling out in pain.

"Marlene!" Cloud cried. Worry and apology were in his pool blue eyes. Suddenly his eyes became angry. He turned to the leader. "Don't you dare hurt her again."

"Oh, I do dare. That is unless you are willing to speak on her behalf." The man had a taunting expression on his twisted and hateful face.

Cloud's jaw was set. But he looked torn. Although Marlene couldn't yell out to him, she knew it was useless. Cloud would do anything he could to help protect her. Even . . . Marlene shuddered . . . tell these men what they wanted to know.

"Still nothing?" the man asked. "I'm afraid you leave me with no choice now." He turned with an expression of mock sorrow on his face. "Finish her."

The knife's blade was moving to the small of Marlene's neck when Cloud called out. "No!" All eyes in the room went to him. "I'll tell you what you want to know."

"That's a good boy,” The man taunted.

"But you have to promise that no more harm will come to Marlene." Cloud waited for a response, and the man nodded. "Then, Sephiroth is . . ." Cloud looked to Marlene, as if looking for support. "Sephiroth's body is buried at the bottom of the Crater."

"There. Was that so hard?" Cloud hung his head, as if just realizing what he just did. Raising his head slowly, he looked to Marlene and saw fear in her eyes.

Marlene was shocked at what Cloud had just did. But quickly her shock turned to fear. The man who was forcing Cloud to talk brought out a small jagged dagger, and slid it into Cloud's side.

Marlene cried out as her knees sagged and her tears blurred the room. She was thrown roughly back into her cell, and the door was locked again.

"What did you kill him for," one of the men asked.

"He gave us what we wanted, and I have no more use for him,” the leader said absently.

"But what if he was lying?"

"Then we'll just learn where he went wrong from the others." He kicked the dead Cloud in the side. "And clean up this mess."

He turned to leave, but threw a look back at the sobbing Marlene. "On second thought; take the body, but leave the blood." His smile was the most horrid thing Marlene had ever seen. "Just in case you plan on escaping again, this will be a reminder that we won't be so lenient next time."

With that, all but Marlene's five guards left the room. She touched her bleeding cheek then held it in front of her face. Suddenly all her sorrow left her. She clenched her fist, and vowed on her blood that she would kill these men, even if she died trying.

Chapter 13
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